Episodes
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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.
July 1st: 7/10
A lot of cool stuff started, including higher speed limits on roads where higher speed limits make sense and increase efficiency.
Helipads: 8/10
Amazing for so many reasons; well-known rich people, a ridiculous number of submissions, a massive waste of energy and, finally, they won.
Offensive to girls: 3/10
The fuss over the Warehouse and the backpack is pathetic. It was a joke. It was light-hearted.
The All Blacks: 7/10
A new season, new hope, new excitement and an easy opener.
Wegovy: 7/10
That was a lot of publicity in the news for a product next to no one can afford.
School lunches: 7/10
Because with the new stats, the new meals, and the new feedback, that is a good example of a problem solved. Now, are the media going to give the same amount of coverage to the answer as they did to the problem?
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Republicans are celebrating after US President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill crossed the line.
Trump is expected to sign his sweeping domestic policy bill tomorrow as he celebrates the Fourth of July at the White House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson claims everything was a disaster under the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration.
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking there was a lot of drama throughout the entire process, but eventually, Trump bullied the vast majority of House Republicans into signing onto the bill.
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Episodes manquant?
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There was a survey out last week that broadly supported the Government’s moves around KiwiSaver, as in the 3% and 3% going to 4% and 4%.
But they wanted the Government to do something about the cut in contribution from the state.
Small hint – if you rely on the Government for any consistency around long term projects, forget it.
From the very beginning of KiwiSaver, the Government were always going to be the weak link.
When it comes to big picture stuff, dedication and focus from a government is a casualty of the three year political cycle. They were never going to be our friend on retirement savings.
The best advice I offer anyone, including our kids, is do it yourself. It's your life, your decision and your future, so do it yourself.
To show you how hopeless we are at saving in this country, figures released last week in America showed their KiwiSaver, what they call their 401k, hit a record high at 14.3%.
So while we are mucking around on 3-4% they are up to over 14%.
Here is the kicker – the industry says it really should 15% if you want to be comfortable.
A psychological step change is required and I'm not sure we will ever get there.
Whether its employer contributions that get offered instead of more pay, or whether it’s the Australian style compulsion, a lot of countries do it a lot of different ways and most of them have dealt with the age of retirement as well.
We basically are stuck with 65-years-old, and angst around even a debate about changing it, and far too many people who get to retirement and are stuck with a state-funded payout that has never been good and will not serve you well, if it's all you have to live off.
There is of course no reason for this to even be a problem. Lee Kuan Yew many years ago in Singapore took a third world country, told them to save, forced them to save, and now they are rich.
The answers are all there. Australia has it sorted, the Norway fund is famous, and even the Americans at 14.3% seem to have it solved.
We need to look and learn and then get our act together and apply a bit of basic discipline to our long-term futures that don’t rely on a government.
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Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.
The historic Cardrona Hotel has been put up for sale – is Mike personable enough to run a hotel?
Tim and Kate offer up some programming advice, and the three delve into various athletics and racquet sports.
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Central Otago's iconic Cardrona Hotel is up for sale through private negotiation.
The 162-year-old building sits between Wanaka and Queenstown.
It's on the market for the first time in more than a decade.
Co-owner Cade Thornton told Mike Hosking they'll be selling privately, with no real estate agents involved.
He says there's been expressions of interest throughout their ownership, from overseas parties and nationwide.
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of July, we cap off a week of crime announcements with some new trespass laws.
Codie Taylor joins the show ahead of the first All Blacks test of the year against France.
Tim and Katie give some programming advice and debate whether Mike would be any good as a police recruit wing patron as they Wrap the Week.
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The first All Blacks test of 2025 is upon us.
Saturday night will see a new team tackle an understrength French side in Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium.
There were plenty of surprises in the team announcement, with four debutants in the 23 and some unexpected faces in the reserve line up.
Codie Taylor is playing hooker, and told Mike Hosking that although the French side is understrength, they have to respect and acknowledge their opposition.
However, he said, their main focus is on making sure they get things right, since this is their first crack playing as a team.
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The Government says it’s letting shop owners take back control.
It's proposing legislation to double maximum trespassing fines and allow trespassing people for three years, from multiple sites.
Hospitality NZ’s Steve Armitage told Mike Hosking the law’s been outdated for some time.
He says that when it was introduced back in 1980, a $1000 fine was much more material than it is 45 years later – according to the World Bank, the purchasing power of $1000 in 1980 equates to about $50,000 today.
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There’s a clever new marketing ploy from a Wanaka fashion designer.
‘The Precious Collaborative’ are selling $10,000 coats in order to subsidise New Zealand wool products in their store.
The profits of the coats are able to discount a once $700 item to under $200 – the aim to put quality NZ wool items within the average person’s reach.
Founder Claire O’Connell told Mike Hosking that by purchasing the coat, people are supporting so much within the country – from the strong wool industry right through to local production.
So far two people have bought the $10,000 coat, and O’Connell says that since then they’ve sold almost 100 garments, of which 85% were bought at the discounted price.
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Talks about a major update to a 15 year old agreement between Taupō’s council and the region's largest landowners have sparked controversy.
The 2009 Joint Management Agreement between the district council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa is being workshopped, and a draft agreement has been presented to the public.
Critics argue that no public mandate has been issued, and that ‘Treaty principles’ are embedding ‘co-governance’ directly into council operations.
Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking the agreement has absolutely nothing to do with co-governance, and is instead about protecting Lake Taupō.
He says that when people actually look at and understand the deal, they’ll understand it’s about protecting the lake and ensuring it remains one of the cleanest in the world.
“It’s just all about the lake, nothing to do with co-governance at all.”
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Support for the Government's move to change rigid insulation standards.
It's expected building code insulation requirements will be relaxed by year's end in a bid to cut construction costs.
The Government's called the changes "common sense", with building costs rising more than 40% since 2019.
Building Industry Federation CEO Julien Leys told Mike Hosking the current 'one size fits all' approach isn't working.
He says the rules force people to use an exact amount of insulation, meaning it's expensive and over the top.
The Government's also looking to make the Far North a separate 'climate zone', stating the region’s warmer climate allows for a more tailored approach.
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I feel there should be a rule, and the rule is around balance.
Part of the media's demise is its unfairness in coverage, the latest example of which is the school lunch programme.
We have a smattering of coverage. When I say smattering, I have found two things.
One is by Radio NZ, who have the same stats as story number two by the Herald.
Radio NZ, once they produced the stats, clearly couldn't help themselves, given it was good news, so they went and found a miserable principal to moan some more about the lunch programme.
Their moan was, given the previous moaning didn’t work and things aren't going back to the way they were, they must have given up.
By the way these are the numbers: 99%+ delivered each day, complaints down by 92% and students positive feedback through the roof.
The Herald's story contained the term 3 testing news: new meals, with students in the trial posting 73% positive feedback.
By any standards these numbers are a success story. Where there was trouble at the start, the trouble has been fixed.
So, to fairness. Very little the Government did this year got more media spotlight than school lunches. The TV news in particular went to town on it, night after night, after night, melting plastic, burnt kids, shots of mush, finger pointing, union representatives and delivery delays. It was a feeding frenzy, and the media were in, boots and all.
So where are they now?
Apart from two stories, where are they now? We have stats and detail, we have a fix, we have happy kids and, do remember, the reason for it all in the first place, we have money saved and a lot of it.
And not just money saved, but more kids actually getting fed.
So as an exercise we are doing more with less and the recipients are happy.
So where are the stories? Where is the balance? Where is the fairness?
The rule should be minute for minute, column inch for column inch. If you loved the pile on, you have to be back to present the end result.
You have to do the right thing. You have to provide the other side, the balance and the outcome. If you don’t then the charge of bias sticks.
You look like an attention seeking, clickbait warrior and your pleas for the value of journalism fall flat.
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The scorching heatwave sweeping Europe has claimed lives.
Six people have died as temperatures top 40C, with three deaths in Italy, two in Spain, and one in France.
In parts of Italy, admissions to emergency units has risen by 15-20%, with a majority of patients being elderly.
Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that the government is issuing alerts saying that those working in construction or working outdoors should be out of the sun between 12:30 and 4pm.
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New Zealand’s property values are ticking back up again.
New data from Cotality has revealed a 0.2% national increase in June, reversing the 0.1% falls that came in April and May.
The medium house price remains around the $815,000 mark, with Tauranga and Christchurch both increasing by 0.6%.
Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking property values are fairly flat when averaged out over a few months.
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There won’t be many in the world who would argue that Jason Aldean’s not a country music superstar.
He moved up to Nashville at age 21, and after signing and being dropped by a couple of agencies, he got picked up by Broken Bow Records, launching his debut single and album in 2005.
From there the rest is history – 30 number 1 country singles, almost 20 billion streams, 20 million albums sold, multiple platinum records, as well as being named ACM’s Artist of the Decade, among other things.
It’s all culminated in his ‘Full Throttle Tour’ going international, and Aldean will be making his way to our shores early next year.
He told Mike Hosking the music industry is a tough business to break into.
“We’ve been around for twenty years, so it’s been a good ride, but it’s definitely a tough business,” Aldean said.
“Not for the faint of heart, for sure.”
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 3rd of July, ACT and NZ First have shut down the proposal for a publicly funded body to cost election policies.
Remember when the previous Government gave Proceeds of Crime funds back to the Mongrel Mob for a meth program? This Government is changing it so that can never happen again.
Country music superstar Jason Aldean is heading to our shores and with Mike’s love of the genre, we had to get him on for a chat.
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The Government hopes to further separate itself from its predecessor with new changes to the Proceeds of Crime Fund.
The latest round of funding has granted three programmes a collective $5 million to address youth offending and meth harm.
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says recent changes mean there's a clear and consistent assessment for new initiatives.
She told Mike Hosking they want to ensure the projects are workable as opposed to throwing taxpayer money at the sky and hoping for results.
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A nine-year fight to create a publicly funded election policy-costing unit has come to an end.
Act and New Zealand First have shot down Finance Minister Nicola Willis's proposal to create one.
Metiria Turei, then-Green Party co-leader, first proposed the idea in 2016.
Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking Willis's proposal was different from those that have come before.
He says to cost individual policies at the request of parties would have dealt with a problem that happens when you're in Opposition.
Joyce says that's when you don't have access to the information.
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A clear message from the Government: New Zealand can't succeed if Auckland doesn't succeed.
The Government's agreed to negotiate with Auckland Council on a 10-year deal to boost housing, infrastructure, and economic growth in our largest city.
It's also agreed to negotiate similar deals with Western Bay of Plenty and Central Otago.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking the deal will align local and central government on up-zoning, rapid transit, and innovation precincts.
He says Auckland is New Zealand's main international city and is a big driver of economic growth around the country.
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A watchful eye is on the $41 million allocated to upskill staff working in youth care homes.
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has announced the boost, which aims to improve support to kids in care.
It follows a review of Oranga Tamariki in 2023 that found parts of the workforce relatively unskilled.
Chief Children's Commissioner Claire Achmad told Mike Hosking she'll be watching how the money's used to ensure good outcomes for young people.
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