The Mike Hosking Breakfast

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 13th of March, it's international investment day, so the big players are out to play.    Sky Sport are hiking their prices... again.  Athletic F1 writer Luke Smith is as excited as Mike about this weekend, and can't wait to kick the F1 season off in Melbourne.  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.

Sky TV is hiking their prices.  A near-12% increase will come into effect for Sky Sport viewers this May.  The company says the rise in price will allow it to keep investing in local and global fixtures, and it comes as Sky fights to keep its New Zealand Rugby rights.  Octagon Asset Management Equities Analyst Paige Hennessy told Mike Hosking that while no one likes a price increase, investors see it as a reflection of reality.  For Sky to make a profit, they have to reflect any cost increases in their prices – especially if NZ Rugby is unwilling to see rights deflation come through in their space.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view that if businesses aren't on social media, they aren't being seen.  Tataki Auckland Unlimited has spent $103,000 on influencer created-content in recent years, while ChristchurchNZ's dispensed $27,000.  Neither DunedinNZ nor WellingtonNZ have jumped on the bandwagon, but won't rule out doing so if the right opportunity arose.  Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking use of influencers is important.  She says it's important for the sector to operate in this space as it relies on people seeing and feeling what there is to offer, which social media provides.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Revenue Minister's confident changes to the Foreign Investment Fund will greatly benefit tech and startup companies.  The Government's working on changes which would see new migrants taxed on a realisation basis for interests not easily disposable and acquired before coming to New Zealand.  It applies to migrants who became tax residents here on or after April last year.  Simon Watts told Mike Hosking this has been on the radar since he assumed the portfolio.  He says the system hits migrants —particularly returning Kiwis and those who are wealthy unfairly— and they've been getting good feedback on the changes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought Police efforts to get back to their roots is connecting with New Zealanders.  Data from the latest Crime and Victims Survey suggests public confidence and trust has risen to 69%.  Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Pannett told Mike Hosking there's been a concerted effort to get back to basics and ensure things are done well.  He says measures like the Community Beat programme is proof of efforts to increase officer visibility and public reassurance.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot's riding on the Government as it opens the country up to more offshore investment.  Representatives of more than 100 foreign entities are in Auckland to eye up potential opportunities at the Infrastructure Investment Summit.   The Government's hoping for more project funding and public-private partnerships.   Chief Executive with infrastructure investor Morrison, Paul Newfield told Mike Hosking New Zealand needs to be painted as a great place to invest.   He says the Government needs to present a multi-decade pipeline, a vision for what infrastructure could be, and a commitment to maintain work over successive governments.   Meanwhile, Australian investor Plenary's already confirmed to BusinessDesk it intends to bid on the first stage of the multibillion-dollar Northland Expressway.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing affordability is improving, but it's not the same story for renters.  New CoreLogic data for the fourth quarter of last year shows falling property values, rising incomes and lower mortgage rates have seen affordability at its best level since pre-Covid.  It says the median home value is around seven times the median annual household income, well down from the market peak in 2021.  But renters are still facing some strife, with the rent-to-income ratio at a record 28%.  Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking this is due to previous increases in rents.  He says rents tend to flatten off more than fall, and that's what seems to have happened over the past year and a half.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US economy is in chaos as Donald Trump continues to push ahead with his tariff plan.  The US President's confirmed Australia won't be exempt from new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, and has announced 50% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports.  This is in response to Ontario's now-suspended 25% surcharge on electricity exports.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that investment giant Goldman Sachs says there is now a 1-in-5 chance of a recession in the US.  Arnold says that while the average American is yet to feel this in full, they certainly will.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We should give a shout out, or at least take a few moments, to read Lyric Wairiri-Smith's account of the Treaty Principles Bill submissions.  She works for The Spinoff, and she sat through virtually all of the 80 hours of submissions and cast a series of observations by way of a “50 things I learned” list.  The 37th thing she learned was the lack of media interest.  You may recall at the start of the process it was a mad wall to wall, blow-by-blow account of what was one of the country's most contentious/outrageous/heinous acts of the modern age.  Fast forward a few days and she was the only one left, along with Māori TV.  There is a lesson in that.  On one hand you can mount an argument that the media is so trimmed down that resource for lengthy procedures is limited.  You can also argue, and this is my argument, that the media are too magpie-ish and fascinate themselves with shiny things, lose interest too quickly and, as such, enhance their reputations as fly-by-nighters interested in clicks, not knowledge. Cover it properly or don’t cover it all.  Some of the 50 things are lightish in nature. This is not a criticism of the piece, in fact we should be grateful someone bothered to give us this overarching insight, hence it behoves us to absorb it.  But some basically tell you what you thought they would - namely, that a lot of people turned up, as you would expect, to hate on it thus drawing into question the whole submission process.  Most importantly for me, was my suspicion was confirmed that there remains great debate over the Treaty and its principals and, as such, David Seymour was more than right to do what he has done.  The high and mighty turned up and basically argued with each other. The Treaty is not settled, or anywhere close to it, and it is not defined. You can find scholars and lawyers and experts who will tell you one thing with full vim and vigour and eloquence, then you can find another equally qualified lot who will say that is wrong, hence we are where we are.  Where we are, sadly, is the end of the road because the bill, as we all know, will be voted down.  Which is a shame, given as Ms Smith's list surely shows, a definitive understanding is well and truly overdue.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to delve into the latest drama surrounding the Government’s school lunch programme, the Treaty Principles Bill submissions, and the upcoming Infrastructure Investment Summit.  Representatives from some of the world's largest banks and investment firms are arriving in Auckland for the summit.  Delegates will be formally welcomed by Ngāti Whātua Orākei and Christopher Luxon this afternoon.  Cabinet Ministers will then front a raft of sessions over the next two days.  Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking there's some announcements coming tomorrow around infrastructure, aimed at attracting much-needed foreign capital.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.