The Mike Hosking Breakfast

If the New Zealand Labour Party wants to get real about re-election, they should look no further than the UK Labour Party.  Keir Starmer blew up the NHS on Friday because he said it doesn't work. He says the bloating of the numbers has not improved anything.  Jobs will be lost.  Before he blew up the NHS, he attacked the welfare system. He called it unjust and unfair because, essentially, there are too many people sitting on welfare doing nothing and there is no incentive for them to change their habits.  Remember, this is a British Labour Prime Minister.  We are also expecting the chancellor to slash more spending. Why? Because they don’t have any money.  If only a Hipkins or an Ardern or a Robertson were anything close to this.  What was close to this was Roger Douglas, David Lange, David Caygill, and Mike Moore - the proper Labour Party. The Labour Party many recognise as being a middle-of-the-road centrist-type party that a lot of New Zealanders could recognise.  If what Starmer is up to works, he is Tony Blair 2.0, and the lesson Blair taught us is the same thing Bob Hawke taught us in Australia – a Labour movement doesn’t have to be about wokeness and largesse and economic ineptitude.  It needs to be about common sense and the worker. Not a hardcore unionist, but a middle class New Zealander who gets up, makes their kid's lunches, heads to work and comes home late, a bit tired and ready for a beer and a BBQ at the weekend, living in their own home in suburbia with a belief that life is pretty good, New Zealand is pretty good and the future is moderately bright.  None of that is hard. But I bet you it's completely foreign to most of the current Labour lot who butchered the place between 2017-2023.  The old adage around votes and political support about the centre being large and the place to get a lot of votes, is real.  We wouldn’t mind some wider representation. National or Labour can occupy the centre. History shows it's possible and it's successful.  Hipkins needs to study Starmer and learn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi musician Blair Jollands has made a name for himself overseas.  He works as a sound designer and composer in the film industry, as well as creating and releasing his own music.  Jollands has a wide range of film credits, but some of the most popular he left his mark on are Poldark, Shackleton, Midas Man, and Alien vs Predator.   He’s worked with a wide range of stars, including Madonna and Rhianna, and won praise from the late David Bowie and Boy George.  ‘Little Comet’ is his fourth album, which he recently released under his own name after performing under the pseudonym ‘El Hula’.   Jollands left New Zealand in 1995, spending awhile in the United States before winding up in the UK, where he’s remained since.  He told Mike Hosking that getting a job in sound design at the time was very much a right time, right place situation.  “I was a coffee barista, and I thought y’know, I really need to get something that pays a little bit more to help my music along.”  “So I actually walked in and gave them my CV, and a week later they said ‘will you come in because we had three people just, they’ve been headhunted and they’ve gone to another studio.’”  Although sound design and music production may seem like different areas, Jolland says these days the line between them is really fine.  “For example, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, for say, his movie ‘Sicario’, it’s, I find it very hard to establish what is music and what is sound design – it's very tonal, it’s not as harmonic, less melodic.”  “But generally speaking, sound design is more organic, and we capture sounds and manipulate them.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 18th of March, there's almost a billion dollars' worth of Covid-era business loans that need to be paid back soon.  Christopher Luxon joins Mike from out of India, having just spoken with Modi about our potential Free Trade Agreement.  Kiwi singer and music composer Blair Jollands popped over from the UK to launch his new album, joining Mike in studio for a special performance.  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.

Nearly one billion dollars is still owed as the deadline for Covid-era loans approaches.  Inland Revenue says many Small Business Cashflow loans will default in June if not paid off.   About 130,000 businesses were issued the loans, totalling $2.4 billion.   ABC Business Sales Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking he's not surprised so many owners haven't paid it back yet.  He says there were no personal guarantees or general security agreements, so it was a free hit for business owners.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Energy Minister is being urged to take action as a winter electricity price spike looms.  A newly released briefing to Minister Simon Watts shows supply is tight, and gas needs to be maintained until suitable alternatives are found.  It also warns some households and businesses are finding energy unaffordable.  Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie told Mike Hosking it's clear we need an energy system backed with coal or natural gas.  He says we can't keep relying on the weather and lurching from winter to winter without systemic action.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's adamant he won't be walking away from trade negotiations with India, even if they prove difficult.   Luxon's met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explore avenues for deeper bilateral ties and make more headway towards a Free Trade Agreement.   Trade negotiations will commence next month.   Luxon told Mike Hosking there's sensitivity from the Indian side about dairy, as it makes up about 15% of its GDP. He says the Government wants to do everything it can to advance dairy with India, and that's been a key part of the conversation so far.  The Prime Minister’s hopeful they’ll be able to lock down an FTA by the end of the year.  Luxon told Hosking they haven’t put a time frame on achieving an agreement, but the two will be moving at pace.   He says given some of the work that's already happened and the relationships at the top level, we can expect to make good progress this year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Act Party is hopeful its foray into local body elections will provide greater candidate transparency.  Leader David Seymour is calling for expressions of interest of anyone keen to stand, saying it's time for a clean out of local councillors.  Act isn't considering challenging the mayoralty in any parts of the country.   Seymour told Mike Hosking it's about ensuring voters know what they're getting and how candidates are aligned.  He says voters often don't know their candidates —or their beliefs— and end up disappointed with their councils.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy farmers are being urged to pay down debt while they're in a good position to do so.  Fonterra's already forecasting a midpoint of $10 this season.  Industry organisation Dairy NZ expects the situation to continue, forecasting a payout above $10 next season.  DairyNZ Head of Economics Mark Storey told Mike Hosking it's a good chance to clear debt while payouts are rising, and interest rates are falling.  He says farmers have been making repayments in the last few seasons, and they should continue to do so.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 17th of March, in very exciting news we have officially started formal negotiations with India for an FTA so trade minister Todd McClay joins us out of India. Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Washington DC ahead of talks with key Trump cabinet members. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk the F1, the Warriors and Super Rugby for the Monday morning commentary box. 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.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is in the United States this week, meeting with members of the Trump Administration. On Wednesday he will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.  Peters says he is approaching the administration with "eyes wide open and prepared to listen." LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.