The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Beer brewers say they're disappointed in the government for bumping alcohol taxes. 

The alcohol excise tax is set to increase by 4.1% from July. 

It follows a number of increases over recent years. 

Brewers' Association Executive Director Dylan Firth told Mike Hosking that it's a slap in the face. 

He says the last government made a number of increases to the tax, but mo...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 13th of June, Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells us why an inquiry into rural banking is so valuable and necessary. 

We bring you the highlights from the Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer leaders' "debate". 

Andy Summers of The Police fame is co...

A Christchurch company has stepped in to save this year's Canterbury A&P show. 

Event Hire's reached an agreement with the A&P association to operate a slimmed down version of the annual November event. 

The partnership follows the A&P board calling it off due to its financial situation. 

To be called the Christchurch Show, it will remain at the show grounds. 

The Finance Minister says change needs to happen in our banking sector. 

The Government's requested an inquiry into banking competition, particularly in rural banking. 

Nicola Willis says we owe this inquiry to our rural communities, who are vital for the recovery of our economy. 

She told Mike Hosking that she's open to anything, including bringing banks into line and changing legisl...

A recruitment specialist says we've likely lost a number of our already small pool of skilled workers.  

More than 130,000 people moved out of the country in the year to April, the highest on record according to Stats NZ figures. 

A record 81,200 New Zealand citizens made up the majority of the leavers. 

Talent ID Director Kellie Hamlett told Mike Hosking that these departures won't b...

With over 75 million records sold, six Grammy’s, and inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Police are one of the most iconic bands in the world. 

Although they’re no longer making music as a group, each member is still immersed in their creative pursuits, and guitarist Andy Summers is following his all the way to New Zealand. 

In an exclusive first announcement, Summers will be bringi...

The government is considering a move to scrap regulation on food exporters. 

They’ve opened consultation on a proposal to allow exporters to manage the process for meeting food standards for the country the food's being sent to, rather than having to meet New Zealand's requirements. 

Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard told Mike Hosking that the dairy industry has long been calling for the change.<...

Australia’s Opposition leader has set the election up to be a climate war. 

Peter Dutton has confirmed that should they be elected, they will not set a 2030 emissions reductions target. 

He claimed they were committed to net zero by 2050 but didn’t reveal any interim targets.  

Australian Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking that Albanese has started to try rip apart Dutton’s c...

Data suggests many Kiwis are struggling with their savings. 

Kiwibank’s annual State of Savings index has found that 1 in 3 Kiwis would struggle with paying an unexpected $500 bill. 

39% are saving $100 or less a month as the cost of living sucks up their spare cash. 

CEO Steve Jurkovich told Mike Hosking that historically the reasons people would call up with financial problems are b...

Another one of those sensible moves this week, with an amendment coming to the Climate Change Response Act. 

It's to make sure agriculture doesn't enter the Emissions Trading Scheme. 

On a side note, the report the previous Government commissioned to look at how we handle agriculture around climate change was called He Waka Eke Noa. 

Tell me what that means. Anyone. Tell me the transl...

Competition is starting to improve in the fuel market. 

The Commerce Commission has called out retailers for being quick to put prices up, but slow to bring them back down. 

They believe it’s costing motorists $15 million a year. 

Bryan Chapple, Commerce Commission Commissioner, told Mike Hosking that there's no evidence its collusion, but rather companies just aren’t incentivised to ...

Do working parents need more sick leave? 

The conversation has arisen again, Frog Recruitment polling more than 1,700 office workers, 969 of which were working parents, to find out. 

The poll revealed that 625 are coming to work sick after running out of leave, and 46% of parents use their own sick leave to stay at home with an ill child. 

Frog Recruitment Managing Director Shannon Ba...

It's a fine start for the first day of Fieldays 2024 at Hamilton's Mystery Creek. 

The agricultural event is the biggest in Australasia and more than 100,000 people are expected over the four days.  

MetService is predicting fine weather for the event for the next two days, with possible showers on Friday and Saturday. 

Fieldays CEO Peter Nation told Mike Hosking that this is one of t...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 12th of June, we talked to the farmers about the Government’s choice to take agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme. 

Bring on Fieldays 2024! Such a good event, so we needed to get down there for a talk about how it's going to go over the next th...

Family members of the missing Marokopa man and his children are hoping Police's increased efforts make a difference. 

For two weeks Police are offering an $80 thousand reward for information and will consider giving immunity to people assisting him. 

The now eight, nine, and ten year olds, along with Tom Phillips, have been missing since 2021 and are believed to be in western Waikato. 

Another legal first in the United States as Hunter Biden's found guilty of three criminal gun offences.

It's the first time the child of a sitting President's been found guilty of a crime, and comes only weeks after Donald Trump made history as the first former President with a criminal conviction.

The younger Biden could face up to 25 years in prison.

US correspondent Richard Arnold ...

The Government says sending troops to South Korea is good for their training.  

New Zealand is sending 41 Defence Force personnel as part of the United Nations Command. 

Defence Minister Judith Collins says they are mostly younger, less experienced members. 

She told Mike Hosking that it's a good chance for those with a couple of years' service to work with other nations. 

Dairy NZ's welcoming the Government's decision to keep agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme. 

A law change will stop farming being charged through the scheme, which offsets credits against emitting.  

It's also disestablished He Waka Eke Noa and plans to replace it with a new group tasked with tackling methane emissions from farming.  

Dairy NZ chief executive Campbell Park...

Rishi Sunak is struggling to recover after his blunder during the D-Day commemorations. 

The Prime Minister left the commemorations early, deciding to return home to continue his election campaign instead of joining other world leaders to pay their respects. 

He’s apologised for the decision, saying that “on reflection, that was a mistake and I apologise.” 

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle...