Episodes
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Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary is facing backlash for his “cavalier” comments regarding Social Security.
Social Security employees have been warning that the Trump administration’s plan to cut staff will result in delayed benefit cheque.
Secretary Howard Lutnick says that anyone who complains about a missed Social Security cheque is a fraudster.
This is despite 40% of all seniors living alone being entirely reliant on the payment – some 40 million people.
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Another swing and a miss.
Contact Energy wanted to build a wind farm in Southland. They have been turned down. They are not the first and they will not be the last.
Close to $300 million and hundreds of jobs are now not happening because of it.
Also, the need to build 15GW of additional capacity in the next 25 years will not be happening either. So far, we have built less than 3GW.
We are entering yet another winter where it is touch and go on power supply.
The Minister has been busy wagging his finger at the gentailers.
The climate campaigners bark on about the role of renewables, yet we continue to import record amounts of coal to cover the gap.
We have cut a deal to keep Huntly going ever longer because the renewable dream is getting further and further away. Renewables may or may not be the answer to our problems at all.
The simple truth about water, sun, and wind is they are beyond our control.
Coal and nuclear isn't. But we seem to insist renewables are what we want to do, and yet we don’t.
Nimbyism will kill us. We seem happy to be shocked every year at the coal pile and we seem to be happy to be unhappy at the idea we don’t have enough power to get us through a winter.
The industry tells us they are investing in wind and solar. But are they?
How many get turned down vs how many actually get the go ahead? Are we actually progressing, or taking a step forward and a step back?
Here is the ultimate irony: there's been a lot said about this Government's fast track law. Their fast track law is actually just an extension, or an amendment, of the old fast track law, which Labour produced during Covid.
Under that fast track law this wind project got turned down.
So, is a “no” fast tracking? Or no tracking?
If you can't get a wind farm through under fast track, are we actually into solving issues or not?
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Episodes manquant?
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 24th of March, we get the first inside look at the discussion and process behind the potential FTA agreement with India.
The public service has been asked where they think their sector can make cuts – Judith Collins explained the census as the Minister in charge of our version of DOGE.
Andrew Saville and Jason Pine discuss Liam Lawson's weekend in China and the impact of Alex “Grizz” Wylie in the Commentary Box.
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Canterbury rugby great Alex "Grizz" Wyllie, who died on the weekend aged 80, is being remembered for his uncompromising nature.
He played 210 games for Canterbury as a loose forward before a storied coaching career with his province and the All Blacks.
Sports journalist Andrew Saville told Mike Hosking on the Commentary Box that Wyllie loomed large in his formative years, in the good ol' days when players and media actually socialised.
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New Zealand rugby has lost one of its all-time greats.
Alex "Grizz" Wyllie MBE has died at the age of 80 after excelling as both a player and coach.
Wyllie made 210 appearances for Canterbury as well as 40 matches for New Zealand, 11 of them tests.
He coached Canterbury through a three-year Ranfurly Shield reign, famously ended by Auckland at Lancaster Park in 1985.
Wyllie worked as an All Blacks assistant under Sir Brian Lochore before his own 86.2 percent winning tenure with them from 1988 to 1991.
Former All Black and Wyllie’s nephew, Richard Loe told Mike Hosking he’s left his mark on the sport, and his history will continue for many decades to come.
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The Parking Association believes multiple changes are needed for chasing up unpaid fines.
In the three years to the end of 2024, just 68% of almost $29 thousand Auckland Transport fines were paid in part or in full.
While AT says it's not a straightforward process, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says he's asked for advice on making them better debt collectors.
Association chair Mike Kelly told Mike Hosking the psychology around it is one major issue.
He says there are lots of people who get tickets daily for repetitive offences and aren't too bothered, and the tickets end up with the Ministry of Justice.
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The country's top butchers are jetting off to Paris to represent New Zealand on the world stage.
Our national team, the Sharp Blacks, will compete with the best in the trade around the world in the annual World Butchers Challenge.
They'll be judged on things like their cuts, amount of meat wasted, and yield.
Sharp Blacks Captain Riki Kerekere told Mike Hosking the Kiwi team are held in high esteem.
He says the team loves to showcase the great quality of Kiwi butchery.
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A census sent out to all government workers is wider reaching than simply identifying cost cutting advice.
Thousands of public servants across all agencies have been asked in a census to identify taxpayer value in their work and any changes needed, with results expected in July.
The survey's done every five years.
Public Service Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking how to save money is just one of many focuses.
She says it also asks about concerns people have around any unacceptable sexual harassment and bullying, adding it's therefore a two-way exercise.
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Negotiations on a free trade deal with India have been launched.
Representatives across defence, tourism, and trade are home after travelling with the Prime Minister's delegation.
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Chief Executive Peter Chrisp told Mike Hosking there's good-will on both sides to make it work.
He says there's was considerable warmth and engagement between the Prime Ministers, and strong interaction with the delegation.
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Winston Peters says Donald Trump's team is "well-informed" about what's happening in our part of the world.
The Foreign Minister met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key officials in the US last week.
The visit comes as New Zealand waits to see if we'll get any exemptions from Trump's tariffs.
Peters told Mike Hosking Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and the others he met with, were very aware of developments in our region.
He says they were seriously well-advised and much better-prepared than some people he's met from previous administrations.
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At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.
GDP: 7/10
Or should that be 0.7? It’s a bigger number than they thought and an indication that we have finally turned the corner.
The Covid loan deadline: 3/10
A sad, sad, sad reminder of why the 0.7% in GDP has taken so long to get here. Close to $1 billion owed and what do you reckon the chances of it all coming back are?
Whangarei and their fluoride meeting: 2/10
Read the Spinoff blow by blow account. It's gold, unless you live there and pay for it. Then it's farcical.
The wars: 3/10
Dreadful week. The Trump call to Putin was a joke and the ceasefire fell to bits.
Ted Lasso: 8/10
Another series when they said there wasn’t another series.
F1: 7/10
New Zealand ratings show half a million of us watched. That would make it the most watched programme of the week, or close to it.
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If you accept that the Government are struggling in the polls, you may well accept the general notion that part of what is driving that is the lack of runs on the board.
Perhaps an impatience is frustrating some of us.
We voted to get rid of the last lot on the understanding that things had been wrecked and destroyed, and there was this new lot that were going to put it right.
The trouble has been, as they have tried to explain, that things like fiscal cliffs were a lot worse than anticipated and the problem with too many voters is we vote and move on, and then when we re-engage, we expect fixes to problems that are more complex than we gave them credit for.
This Government has announced a lot and changed a lot. But the simple to read “runs on the board” are only starting to trickle through.
The downturn on crime would be one of them. The police focus on rounding a few people up, so we feel safer on the streets is tangible.
The targets on emergency housing being met years ahead of schedule is another one.
Then yesterday the Gross Domestic Product, the GDP, which is surely one of the most important of all.
It is the economy and the economy is everything. It pays the bills, retires the debt, forks out for the programmes and sets the mood of the nation.
If you are growing, and as it turns out (thank the good Lord) we are, you are moving forward and moving forward is what gets Governments popular and re-elected.
Everyone, as in the experts, had the number at anywhere between 0.3% and 0.5%, still importantly in the right direction.
So the actual figure of 0.7% is better than expected and must be the best of news.
For a country that has spent more time in recession than virtually anyone, certainly anyone we compare ourselves to in the OECD, this cannot be overstated in terms of importance.
0.7% surely comes with a sense that there is more where that came from. So maybe, just maybe, we can turn our backs on the dark days, or years, that have dragged this country to places economically it has never really been.
No, it is not over and, yes, there is much left to do.
But such a decent and, dare I suggest, better than expected number will tell you that the current Government might have got a grip on the worst of it and turned the tide.
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There’s more uncertainty about who will be and won't be included in Donald Trump's upcoming agricultural tariffs.
Here in New Zealand, we're still in the dark about whether we'll receive an exemption for things like our growing exports of hamburger meat.
Over in Australia, analysts believe they're very unlikely to get an exemption.
Correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking US farm lobbyists are accusing Australia of creating an unequal trading relationship – something Australia disputes.
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday the 21st of March, we have growth! 0.7% is higher than everyone predicted, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is optimistic this is just the beginning.
We've got a new rare car and country music festival at Ayrburn - is that the best pairing, or is that the best pairing?
Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss Mike's sick day and Sam Ruthe as they Wrap the Week.
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Fonterra has delivered a strong interim result for the 2025 fiscal year.
It's reported a half year Profit after Tax of $729 million, with earnings of 44 cents per share.
It's alongside a Farmgate Milk Price midpoint of $10 per kilograms of milk solids for the season ending 2025.
CEO Miles Hurrell says it’s pleasing to be able to deliver these results for farmer shareholders and unit holders.
Dairy Insights Consultant Stu Davison told Mike Hosking the entire industry is fizzing.
He says it’s a pretty uncommon result to see a strong milk price and a strong dividend in the same season, and they’re going to ride the wave while they’ve got it.
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New Zealand's move out of recession is being felt by some much earlier than others.
Latest figures show our economy's grown by 0.7% between October and December.
But some sectors are faring much better than others, with construction and IT contracting about 3%, and transport and warehousing growing almost 2.5%.
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Vice President Paul Koch told Mike Hosking some businesses are doing even better.
He says some businesses he knows of have seen growth of about 10% during the quarter.
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A boost for Central Otago business when the inaugural Ayrburn Classic rolls into Arrowtown this weekend.
Hundreds of vintage and luxury cars will be on show at the 160-year-old farm, which has recently become a hospitality hub.
The event's taken inspiration from overseas festivals like Pebble Beach in California.
Ayrburn Owner Chris Meehan told Mike Hosking the land was a sheep paddock around a year ago.
He says now there are 10 restaurants and bars, a winery – and they're doing about 40-thousand meals per month.
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Protest action is still going ahead in Napier this weekend.
There's been community backlash after a leaked proposal showed the Government considering cutting the overnight urgent care nurse service.
It's now choosing to retain it, but still with no GPs on-site.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise told Mike Hosking the closest doctor is a 25-minute drive away at Hastings Hospital's busy Emergency Department.
She says the protest will not just be for overnight care but about the level of services being provided to the community in general.
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The Finance and Growth Minister is confident the economic turnaround will continue.
Latest figures show we're officially out of recession, after our economy grew 0.7% between October and December.
Nicola Willis says we're going to continue to see growth in tourism and agriculture exports.
She told Mike Hosking households should also be getting more disposable income as they switch over to lower mortgage rates, that will flow through into the economy.
Willis says the consensus among forecasters is for growth to accelerate this year.
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