The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to delve into the biggest political stories of the week so far.   Slipping parliamentary standards are back at the forefront, with Speaker Gerry Brownlee planning to crack down on behaviour after yet another incident.   And Te Pati Māori is seemingly melting down from the inside, with allegations regarding a former party vice-president and budget blowouts.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes a new online school will help students struggling in a traditional classroom.  Aotearoa Infinite Academy will open in January as the country's first fully online charter school.   Founding Principal Saira Boyle says the timing is right for such learning.  She told Mike Hosking they have access to high quality teachers across the country, and they’re going to make sure processes and systems are in place so that students are excited to approach and engage in learning.   Boyle says that since the announcement was made yesterday, a substantial number of people have inquired.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revenue in the hospitality sector's reached a new record high, but many operators are seeing profit margins reach a new record low.  Restaurant Association data shows sales have risen 1.4% in the past year.  Tourism regions like Nelson and Queenstown-Lakes are seeing strong growth but central Auckland and Wellington are still doing it tough.  Association Chief Executive Marisa Bidois told Mike Hosking tourism is continuing to drive much of the growth.  She says CBDs are struggling, as foot traffic hasn't got back to pre-Covid levels yet.  Bidois says any rise in revenue is being eroded by rising costs.  She says food costs are up 4.6%, wages continue to climb, and insurance and rent have gone up as well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Promising signs of improvement across the primary education sector.   The Education Review Office has found teachers are seeing more engaged students, and three-quarters of parents report progress since the start of the year.  It follows new data showing more new entrants exceeding phonics expectations.  President of Auckland Primary Principals' Association Lucy Naylor told Mike Hosking they're also noticing changes in the engagement and attention of children.   She says although the curriculum is still new, these are good signs.  Naylor told Hosking the new English and maths curriculum is like a springboard for the next round of subject improvements.   She says the slower roll out in other areas has been useful for teachers, so they can focus on core subjects first and feel prepared for more changes to come.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Silver Ferns selector Gail Parata has rebuked a lack of due process by Netball New Zealand in standing down coach Dame Noeline Taurua and assistant Debbie Fuller.  The pair have been sidelined after allegations of an unsafe high performance environment, which remain unresolved.  The issues are understood to date back to a Silver Ferns camp in January.  Parata resigned as selector last month in a show of support for Taurua, and she told Mike Hosking no formal complaint was lodged.  She says there’s about 31 people in the Silver Ferns environment, including management and other athletes, and they only spoke to five Silver Ferns and two Junior Silver Ferns.  “Why did they not speak to everyone? That’s really, really disappointing.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Speaker of the House is confident attempts to tighten parliamentary standards will be successful. Current speaker Gerry Brownlee's cracking down on behaviour following what he sees as multiple disruptive incidents. The latest saw Te Pati Māori MP Oriini Kaipara's maiden speech go well over time. David Carter told Mike Hosking Brownlee will definitely get the majority support from Parliament to do this. Carter says Brownlee just needs to show the will to enforce stricter standards. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's continuing to change its approach to preventing risky lending.  It's further easing loan-to-value-ratio restrictions, allowing banks to lend more money to low-deposit borrowers.  It follows the roll-out of debt-to-income restrictions last year, restricting how much banks can lend to people who already have a lot of debt relative to their income.  Squirrel Mortgages Chief Executive David Cunningham told Mike Hosking LVRs had been imperfect on their own.  He says when property prices went up, it allowed banks to lend more, pushing up property prices further, with borrowers' incomes not factored in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is some angst in some media circles at the moment over funding for Māori TV news.  A couple of programmes are facing some sort of cut, or cancellation, or realignment because of changes in the way money is handed out from the Māori funding agency.  This is not new. Media in this country post-Covid has gone through a fairly major overhaul with many a casualty and a pile of significant change.  The reality for media that is funded by the state is you are beholden to the purveyor of the purse string.  Under the Labour Government, the amount of money handed out to media was ridiculous. The trouble with that sort of largesse is it can never last.  Fill your boots while you can, because as sure as night follows day, reality, or reckoning, will come.  In terms of Māori news programmes, here is the part that eludes me: how is it, as we have seen this past week, that all we ever get when funding gets adjusted is a complaint-athon?  All we hear is people bemoaning their lot and fearing change.  Here is the solution: if these programmes are of value, as they claim they are, what is stopping, and what has ever stopped them, from going to the commercial sector to get advertising or sponsorship support?  Why is the Government i.e. the taxpayer, the only source of income?  If the Māori news programmes are so valuable, then where is the Māori economy?  I have read any number of times that the Māori economy is booming. There are any number of success stories in the Māori economy. It is a growth sector, and it is, by some reports, booming.  Investment has led to expansion, reinvestment and riches - where are they? Why aren't they advertising or sponsoring these Māori products? Can they not see the synergies?  How is it the connection has not been made? Business is always looking for advertising or marketing outlets.  Why are the makers, producers and hosts of these programmes not looking to the commercial sector for an ongoing and stable level of support?  Why is the taxpayer the sole provider of their paychecks?  If you have a product worth its salt and if you are what you claim (relevant, popular and good at what you do) then there is always an answer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A complicated road could lie ahead for Gaza despite world leaders declaring peace in the Middle East. Donald Trump's signed a ceasefire agreement at a summit in Egypt along with the heads of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. It follows a prisoner and hostage swap between Israel and Hamas. The EU has effectively been sidelined, France Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking, and is looking at how they can help the Palestinian Authority get back some credibility and clamp down on corruption. They’re also continuing what they have been doing, she says, which is providing financial support to Palestine and the West Bank. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK can’t seem to get enough of New Zealand wine.  Latest data shows Sauvignon Blanc shipments hit a 10 year high – with 13.2 million bottles sent over summer.  Exports are up 21% year on year, New Zealand now commanding around half of the $2.5 billion UK Sauvignon Blanc market, valued at NZ$1.37 billion.  Invivo Co-founder Tim Lightbourne told Mike Hosking there’s been a shift in the UK away from heavy reds, with Sauv becoming the go to over things like Malbec, Shiraz, and Merlot.  Plus, New Zealand wines are a premium to the category, he says, selling for about 17% more than the average bottle.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.