The Mike Hosking Breakfast

It’s a slightly odd message from Labour over the Māori Party as they try and work out how to deal with them.  The truth is they will need them to form a government if they get their own numbers to a point of victory.  There is no way the Greens and Labour alone will come close to crossing the line first.  Small reiteration, in case you missed it a month or so back; none of this matters because the current Government will be re-elected on what I'm calling November 7th, 2026. Election day.  But for argument's sake, the Hipkins comments that they are going to campaign vigorously in Māori seats, with no concern of wiping the Māori Party out, rings awfully hollow, given I watched them campaign vigorously the other day in the Auckland Māori seat and two things happened.  1) No one turned up.  2) Those that did, voted for the Māori Party.  It was the most shockingly inept display of modern campaigning, or lack of it, seen in many a long year.  My guess is what is happening to the Māori Party will not affect the vote for the Māori Party.  Waititi and Co. are clearly liked in their seats, and there is no reason to believe they won't get back.  Further, most of the Labour candidates will be on the list anyway, so why not get two for one?  Which brings us back to this week's so-called announcement: it's a sham.  Talk tough, get a headline, and hope it flies.  The big, big issue for Labour, apart from the fact they are still poisoned by their last stab at power, is the fact their so-called partners are nuts and most of us know it.  Vote for Labour all you want if you can stomach the incompetence. But having done that, stand by for the circus that comes with the Greens and the Māori Party. It's calamitous, with a capital 'C'.  At some point Hipkins will have to face the fact we need some detail. Who's in, who's out, what are the bottom lines? That's where the real rubber hits the road for a voter.  This week's hot air exercise is seen for what it is. 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.    NZ Inc: 7/10  A pretty good week. This Wednesday Auckland hotels will be at 100% and yesterday the visitor arrivals showed yet another upward movement. Slowly but surely, there is more and more that is positive to embrace.    Winston: 6/10  "We" and asset sales. You see how he operates one year out? The stirring has begun.    The politics of firearms: 4/10  What you thought was coming and what actually arrived had a price and Nicole McKee had to swallow at least a small-ish rat.    Kim: 7/10  As in Kardashian and SKIMS. One of the biggest capital raises for apparel this year and a market cap now of $5 billion. Laugh all you want at that family, but it's an industry.    The BBC: 1/10  Game, set and match on the argument over balance and impartiality.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again we find ourselves in the midst of an excellent economic week.  It's excellent, if you wish to see it that way.  100% of hotels will be full this coming Wednesday in Auckland. Broadly speaking, you can't get a room.  Auckland hasn’t been full in years.  Along with the broad-based cruise season and the warmer summer travel period, we have a large conference and a major concert.  This can only get better when the convention centre is open and Eden Park can actually open its gates under proper first-world rules.  So, a record for hotel rooms.  A record also for first home buyers – never have there been more young people getting into their first home. This is the real celebration.  Despite many people's best efforts to steer money elsewhere, nothing beats real estate. It’s a multi-generational obsession in this country and nothing will ever shift it.  The owner of a home. A place to call home. The ability to adjust and mould it to your life and aspirations is not to be underestimated and people will bleed for the pleasure.  Money is cheap-ish. Money is readily available and people are buying. Good on them.  What drives all this is a few simple economic truths – if you get the basics right you can't lose.  This country must be a destination. It must be open, and it must be welcoming, hence the importance of sorting our downtown's out with the homeless and trouble.  The fundamentals must also be right. If you get inflation under control, you earn your way instead of forever borrowing and you set the economic table for the country to be able to spend and take risk and believe that they have a chance and a future.  There is still plenty to do. Jobs needs to come right, but the ads are up.  The media could play their part and drop the misery obsession. News can be neutral and positive, as well as negative.  And the funk brigade could try, just try, to accept that actually there is a decent shaft of light at the end of that tunnel.  Business confidence in the SME sector also had a good week.  Oh, and the All Blacks won and will win again this weekend, if that stuff moves your needle.  In simple terms, this country is going places.  I'm bullish on 2026. This week has been a good building block. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi ingenuity at its finest coming out of the University of Canterbury.  A group of engineering students believe they’ve set a New Zealand human-powered land speed record.   Their three-wheeler, named Mako, hit 82.6km/h – entirely by pedal power.   The record is expected to be confirmed by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association within a month.   Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Digby Symons told Mike Hosking it was done as part of a final year project in the department.  He says some projects have students working on problems that come from companies, but some, like this one, have the students addressing a challenge they set themselves.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come once again, which means its time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to join Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. Today's chat had a bit of a health theme, as they discussed hayfever, pickleball, and Kate's knowledge of creatine.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 14th of November, the controversial Regulatory Standards Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament, David Seymour joining to discuss.   Beauden Barrett joins out of London as the All Blacks look to get past the England hurdle on their way to a Grand Slam.  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk pickleball and creatine 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.

The All Blacks are adamant they have the juice left as they prepare for England and the cauldron that is Twickenham on Sunday morning.  The last two weeks they've been forced to dig deep late to come away with wins over Ireland and Scotland.  All Blacks First Five Beauden Barrett told Mike Hosking England is a powerhouse, one they’ve always had a tough encounter with.  When England toured last year, he says, each match was a close tussle, and they expect the same at Twickenham.  “It’s a hell of a fortress.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our tourism levels are continuing to rise, reaching 88% of pre-Covid numbers.  Australian visitors continue to dominate the market, with 1.48 million arrivals in the September quarter – up 12% on last year.  The US was the next biggest at 381,000 —up 21,000— while visitors from China remained flat at 246,000.  In New Zealand, Queenstown and Christchurch remain the tourist hotspots.  Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking the numbers show the work they’re putting in are delivering some results, but there’s still work to do to attract even more international visitors.   She says they just have to make sure New Zealand is top of mind for countries that normally choose us – Australia, the US, and Canada all being a big focus.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Secretary of Education believes it’s not all doom and gloom in our education system.  Ellen MacGregor-Reid has been given the green light for the next four and a half years.  She’ll continue to drive the new curriculum alongside Education Minister Erica Stanford.  MacGregor-Reid told Mike Hosking New Zealand does have some strengths in education, however they know they can do better.  She says she’s ambitious for the kids, for the education system, and thinks we can get to the top.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Government is business as usual after the longest shutdown in US history – but only till January. US President Donald Trump's signed a bill to end the shutdown and fund the government, while providing back-pay to federal workers. It's caused a divide among Democrats, as it doesn't ensure access to Affordable Care subsidies. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking the shutdown costs are estimated to be around NZ$24.6 billion per week, or as much as 1.5% of the GDP. He says the National Economic Council is estimating that 60,000 non-federal workers lost their jobs during the period. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.