The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Deputy Prime Minister says he'd sack Willow Jean-Prime for declining numerous Government requests for collaboration on NCEA reform.  Documents show Labour's education spokesperson declined an advisor's meeting and didn't answer a text and multiple emails from Education Minister Erica Stanford regarding planned changes to NCEA.  David Seymour told Mike Hosking if he were Labour's leader, he would drop her because there are better people for the job.   He says he wouldn't know what to do because she may be the best option that Labour has.   Seymour says we need alternative schooling options to keep students in schools, with more than ten and a half thousand students leaving school last year with no educational qualifications.  Ministry of Education data reveals 16% didn't achieve NCEA Level 1 or above – 6% more than in 2017.  He told Hosking the education system has become less appealing because children don't believe they're missing something valuable.   There's also ethnic disparity, with 28% of Māori school leavers having achieved no qualifications, compared to 19% of Pacific leavers and 14% of Pākehā leavers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Jones is fast becoming my favourite politician.  And he might have summed up the Government's issues with one on of his increasingly famous quips.  "The Ruth Richardson bare austerity approach is not delivering the economic growth we need."  He is right, isn't he? Classic liberal politics, trimming and cutting, is not the massive bomb we need under us.  As Chris Bishop yesterday was offering more detail on RUC rates and a move away from petrol taxes, all of which is fine, Shane and his mate Winston were wandering around Marsden Point and talking of making it a special economic zone.  It'd have tax treatment and incentives to get people to invest and do things. Marsden has got land and a port, it's close to shipping lanes, etc.  Ireland has made these things famous. They cut a deal on rates, or tax, bring 'em in, stoke 'em up and watch the growth explode.  Image might be a problem. Shane and Winston both come from, well, Marsden, so it’s a bit nepotistic. But the idea is sound.  Shane has also this week announced a massive upheaval of fishing, the biggest in decades. So it’s the big stuff that we may need because the regular size stuff hasn’t provided the heft we hoped for.  Yes, yes, yes, they inherited a mess, we get that, but the results are what count.  As ACT changed the laws around garden sheds and Nicola talks about supermarkets, it might just be ideas beyond our normal comprehension are what are actually called for.  The irony of the Jones' idea is it's not part of the coalition deal. I could ask, why not?  Is the Ruth Richardson line an acceptance that what they thought would work, hasn’t?  Another irony – I'm not sure how Shane and Winston can wander around Marsden blue-skying their way out of recession, when it's them that’s holding up the foreigners from buying a house after they have invested tens of millions into the country.  But credit where credit is due, Jones seems to have taken on the mantle of the arse kicker. He is where a lot of us are at.  This is not a bad Government, far from it.  It's perhaps just a timid Government. And with October 26 and a ballot box getting closer, maybe we need to shift it up a gear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kaylee Bell has been busy since she last popped into the ZB studio.  The Kiwi country singer has released a new single, has a new album ‘Cowboy Up’ on the way and a five date tour coming later in the year, but she’s also become a mother.   Her son, only six months old, has already been around the world – Bell taking her family along as she performs in America, Australia, and around New Zealand.  “He’s definitely just getting chucked in and taken for the ride,” she told Mike Hosking.  Motherhood wasn’t necessarily something Bell had on her agenda, revealing that it’s not something she thought she’d get the chance to do.  “But it’s just so nice,” she said.  “I love that I get to go and, you know, play a show and I walk off the stage and he’s there now, or I get to come home to him at the end of the day.”  “In this industry, it’s so nice to have something so grounding.”  Pregnancy is not an easy experience but Bell’s schedule remained packed, the singer working right up until 34 weeks, at which point she could no longer fly.  “I cut a record here in New Zealand,” she explained to Hosking.  “And then I had James at the end of January, and we were back on stage after six weeks for CMC Rocks in Australia.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising unemployment is expected to add to the case for a lower OCR.  Unemployment's hit a five-year high of 5.2% and is expected to rise further.  Economists now broadly expect the Reserve Bank to cut the Official Cash Rate by another 25-basis-points to 3% in two weeks.  BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Mike Hosking further cuts now seem likely.  He says his team have been forecasting a neutral rate of 2.75% for years, but there's a chance the OCR could get to 2.5 percent in the current cycle.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 5th of August, the unemployment number wasn’t as bad as predicted, but it could still go up from here – plus, the Government has announced a shift to Road User Charges.   We can't be too worried about the economy since we all seem to be overseas on holiday, and then a record number of us are making travel insurance claims for overseas injuries. It's been too long since we caught up with Kiwi country singer Kaylee Bell, so she's in to play us her new single and talk the upcoming album and tour.  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.

Grocery prices will continue to hit Kiwi consumers and our economy hard.  A report by the Commerce Commission shows prices are increasing again this year after appearing to stabilise last year.  It's revealed we now pay the fifth highest grocery prices in the developed world.  Grocery Action Group Chair Sue Chetwin told Mike Hosking the competition in New Zealand isn’t particularly healthy.  She says that unless the two major supermarkets know that they’re going to face proper regulation or something big will happen to them, they can continue to charge high prices.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis are becoming a liability when travelling in Europe.   New data reveals 1Cover New Zealand has paid out more than $2.7 million in travel claims to customers travelling to Europe since May.  The biggest claim was more than $96 thousand.   Vincent George Travel Agents co-owner Rosann Connolly George told Mike Hosking with weather disruptions and uncertainty around the world, travel insurance is crucial.  She says the demographic heading to Europe is the middle age to older group, so claims stack up.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax expert says there is a concerning trend as businesses owe more and more to Inland Revenue.   Businesses owe more than $1.4 billion in unpaid GST and PAYE from the 2025 tax year.  Only $66 million of that is from businesses or individuals that are bankrupt or in liquidation.  Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker told Mike Hosking the construction sector alone owes about $1 billion.   She says it is difficult to say how it stacks up against other industries.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says anxiety about tariffs will be playing a part in slowing down New Zealand's economic recovery.  Unemployment's reached a five-year high of 5.2%.  Economists think it could rise even higher before it starts turning around.  Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking tariffs aren't great, but some people may have been more worried than they should be.  She says the tariffs will have affected confidence and investment intentions, but it's important to remember that New Zealand is doing okay compared to the rest of the world.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA is onboard with the switch from petrol tax to electronic Road User Charges, but says there are a few issues to sort out.   The change is expected to come in by 2027.   Transport Policy Director Martin Glynn says it's likely there will be devices actually in vehicles to make the measurements.   He told Mike Hosking it will be easier to implement with modern cars.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.