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From the âhere we go againâ file: we are being lined up once more for another winter of shonky power supply.
A deal has been done again with Tiwai to cut production. Oh, the irony in a country that is supposed to be focused on growth, growth, growth.
Mercury is the bearer of the glad tidings that the power price is heading north by an average of 10%.
Why? Because we donât make enough power.
We are hopelessly reliant on rain and we stopped looking for oil and gas. We didnât get enough windmills and solar panels up.
So we are short. We were also short last year, and the year before.
The spot price is about $200, not the $800 it was for a time last year. But it's well north of what it should be.
Yet again the year has started dry, but in a reassuring sign of expertise in meteorological minutiae, the power company said there's still plenty of time for it to rain.
So thatâs okay then.
Cost plus accounting is not confined to councils. Power companies do it too. We are paying for the windmills whether we want them or not.
A lot of the renewable investment is not about it solving the problem, because it doesnât automatically, at least not in a sensible, cost effective way.
What a lot of it is about is wokeness and being seen to be part of the Paris crowd. The same way the BNZ likes to haunt petrol stations, power companies like to gouge us for their green credentials.
Like banks, there is an argument we are not well served by these big gentailers who, in simple terms, are not doing their job.
What is their job? Power.
Is there enough power? No.
Was there enough last year? No.
Is it good enough in 2025 in a country economically on its knees looking for growth, growth, growth?
No.
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A New South Wales nurse that was stood down over a social media video where she claimed she would refuse to treat Israeli patients, has been arrested.
The 26-year-old has been charged with threatening violence to a group and using a service to harass and threaten to kill.
In the filmed conversation with an Israeli influencer, the nurse allegedly bragged about refusing to treat Israeli patients, killing them, and saying they would go to hell.
Australian correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking federal police have put in a lot of leg work on the case.
Price says the officers travelled to Israel and translated the interview from Hebrew to English.
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Itâs been a good six months for the Port of Auckland.
Itâs doubled its half-year profit and will deliver a 20% increase in its dividend to Auckland Council.
Car and structure steel imports are down, but bulk cargo levels are rising.
Chief Executive Roger Gray told Mike Hosking that's partly due to one-off events, like Genesis rebuilding the coal stockpile for its Huntly power station.
He says their operational performance is also increasing, which is attracting more customers.
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The Opposition is wary innocent people may come off worse if more citizen's arrests are permitted.
The Government is due to announce a refresh in the way it handles retail crime this afternoon, following a 12% rise in rates last year.
A loosening of citizen arrest rules is expected, which currently only allow arrests between 9pm and 6am, and for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison.
Labour's Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen says New Zealand has already seen examples where people have been injured or lost their life, because a weapon was involved.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking the police canât be everywhere all the time, and they want to make sure that business owners and customers are protected.
He says they want to ensure people have the right to defend themselves and their property without criminalising themselves.
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 26th of February, violent crime is down for the first time since 2018, much to the pleasure of the Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith.
The Government is making an announcement today, loosening the citizenâs arrest laws. So would you, if you could? Or is it a recipe for disaster?
Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell debate policing strategies and Andrew Bayly on Politics Wednesday.
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A Kiwi robotics company is at the heart of a new agriculture branch of Yamaha Motors.
Yamaha's bought Robotics Plus, developers of AI-orchard vehicles designed to pick, prune, and spray fruits such as apples for an undisclosed fee.
Co-founder Steve Saunders told Mike Hosking this new venture will help expand the company.
âExciting times ahead for us.â
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A former Police Minister is declaring his support for a loosening of citizen's arrest laws.
The Government is set to announce a retail crime strategy re-jig based on an advisory group's recommendations, which include making it easier for people to arrest others.
Currently they can only occur at night between 9pm and 6am, for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison.
Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking hard working Kiwis have their hands tied while crime is being committed, and it's crazy that they can't do anything.
However, he says they have to be proportionate, and canât become an excuse for beating others up.
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There's competition over the rugby broadcast rights.
British streaming disruptor DAZN is reportedly being courted by New Zealand Rugby.
Talks with Sky have been dragging on â it's understood the broadcaster's offered $85 million dollars a year to renew, a smaller bid than its current deal of $111 million a year.
Duco Events founder David Higgins told Mike Hosking he believes people would pay for DAZN just for the rugby â initially.
He says they'd have to get everything right, including having the players become interesting stars, not robots.
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The company behind Northland's Marsden Point Oil Refinery wants to turn it into a new energy precinct.
The refinery closed in 2022 and is decommissioned, with Resources Minister Shane Jones now considering making the area a special economic zone, meaning different planning, investment, and even tax rules.
Jones says transforming the asset to enable alternative fuel manufacturing like bio-fuel would help with energy security.
Channel Infrastructure Chief Executive Rob Buchanan told Mike Hosking they welcome the Government's approach.
He says they're pleased the minister is willing to support the exciting project.
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Dealing with retail crime could be about to get easier.
Incoming new Government measures are expected to address the possibility of citizen's arrests and make it clearer how people can protect their properties.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking a government advisory group has been working very hard on recommendations and next steps, which will be confirmed later today.
It comes as new data shows overall retail crime increased 12%, however ram raids halved last year, and violent crime dropped 2%.
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On a day of a resignation at a fairly high level, we also have a confession in court from another high profile operator.
The problem with "high profile" is it tends to be high-wire.
More is expected of you because of your role. Or is it?
From the details available, which aren't many, Andrew Bayly didnât commit a sackable offence as far as I can work out.
Putting your hand on the arm of a person you are having a âlivelyâ discussion with isn't very cool, or acceptable, but in and of itself it's not the end of a career.
But the trouble with Bayly is the "loser" thing in some way, shape or form was going to haunt him. So a small infringement, by way of a follow up misdemeanor, was always going to be larger than it would have been with a clean sheet.
Also, Luxon has set the behaviour bar high. The precedent is there, so any trouble and you're out.
Contrast that to Caleb Clark, who has pled guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
The max sentence, with sentencing happening in June, is many thousands of dollars, or months in prison.
His lawyer wants him discharged without conviction.
Unlike Bayly he hasnât offered to quit, so the question becomes: is it a sackable offence?
Drink driving has been established with a number of incidents over the years with high profile convictions as not being sackable, so the precedent is set there.
But what about dangerous driving, and more worryingly, with the message it sends of failing to stop for the police?
Failing to stop with a view to what? Scarper? Not get caught? Evade the law? Get away with it?
Law and order has been a major election issue and the polices rolling in to get on top of law breaking has been a major focus for most of us of late.
If I, as a high profile operator, was up on charges of failing to stop or dangerous driving, would you expect me to be sacked? Would this workplace, beyond whatever happens in court, expect to see some sort of resignation?
Or does profile only count in politics, where no law was broken but emotions get you sacked?
What does an All Black have to do, illegally, to be sacked as an All Black?
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The cost of keeping Government-owned assets could be more than the return it's getting from them.
A report by The New Zealand Initiative says the Government owns $571 billion in assets, yet the returns from them don't even cover the interest on loans used to buy them.
Author Bryce Wilkinson is calling for a review to identify if assets should be sold, and if so, which ones.
He says the Government should be asking if someone else could put the assets to better use to improve public access.
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Since winning the IndyCar Rookie Award in 2021, Scott McLaughlin has gone from strength to strength.
He finished 3rd last year, only 39 points shy of first place, as well as having the historic pole lap at Indy500, going faster than anyone in history.
McLaughlin and his wife also welcomed their first child in October of last year, right at the end of the racing season.
He told Mike Hosking that life as a dad has been pretty wild, but heâs enjoyed it.
âHad a great Christmas, and Iâm just really, really excited to get back to the racetrack and get amongst it.â
Their daughter will be coming to the track for the first time this weekend, which McLaughlin says will be awesome.
This is McLaughlinâs fifth year racing, and heâs certain he can claim the win.
âI feel like Iâm in the right, the right frame of mind, I feel like Iâm driving the best I ever have, and Iâve got all the tools to do it.â
âThe title for me is a big goal.â
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 25th of February, Erica Stanford has a new teaching announcement, coming not a moment too soon considering the current shortage of over 2000 teachers.
The Prime Minister tangles himself into a knot when trying to answer if he would have sacked Andrew Bayly if he hadn't offered his resignation.
Indycar driver Scott McLaughlin is taking a pitstop before this weekendâs season opener to talk to Mike about becoming a dad and his expectations for the year.
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Some good news for our tourism sector.
Millennium and Copthorne Hotels have recorded its highest full-year revenue in five years, with a sense 2025 will be strong for travel.
Current international visitor arrivals still sit at 89% of pre-pandemic levels.
Chief Executive Stuart Harrison told Mike Hosking they've been holding a 'revive and thrive' strategy.
He says they've been doing refurbishments and upgrades to position themselves in a strong space for the future.
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The French President has met with Donald Trump at the White House, seeking stability following America's sidestep of traditional European ties.
It comes as world leaders met in Kyiv on the third-year anniversary of Russia's invasion, and the UN General Assembly voted against a US resolution to end the war without reference to Russian aggression.
Newstalk ZB European Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking Emmanuel Macron will be saying Europe understands his frustrations with defence spending.
But Macron will also be asking Trump to keep the US European security guarantee in place, as it's what their security and economics are based on.
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The Prime Minister says Andrew Bayly's good work can't compensate for bad behaviour.
The Port Waikato MP has resigned from cabinet after touching a staffer's arm during a lively conversation.
It follows an earlier incident in which he called a winery worker a loser.
Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking the good work that Bayly was doing doesn't excuse it.
He says it's important to have standards and Bayly has realised he didn't meet his own expectations.
Luxon would not be drawn on whether he would have sacked Bayly had he not resigned. He repeatedly said Bayly had not met his expectations.
âThe standards are really clear of my ministers. In this case, I laid down, after the last [loser] case, crystal-clear expectations."
Pushed on whether his answers were indecisive, Luxon said he was decisive.
He then said he would have demoted Bayly and taken his ministry away from him had Bayly not resigned.
On the Chinese navy, Luxon said it has got âmuch more benign, much more competitive in the Pacificâ.
He said it was normal for airlines to divert flights. âWeâre relaxed with whatâs happening in the sense of itâs legal, but we want to make sure we get a bit more advanced notice.â
On the Cook Islands, Luxon said he was incredibly frustrated with Prime Minister Mark Brown and the government.
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The Government's changing residency rules to allow overseas primary teachers to apply for New Zealand residency.
Speaking exclusively to Newstalk ZB, the Immigration Minister says from next month, offshore primary teachers will only need a job offer, and don't need to have worked here for two years, to be given residency.
Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking it follows the Government putting secondary teachers on the same pathway last year, which made a big difference to their numbers.
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In Australian election polls, the Coalition has built a 52 percent to 48 percent lead over Labor, its biggest since the last election.
The margin significantly increases Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's chance of creating a minority government.
Australian Correspondent Steve Price says the Sydney Morning Herald has now said the election will now be sooner rather than later.
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I am sad to report that Winston Peters is wrong.
His thinking that the Pacific favours friendship has been proven naive.
As I have always said, chequebooks win and we donât have a chequebook and even his goodwill gesture in 2017, when he lined up along side Labour and handed out a billion dollars, has proven woefully short.
The Chinese have shown over the weekend that the world is changing, and in a dramatic way, and we haven't even mentioned the word Trump yet.
The Cooks deal is about mining the seabed. It's about things at great depth in the ocean that are worth a fortune.
In the meantime the Chinese navy has arrived locally and we are busy diverting planes while having no idea why they have done what they have done.
The best reasoning I have seen so far is from Mick Ryan, who appears on this show periodically. He is ex-military and a great thinker and is deeply worried. If he is, we all should be.
His theory is the Chinese are reminding Australia that you might want to stay local instead of wandering off and doing your exercises in places like, oh, I donât know, Taiwan?
If you donât know what's coming and when, staying local makes sense. They are sending a message.
Is it legal? Yes. It's international waters so it's international law and nothing has been broken, apart from the fact they are rude by not letting anyone know.
But then that's the point.
There is also a sense that some sort of picking of sides is coming i.e AUKUS or no AUKUS.
We might like to think about that as well. We might also like to look at our defence forces and wonder, yet again, if we have tried our luck just a little too long and what's left of what we have, might need a bit more dough spent on it.
But, as for the Pacific, Mark Brown will say nice things. But money talks and it has talked.
The Pacific generally are being, or have been, bought off by Chinese money, whether its security like the Solomons or mining like the Cooks.
Friendship doesnât solve any of it.
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- Se mer
