The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I do not buy the argument, which seems to have taken hold, that the boot camps trial has to be shut down immediately because two kids escaped and got arrested after allegedly stealing a car. If you haven't caught up on this, what’s happened is that those two boot camp kids who ran away after the tangi last week have now been found... because they’ve been arrested. They allegedly hooked up with each other, found another couple of mates, went and nicked a car, ran from the cops and when the cops busted them one legged it with a machete (allegedly), tried to carjack another vehicle and then the police then apparently found knives and balaclavas. As a result Labour and the Greens are losing their minds, calling on the Government to end the boot camp trial immediately. But why? If anything this tells me how badly we need the boot camps to continue, because these are obviously very bad kids. You don’t put a balaclava in your car unless you’ve got some pretty dark plans. This is already after you’ve committed two crimes that carry a maximum sentence of ten years each, which is why you’re in the boot camp already. The boot camps haven’t turned these kids into criminals. They already are criminals. Which is why they’re in the boot camps. Ask yourself this - if we shut down the boot camps, what’s the alternative? Jail? Letting them roam free, in which case they keep on committing these kinds of crimes? I don’t see these two going on the run as a failure of the boot camp trial. I see it as a reason to keep doing the boot camp trial. Because how much do these kids need intervention if they are prepared to allegedly run around in a stolen car with balaclavas, knives and a machete?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It looks like kiwis with mortgages are hedging their bets for interest rates to keep falling. In the month of October alone 90% of mortgage holders were on very short term rates. David Cunningham of Squirrel Mortgages & Investments joins the show to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A higher than forecasted jobs report has been undergone in the U.S. The year’s economy created 227,000 non-farm jobs in November, which is above estimates of 214,000. Retailers continue to come to the party with earnings reports. Shares in Lululemon soared 16% on stronger than expected sales. The eurozone economy expanded by 0.4% in the third quarter, doubling the previous quarter’s growth rate. The ECB, however, still looks set to cut rates again later this week and with some challenges across the economy. Greg Smith of Devon Funds Management joins Early Edition to discuss 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.    Yoon Suk Yeol: 2/10  What the hell was that about?    Joe Biden: 0/10  A liar and inexcusable, with any amount of damage not just to his reputation but to the party for Lord knows how long.    Labour and AUKUS: 4/10  Having run with it in Government, nothing changes in between, and now it's off with no real explanation as to why.    Notre Dame: 8/10  Five years and look at it! That is a restoration.    Zelenskyy: 6/10  The first sign of concession. This thing will be negotiated away by this time next year.    Eden Park: 9/10  More events! Gosh, who would have thought that was a good idea?    Fonterra: 9/10  Come on! $10! And I am not sure there isn't more where that came from.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We paid our last school fee last week.  One more term and the high school years at our house are over.  One of the great insights we have been lucky enough to have over the years is in having five kids you see a lot of school and schools.  We have pretty much touched every part of the New Zealand education system.  We have been to private school, public and integrated, single sex, and co-ed. We have been to primary, intermediate, and high school.  We have been to good schools, ordinary schools, and exceptional schools.  The overarching view is several-fold.  1. Principals make or break a place.  We have seen a school who's reputation had been good, suffered badly when the principal left and the replacement wasn't seen as particularly good, only to see it markedly improve when a new one came along with a fresh focus and a firm determination.  2. Private school buys you options.  In things like extra help and facilities, money buys choice and expertise.  3. Teachers vary dramatically.  In all schools we have seen a selection of everything, from lazy to brilliant, from effective to hopeless.  4. All kids are different.  This is possibly the most enlightening thing of all. A school isn't a one-stop shop. We had kids at a school you might have thought would do it all. For one child it was brilliant and for another it was a mistake.  5. A lot of it is down to the child.  I am convinced a child who is determined will succeed in any school. A brilliant kid who can't be bothered, won't.  6. Parents have to be engaged.  Schools have become a whipping boy and a social welfare department. They are expected to take on any kid, with any problem, from any home and fix them. That attitude is criminal and too often it's led by shocking parenting.  7. There is too much wastage.  If you take the stuff out of a day that isn't needed, you'd be at school I reckon about two hours a day. We can do way better.  8. I am not sure it's all that different in 2024 from when I was there in '81.  Good teachers are rare, most schools are fine, and most kids would rather play sport. It's essentially like life – you get out of it what you put in.  The only major difference is you pay a shed load more now, than you used to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC’s CEO is blown away by the team’s success.  The Black Knights have won their first five A-League games without conceding a goal, and now sit at the top of the table.  Saturday will see them clash against the Wellington Phoenix once more, this time at Mt Smart Stadium.  CEO Nick Becker told Mike Hosking that coach Steve Corica has done a great job pulling together a squad of young guys who want to go out there and play for each other.  He says it’s a cohesive unit, and you see it when they fight for every ball.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 6th of December, has scrutiny revealed some broken promises from the Government regarding the police and prison numbers? Police Minister Mark Mitchell fronts up.  The Prime Minister joined Mike in studio as we bring back the infamous gift exchange at the end of the year.    For the final time of the year Mike, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk Christmas plans, work Christmas parties, and Spotify Wrapped 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.

For the final time this year, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  They discussed their plans for the holiday season, the tragic state of public sector Christmas parties, and the best stats from their Spotify Wrapped.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hints of a potential motive in the shooting of a top US executive in New York.  UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back in a premeditated attack on his way to a conference in Manhattan yesterday.  Police have been investigating nearby hostels, while it's also reported the bullets had the words "deny" "deflect" and "depose" inscribed on them.  US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking they seem to reference ways health insurance companies seek to avoid paying patients' claims.  He says UnitedHealthcare has come in for fierce criticism at times from both patients and lawmakers for denying claims.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's US election victory has been a big factor in Bitcoin hitting record numbers.  The cryptocurrency has hit US$100 thousand in value – the highest trading price in its history.  Bitcoin has grown by 70% since the start of the year, buoyed by political campaigns and an increased confidence in digital assets.  Easy Crypto chief commercial officer Paul Quickenden told Mike Hosking the rise has transcended geopolitics.  He says Trump has openly said he wants the US to be the world's crypto-capital, and both the UK and China want to get involved.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.