The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Banks are sounding the alarm over a new kind of subscription trap. 

Instead of a typical ‘forgot to cancel scenario’, businesses are instead selling goods and services that hook customers into reoccurring subscription payments. 

Westpac says it’s stopped nearly 20,000 customers from being fleeced in the past three months, stopping more than $25 million in unwanted charges. 

Massey University banking expert Claire Mat...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 24th of July, for the first time since 2009, rents are on the way back down around the country. 

The Government has directed Sport NZ to axe inclusion principles for transgender people – Sport Minister Mark Mitchell explains the decision.  

Global superstar Ed Sheeran joins us for an exclusive Breakfast chat about bringing his new tour to New Zealand – plus, his...

The Sports Minister's standing up for a coalition-based decision directing Sport New Zealand to remove its community sport trans guidelines.  

The 2022 principles allowed people to play community sports according to their gender identity.  

Sport Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking most fair-minded Kiwis would agree with the move, which honours safety and fairness.  

He says as part of a New Zealand First coalit...

The Government's target of recruiting 500 new police officers has been held up yet again.  

A briefing sent to the Government suggests the two-year goal's been set back, and Police expect it'll be by August next year. 

That's nine months after the original target and two months behind the Police Commissioner's revised deadline. 

They’re now looking at launching a recruitment drive into Australia – the place we’re los...

One of the world’s bestselling artists, Ed Sheeran is one of the most influential artists of his generation. 

He’s sold almost 200 million albums and is one of only a handful of artists on Spotify Billions Club with more than ten tracks with over one billion streams. 

Sheeran last toured New Zealand’s stages back in 2023, and he’s returning three years later, with 2026’s ‘Loop Tour’. 

Despite his global musical succe...

Rising supply and falling demand is pushing down rents. 

New Cotality analysis of MBIE data shows the national median rent dropped 0.3% in the year to May. 

That's the first time the rent has dropped in more than 15 years. 

Aspire Property Management's Managing Director Mike Atkinson told Mike Hosking housing supply is increasing at the same time incomes are falling in real terms. 

He says there's also been a hu...

The Housing Minister believes homelessness data can be hard to analyse as there's no one-size-fits-all description.  

The Government's June Homelessness Insights suggests communities countrywide are facing more pressure, with people living on the streets.  

Councils and support services say rough sleeping's increased everywhere, doubling by some measures over 24 months.  

Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking homel...

More Aussies are hopping over the ditch following a tourism campaign.  

Since the 'Everyone Must Go' campaign, almost eight thousand extra Australian visitors have come to New Zealand.  

It's estimated those tourists spent about $22 million.  

Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking there's plenty more room for growth. 

She says about four million Australians are considering a trip, so we need to get in...

What do you reckon happened at the big butter meeting? 

Willis and Hurrell. Nicola and Miles. 

Is it a meeting that took on a hopeless amount of hype, or was it a sign that at times this Government, and Willis in particular, say stuff that makes them look like they are on to it when perhaps they're not? 

The reality is these two meet regularly. Fonterra plays an outsized roll in our economy and therefore it would be ...

The fallout over the Epstein files appears to have ground Capitol Hill to a halt.  

CNN reports Speaker Mike Johnson closed proceedings for August recess a day earlier than planned, ahead of votes around the release of the files.  

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Johnson says the whole issue should be allowed to cool down, saying they’ve been ‘clear and transparent’. 

However, Arnold says, this...

Halfway through the week, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest political stories thus far. 

Labour MP Camilla Bellich’s member’s bill, the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, has passed its second reading. But why do we want to talk about salaries?  

Nicola Willis has met with Fonterra over the cost of butter – has anything come of it yet?&n...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 23rd of July, red meat continues to go gangbusters, but we could be doing better, and the industry has some warnings. 

Lester Levy is moving from the Health NZ Commissioner to the new board chair, and gives us an exclusive on what he has, and hasn't, achieved. 

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss pay transparency, the butter meeting between Nicola Willis a...

Retailers across the country are surprisingly optimistic in the face of ongoing economic challenges. 

The latest Retail NZ report reveals nearly 70% of retailers are confident their business will survive the next year, up from 57% for the same period last year. 

This comes despite 62% of retailers failing to meet sales targets for the same period.  

Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that optimism is stron...

Don’t expect lower levies as a result of ACC’s “accounting change”. 

The Government has approved a change that reduces the amount of money the insurer would need to pay out in claims by $7 billion. 

It would see the risk margin reduced from 12.7% to zero, shaving down the outstanding claims liability, which is used to calculate how much it may have to pay out in the years to come.  

ACC lawyer and researcher Warren F...

Health New Zealand is moving into its next chapter after a year under a commissioner. 

The board's making a return today, with outgoing commissioner Lester Levy taking up the role as chairman for the next 12 months.  

Levy told Mike Hosking that although the agency's reached a turning point, the challenge isn't over.  

He says they need to involve clinicians and those on the ground in decisions and provide modern too...

Sky TV's purchase of TV3 could lead to a change in sports viewing, but not for a while.  

Sky New Zealand Chief Executive Sophie Moloney says for the next 12 months programming on TV3 will stay largely the same.   

She says she expects TVNZ to put up a good fight for free-to-air rights for different sports, including rugby.  

Moloney told Mike Hosking they'd also like to try to acquire them.  

She says it w...

The red meat sector remains positive despite significant trade barriers.  

The Meat Industry Association and Beef + Lamb New Zealand have revealed non-tariff trade barriers are costing the industry an estimated $1.5 billion every year. 

MIA Chair Nathan Guy told Mike Hosking they've lost an estimated billion dollars of stock in the last three years.  

He says it's unfortunate but the demand's still incredibly strong,...

It’s the sort of theoretical nonsense you would expect from a bunch of wonks like the Labour Party, but blow me down if National hasn't clambered on board as well. 

Camilla Belich has a Member’s bill. Member's bills don’t normally get to where hers has, given if they did, the party would have already run with the idea. 

But her Employee Remuneration Disclosure Amendment Bill has passed its second reading and given Nationa...

People are becoming increasingly more interested in living longer. 

Health, wellness, dieting, and fitness are more and more prominent on social media, and health monitoring technology are becoming increasingly popular. 

Cardiologist Dr Eric Topol has been researching longevity for decades, and is considered to be one of the top five voices on the subject. 

He’s just released his latest book, ‘Super Agers’, a detaile...