The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I am trying to work out which I like least – Elon Musk or Disney.  Elon bought Twitter and turned it into 'X'. He paid $44 billion, and they say it's worth about $10 billion now, but he doesn’t care.  It's worth $10 billion because a lot of corporates bailed because of its ugliness.  He argues it's free speech, but it's free speech at the lowest level, so it's ugly. He still defends it, and it makes life for a libertarian like me hard because I like the idea of truly free speech and, as a result of that belief, I have nothing to do with 'X' because I have standards.  But it's also apparent that as good a concept as free speech may be, when left to its own devices it's an ugly place and vulnerable people get hurt.  So that’s Elon.  Disney were one of those who bailed on 'X' because they didn’t like what they saw. But the Financial Times suggests they are heading back to 'X' now that Trump has won, and Trump likes Elon, and Elon might spend a lot of time at the White House, so Disney wants “in” on the action and the influence.  If that’s true, and it's not just Disney but also a bunch of corporates, that makes them hypocrites of the worst sort.  High and mighty – but only when it suits.  Full of principal, as long as they end up on the right side, whatever the current right side is.  They went hopelessly woke in their movies, until Bob Iger came back and said the reason he was back was because Disney was losing money, and they were losing money because they're woke.  Once upon a time having principles was quite the thing. It was expected and it was common, until it wasn’t.  These days corporates too often don’t know who they are so they end up in a moral blancmange. We saw it here during Covid – furious at the Government in private, pussy cats in public.  You would hope there is a lesson there somewhere they might want to learn and do something about.  Elon is at least reasonably consistent. You don’t have to like it, but he is true to his word.  It's cost him $35 billion in 'X'. But then he found Donald and the balance has been more than rectified, so what does he care?  Which I guess ultimately means, it's Disney. I like Disney less than I like Elon.  And that's saying something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders can now make contactless payments entirely on iPhones.  Any retailer with a supported iPhone can accept payments from cards or digital wallets.  It's paid via an app from one of Apple's payments service partners including Stripe, Worldline, Windcave, and ANZ.  Ben Hanna, Head of New Zealand at Stripe, told Mike Hosking that it cuts down on the costs of running a traditional Eftpos machine.  He says it cuts down on hardware costs, deployment time, and administration.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come once again and Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. This week they discussed the Coldplay concerts, famous people's guitars (including one signed by Donald Trump), and how much they'd be willing to pay for a scoop of chips from the fish and chips shop. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 22nd of November, is the Government's desire for a third medical school at Waikato at risk after David Seymour raised concerns about the cost?    All Blacks' captain Scott Barrett pops in for a word ahead of their clash against Italy – the final game in the end of year international tour.  Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby talk Coldplay, Trump guitars, and the price of fish and chips 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.

New Zealand's relationship with the incoming Trump administration will be the main topic at a US Business Summit in Auckland today.   It will feature speeches from the Prime Minister, Trade Minister Todd McClay, US Ambassador Tom Udall, and a variety of business voices.   Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Simon Bridges says it will be a great chance to get the Government's perspective on the American relationship.   He told Mike Hosking that Trump’s win is hugely consequential, and it’s not enough for the Government to simply say they’ll wait and see.  Bridges believes there can be some optimism though, as New Zealand is generally good at riding the waves and trade with the US flourished after Trump ripped up the CPTPP during his last term.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being clouded in sexual misconduct allegations, Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to become Donald Trumps' attorney general.  The former Republican congressman says he felt he was becoming a distraction, and didn't want to waste time on a "scuffle".  US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Gaetz had faced intense scrutiny over a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use.  He says this is the first loss from Team Trump, who has been issuing threats to keep Senators in line.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks have stuck with the tried and tested for their final fixture of the year against Italy in Turin on Sunday morning.   Changes are minimal from Paris – the team is relatively close to what could be termed a first-choice 23.  There are five changes to the run on-side that lost to France, four being injury related.  Captain Scott Barrett told Mike Hosking they had a focus on improving each game they played in the end of year tour. He says that while the narrow loss to France hurt, the team will be better for that.   “Hopefully we can get through this game and, you know, that’s an 80 minute performance that we can, you know, hang our hat on and be proud of.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councils are celebrating the government's decision to lift the debt cap, allowing them to borrow more money.  It follows an average 15% rates increase this year across the country.  Local Government New Zealand President Sam Broughton told Mike Hosking that councils currently have two options - borrow or lift rates.  He says they have to borrow more because residents can't afford to fund the infrastructure deficit councils are in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A paediatric endocrinologist believes the Health Ministry's puberty blocker stance is sensible.  The Ministry's brief shows a lack of good quality evidence backing the drug's effectiveness and safety for treating gender dysphoria.  It says they should only be prescribed by a clinician experienced in gender-affirming care, as part of a team offering a full range of support.  Paul Hofman told Mike Hosking puberty blockers are safe and reversible, and have been used by hundreds of thousands of kids in the last 30 years.  He says data on its efficacy is poor, which is down to doctors not following up on the treatment, and assuming it will work as intended.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour raises eyebrows over the rationale for a new medical school in Waikato, questioning the efficiency of training doctors. He critiques a cost-benefit analysis, arguing that key training expenses and assumptions were overlooked. Additionally, the discussion touches on alternative solutions, like subsidizing general practitioners and expanding existing schools to address healthcare demands. The conversation also highlights the interplay between government education policies, independence, and transparency in media.