The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Top musicians are taking their music off Spotify and leaving the platform behind – but why?  Kiwi musicians like Tiki Taane and The Bats have joined overseas acts like Deerhoof and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard in boycotting the platform, accusing it of exploitation, poor royalties, and subsidising big international acts.  As it stands, each stream earns an artist around one-twentieth of a New Zealand cent.  Tech commentator Paul Spain told Mike Hosking artists are making a fair point, as Spotify has been increasing their prices, but not artist payouts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The vast majority of New Zealand's foreign tourist levy is being held on to by the Government.  Budget documents show up to $139 million is being banked from the International Visitor Levy for Crown spending.  This year's budget allocated $55 million a year to spending in conservation and $35 million to new spending in tourism from a pot of almost $230 million.  Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka told Mike Hosking it helps cover the costs of all things used by tourists, not just things like conservation.  He says tourists also use the health system and roads, not just conservation estates and tourism areas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister is attributing a reduction in youth reoffending to boot camps, even though they haven't started yet.   The Government says serious and persistent young offending has dropped by more than 14% since June 2023.   Northland experienced the greatest decrease at 40%.   Minister Karen Chhour told Mike Hosking there have been significant developments.   She says they've learnt a lot from the military-style academy pilot, which has informed other programmes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustration from farmers over Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a nitrate emergency.  It voted —nine to seven— for the declaration after groundwater testing found levels of the chemical increasing in the majority of monitored sites.  Federated Farmers Vice President Colin Hurst told Mike Hosking solving this problem can take a number of years, but farmers have been working on it.  He says ECan's put a wedge between farmers and council after yesterday's decision.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many are predicting a fall in GDP for quarter two.   Stats NZ will release the figures later this morning, just before 11am.  The Reserve Bank expects a 0.3% drop while bank economists are more pessimistic.   Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Mike Hosking there are worrying trends.   He says the construction sector is still in a downturn, while manufacturing has seen a fall after a decent first quarter.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If it's any help to those chained to Nicola Willis' office, there is a decent piece I read yesterday asking whether Israel was heading towards a South Africa moment.  In an interview this week, Netanyahu seemed to accept some sort of isolation was a price his country was, and is, paying for as a result of the war.  But none of that has been brought about by people chaining themselves to door handles.  Nor would the cause have been advanced in any way, shape, or form by Nicola taking communion with them. Nor indeed by the march that wandered through parts of Auckland over the weekend.  What has led the war to the point it is, is severalfold.  Firstly, Hamas started it. That is an indisputable fact. The raid of two years ago was entirely on them.  What happened next has happened numerous times in one form or another.  Hamas starts it, Israel responds. They have responded the way they have this time, once again, for a couple of reasons.  1) It was a particularly brazen attack.  2) America has a president that doesn’t mind the sort of retaliation that has taken place.  Never before have we seen drawings of a new Middle East, with millions of Gazans living in a Trump-like Floridian Eutopia.  Now, it's fair to suggest events of the last few days i.e. the attack in Qatar, has pushed the Americans to the limit, if not beyond.  But you will note that Rubio is currently in the Middle East and still shaking hands with Netanyahu and still happy to be in the photo.  In the meantime, back here, nuns are chained to door handles, people wave flags and the angst in the media over whether we will recognise Palestine next month in New York is palpable.  But to reiterate, at no point do any of our actions make a jot of difference. Once this particular chapter is over, in whatever form that takes, we will go back to a relatively stable period of co-existence.  Until someone does something stupid all over again, which of course they will.  This story has been told many, many times over. When hate drives the narrative nothing ever really changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 22-year-old charged with allegedly killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has made his first appearance in court.  Tyler Robinson is facing seven charges including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.  Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last week.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, which is something Trump had called for.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things have been heating up in the political sphere, so Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to delve into the latest developments.  They discussed the decision to close Auckland’s Harbour Bridge for a protest, before the wind changed the plans, free speech and the right to protest, and the latest in the situation with Te Pati Māori and the tricky spot Labour seems to be in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of September, data reveals the chance of going to prison is at an all-time high, but only 15% of criminals are going behind bars.  The Black Caps’ new coach is in for a word ahead of the 20th anniversary of T20s and our series against Australia. Keen sports fans will know that the first ever T20 was played between NZ and Australia.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen spar over the Te Pati Māori's comments and John Tamihere’s endorsement of them on Politics Wednesday. 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 creative sector has much more impact on the economy than commonly believed.  The sector is now the country’s fourth-largest export industry, worth $13 billion a year and supporting 100,000 jobs.   It’s also more productive than agriculture, with each worker generating $346,000 a year compared to $317,000.  Toi Mai Workforce Development Council CEO Claire Robinson told Mike Hosking it’s bigger than wine, fruit, and seafood – all industries we think are part of our economic narrative.  But despite this, she says, the creative sector doesn’t have a voice or a seat around the cabinet table.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.