The Mike Hosking Breakfast

All quarters of the health service need funding, not just lip service.   That's the message from the Nurses Society ahead of the Government's budget announcement today.   National Director David Wills says our health system's been historically underfunded.   Wills told Mike Hosking services can't be delivered without adequate funding.   He says despite claiming to deliver increases, in real terms there was under funding in the last budget.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A promise today's budget will deliver real growth for the economy.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hours away from unveiling her 'No BS Budget', claiming there'll be no frills or excess.   The Government's been slowly teasing figures, concentrating on balancing the books through cuts and reprioritisation in spending.  Business NZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking the government knows its role in business recovery.  She says they're the first government in a long time that's methodically looked through what can be done to make things easier.  It’s also been teasing changes to the KiwiSaver scheme, with more to be revealed.  It's expected to increase KiwiSaver's default contribution rate from the current 3% as well as means-testing its own annual contribution, up to $521 dollars.  Rich told Hosking they'll be keeping a close eye on things.  She says it depends on how it's phased in over time, so businesses can factor it into wage negotiations and salaries.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief New Zealand's entering the early stages of an export-led recovery.   Stats NZ data reveals it's at $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit last year.  The dairy sector's been the big winner, up $601 million to $2.2 billion.   Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking it's promising on the back of a tough three years in the sector.   He says domestically people aren't spending a lot, so imports aren't coming in, but fortunately the world is buying more from us which is a great point in the cycle.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smith and Caughey's closure indicates what needs to change in Auckland's CBD  The city's most iconic department store is closing its doors after 145-years, with the loss of almost 100 jobs.  The closure comes down to increased competition, economic hardship, and the state of the central city.   Heart of the City Chief Executive, Viv Beck told Mike Hosking it's a sign of fundamental flaws in the management of Auckland's CBD, especially in transport.   She says the system needs more functionality and common sense to meet Auckland's realistic transport needs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zespri’s largest-ever crop has topped $5 billion in global sales   After some challenging seasons, the kiwifruit company has exceeded their long-term goals by $500 million.  The record season saw the sale of close to 221 million trays of Kiwifruit, compared to 164 million the previous year.  Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake told Mike Hosking it comes after a decade of investing heavily in the brand.  He says they've been able to give good returns back to growers after some challenging years.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Billions in spending has already been announced, and more to come for today's budget.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hours away from unveiling her second budget, and is promising no frills or excess.   The Government's been slowly teasing figures, including a $600 million infrastructure investment into the country's rail network.   Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Michelle McCormick told Mike Hosking they're trying to make some progress.  She says it's good to see they're continuing to build on the fundamentals.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins needs help.  For the life of me I have no idea why he is wasting his time defending the Māori Party.  He says their punishment is too harsh.   Problem 1: Is he doing it because it’s seen as anti-Government? In other words, despite him saying he wasn't going to bark at any passing car, he barks at any passing car.  Problem 2: This reinforces the general view that the Labour Party are soft on people who break rules, and consequences should always be watered down.  Problem 3: He is the leader of a major party, and the major parties represent, you would have hoped, a bipartisan view that behaviour and rules and etiquette are to be adhered to in a place of national leadership.  Problem 4: The Māori Party are nothing but trouble and you want, as a centrist, to stay well clear of them.  They don’t like Parliament, they don’t believe it should exist and, if it does exist, they think they should have a separate version for themselves.  Hipkins is like some tragic, legal aid boot lawyer who defends the hopeless for the sake of it.  There is no upside, and yet in Budget week he has bought into the narrative, yet again, that some poor saps have been hard done by and it's all not fair.  He somehow has to be on the side of the victim.  Problem 5: Say whatever you want about the Privileges Committee, but it is Parliament's long-standing court, and his party is a part of it.  It seems odd, and undermining, that you're willing to partake in the process then bag it when it reaches a conclusion.  Problem 6: A few of his own members were part of the original crime on that infamous day when things went dramatically to the pack. So maybe he feels like a hypocrite, given Peeni Henare fell on his sword and the others were too belligerent to do so.  Problem 7: New Zealanders want, like, and demand standards, so he is on the wrong side of this. Problem 8: When we aren't wanting improved behaviour, we wouldn’t mind the big players in the political game concentrating on the big issues, like the mess economically we are currently in, as engineered by the bloke who is busy barking at passing cars.  The Greens and the Māori Party are minor players and not serious.  Labour are supposed to be serious. So how about you give it a crack? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Liberal-National Coalition has called it quits after more than 60 years in partnership. National's leader David Littleproud says the parties couldn't come to an agreement on policy after days of negotiations.   Australian Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking the decision was unexpected, and is probably the destruction of the Liberal Party in Australia for a very long time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 21st of May, Privileges Committee Chair Judith Collins discusses the adjournment of the vote regarding the suspension of the Te Pati Māori MPs.  Mike digs into what exactly it is that Winston Peters doesn't like about foreign business investors being allowed to buy houses that are priced out for the vast majority of New Zealanders.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen do Politics Wednesday and discuss gifts to MPs, the debate, or lack thereof, in the House, and the Budget.    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.

Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest political stories of the week so far. Mike's got the register of Pecuniary Interests, which lists the gifts MPs received between February 1st of 2024 and January 31st 2025 - so the three of them discussed some of the entries on the list.  They also discussed debate, or lack thereof, in the House, and what might else might be coming out of Budget 2025. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.