The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Despite the challenging economic conditions, Turners Automotive is standing strong.  The company announced a record year to March, returning a profit of $38.6 million – a 17% increase.  The result capped off what the company said was a decade of sustainable growth.  CEO Todd Hunter told Mike Hosking the secret to sustainable growth is to provide a great environment for their people.  He says they then provide a great experience for customers, and the combination of those two things delivers a great experience for their shareholders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 27th of May, are police deliberately not investigating retail crimes if the value is under $500?  We have a big recycling problem in this country, but we also have some good old Kiwi ingenuity when it comes to old and bruised kiwifruit.  Health whiz Dr Libby Weaver is back in studio to talk iron, and whether Mike is as healthy as he thinks he is.  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 year’s worth of plastic waste, once collected for recycling, may now end up in the landfill.  The market for coloured plastics dried up with the closure of Chinese recycling plants, and as a result, the Far North District Council is set to send 190 tonnes of plastic to the landfill.  Sue Coutts, Director of External Affairs for Zero Waste Network NZ, told Mike Hosking it’s no surprise the coloured bottles won’t be recycled, as they’ve known they can’t be for about a decade.  She says there’s plenty of good ideas out there to mitigate the problem, they just need to be implemented.  Coutts says the Government is currently consulting on extending producer responsibility, which would put the problem back into the hands of the ones creating it.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi ingenuity has found a new use for the 50,000 tonnes of kiwifruit that is rejected each year.  KiwiLeather Innovations is taking the byproduct and turning it into a plant-based leather alternative.   Founder Shelley Houston told Mike Hosking it takes about 500 grams to make a square meter of the alternative leather.   She says they’re targeting the automotive sector, as brands like Tesla are already using things like cactus leather for their interiors.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelson's Mayor says upgrading the city's hospital will be a turning point for its health services.  Completion of a 128-bed inpatient building has been brought forward two years to 2029.  Nick Smith told Mike Hosking the city’s health services have been under real pressure, with the old buildings dating back to 1955 and 1970.  He says it's encouraging not only to have the $500 million upgrade, but also the 32 bed temporary inpatient ward.  Smith told Hosking it gives them both immediate relief, but also enables the redevelopment and earthquake strengthening to be done really well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's being accused of rushing a greyhound racing ban, affecting hundreds of jobs.  Racing Minister Winston Peters gave the industry 20 months to wind down from November.  Greyhound Racing NZ is applying for a judicial review, saying the Government failed to inform, prepare, and consult on the ban.  CEO Edward Rennell says many only found out shortly before the announcement.  He told Mike Hosking they've had no engagement from the Government and nothing in writing on the decision – the only way they’ve been able to determine how it was made was through the Official Information Act.  Based on that information, Rennell says the paper that went to cabinet was highly selective and didn’t present complete facts.  “When you’re looking to take away $159 million from the economy and 1,054 jobs, surely you have an obligation to review the full facts.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers are seeking clarity on a Police directive on shoplifting.  RNZ reports police staff have been told to not investigate allegations of theft below $500.   Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV.  Chair of the Ministry of Justice's Retail Crime Advisory Group Sunny Kaushal told Mike Hosking retailers are concerned.  He says similar policies have already failed in America and the UK, where gangs of shoplifters exploit them to make illegal gains without consequences.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is suggested Peter Dutton in Australia lost the election because of his nuclear issue and work from home policies. I personally think he lost because they ran a hopeless campaign. But it is more than possible that he floated a couple of ideas that the voter simply could not stomach. I am wondering if Chris Luxon is heading in a similar direction here with superannuation. Nuclear makes sense. Working from home hinders productivity. But the voter is always right and being a voter beats logic. Will the voter be right here on superannuation? Are there enough New Zealanders who have landed on the simple truth that 65-years-old, as a pension age, is no longer sensible, nor affordable? $28 billion is the bill each year, and growing. That seems worse now because we are broke. But even in good times it’s a stunning amount of money. National will take it to the vote next year. They may be saved from themselves by NZ First, if they are still in the mix, because it will be a bottom line. But we reach the interesting point where logic and emotion collide. For many, superannuation is untouchable. It’s a lifetime's worth of work. "i paid my taxes" they say, even though that line isn't actually real because we spent your taxes years ago and then borrowed a bit more to keep the lights on. 65-years-old is the new 50-years-old and, post-Covid, older workers have never been in more demand. The days of being out to pasture are increasingly gone. 65-years-old is not old. Imagine a day where you enter the workforce knowing you need to take care of yourself. Yes, if you strike trouble the pension is a welfare payment, not an entitlement. But we either have to change the narrative and mindset from entitlement to welfare, or we need to up the age. In upping the age over time, even giving years worth of notice, it's still a very big call. It underlines our desire for free stuff, or perceived free stuff. Once you set a precedent with money it is fantastically hard to undo. But Luxon, apparently, is keen to give it a crack. He calls it a no brainer. First clue - there aren't many who think it’s a no brainer. Labour learnt the hard way over the capital gains tax. Luxon may be about to learn something similar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's National-Liberal coalition has made up after a three day split.  New Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley is expected to announce her shadow cabinet this week.  Australian Correspondent Steve Price says it will be a battle between the Conservatives who were closely aligned to former leader Peter Dutton, and the moderates who are aligned to Sussan Ley.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 26 May. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.