The Mike Hosking Breakfast

One of New Zealand's most polarising leaders, the debate around former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues to rage two years after her resignation. 

She led the country between 2017 and 2023, both the Christchurch Mosque shooting and the Covid-19 pandemic falling in her tenure. 

Although Arden’s popularity was immense at the time, the tides have shifted within New Zealand, many questioning the actions she took and the...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 6th of November, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis discusses the rising unemployment rate. 

ACT Leader David Seymour gives his thoughts on the University of Auckland’s refusal to provide refunds for their now-scrapped compulsory Māori courses.  

Brilliant pollster Henry Olsen talks us through the various elections, New York City in particular, in the US yes...

Australian mining company Santana is a crucial step closer to opening its controversial proposed gold mine near Cromwell. 

Officials have granted a 30-year mining permit for the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project. 

It requires the company to return either 10% of profits or 2% of gold sales to the Crown – whichever is higher. 

Chief Executive Damian Spring told Mike Hosking they've now lodged a fast-track application for envi...

Those who are in work are taking more sick leave. 

New research by Southern Cross Health Insurance and Business NZ has found an average staff member took almost seven days of sick leave last year, up 1.4 from two years earlier. 

It's costing the country about $4 billion a year. 

Business NZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking the rise in leave entitlements has had an impact, but many employees are also d...

The pressure is on Zohran Mamdani following his landslide victory in New York City's mayoral election. 

The 34-year-old democratic socialist has become the city's youngest mayor and first South Asian and Muslim mayor. 

US pollster Henry Olsen says Mamdani may not be the answer to issues facing the Democratic Party. 

He told Mike Hosking everything depends on how Mamdani acts when he takes office. 

He says if Mam...

Auckland University's completely ruled out refunds for its now-scrapped compulsory Treaty and Māori culture courses. 

The university's making the courses optional from next year but won't refund students who were required to complete it in the first semester of this year. 

The courses cost almost six thousand dollars for international students, and one thousand for domestic students. 

Act Leader David Seymour told Mi...

The Economic Growth Minister's confident the economy will turn a corner soon. 

Unemployment's reached 5.3% in the September quarter – the highest it's been since 2016. 

160 thousand Kiwis have been out of work and looking for a job, the most since 1994. 

Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking unemployment may rise further this quarter, but there are positives, like the increase in hours worked and a move from part time to f...

Here is a line up: Alex Salmond, former head of Scotland, Dame Noeline Taurua, and Siouxsie Wiles, as in the microbiologist. 

The Salmond family is wanting their estate made bankrupt. It comes out of a judicial review over the handling of a couple of complaints against him by civil servants that turned out to be “tainted”. 

In other words, his defence was successful, but the cost of winning proved too high.  

Noeline...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 5th of November, unemployment is expected to rise – have we reached the peak?  

Chris Bishop has some strong words for Auckland council over the number of concerts at Eden Park and Shane Jones has an energy plan for us.   

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen cover police, whether a ban on homelessness in city centres is viable, and Te Pāti Māori on Politics W...

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to delve into the biggest political developments thus far.  

Labour has raised the question of if the Government is planning to ban homelessness in city centres – how would this work? 

The Te Pāti Māori stoush is getting increasingly ugly, and what’s happening with police numbers and fake breath tests? 

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Shane Jones says the Government's new Fuel Security Plan will ensure there's a reliable source of fuel in case of global or domestic disruption. 

The plan focuses on four key areas centred around resilience against supply shocks. 

Fuel importers will be required to hold minimum levels of diesel and jet fuel, and the Government will support domestic fuel alternatives. 

Jones, the Associate Minister of Energy, told Mik...

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84, from the complications of pneumonia, and cardiac and vascular disease. 

George W Bush says his VP's death is a "loss to the nation". 

Cheney's family say he taught his children and grandchildren fly-fishing, to love their country, and to live lives of courage, honour, love and kindness. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking he was the most p...

Auckland's central business association is backing a ban on homelessness in city centres – with conditions. 

During Question Time in Parliament yesterday, Labour suggested the Government was planning to introduce such a ban. 

A Heart of the City survey has found 90% of operators are affected by rough sleepers and begging. 

Chief Executive Viv Beck told Mike Hosking there needs to be change. 

She says most centra...

Unemployment's set to edge higher despite signs of the job market improving. 

Stats NZ data, due out this morning, is expected to show the unemployment rate reached 5.3% in the September quarter. 

That's up from 5.2% in the June quarter. 

Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Mike Hosking the unemployment rate would be even higher if more young people were in the labour market. 

He says they've been first...

The Government wants more concerts at Auckland's Eden Park. 

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has written to Auckland Council seeking feedback on allowing up to 20 medium-sized concerts a year, on top of the 12 concerts it currently hosts. 

An economic report warns current restrictions could cost the city $432 million in lost income over the next decade. 

Bishop told Mike Hosking these changes will be good for Auckla...

An increase in car sales could be a sign of consumer confidence returning. 

More than 14-thousand new vehicles were registered last month – up 13.5% on October last year. 

It was the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. 

Motor Industry Association Chief Executive Aimee Wiley told Mike Hosking the last few months have brought some encouraging signs. 

She says there's been a rise in private and busines...

The Louvre heist seems to have been carried out not by an organised crime syndicate, but by petty criminals.  

Four thieves last month raided the world’s most-visited art museum, in daylight, stealing crown jewels worth an estimated $178 million in just seven minutes. 

French police arrested two men the following week and over the weekend a man and a woman in their 30s, living in a northern Paris suburb. 

France Corr...

Here's a question for you, about us: 

Are we chronic pessimists? Just when will it be a good time to buy a large household item? 

The ANZ Consumer Confidence figures came out Friday, and we have sunk again. Unlike business, which went up eight points while punters went down another two points. 

What about household items, like a fridge? We haven't felt good about that for any month in four long years. 

48 months...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 4th of November, we've got good business news when it comes to lending and spending, as well as the building market. 

Erica Stanford is removing the requirement for school boards to "give effect" to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, saying it’s made no difference to kids' learning. 

F1 driver Liam Lawson joins for an exclusive chat about his future and his nerves heading int...