The Mike Hosking Breakfast

As exercised as some have been this week about social media, the Greens and their behaviour, the bigger issue is not the Greens, but Labour and all who might support them into Government.  As much as we may froth and hyperventilate about any given issue of the day or small firestorm, who runs the country and how is what we all ultimately should be focused on.  We will not be going back to a single large party ever again, for two reasons.  One is because Covid is not repeating and, even if it did, I doubt we would panic again electorally the way we did.  Two is given when Labour was left to their own devices, they literally destroyed the place, most of us, for good or bad, have come to the conclusion that a mix of parties under this MMP system we seem to have voted for an accepted is here to stay.  So National need at least one player, probably two, and the same applies to Labour.  For now, National seem to have got lucky and/or well organised. Whether you support it or not, broadly speaking National, Act, and NZ First get along fine.  The media try to stir bits of trouble around minor matters periodically and we are yet to see a full-blown campaign post a first term, where the gloves are off a bit and a few punches might get thrown. But overall, things are cordial and well managed.  Labour on the other hand need certainly the Greens and possibly the Māori Party. Both are increasingly ropey.  Both are increasingly belligerent, both are increasingly fringe and both are an electoral nightmare for a so-called mainstream, left-wing party.  The Greens of James Shaw, Rod Donald, and Jeanette Fitzsimons are long gone.  The Māori Party of Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia are long gone  Both the current Greens and the Māori Party are anti-establishment disruptors who revel in a type of anarchy, almost as though they are outside the system. All of that is fine if you like that and want to vote for it.  But it is completely incompatible to running a country, even for a Labour Party that has become increasingly left-leaning and socialist.  If you don’t need, or want, to be in power, and I don’t think half the Greens or the Māori Party actually do, you can say what you want.  But Labour do want power, and their problem is they are going to end up having to answer for an increasingly unhinged rabble or at least try to dress it up as something they can handle.  That’s their problem. I don’t think they have the wherewithal to even come close to pulling that trick off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2nd of April, New Zealand has abandoned its bid to host the America’s Cup after the Government denied funding.  NZ Rugby have sorted out their advertising stoush with Ineos, and we seem to have done alright out of it. So where to next for the All Blacks brand and company?  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell have a spirited discussion about the Greens, the Māori Party and the ferry deal on Politics Wednesday.   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.

A new test for Parliament's processes.  Te Pāti Māori MPs are refusing to appear before a Privileges Committee hearing about last year's haka in the House, after being told they can't appear together with their lawyer.  Labour MP Peeni Henare appeared before the committee last month, with the committee finding his conduct was disorderly but didn't amount to contempt.  He apologised for leaving his seat to perform a haka, but stands by performing it, saying he'd do it again  Fellow Labour MP Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking it will be interesting to see how this plays out.  She says Labour believes in taking part in the Privileges Committee process, but this is an issue for Te Pāti Māori and Parliament to navigate.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petro-chemical conglomerate Ineos have dug deep into their pockets to resolve financial differences with New Zealand Rugby over kit sponsorship.  A settlement has been reached after NZR lodged an injunction at the High Court in Wellington – the figure reportedly in excess of $21 million.  Ineos get to terminate the deal after three years, and NZR can now attempt to secure a new sponsor.  Halo Sport Managing Director Simon Porter told Mike Hosking NZR now has some prized assets to sell, and have some time to ensure they get a good deal.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters are heading to the polls in two special elections in Florida and Wisconsin.  Florida's holding special elections for Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz's congressional seats and both seats are critical races for Republicans, given their slim majority in the House.  The battleground state of Wisconsin is also voting on a new judge for the state's top court.  It's become the most expensive judicial contest in US history, with more than $90 million being spent on campaigning, including $21 million by Elon Musk.  Republican Strategist Matt Terrill told Mike Hosking while the Republicans are confident they’ll win Florida, a different race is unfolding in Wisconsin.  He says the outcome will send a signal as to where the pulse of the country is – if the Trump-backed candidate wins, it signals the strength of his mandate, but if the Democratic candidate wins, they’ll have a point to rally behind.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central and local government are being challenged to work together to attract major events.   The bid for Auckland to host the next America's Cup in 2027 has been abandoned after central government refused to put money up for it.   Major Events Group Founding Director Chris Simpson says New Zealand could host great events if the investment is there.   He told Mike Hosking it's something that needs strong collaboration.   Simpson says the events can't go ahead if cities are keen but the Government's not.  He says New Zealand isn't going to be able to pull in huge amounts of money like the Middle East, and we can't just rely on good will.   Simpson says we have a track record of holding great events but that just doesn't cut it anymore.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Privileges Committee will meet with or without Te Pati Māori.  The party's refusing to front up for alleged threatening behaviour towards David Seymour during last year's Haka in the House.  Co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi —along with Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke— have all been separately summoned.  They say they haven't been allowed to appear together, at a time their lawyer can attend.  Constitutional Law Expert Graeme Edgeler told Mike Hosking the committee will meet regardless.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An opinion new health and safety regulatory reforms is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.  The Government's change makes clear landowners won’t be responsible if people are injured on their property, while doing recreational activities.  Fault will lie with the organisations running them.  It used the prosecution of the company that grants access to White Island after it erupted as one reason for the change.  Health and Safety Lawyer Grant Nicholson told Mike Hosking that's the only example of the law getting muddy.  He says ultimately the court did its job —with the company later acquitted— and the law worked as intended.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sort of hinted at this the other day when the monitor for the Wellington City Council put out his second report.  My question was, given there was leaking and dysfunction and the punter was at their wits end, what now for Wellington?  Do we just get more reports?  Well, lo and behold, another Wellington operation has their own monitor in the form of the Commerce Commission who have been brought in to oversee the mess at Wellington Water.  The Minister has not seen any improvement, there's been no real change and unless stuff happens, there are rate rises galore for no real gain.  So once again we can ask, what do the Commerce Commission do? Do they write reports too?  If those reports tell us the place is still a shambles, how many reports does it take for someone, somewhere, to actually fire up a bit of action?  I can also add, and this is an overarching observation, just how dysfunctional does Wellington need to get before it literally implodes on itself?  The electorate changes last week were all in Wellington. Why? Because people have left and, to be frank, who can blame them?  Then we come to Tamatha Paul, who made what most observers seemed to suggest was one of the most extraordinary comments about police anyone had ever heard.  Her good friends in Labour called them stupid. The Prime Minister called her insane.  Yet she holds an electorate. The good people of Wellington central, and by no small margin I might add, looked at her credentials and decided they liked her enough to vote for her.  So Wellington, what's the story?  What level of madness and dysfunction are you willing to tolerate before change comes? Is change ever coming? Do you actually want change?  Do you mind paying a lot more than you need to for stuff that doesn’t work? Is a crummy council, a lot of broken pipes and a mad MP OK, as long as your cycleways are fun to ride on?  Oh, did I mention the trains?  You can't beat Wellington on a good day.  When, Wellington, was your last good day and why are you putting up with it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission and Auckland Airport's latest interactions are being seen as a sign regulation is working.  Auckland Airport isn't lifting its airline charges for the next two years as much as intended, after the commission's report showed their targeted returns were too high.   The report also found the airport's multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment plan is appropriate.  CEO Carrie Hurihanganui told Mike Hosking they said last year that if the commission continued to see a difference between the returns they targeted and what they received, they would change it, and they did.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.