The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I cannot recommend a piece of reading enough in the Listener, and reproduced elsewhere, on a longitudinal study that now spans 35 years and 12 elections.  It's gripping.  A couple thousand people each election are given dozens of questions.  Its weakness is some of the questions are vague enough to throw up responses around things like health care and public services. We like them and we want more, no surprises there. But how much more? What if the money is wasted?  We don’t get to know that stuff.  The David Lange Government of 1984 blew it big time, went way too far and upset too many people. I remember it well.  We love strong leaders. We are more socially conservative than you might think.  The electoral system doesn't represent what we actually want, or like. We like the death penalty, yet we've never had it.  There are two highlights for me: Labour's moves around Māori and introducing Treaty of Waitangi principles into some legislation.  The majority of us, decades ago, didn’t want it. We don’t have the 2023 results yet, but I bet you nothing has changed.  Which I would have thought would lead you to ask, why hasn’t it been fixed?  It's a bad idea that's been allowed to fester and cause ongoing angst and upset for decades.  Secondly, there are signs of increasing dissatisfaction, concern and unhappiness. The authors say it's not like the 90's.  I remember the 90's. It was Ruth Richardson and Jenny Shipley. It was welfare reform, the mother of all Budgets, the burning of effigies on Parliament grounds. You can see the edginess these days with similar discourse and protest.  But it's suggested political polarisation has declined over the past decade.  Really? Do you believe that?  I don’t. I don’t think we have ever been more divided and never been more stark in our views of the country and the world.  Social media, distrust, fake news, polarising views and stands – I have no idea how they've concluded this. Read it and see if you disagree.   But on most stuff, we haven't changed. The times change, the circumstances change but, broadly, we don’t.  I'm not sure if that’s good or bad. 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.    Fonterra: 9/10  It is literally raining money. Record farmgate, record profits, and the milk price starting at $10 for next year. Go buy a ute.    Port of Auckland: 2/10  Everything that’s wrong with New Zealand – putting prices up because you can.    Auckland FC: 7/10  Falling when they did took the shine off, but up until then there was a lot of shine to enjoy.     Trump: 4/10  He looks ropier by the day. The meme dinner, the court blocking the tariffs, the ceasefires that haven't happened. It looks rambling, ill-disciplined, and insane. Oh, and that’s before you get to Harvard.    Coffee: 4/10  $10 a cup and Al Brown is selling filter. It's not right.    Radio NZ: 4/10  All that money for all those listeners to wander off to places like the Mike Hosking Breakfast. What's worse value – public radio you don’t want or a Waiuku crossing you can't afford?    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  They discussed the average age of first home buyers, Hailey Bieber and her make up company, and how Producer Sam’s puppy has been behaving this week.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 30th of May, David Seymour is pulling the trigger, and parents will now be prosecuted for not sending their kids to school.  We've got new data on flight cancellations and delays after the endless texts saying services are rubbish now. Turns out, it's nowhere near as bad as you think.    Tim and Katie Wrap the Week and talk about the average age of a first home buyer, age, Hailey Bieber, and how good, or bad, producer Sam's new puppy has been this 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.

A new face is coming to New Zealand’s coins.   An image of King Charles has officially been approved to feature on the 10 cent coin from 2027.   2024 will be stamped on the currency – the year the Reserve Bank ordered them.   A koruru image will remain on the reverse side, as it has since 1967.  Ian Woolford, Director of Money and Cash at the Reserve Bank, told Mike Hosking it’s taken so long as they already have quite a big inventory of coins and bank notes.  He says 10 cent coins are the ones they need to stock up on, which is why they’re the first cab off the rank.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is welcoming proposed changes to the Resource Management Act.  The Government's released three discussion documents proposing amending 12 current national directions and four new ones.  They include changes to freshwater management, regulation of farming practices and revising mine consent processes.  Mark Hooper, their RMA Spokesperson, told Mike Hosking that while the guidelines are complex and there’s a lot to wade through, the intent here is very much to get a simpler and better outcome.  The rewritten Resource Management Act isn’t expected to come until next year, so he says the intent of this release is to hopefully provide a bit more guidance and certainty for local authorities, so they can get on with their planning.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The average first home buyer is getting older.   A Cotality-Westpac report has found the average age of first home buyers has increased to 36 nationwide.   It's 37 in Auckland, 36 in Wellington, and 35 in Christchurch – all figures are two or three years higher than average in 2019.  Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking there’s a range of reasons behind it.  He says the affordability measures aren’t much different than they were in 2019, so while affordability is an influence, lifestyle and career choices are definitely having an impact.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just 60% of Air New Zealand's trans-Tasman flights jetted off on time last month.  A report by the Ministry of Transport shows aviation performance for April.  It reveals 82% of the airline's domestic flights were on time, taking off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.  Air New Zealand's highest cancellation rate was on its Rotorua to Auckland route, with just 52 of 65 scheduled flights flown.   Associate Transport Minister James Meager told Mike Hosking these figures aren't acceptable, but will be helpful.  He says it will help them focus on the regions that are suffering from poor performance.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport's investing nearly $150 million into a major domestic airfield upgrade.  It's part of works to help enable future growth in regional flights across the country.  Car parks next to the domestic terminal will be shifted to make way for four new aircraft parking stands dedicated to regional services.  Airports Association Chief Executive Billie Moore told Mike Hosking it's an important move for Auckland Airport, in terms of growth.  She says 40% of regional flights go to and from Auckland, so the rest of the network relies on them to increase capacity.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents could be forced to pay thousands of dollars if they repeatedly refuse to ensure their children attend school.  Associate Education Minister David Seymour's announced the change as part of a firmer approach the Government's taking on school attendance.   Seymour told Mike Hosking schools will alert the ministry to possible prosecution cases and ultimately decide whether to take the parents to court.  He says they could be fined up to $300 initially, but for repeat offenders, it could be $3,000.  Parents of students who are absent because of health conditions, or who are genuinely engaged with the school, won't be prosecuted.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.