The Mike Hosking Breakfast

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 24th of July, for the first time since 2009, rents are on the way back down around the country.  The Government has directed Sport NZ to axe inclusion principles for transgender people – Sport Minister Mark Mitchell explains the decision.   Global superstar Ed Sheeran joins us for an exclusive Breakfast chat about bringing his new tour to New Zealand – plus, his thoughts on the Coldplay kiss cam scandal.  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.

The Sports Minister's standing up for a coalition-based decision directing Sport New Zealand to remove its community sport trans guidelines.   The 2022 principles allowed people to play community sports according to their gender identity.   Sport Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking most fair-minded Kiwis would agree with the move, which honours safety and fairness.   He says as part of a New Zealand First coalition agreement, they decided not to dictate what sporting bodies should be doing, saying the bodies themselves know best.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's target of recruiting 500 new police officers has been held up yet again.   A briefing sent to the Government suggests the two-year goal's been set back, and Police expect it'll be by August next year.  That's nine months after the original target and two months behind the Police Commissioner's revised deadline.  They’re now looking at launching a recruitment drive into Australia – the place we’re losing officers to.   Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking it's a la la land idea, as poached officers would get a 30% drop in wages, higher house prices, higher cost of living, and lower superannuation.   He says NZ Police need to start looking at the things that would make a real difference for officers in New Zealand, such as the remuneration structure.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the world’s bestselling artists, Ed Sheeran is one of the most influential artists of his generation.  He’s sold almost 200 million albums and is one of only a handful of artists on Spotify Billions Club with more than ten tracks with over one billion streams.  Sheeran last toured New Zealand’s stages back in 2023, and he’s returning three years later, with 2026’s ‘Loop Tour’.  Despite his global musical success, Ed Sheeran has a reputation for being down to earth and humble, shrugging off the trappings of stardom in favour of a much more grounded presence.   He alternates between projects – huge stadium tours and local gigs, painting and podcasts, parenting and performing.   While the most enjoyable period of his career was the first two years after the release of Plus in which the world opened up to him, Sheeran explains that nowadays he prioritises balance.  “It's about finding the balance and not going nuts,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.  “Not being like, I am just a popstar and that is all that I am, I think it’s really nice to be a dad, and also be a popstar, and have a balance of the two.”   Stardom and fame can take its toll, some people becoming jaded and disconnected from the world around them, however, Sheeran believes that only happens if you live in a bubble.  “I think you get jaded when things start getting very self-centred, and you think like, oh this is happening to me, and this is this, and this is that, and it’s very me, me, me, me, me.”  Sheeran tries to keep himself grounded, surrounding himself with regular people, getting out into the world, and taking public transport at his wife’s strong encouragement.   “I do remember playing shows where no one wants to come to them and releasing music that fell on deaf ears,” he told Hosking.  “So I feel super grateful to be, you know, people are still interested in my music, people are still coming to the shows.”  “I don’t think you can get jaded with that.”  ‘Loop Tour’ is Sheeran’s sixth major concert tour, and although he still performs in the occasional pub, stadium tours are on a completely different level.   Although there’s definitely a pressure to match and even outperform his previous tours, Sheeran has faith in his music and what it means to his audience.  “I know I can create special moments.”  “I think that when you’re doing these shows, it’s an understanding that it’s not about me, it’s about the community and about the couples that are coming to the gig, the families that are coming to the gig, and what the songs mean to them.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising supply and falling demand is pushing down rents.  New Cotality analysis of MBIE data shows the national median rent dropped 0.3% in the year to May.  That's the first time the rent has dropped in more than 15 years.  Aspire Property Management's Managing Director Mike Atkinson told Mike Hosking housing supply is increasing at the same time incomes are falling in real terms.  He says there's also been a huge drop-off in net migration, with fewer people coming into the country.  However, there could be some good news on the way for landlords.  Atkinson says things should pick up over summer, when migration typically increases.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister believes homelessness data can be hard to analyse as there's no one-size-fits-all description.   The Government's June Homelessness Insights suggests communities countrywide are facing more pressure, with people living on the streets.   Councils and support services say rough sleeping's increased everywhere, doubling by some measures over 24 months.   Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking homelessness has been a lasting issue, and deals with complex issues.    He says sometimes it encompasses challenges that include mental health, addiction, and family violence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Aussies are hopping over the ditch following a tourism campaign.   Since the 'Everyone Must Go' campaign, almost eight thousand extra Australian visitors have come to New Zealand.   It's estimated those tourists spent about $22 million.   Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking there's plenty more room for growth.  She says about four million Australians are considering a trip, so we need to get in their face more.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you reckon happened at the big butter meeting?  Willis and Hurrell. Nicola and Miles.  Is it a meeting that took on a hopeless amount of hype, or was it a sign that at times this Government, and Willis in particular, say stuff that makes them look like they are on to it when perhaps they're not?  The reality is these two meet regularly. Fonterra plays an outsized roll in our economy and therefore it would be odd if they didn’t meet.  But Nicola has this penchant for saying stuff that might lead you to believe she could produce an Uzi out of her handbag and blitz the room.  She has the banks, who she keeps telling us are people we should not be locked in a dark room with.  She has the supermarkets who, in her Clouseau-type way, suggests she has been ferreting about the isles and has found dastardly deeds.  Jacinda had the same predilection when she told us the petrol companies were "fleecing us".  It's all good stuff for headlines and attention. It's very good guy/bad guy, and if hot air were rocket fuel she could have flown to the moon and back six times.  But is your butter any more affordable?  Of course not, and in that is the problem – not with the price, but with Nicola.  Wouldn’t it be fantastic if there was a scandal, or a rip-off, or some highway robbery? Wouldn’t it be awesome if she could tie a butter producer to a chair and waterboard them until they screamed out "yes, yes, yes it's true, the real price is only $3.76 not $8.50".  Sadly, it isn't going to happen.  Presumably, as if she needed it, Miles worked her through the calculations at last night's meeting.  We pay the global price for butter, the irony being in this case that’s actually good news because dairy in general is booming and we need something to boom.  What we would like to do versus what we have to do, for good reason, are two separate things. That's why butter is the price it is.  The real question for Nicola is how many meetings, threats and finger waggles does she have to produce for no change before someone calls her out for being a lot of mouth and not a lot of trouser?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fallout over the Epstein files appears to have ground Capitol Hill to a halt.   CNN reports Speaker Mike Johnson closed proceedings for August recess a day earlier than planned, ahead of votes around the release of the files.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Johnson says the whole issue should be allowed to cool down, saying they’ve been ‘clear and transparent’.  However, Arnold says, this is not the view of the MAGA faithful, with Republican activist Marjorie Taylor Green saying “if there is no justice and no accountability, people are going to get sick of it”.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halfway through the week, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest political stories thus far.  Labour MP Camilla Bellich’s member’s bill, the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, has passed its second reading. But why do we want to talk about salaries?   Nicola Willis has met with Fonterra over the cost of butter – has anything come of it yet?  And how intense will the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election be?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.