The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Listen to the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 16 October. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the great myths of the modern economy is the idea that young people can't afford a house. Now, the facts are that for every house sold, about a quarter of them, sometimes a little bit more, about 27% are in fact first-timers. That figure has been remarkably solid over any number of years in any type of market. Can it be expensive? Yes. Do some people miss out? Yes. Are some areas better or worse than others? Yes. But in a world where the negative sells, if you can convince people that the young are victims, it can become very political very fast. Of course, no government can manipulate the market, and for all the governments that are promised a solution, it more often than not ends and tears. And for every lever you pull, there is a counter reaction elsewhere, which is why it is often best to leave the market to its own devices. Australia though is dabbling in housing as we speak. The latest scheme involves getting first buyers or first time buyers into their own place with a 5% deposit. Any first timer, any salary. Personally, I've always liked the idea of getting, young people into housing, easier entry, the better often the real impediment, and it's true here, of course, is not the mortgage, but the down payment. I mean, 20% of a million bucks, which is basically the equation in a lot of New Zealand is $200,000. That's a mountain for most and an insurmountable one. Even $100,000 is hard work, but what about 50? $50,000 5%, that's not hard. Small town New Zealand, you go to a cheaper place. $600,000 house, $30,000. That's doable. That's your average Kiwi saver. Why aren't we doing that? Do you lose on housing? Really? Is it a good long-term investment? Yes. In Australia, they kept the price to a first home type level. So for example, at the moment in Sydney, it's 1.5 million less in Melbourne, but what it will do is get more people into houses. Do people want that? Yes, they do. The Reserve Bank worries about a price surge, but this is being done ironically in the middle of a price surge. Australian housing is often running. The debate about affordability is raging hot, and yet the government is all for it. And note, it's a labour government. So what about us? Does our housing market need a boost? Yes, it does. The first timers need a leg up, see? What's stopping us? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new owners of the Cardrona Hotel jumped on the investment to keep it in Kiwi hands. Central Otago's 162-year-old heritage-listed hotel and restaurant has sold, after being on the market since July. Wanaka local, Warren Barclay, will run the business - and says the new owners are high net worth Kiwis and good sorts who see potential. He says business is solid and we don't want to do anything that changes that.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has issued a provisional decision claiming jurisdiction over a complaint about an online radio show.  They said that the complaint fits their formal definition and requirements, meaning that they have to act.   Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Standards Authority Stacey Wood told Mike Hosking that the BSA had long been debating expanding the boundaries of their jurisdiction.   ‘Transmission of a programme by means of telecommunication includes the internet.’  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Prime Minister's backing the view that large-scale government housing ownership like Kainga Ora is problematic. A report by The New Zealand Initiative finds the Government's ownership of 77,000 state houses, has maintenance costs nearly twice that of a private landlord. It finds it also doesn't respond quickly enough to issues like rent arrears, and troublesome tenants. Sir Bill English told Mike Hosking his independent review panel into the agency found similar issues. He says the point of social housing is to improve the lives of the tenants, so it means focusing on the people,  and who owns the houses,  is less important. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Simeon Brown's bracing for tension at a meeting with 200 senior doctors, ahead of strike action.  Their walkout - after rejecting a $160million pay offer - will see 6,300 elective procedures cancelled, and almost 13,000 specialists assessments delayed.  Brown's slamming what he says is unethical, and a case of politics over patients.  He told Mike Hosking that the unions haven't been acting in good faith.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought that the aviation sector is over capitalising - as New Zealand's domestic airfares have shot up more quickly than any other country.   A global airport group says domestic airfares are up 63% in six years, and are well ahead of the second-highest, up 53%. Air New Zealand's Chief customer and digital officer Jeremy O'Brien told Mike Hosking that accelerated inflation is effecting the industry.  He says we're a reasonably small country with long distances to fly. O'Brien says in many cases the industry is over-capitalising, which then impacts the sustainability of the market. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most stories need a hero, and Gail Parata might fit the role in this netball mess.  Or is it now a scandal?  Gail Parata has resigned as a national netball selector and in doing so has gone out guns blazing and, because of that, has given the rest of us a decent insight into what a shambles the Dame Noeline Taurua story really is.  This thing is now weeks old since she got stood down.  The story and the incidents go back, apparently, to a camp in summer.  Taurua's treatment, writes Parata on social media, sends a chilling message to every coach in the country.  The coaching profession's voice has been sidelined. Even the most successful, world class coaches are now dispensable.  The very essence of coaching, relationships, trust and lived experience no longer seems to hold weight with those making decisions.  She's on a roll at this point, God bless her. Who, she asks, would step into a role now knowing that one complaint, one misinterpretation or one moment taken out of context could end your career?  The value of this, quite apart from the fact it’s the first time as far as I know we have heard from a so called third party, is that the so-called "third party" seems to infer what we all suspect.  This thing got blown out of all proportion. This thing, whatever it is, seems to involve some sort of upset, moaning, whining, fragile, ego-related overreaction to an event at the camp.  In other words, some players got huffy over Noeline's approach.  So the big question for Netball NZ is just how many casualties do you want? You have star players publicly calling you out and wanting their coach back, you’ve got lawyers in six minute blocks, and now a selector who clearly feels someone has to break the silence and flush a few truths out.  The damage is to Noeline, to the sport, to the selection panel and to coaches generally because the questions raised by Parata are all excellent and, like all the other questions in this stinking mess, require some answers.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few hiccups in the journey towards peace in the Middle East.   Hamas has released the 20 living Israeli hostages and almost 2000 Palestinians have been returned by Israel.  Leaders including Donald Trump have signed the US-brokered peace deal at a summit in Egypt.  However, US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking, despite Trump claiming the war is over, he had no input on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian standoff over rebuilding Gaza.  He says the peace proposal lacks detail in key areas and its implementation remains tenuous.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 15th of October, there’s a new yearly report on the hospitality sector, who have earned record high revenue. So are times better than what’s being reported?  Former Silver Ferns selector Gail Parata explains why she resigned from her role and her disappointment with Netball NZ for the way they’ve handled the Dame Noeline Taurua saga.   Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss Te Pati Maori’s budget issues and parliamentary standards 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.