Episodes
-
It's only the start of Wednesday so let's be honest we've only had two days of news, and we already have two stories around power.
The first was Transpower saying we need to find more avenues of power generation and we need to do that quickly, because until all the promised transition stuff comes online, we are going to be short of capacity.
No kidding.
They said we have a lot of promises on renewables, but the delivery isn't happening all that quickly.
No kidding.
The second was Genesis saying they are looking at what they call a fast-start generation plant at Huntly.
Hasnât Huntly become quite the âthingâ? A while back Huntly was the ugly girlfriend of the power generation family.
Poor, old, ugly, fat Huntly. That was when promises around wind and sun were flying and the future was renewable, and we would all save the planet.
What a gargantuan cock-up that turned out to be. Now for at least the third winter in a row the industry is falling over itself to tell us what's not right, what's not delivered and drumming up new ideas that, dare I suggest, should have been drummed up a long time ago.
As regards Huntly gas and coal, could I ask why is it now that they are dreaming up these ideas?
The coal pile, by the way, has never been larger, but gas and coal take 12 hours to get going. In short, fast start, it says what it does, and you turn it on like a light.
Can I ask why is it now that all the power companies are cooperating around Huntly to keep it going for years to come?
Why is it we wait until we are broken to actually find a few solutions?
When Jacinda made her captain's call to kill the gas industry, why did no one in power go âhold on, we aren't ready"?
Why are so few proactive? Why is so little preventative planning done?
Why do we have winters of angst around rainfall and businesses cutting production and Methanex selling their power to others?
Why is it we wait until we donât have it to think of what to do about getting it back?
NZ Inc, eh? Very 1986.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
The US President is facing questions over health coverage cuts in his tax and spending bill, which just passed the Senate
The casting vote of Vice-President JD Vance was needed, but it still needs House approval before it can be signed by Donald Trump by July 4th.
The Congressional Budget Office says 11.8 million people could lose health coverage if it becomes law.
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump originally said they wouldnât touch Medicaid, which has turned out to be a lie.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Missing episodes?
-
A Kiwi start up has been going gangbusters across the ditch.
Medsalv remanufactures single-use medical products, cleaning and disinfecting them so they can be safely reused.
After eight years in business, their products have been approved by Pharmac for use in New Zealand.
CEO Oliver Hunt told Mike Hosking it's been done in America for a while, but theyâre really bringing it to the rest of the world, Australia and New Zealand in particular, now.
The range of products they can remanufacture is pretty substantial, he says, and they can clean products up to 14 times at a significantly lower cost than the original products.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Crime is at the forefront this Politics Wednesday, with multiple new measures and harsher punishments being announced.
Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to discuss the new developments, along with the other major stories of the week thus far.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2nd of July, we've got the retail crime crackdown promised at the start of the week. Will it work, or does it look better on paper?
Jaffas have been 86'd, along with the likes of snifters, tangy fruits, and smarties. Could someone else come onboard and save our iconic sweet?
Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell debate whether youth MPs are being repressed, the various crime announcements, and whether Mike should be a patron for a police college wing on Politics Wednesday.
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Consents keep dropping but the energy in the building sector may be beginning to turn.
Stats NZ figures show new home consents fell 3.8% in the year to May and plunged 8.6% for multi-unit dwellings.
Stats NZ says it's levelling off, but NZIER's latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion shows only 3% of building firms expect conditions to improve, down from 6% three months ago.
But Combined Building Supplies Co-Op CEO Carl Taylor told Mike Hosking that building consent data is only a small part of the industry, and as a whole, itâs starting to feel better across the board.
He says that some stats are normally three or four months behind, and instead they track what their members are spending across their merchants, which has seen a 10% increase on the previous month.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
A slew of justice announcements this week.
The Government's rolling out harsher punishments for theft and new fines for shoplifting â including a proposed infringement fee of up to $1000, based on item value.
Maximum penalties for shoplifting less than $2000 will be one year behind bars, and seven if worth more than that.
They also made coward punching a specific offence, which could carry a life sentence if fatal.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking all of their measures are to send the clear message that if you commit a crime, there will be consequences.
He says their primary goal is to reduce the number of victims of crime, which theyâre making good progress on.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
The end of an era for one of our most iconic sweets.
Levin confectioner RJ's has discontinued production of Jaffas, due to poor sales.
The orange-coated balls of chocolate were previously produced by Cadbury in Dunedin and have been on our shelves for almost a century.
Mike Hutcheson, former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, told Mike Hosking that a competitor would pick up Jaffas in a heartbeat.
He says itâs not just a sweet, itâs a symbol, and itâs possible to turn it around and make Jaffas a brand that means something.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
The company overseeing the new infrastructure and ferries for Cook Strait is confident it can deliver by 2029.
Winston Peters has announced agreements to build and modernise ports in Wellington and Picton for the arrival of new Interislander ferries.
Ferry Holdings Chair Chris Mackenzie says there will be robust discussions between KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, and ports on delivering the project.
He's feeling positive, despite New Zealand's track record with infrastructure.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
The shakeup to shoplifting laws continues to be seen as a good first step among retailers, but the boss of Briscoes and Rebel Sport believes the devil will be in the detail.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's unveiled the latest crackdown proposals, including speeding ticket-like infringements, and up to seven years prison time for theft more than $2000.
Briscoe Group Managing Director Rod Duke told Mike Hosking it's a terrific start and guesses there will be enforcement guidance to come.
He's hoping there will be consequences embedded in the legislation but given it could be a year in the making, they will have to wait to see what happens.
Duke also believes theyâll need to be strengthened down the line - the latest proposals may only deter some, as he says there are very experienced thieves around.
He says losing the money is catastrophic, but the bigger issue is the fact staff are abused, injured, and threatened in these situations.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Records have been set in Spain and Portugal as extreme heat continues to roast Europe.
Temperatures at or above 38C are expected through the week, rolling eastward to encompass France, Italy, and eventually portions of Eastern Europe.
A record number of heat alerts are in place across France, with 16 regions on red alert, and 68 others on orange alert.
Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking while heatwaves arenât uncommon in summer, thereâs never been temperatures this high, this early.
She says Monday was the hottest June day in France ever, and itâs only going to get worse by Tuesday lunchtime.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Helicopters are such an Auckland issue.
I love helicopters. I have flown in a lot of helicopters.
Our place is on a flight path north. People who go to the Bay of Islands and to the flash golf courses north of Auckland fly over our place.
On a sunny Saturday they start 6.30am-ish in summer. On a still day you hear them coming maybe 30 seconds before you might see them.
Because I like them, I have never understood the Waiheke moaners who can't stand them and want them banned on their island.
To me a helicopter is full of people going places, i.e. tourists and golfers. These are people we like and want.
If you haven't followed the story, Ali Williams, once an All Black, and Anna Mowbray, part of the Zuru clan, are a couple and they have a house in Westmere, which is an inner-city suburb in Auckland. They applied to land their chopper at their place.
Cue the horror.
Far too much money and time has been spent on this â over 1400 submissions. Thatâs right, 1400. And what was mad about it was a number of submissions submitted that they had no view.
You can't make this up. The number of people who are clearly bored out of their minds is unreal.
Many a submission against their use of a chopper in suburbia came from people who donât even live in Auckland. Not only were they not close to the landing pad, but they're not even in the same city, i.e. it's got nothing to do with you.
Lawyers, council staff, submissions, hearings, and Lord knows how many hours and dollars and, as you will have heard, Williams and Mowbray win. They can land at their place two times a day for no more than 10 times a month.
There is nothing, said the Commissioners, untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out of character with helicopter noise, which I think is fair enough.
But two questions;
1) How many got exercised out of petty jealousy, i.e. rich folks doing stuff we donât like?
2) How unpopular does it make them? And do they care?
There is of course the precedent now. Suburbia and choppers are no big deal.
Very Auckland.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Itâs been a dream couple of months for Ryan Fox.
In May, the Kiwi golfer won the Myrtle Beach Classic, claiming his first PGA Tour win.
From there he made the cut for the PGA Championship, won his second Tour event at the Canadian Open, before making the cut for the US Open.
Heâll soon be heading to the UK for the Scottish Open and Open Championship, taking a weekâs break ahead of the tournament.
âItâs been a crazy couple of months,â Fox told Mike Hosking.
âGoing from trying to figure out where weâre gonna play gold, or where I was going to play golf next year, where weâre going to live as a family, to, yeah, being on the PGA Tour for a few more years now, and having a couple of wins and playing my way into the big events.â
He says heâs still trying to come to terms with it all, but itâs what heâs always dreamed of doing.
âItâs pretty cool.â
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 1st of July, we've got a new police college opening in Auckland today â is it a case of build it and they will come?
What is it about helicopters that gets us so exercised? Mike has some thoughts on Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray's helipad getting approval.
We haven't caught up with Ryan Fox since his success on the PGA Tour, so we catch him before he jets off to the UK for the Open Championship.
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
A new start up that could drastically reduce your power bill will soon be available in homes.
Designed to replace the current switchboards, Basis Smart Panels aim to provide Kiwis with greater control over their electricity consumption.
With over 7,500 orders already contracted, the company plans to install 50,000 panels in the next 24 months.
Co-Founder Danny Purcell told Mike Hosking the panel provides full visibility as to how electricity is consumed in your house, which customers can use save money and make their homes safer.
He says the panel pays for itself fairly quickly, and they expect the payback period to be around 15-18 months for the average customer.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Action to attract crucial international investment.
Invest New Zealand is up and running, a government organisation that'll work with global investors to create jobs, boost innovation, and lift productivity.
It's been given $85 million over four years to cement itself.
Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges told Mike Hosking that our settings were suboptimal, and weâre now getting better ones.
He says that theyâre not world leading, but they are being made with impeccable timing, as theyâre being made as the worldâs increasingly turning to custard.
Bridges says thereâs real enthusiasm for this in New Zealand, as new residents investing in businesses and startups will have a real flow on effect on the economy.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
The Deputy Prime Minister believes the Government would be better off with the part-privatisation of Interislander ferries.
A Treasury paper presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Rail, Winston Peters, says the Government can consider private investment to reduce costs.
David Seymour agrees with the idea and says the Government has been far too relaxed with capital.
He told Mike Hosking the Government is not a good operator of commercial enterprises, and there's no shortage of evidence for that.
Seymour says you have to balance the books, and at the moment the Government owns too many underperforming assets.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
A charitable trust is commending tougher sentences for people throwing coward punches.
The Government's new specific offence for striking a distracted victim could carry a sentence of life imprisonment if fatal.
Walk Without Fear has been pushing for changes after MMA fighter Liufau Vake was killed by a single coward punch in 2021.
Board Member Mike Angove told Mike Hosking the charges need to be in conjunction with education that starts at a school level.
He says that no one argues against the lethality of attacking someone with a knife or a gun, but people are unaware that hitting someone whoâs unaware can result in permanent damage or a lethal outcome.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Positive signs when it comes to consumer arrears, but some businesses are still doing it tough.
The latest Centrix data for June shows the number of people behind on payments is down on last year, for the fifth consecutive month in a row.
At the same time company liquidations have risen 27% year-on-year.
Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey says that's partly due to increased enforcement, after a softer approach from credit providers during Covid.
She says Inland Revenue is among those businesses which is now taking a normal approach again, and that's having an impact.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Thereâs a belief Auckland's new Police training centre will make recruitment more accessible.
The new space on the Massey University campus includes multiple classrooms, along with gym and recreation areas.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Mike Hosking over the years some people have steered away from a career in Police because they couldn't go to Porirua for training.
He says it's about creating more opportunities for those who might find Porirua for 20 weeks a challenge.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Show more
