The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Natalie McMurtry says Pharmac's model drew her to the agency's top job.   She is just three weeks into her five-year-contract as chief executive at the drug-buying agency.  The Canadian is tasked with continuing efforts to improve the agency's standing with the New Zealand public after years of degradation.  McMurty told Mike Hosking she’s happy to keep moving forward on the reset plan that’s been put in place.  She says she saw an opportunity to make an impact, and a board that has a great plan in place – one she could get behind.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big headache for NRL bosses ahead of the grand final.  10 stars are reportedly lined up to leave league, defecting to rugby union’s Saudi-backed ‘R360’, including Ryan Papenhuyzen, Zac Lomaz, and Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.  The competition is targeting an October 2026 start date.  But Australian Sports Journalist Jim Dolan confirmed to Mike Hosking that no one has officially signed onto the project yet.  He says there’s no coaches, no venues, and while there’s plenty of talk of money coming in from around the world, no one’s actually put their hand up and confirmed they’re investing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a view the property market will continue to be in buyers' favour for some time, despite values edging up.  Cotality data shows property values in New Zealand ticked up by 0.1% in September, following a cumulative 1.6% drop over the five months to August.  Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says regional New Zealand properties are faring better.  He told Mike Hosking that 2026 is looking better, but right now things are pretty flat.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corrections says a steep increase in prison assaults is due to better reporting of incidents.  New data shows there were more than 2600 assaults in the last financial year.   It includes more than 1500 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, and more than 1000 on staff.   Custodial Services Commissioner Leigh Marsh told Mike Hosking they've been working hard to improve how they deal with these incidents.  He says the encouragement of reporting assaults has seen an increase in the number of non-injury assaults being reported, which where the biggest number lies.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister's working to strengthen our community housing sector with a new loan scheme.  The Government will take on some of the risk of bank loans to eligible community housing providers.  It says the move should lead to more social homes with better lending conditions and lower priced loans.  Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking Kāinga Ora currently borrows through the Government's low rates, which gives them a competitive advantage.  He's trying to create a housing system that delivers warm and dry social houses, no matter who owns them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mercury Energy says the Government's new energy plan gives it confidence to keep investing in projects.  It's offering Crown-controlled companies more capital to invest in generation projects, establishing a Liquefied Natural Gas import facility, and giving the Electricity Authority greater power.  CEO Stew Hamilton told Mike Hosking businesses now have some form of clarity.  He says it allows them to keep building at pace, adding they're on the right track, as more power projects have been delivered in the last 18 months than the past 15 years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dixon Street building debacle surely allows us to ask some questions of the Treaty process.  If you missed it, Dixon St Apartments sold for a million dollars to local Māori under their Treaty deal – the Treaty deal had a first right of refusal clause.   Now my assumption, clearly incorrect, is you would get first right of refusal based on the idea that something of cultural or historic significance was coming to the market, and as local iwi you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity.  I didn’t realise this was a commercial free for all, where anything and everything for sale goes to local Māori first.  Further, I had assumed, clearly wrongly as well, that in having a first right of refusal, that meant that long lost treasure, whether historic or cultural, would be returned to said iwi to be honoured and looked after in perpetuity, not flicked off for quick profit.  So obviously nothing like that is remotely part of the Treaty deals. So first question: why not?  Next question is: if it isn't, is it commercially acceptable to have a race-based clause when it comes to real estate?  And even if it is, is it commercially acceptable to sell stuff cheap?  For if you haven't followed the story, five minutes after buying the building, the new owners sold it on for $3 million.  So under a special deal signed for, on our behalf, by our government, we, the taxpayer, lose $2 million on one building.  Next question: how could a Crown agency, i.e. Kainga Ora, think $1 million was a good price for something that was clearly worth $3 million?  And in that is the problem with not involving the free market.  Next question: did anyone involved in the cloistered deal know what they were doing, and if not, given its taxpayers’ dosh, why not?  Another question: was the Treaty process designed so tribes could get into real estate speculation? At what point was a Treaty settlement about putting past wrongs right versus turning tribes into speculators?  This was a bad deal. The original owners of Dixon St, us, got stiffed.  And we got stiffed because of a race-based real estate clause that arguably should never have been part of an historic arrangement in the first place.  Final question: what are we going to do about it? Or more worryingly, is there anything we can do about it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are calling in from airports in Italy and Auckland to delve into the biggest topics of the week so far.  Local body elections are looming – how can we raise the involvement rate?  Plus, a raft of changes to both the earthquake-prone building system and the energy sector were announced in the last two days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 1st of October, we get an insight into whether Hamas is likely to accept Trump’s proposed peace plan.  The Government has announced their plan for energy reform – boom or bust? Energy Minister Simon Watts unpacked the announcement.   Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen join us from airports in Italy and Auckland for Politics Wednesday, discussing local body elections, changes to the earthquake-prone building system, and the electricity announcement.  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 Government’s opting to provide capital to Crown-controlled power companies instead of reshaping its role in the energy sector.  Genesis, Mercury, and Meridian have been assured funding is available for major infrastructure projects.  A procurement process for a Liquefied Natural Gas facility has also been launched, which Energy Minister Simon Watts says will start on Monday.  He told Mike Hosking Cabinet will aim to make a decision by Christmas to get supply into the country as soon as possible.  Watts says their shortest timeline has supply arriving by Winter of 2027, but if a more traditional route is used, it’s more likely to come by 2028 or 2029.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.