The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A new set of amendments looks to turbo charge major infrastructure projects.  The Government's proposing changes to the Public Works Act to speed up acquiring land, including premium payments to private landowners.  The Environment Court will be sidelined from the objections process.  Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking a lot of these are NZTA roading projects.  He says they don't like taking land, but it's the reality if we want to build infrastructure in this country.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The benefits of major events is on full display in the city of sails.  Auckland hotels saw a $5 million boost in January, largely thanks to SailGP and country musician Luke Combs' Eden Park concerts.  An extra 8,000 hotel rooms were booked over the four days, both events were on.  Hotel Britomart General Manager Clinton Farley told Mike Hosking the events helped make a strong start to 2025.  He says that, combined with the usual inbound tourism, helped make it a cracker summer season.  Farley backs ideas for a bed-tax to pay for these money-making events, but says it needs to be nationwide.  He says they don't want to create a messy visitor experience for tourists, where they pay different prices in different centres.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government may only be putting up four projects for public-private partnerships at its Infrastructure Investment Summit later this week.   It's invited large companies from 14 countries to drive foreign capital into New Zealand.  Northern Infrastructure Forum Executive Director Barney Irvine told Mike Hosking there's a positive glow around the New Zealand market and investors are liking the signals so far, but we need to retain this interest.   He says they need to see a pipeline of high-quality funded projects, and if they don't see that, the glow will probably fade.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.    New Zealand: 7/10  Quite a bit of good news this week, from the Government accounts (which are better than thought), to house prices (which are up), to red meat exports (which are booming). All good, and welcome, news.    School lunches: 2/10  In a world of seismic movement, of global upheaval, good, old New Zealand still had plenty of time for that crap.    Tariffs: 2/10  About as idiotic as economic policy gets. Warren Buffett calls them an act of war and Buffett has a track record of knowing what he is talking about.    Richard Prebble: 8/10  Hero of the week. He quit on principle and the reality is the Waitangi Tribunal is a runaway train that the Government actually needs to do something about.    The Warriors: 1/10  What a waste of a game, of a pre-season, of a launch, of a flight... and of my time.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Am I joining too many dots?  I wonder aloud whether the Government and the Prime Minister, having had by any measure a very good week, has at last got the message that some action, as opposed to yak, might be what the punter wants a bit more of?  There's been several solid health changes; more doctors already here to be parked at GP's, more nurses and scripts via tech when we want them. I mean, the idea that getting a script on the net at an hour that suits you really shouldn’t be a thing, but it does show you how backward we have become.  They are all practical, sensible, and politically beneficial.  The exam concerns from principals that wanted less hard work and more free credits? That was dismissed as the minister hammers home the concept of hard work and not giving up.  The big one was Adrian Orr gone. It was a sacking without a sacking and a result the Government wanted and needed.  Then there was Phil Goff gone. Was it thinly veiled? Maybe.  It was a stupid comment, if you didn’t catch up on it, and a Commissioner's job is to represent the Government, and never more so than when you are dealing with a new, unpredictable America and walking a tight rope in the Pacific between China and the US.  A couple of other minor ones - the Prime Minister's marmite sandwich line on this show. It was a nod to middle New Zealand who are fed up with elite moaners and elite media and their pile on over an issue that, in a convulsing world, is really embarrassing now.  Secondly, and more importantly, health again with bowel cancer. The screening age has been has been dropped from 60-years-old to 58-years old. The money comes from the segregated Māori bowel screening programme.  The message is this is one country, with one rule for everyone. Bowel cancer is not a race issue, it’s a health issue.  So by the time you put all that together on a Friday morning you have collected up a fairly substantial seven days, and the vast majority of it is positive, on the right side of the voter and gives the very clear indication that a week's worth of actual “doing” is vastly more appealing and productive than a week worth of announcing, or defending, or scrapping, or time wasting.  Keep it up and the polls will show it's what the majority of people actually voted for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come and Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.  With Chris Stapleton arriving on our shores for his New Zealand concerts, they discuss concerts and whether they’d go see a tribute show.  They discussed the raft of resignations and job losses this week, as well as the ventures of nepo babies.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 7th of March, Phil Goff has lost his job as the High Commissioner to the UK – was it warranted?  The Black Caps are preparing to clash against India for the Champions Trophy final and Tom Latham joined to break down the campaign to date.  And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discussed the ventures of nepo babies and the raft of resignations and job losses as they Wrap the Week.  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.

Intense weather conditions are kicking off along the southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coast as Cyclone Alfred inches closer.  It's within 200 kilometres, and is expected to make landfall overnight.  Energy providers report more than 35,000 homes and businesses are now without power.  Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking residents are feeling the effects of the tropical cyclone well before it makes landfall.  He says 450 millimetres of rain is expected for northern rivers, and winds could exceed up to 155 kilometres an hour.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s the race that stops the nation, and a new one that’s about to.  The NZB Kiwi will take place for the first time at Ellerslie Racecourse tomorrow – our country’s richest sporting occasion.  It’s a new race and a new format, with $3.5 million in prize money on the line.   It’s the brainchild of Warriors Boss and former New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chair Cameron George, who told Mike Hosking it’s put the industry out in the public domain globally.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps are on the verge of another historic win.  They’ll face India in the Champions Trophy final this Sunday evening – a clash that seems to be India’s to lose.  Black Cap Tom Latham told Mike Hosking the performance they put out yesterday was pretty much exactly what they wanted, and they couldn’t have asked for anything more.  He says they have every chance of, if they put out a good performance, beating the quality Indian side.  Latham says they’ve done it before, whether it be at home or away, and they know they’ve got the talent and experience to do it again.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.