https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/rss NZME For all the top interviews, the Mike Hosking Breakfast brings you the stories that set the day's news agenda. Mike asks newsmakers the hard questions, hear Fri, 01 May 2026 17:33:11 Z en https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-king-charles-visit-was-a-tour-de-force-by-any-standard/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-king-charles-visit-was-a-tour-de-force-by-any-standard/ 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.    Christchurch: 9/10  The stadium, the opening, the spend, the party, and the vibe. That is what all of New Zealand should be.    The Washington Hilton: 1/10  Between yet more violence and yet more conspiracy from all sides, too much of America is irreparably sick.    King Charles: 8/10  By any standards or count, a tour de force. Solid, statesman-like, witty, clever and brilliantly executed. It is soft power, awesome diplomacy, brilliant engagement, all wrapped up in a flash royal bow.    Winston vs the National Party: 4/10  I get it's election year. I get National are bleeding support to NZ First. But if they're not careful someone is going to say one thing or do one thing a bit edgier than they might have been expected, and it will all hit the fan.     The diesel deal: 8/10  Another reminder that when Peters isn't stirring, the Coalition has actually handled the real issues pretty damn well.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW  Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:22:06 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-i-like-the-cut-of-anna-bremans-gib/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-i-like-the-cut-of-anna-bremans-gib/ We can thank the new Reserve Bank Governor for ending the week on a high note.  New charter details were announced yesterday.  Charters and Reserve Banks were once as dry as old dust but these days I think we have a new understanding of the importance of their role.  Out of Covid and economic shambles has come more talk than ever about cash rates and inflation and debt and wasteful expenditure.  The main change for me is the Monetary Policy votes will be made public, and not a moment too soon.  They are already starting to hold press conferences after each decision. Some decisions are statements, some are reviews and, as such, carry different amounts of detail and information. But the idea that they front after each decision shouldn't be new.  It should have always happened. Just what was it about the thinking at the lower end of the terrace in the capital that had them believing that simply putting out a statement was plenty.  Why wouldn’t they want questions? Why wouldn’t they want to be held to account?  Given everything is streamed these days you can watch it all. There's no need for a journalist to cut and paste a few so-called highlights to skew the narrative. Free and open and complete accountability should be welcomed, and this is overdue.  But as for the vote, the same thinking applies. If you hold the power of a committee member and if you get a say in a mechanism as important as the country's cash rate, once again, what's your argument for remaining quiet? To keep it a secret?  If the vote is 5-1, who is the one and why? What's wrong with an explanation? For example, there were four dissenting votes yesterday at the Fed. Let's hear about it.  Knowledge is power and the fact we are only at this place in 2026 is a crime of sorts. A condescending attitude where they clearly thought we didn’t need to know.  So far new Governor Dr Anna Breman has introduced pressers, changed the charter and promised to at least partially look through the immediate inflationary impact of the war.  So far, so impressive. I like the cut of her gib. Orr vs Breman? No contest.  Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:01:19 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/bob-mcmurray-motorsport-expert-previews-the-miami-grand-prix-discusses-the-regulation-tweaks/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/bob-mcmurray-motorsport-expert-previews-the-miami-grand-prix-discusses-the-regulation-tweaks/ Formula 1 is back in business this weekend.  The Miami Grand Prix follows a month-long break due to the conflict in the Middle East – both the Bahrain and Saudi races getting shelved.   Tweaks to the controversial new regulations and car upgrades will also be in play at the race.  Motorsport Expert Bob McMurray told Mike Hosking Miami is pivotal for the very future of Formula 1.  He says that if everything works well, they’ll continue quite happily, but if things continue as they have in previous Grands Prix, the organisation has a real problem as they can’t keep tweaking these regulations.   LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:25:12 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-talk-work-drinking-cultures-fountains-colour-runs/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-talk-work-drinking-cultures-fountains-colour-runs/ It’s Friday which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back to Wrap the Week that Was.  They indulged Mike’s desire to build a fountain in his “lake” and delved into work drinking cultures, school colour runs, and their weekend plans.  LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:50:44 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nick-becker-auckland-fc-ceo-on-the-upcoming-elimination-final-against-melbourne-city/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nick-becker-auckland-fc-ceo-on-the-upcoming-elimination-final-against-melbourne-city/ Auckland FC’s playoff fate has been sealed.   The side is looking to avoid second-season syndrome after a record-breaking entry into the A-League.  It comes down to a do-or-die elimination final against reigning champions Melbourne City, kicking off Saturday at Mt Smart Stadium.  CEO Nick Becker told Mike Hosking they have good form against the Australian team, but he doesn’t want to jinx anything.  He says it’s been a tougher season than the last, but these sorts of things build resilience within a side, and the players are in the right mindset.   LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:37:51 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-01-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-01-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 1st of May, Marcus Beveridge discusses some interesting immigration stats as our visa rejection rate falls to a post-Covid low.  David Seymour provides some context around the school lunch situation and for all the news articles, there's been a minuscule number of issues compared to the millions of lunches delivered.  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson indulge Mike's want of a fountain in his lake, and discuss drinking cultures at work as they Wrap the Week.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:23:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-this-was-a-long-time-coming/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-this-was-a-long-time-coming/ THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Making the RBNZ Less Weird/Nelson Suddenly Away from it All/Mark the Week/Making Money Out of Misery/Where Did That Come From? Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:18:46 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/geof-mortlock-former-reserve-bank-special-advisor-on-the-shift-to-make-ocr-votes-public/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/geof-mortlock-former-reserve-bank-special-advisor-on-the-shift-to-make-ocr-votes-public/ Major changes are set to make future Official Cash Rate decisions far more transparent.  The RBNZ's Monetary Policy Committee will release details of who voted which way to the public if they're unable to come to consensus.   Committee members are also encouraged to speak openly about monetary policy.  Former Reserve Bank Special Advisor Geof Mortlock told Mike Hosking that he and other economists have been advising Treasury and the Minister to move in this direction for some time.  He says it’ll strengthen the accountability and transparency of the Committee.  LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:08:08 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/marcus-beveridge-queen-city-law-managing-director-on-visa-rejection-rates-falling-to-a-post-covid-low/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/marcus-beveridge-queen-city-law-managing-director-on-visa-rejection-rates-falling-to-a-post-covid-low/ There’s praise for the 'tight ship' Immigration New Zealand's running.  Data released to Newstalk ZB reveals just over 65 thousand visa applications were turned down in 2025, plunging from more than 83 thousand in 2024.  The rejection rate last year sat at around 6.3% – while the two years before both sat at 7.3%.  Queen City Law Managing Director Marcus Beveridge told Mike Hosking Immigration New Zealand's making efficient decisions to keep the bad guys out.  He says they've had computer and personnel issues in the past, but it now seems they've got things humming pretty well.  There’s also little surprise at the countries making up rejections – India made up almost a third of them, followed by China and Pakistan.  Beveridge told Hosking India’s seen similar numbers for years, as it’s always been considered a high-risk country, but Fiji often sees quite a bad rejection rate as well.  LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:42:27 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/billie-moore-airports-association-ceo-on-air-nz-cutting-more-flights/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/billie-moore-airports-association-ceo-on-air-nz-cutting-more-flights/ Air New Zealand's cutting another set of flights on top of its already stretched network.  On top of cancellations across May and June announced last month, the airline's now axing further flights across July, citing rising jet fuel costs.  It says this will impact around 2% of passengers travelling nationwide.  Airports Association Chief Executive Billie Moore told Mike Hosking when you break down this number regionally, it could be up to 20% of seats being cut in some places.  She says it'll be broader than just Nelson and Tauranga and will be a case of piecing all the cuts together.  Moore told Hosking it's hurting a bit more over here as the network had been shrinking already.  She says most countries have been growing their networks while ours has been declining, so it's cuts on top of cuts.  LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:26:59 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/david-seymour-associate-education-minister-on-the-food-safety-complaints-around-school-lunches/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/david-seymour-associate-education-minister-on-the-food-safety-complaints-around-school-lunches/ The Associate Education Minister's defending the school lunches programme despite dozens of early safety complaints.  There were 21 food safety probes into the lunches from May 2024 to mid-November 2025.  Some investigations came after reports of metal wire, fragments, or glass were discovered in food.  David Seymour told Mike Hosking it's 21 lunches out of around 13 million.   He says the issues are from when Government overtook Labour's scheme or the first term of their new scheme, which faced some teething issues.   LISTEN ABOVE   Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:15:41 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-parent-prosecutions-were-a-deterrent/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-parent-prosecutions-were-a-deterrent/ It probably wasn’t a surprise to learn the parents being prosecuted over their kids not going to school didn’t turn up to court.  So the reason the justice wheel turns so slowly is partially because of those sorts of folks.  I doubt any court action will achieve a lot in this specific case. But then you can argue it probably wasn’t supposed to.  Governments prosecuting parents over non-school attendances is a sad, but good, policy at the same time.  Sad because we got to this point. Good because what it will achieve is a chilling effect for those who may not get to court but could have.  The reason they didn’t was because of the test cases we hear of this week.  Like the school phone ban not everyone follows it. It's not bulletproof, but it is effective.  Chilling effects are not to be underestimated.  The light system in Jobseeker is another good example. When there are no consequences for not looking for work, it's amazing how many are happy to take the invitation not to do anything.  Offer them a bit of stick and all of a sudden, the number of people who fail and reach red and get a benefit cut becomes negligible.  Once again, what a tragedy that there seem so many who are happy enough to waste a life.  But the lowest common denominator is in fact quite common, given how many frequent it.  It's doubly sad of course when it comes to kids and school. It's not their fault the parents are wasters and you run the risk the habits are contagious, and the kid carries the wastage on for another generation.  So no, the initial prosecution will involve the worst of the reprobates and, no, it most likely won't make a jot of difference.  But enough people will see it and hear of it, it will be around the school grounds, word will spread, and with that for some anyway, what might have been will be avoided. It may well be that if a handful of kids get to go to school properly, it might eventually benefit us all.  It takes a tough Government to take their people to court over something as fundamental as education. Certainly, previous ones haven't been interested and that is why, in part, we have ended up where we are.  But, potentially, it's also at a point where tough love could pay off.  Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:57:16 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/gin-wigmore-kiwi-singer-songwriter-on-her-upcoming-album-return-to-new-zealand/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/gin-wigmore-kiwi-singer-songwriter-on-her-upcoming-album-return-to-new-zealand/ A Kiwi music icon is firmly rooted back on our shores, with new music on the way.   Gin Wigmore returned to New Zealand’s shores in late 2024 after years spent living in Los Angeles, California.   Last time she spoke with Mike Hosking she was in Palm Springs, moving to LA when she was pregnant with her second child and running a hotel out of Santa Monica.   But after a while, she realised she wasn’t content with her life and her marriage, separating from her husband, moving back to New Zealand, and opening a deli in Auckland’s Kingsland.   “I felt like I needed, I missed New Zealand, I missed my roots,” Wigmore said.  “I missed having my kids grow up in this environment ... there’s something about the freedom of that sort of childhood that was getting less, it was getting harder to do in Los Angeles.”   Although she’s currently in the midst of her divorce, Wigmore says she still has a good relationship with her ex.   “We were just kids when we met and we couldn’t, couldn’t evolve together,” she told Hosking.  “And we’re two lead singers – I mean it was sort of destined to f***ing fail in some fiery emotional explosion, and so, y’know, we kind of, we called it.”   It’s been eight years since Wigmore released an album, but even amid all her other ventures, music is still deeply important to her.  “Music’s amazing in that it always catches me in my worst moments,” she explained.  “Sometimes I’ve likened it to a really toxic boyfriend —kind of like this player that I’m seeing— and then sometimes it’s just this really steady go-to that always catches me in my worst, hardest moments.”   And that second sentiment is what her upcoming album, ‘Beautiful Mess’, channels – filled with all the highlights and lowlights of Wigmore’s life.  “Together it’s like a whole complete world of what my life... a snapshot of my world for the last five years or so.”  LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:25:37 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/amanda-johnson-spy-valley-wine-owner-and-managing-director-on-their-seven-gold-awards-at-the-london-wine-competition/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/amanda-johnson-spy-valley-wine-owner-and-managing-director-on-their-seven-gold-awards-at-the-london-wine-competition/ Our wine industry continues to find success on the global stage.  Marlborough’s Spy Valley achieved a clean sweep at the London Wine Competition, claiming seven golds for the seven wines they entered.  It’s one of the industry’s most influential events, and on top of their golds, they were also named New Zealand’s Winery of the Year.  Owner and Managing Director Amanda Johnson told Mike Hosking they aim to make really good quality wine at different price points, so it was a delight for their hardworking team to be rewarded across all the skews.   LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:26:56 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-more-reasons-not-to-move-to-australia/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-more-reasons-not-to-move-to-australia/ THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Terrible Place/Meanwhile, Back Here In Middle Earth/Passing Notes In Class/Not Going to Class/Even More Reasons Not to Move to Australia Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:18:52 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-30-april-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-30-april-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 30th of April, Dr Rober Breunig takes a look at Australia’s surging inflation whilst Finance Minister Nicola Willis compares their experience to ours.   The Cancer Society has released their election manifesto, calling for more investment in skin cancer prevention.  Kiwi singer Gin Wigmore is back to living in New Zealand – she's opened a deli and is releasing some new music. It's been over a decade since she was last in the Breakfast studio, so she stopped by for a chat – and to talk her dating life!  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:08:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/dr-rober-breunig-australian-national-universitys-tax-and-transfer-policy-institute-director-on-rising-inflation/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/dr-rober-breunig-australian-national-universitys-tax-and-transfer-policy-institute-director-on-rising-inflation/ Australia’s cost of living has jumped yet again.   Headline inflation jumped 1.1% in the March quarter, while the Consumer Price Index rose to 4.6% in the year to March, up from 3.7%.   Surging oil prices have largely driven the jump, with petrol prices increasing by 32.8%, lifting transport costs by 9.2%.  The Reserve Bank of Australia will be making an announcement regarding the Official Cash Rate on the 5th of May.   Dr Rober Breunig, Director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Australian National University, told Mike Hosking that while inflation has risen, they’re not seeing much impact in terms of economic growth and unemployment – the latter holding steady.   He says the Reserve Bank will be concerned about inflation expectations getting out of control – if people expect high inflation to persist and start asking for wage increases, prices may be increased in anticipation, and it all snowballs.   LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:03:32 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/chris-small-abc-business-sales-managing-director-on-the-data-showing-small-business-sales-rose-39-in-the-march-quarter/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/chris-small-abc-business-sales-managing-director-on-the-data-showing-small-business-sales-rose-39-in-the-march-quarter/ Confidence for small business owners, with sales continuing to grow.   New Xero small business data shows business sales rose 3.9% in the March quarter – March alone rising 5.5%.    ABC Business Sales Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking it's been a tough 12 months, with many weaker businesses weeded out, leaving high quality small businesses in the market.   He says data doesn't reflect the current climate, given two out of three months were not impacted by the war in Iran.   Small says volume of transactions were up 10% and dollars invested in small business were up 16% – all with a positive mindset until March kicked in.  LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:42:19 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-coom-cancer-society-ceo-on-their-election-manifesto-urging-the-government-to-invest-more-in-preventing-skin-cancer/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-coom-cancer-society-ceo-on-their-election-manifesto-urging-the-government-to-invest-more-in-preventing-skin-cancer/ The Cancer Society's asking political parties to stop tinkering around the edges and unite to more strongly fight the disease.  It's joined with the Government to each commit another $1 million towards the Sun Smart skin cancer prevention programme.  But the Society is also calling for more cervical and lung cancer screening, and to bring down the bowel cancer screening age.  Chief Executive Nicola Coom told Mike Hosking skin cancer prevention has been underinvested in for decades, despite being the country’s biggest killer.  She says there’s no doubt we’ve made a bit of progress in the last few years, but it’s not enough to respond to the large number of cancer diagnoses New Zealand is currently facing.   LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:25:58 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-finance-minister-on-australias-inflation-rate-and-whats-in-line-for-new-zealand/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-finance-minister-on-australias-inflation-rate-and-whats-in-line-for-new-zealand/ The Finance Minister says New Zealand's inflation situation is very different to Australia's.  Across the ditch, the rate's surged from 3.7% in February to 4.6% in March.  Our headline rate was unchanged at 3.1% in the March quarter, but economists expect it to approach 4.5% for June.  Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking Australia was experiencing higher inflation before the fuel crisis, in part due to government spending.  She says she wants to be diplomatic, but the Australian Government is stimulating the economy more through its higher spending.  LISTEN ABOVE   Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:00:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-the-free-trade-deal-should-be-celebrated/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-the-free-trade-deal-should-be-celebrated/ The greatest sadness of the India Free Trade Deal, for me to this point, is that the rhetoric has not paid due respect to where free trade basically began.  New Zealand.  We are the pioneers. Well, the modern pioneers.  The concept goes back to the mid 1800's where Britain and Europe had various deals.  The GATT agreements of the 1940's made significant progress but the deal with Australia in the 80's put it well and truly on our radar and, along with Roger Douglas, Mike Moore made a name, if not fame, with the desire to do cross border business free from the impediment of tariffs.  For a while free trade deals had their time in the sun. They got, I thought, a bit watered down with block deals. The CPTPP is your classic example and even our EU deal is widely accepted as being inferior to proper one-on-one deals like China or now India, because when you get 27 nations together there is bound to be a bunch of protectionists in there.  India is also worth respecting because it's India and it's been a prize for many, many years. It’s the last truly large country and, not just that, but a truly large country actually going places.  If this country has an international calling card, it's trade. We box above our weight, we do business on quality, we buy and sell on a fair price and not a jacked-up protected price.  Within all deals you will find critics or clauses that aren't perfect. It's free trade, not perfect trade, and even a free trade deal technically can, and does, host tariffs.  But the intent, and indeed the outworking of them all, is that the business between two countries is better, freer and bigger than it was before signing.  NZ First are on the wrong side of this and the irony cannot be lost that its leader is a foreign minister who spends his time globally looking to engage and encourage engagement between countries.  Nothing encourages engagement more than doing business.  Labour said it's not the deal they would have done. Isn't it? What is the deal they did when they were in power? That’s right, there wasn’t one.  Successive Governments have failed to cross the line.  This, without a shadow of a doubt, in 20 years will be like China; big, bold, successful and constantly upgraded. We will all see it eventually.  But in the ensuing years since we were free trade evangelists, we've become increasingly myopic, if not racist.  Free trade is what we are good at. We should celebrate what we are good at more.    Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:03:43 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/bridget-abernethy-electricity-retailers-and-generators-association-ceo-on-the-electricity-authority-questioning-power-price-hikes/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/bridget-abernethy-electricity-retailers-and-generators-association-ceo-on-the-electricity-authority-questioning-power-price-hikes/ The big power companies are officially on notice, with electricity prices under scrutiny.  Household bills are climbing an average 8% this year – the same as last year.   But profits for the big four gentailers spiked 42% in the six months to December.    Electricity Retailers and Generators Association Chief Executive Bridget Abernethy told Mike Hosking the reliable and modern power delivery Kiwis expect comes at a cost.   She says a range of factors are occurring together, requiring an increase in spending.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:02:19 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-nationals-mark-mitchell-and-labours-ginny-andersen-on-drinking-at-parliament-maiki-sherman-the-situation-with-labour-and-fitch/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-nationals-mark-mitchell-and-labours-ginny-andersen-on-drinking-at-parliament-maiki-sherman-the-situation-with-labour-and-fitch/ It's Politics Wednesday and Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest political stories of the week to date.  They discussed the Maiki Sherman situation, the amount of drinking that goes on at Parliament and whether it's appropriate, and whether Labour mislead ratings agency Fitch on the details of its Capital Gains Tax.  LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:27:42 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-29-april-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-29-april-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 29th of April, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones discusses the deal that would bolster our supply of diesel – plus, power companies are set to raise their prices again.  Mike gives his take on the Maiki Sherman saga and the role this show had in the story.  And Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk drinking in Parliament, Maiki Sherman, and whether Labour misled Fitch over tax plans on Politics Wednesday.   Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:08:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/roger-beaumont-banking-association-ceo-on-the-rise-in-home-loans-with-a-quarter-of-new-loans-going-to-first-home-buyers/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/roger-beaumont-banking-association-ceo-on-the-rise-in-home-loans-with-a-quarter-of-new-loans-going-to-first-home-buyers/ Home lending is on the rise – up 17.5% in the six months to December.  The Banking Association's latest report also shows almost a quarter of new loans going to first home buyers.  Chief Executive Roger Beaumont says it's encouraging, because a few years ago they were thought to be locked out of the property market.   He told Mike Hosking that there’s been a relatively flat housing market, combined with a significant reduction in interest rates.   Beaumont says that in 2023, those on a twelve-month mortgage were paying over 7%, but today they’re paying under 5%.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:02:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/andrew-fairgray-2degrees-chief-business-officer-on-the-research-showing-the-impact-of-ai-use-on-smes/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/andrew-fairgray-2degrees-chief-business-officer-on-the-research-showing-the-impact-of-ai-use-on-smes/ AI seems to be having a positive impact on Kiwi businesses.  A new report from 2degrees and Deloitte suggests small and medium businesses using high levels of AI made around $400,000 more in 2025 than comparable non-users.  Larger businesses averaged around $59.1 million more, with 82% of firms using some form of AI.   2degrees Chief Business Officer Andrew Fairgray told Mike Hosking the ones getting the best results are being disciplined and going deep.  He says they’re not just redesigning existing workflows with the addition of AI, they’re stepping back and looking at what they need to do going forward, and how they can leverage AI as an enabler.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:46:16 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-sherman-tanked/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-sherman-tanked/ THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) All the Grubby Details/None of the Grubby Details/No Details of Any Kind Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:43:29 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/james-meager-associate-transport-minister-on-the-governments-plans-to-modernise-aviation-rules/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/james-meager-associate-transport-minister-on-the-governments-plans-to-modernise-aviation-rules/ The Government says work to modernise aviation rules is already off the ground.  Its major sector overhaul is promising to update pilot training and safety rules, cut red tape, and ease drone use on farms.  Associate Transport Minister James Meager told Mike Hosking there are 23 projects to get into, with three already started.  He says they're taking 20 years' worth of work and fast-tracking it to get it done in two.  Meager told Hosking an aviation council paper last year showed training organisations could adapt existing programs to reduce pilot training times, and if they can change the rules to make that happen for every provider, they will.   Updating the drone rules will also require more focus, he says, to ensure that people, particularly farmers, don’t get strangled in red tape.   “With the cost of spraying, plant fertilizer and fuel these days it would be good for them to have dome technology and tools to be able to do that effectively, increase their productivity, and get their stuff out to the rest of the world.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:28:06 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/shane-jones-associate-energy-minister-on-the-deal-with-z-energy-to-stockpile-another-90-million-litres-of-diesel/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/shane-jones-associate-energy-minister-on-the-deal-with-z-energy-to-stockpile-another-90-million-litres-of-diesel/ The Associate Energy Minister says an extra diesel stock is a buffer against worsening conditions.  The Government's inked a deal with Z Energy for another 90 million litres of diesel to be stored at Marsden Point.  It's put up $21.6 million this month.  Shane Jones told Mike Hosking the deal provides a buffer in the event of a logistical problem or a clog in the supply lines.  He says it could come to pass that things will normalise in a much quicker way than the average “armchair critic” believes, but diesel-using Kiwis can feel assured this decision hasn't been made recklessly.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:12:34 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-its-not-as-bad-in-business-as-you-think/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-its-not-as-bad-in-business-as-you-think/ Here's a small myth-busting exercise for you – things aren't as bad as you might think.  Business sales from small and medium businesses are up and by quite a lot. They're up 21% in fact.  Why would you buy a business at a time like this?  You know why. Because life goes on and people have dreams and those dreams don’t get buffeted about by fiscal uncertainty.  There were 27,000 confidentiality agreements signed in the past year. That's a lot of agreements.  For an average of $800,000 you can buy your dream. Values are up, listings are up, demand is up (it's up more than listings), so prices are holding and the returns, multiple, is up.  So a lot of people are doing fine, thank you very much.  This is a nation of small businesses and all these numbers show is nothing changes that. Not a war, not petrol, not an election, and not the weather.  If you ran a poll and asked, "is it a good time to buy a business", like they ask, "is it a good time to buy a major household item", you know what the answer would be.  And yet life goes on.  Now, for all the New Zealand First supporters about to text me and say it's all Indians, save your 20 cents.  It isn't.  It's another myth busted. 9.7% are Indians, 15% are Asian (so that will be Chinese and Koreans, maybe Filipinos), which leaves 67% identifying as European.  So the idea this is all about migrants buying jobs is not the tsunami you thought it might be.  I think these stats are a microcosm, or a small example of the disconnect between studies, surveys, polls, politics, news headlines, and what is really going on.  The rhythm of New Zealand life gets buffeted about by issues of the day; the petrol price, the war, the spend. And why wouldn’t it?  But if you believed the polls and the stats and the national conversation, as driven by the headlines, you'd think we were at home huddled in a corner waiting for the end.  Yet we are not. We are buying businesses, planning the future, taking the risks and, God forbid, having a good time.  What a shock.  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:44:37 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/commentary-box-andrew-saville-and-jason-pine-discuss-super-round-fury-v-joshua-nfl/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/commentary-box-andrew-saville-and-jason-pine-discuss-super-round-fury-v-joshua-nfl/ Returning after a long and packed weekend, Andrew Saville and Jason Pine joined Mike Hosking to wrap the weekend’s sporting news.  On today’s agenda:  The success of the first Super Round at Christchurch’s One NZ Stadium and the Super Rugby Pacific results.   The looming fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.  Plus, Sebastian Sawe has become the first man to run a marathon in under two hours and they touched on the NFL draft.   LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:34:30 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-the-economy-isnt-as-stupid-as-you-think-stupid/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-the-economy-isnt-as-stupid-as-you-think-stupid/ THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Tuesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) So, Buck Up/Oh, Actually, Everything Is About to Implode/AI Apocalypse Update/Skipping Breakfast/Warriors Do It the Hard Way Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:28:00 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/paul-spoonley-emeritus-professor-and-koi-t%C5%AB-centre-senior-fellow-on-the-report-predicting-a-shift-in-new-zealands-population-demographics/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/paul-spoonley-emeritus-professor-and-koi-t%C5%AB-centre-senior-fellow-on-the-report-predicting-a-shift-in-new-zealands-population-demographics/ New Zealand’s look seems set to change. A new report from Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures predicts New Zealand's population could look very different in the coming years.   It expects there to be fewer births, emptying of rural centres, and more Asian people than New Zealand Europeans in Auckland.  Co-author and Emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley told Mike Hosking they don’t want to catastrophise, but these changes will come so we need to discuss it and make appropriate policy decisions.   He says an adult conversation needs to be had about immigration, as it’s increasingly becoming the major factor in population growth and labour supply in New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:18:45 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-28-april-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-28-april-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 28th of April, Trade Minister Todd McClay called in from India to discuss the signing of the FTA, and King Charles has touched down in the US in the wake of an attempted assassination over the weekend.   The PM was in after a short week to talk the India trade deal, our fuel supplies, ACT’s displeasure with the major events fund, and the stoush with TVNZ.   And Andrew Saville and Jason Pine discussed a successful sporting weekend at One NZ Stadium, the Warriors, and the Government’s decision not to fund the SailGP next year.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:08:18 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/todd-mcclay-trade-minister-on-the-signing-of-the-free-trade-agreement-with-india/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/todd-mcclay-trade-minister-on-the-signing-of-the-free-trade-agreement-with-india/ The Trade Minister says there won't be any unpleasant surprises in the final text of our free trade agreement with India.  The deal is due to be tabled in Parliament today after Todd McClay signed it in New Delhi overnight.  New Zealand First has concerns over what it means for immigration, while Labour's concerned about potential requirements for investing in India.  McClay told Mike Hosking there's no reason for any concerns.  He says this is a high-quality deal, they've been open with the public, and he feels like Labour have been through the deal more than his lawyers have.  McClay says it’s more than just an economic and trade agreement – it's also about our strategic relationship and our cultural and sporting connection.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:58:09 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/don-braid-mainfreight-managing-director-urges-the-government-to-cut-heavy-vehicle-regulations-sooner-as-part-of-the-fuel-response/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/don-braid-mainfreight-managing-director-urges-the-government-to-cut-heavy-vehicle-regulations-sooner-as-part-of-the-fuel-response/ The freight industry wants any transport changes to save fuel introduced now, not later.  The Government is looking at allowing some heavy vehicles to carry more weight per trip as well as potentially allowing them to travel during off-peak times.  Mainfreight Managing Director Don Braid told Mike Hosking they shouldn't delay.  He says supply is the biggest worry, so these sorts of initiatives need to be implemented so we don't get to phase two or three.  Braid says it could have been done the moment it was suggested by industry, and bridges in some areas are capable of taking on extra weight if need be.  We currently have 41.3 days of diesel on hand – a decrease of one day since the last update.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:40:25 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/christopher-luxon-prime-minister-discusses-the-signing-of-the-india-free-trade-agreement-cancelling-the-tvnz-breakfast-interview-spot/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/christopher-luxon-prime-minister-discusses-the-signing-of-the-india-free-trade-agreement-cancelling-the-tvnz-breakfast-interview-spot/ The Prime Minister says New Zealand's free trade agreement with India should be in effect by the end of the year.  The deal's been signed in New Delhi overnight.  It's due to be tabled in Parliament today, have its first reading in May, and then go through select committee and public consultation before its final reading, possibly in late September.  Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that having the deal already signed is positive.  He says there is a clause in the deal in which India will match clauses in any further deals that are more favourable than ours.  Luxon also defended cancelling his weekly appearance on TVNZ’s Breakfast, saying he’s “pretty accessible” when compared to other leaders around the world.  The Prime Minister’s team ditched the regular interview with Tova O’Brien last week, saying Kiwis now consume media on many different platforms – however he’ll still appear on a case-by-case basis.  He denied that meant he was “chicken or running for the hills”, in Hosking’s words.  Luxon says that he reset how he wanted to engage with the media, and it was no different than what former Prime Ministers such as Jim Bolger, John Key, and Jacinda Arden had done.  But he also referred to a “second issue” – referring to National Party whip Stuart Smith’s reported run-in with TVNZ reporters last week.  He said they respect the role of the media but highlighted the need for standards and rules in Parliament.   “We've had an issue with TVNZ around that, and we've made that clear to TVNZ management.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:24:18 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/robert-jobson-royal-commentator-on-king-charles-visit-to-the-us-after-the-assassination-attempt-on-donald-trump/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/robert-jobson-royal-commentator-on-king-charles-visit-to-the-us-after-the-assassination-attempt-on-donald-trump/ King Charles and Queen Camilla have landed in the US for their state visit on the back of the shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner.  The 31-year-old suspect, California teacher Cole Allen, is currently appearing in court over the shooting and been charged with attempted assassination of the president.  The royals are visiting the US for four-days with a bilateral meeting with the President planned.  Royal Commentator Robert Jobson told Mike Hosking it's hoped Donald Trump and the King can try smooth UK-US relations.  He says it helps Trump has respect for the royals, because his own mother was Scottish.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:11:47 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-moana-pasifika-was-a-bust-from-the-start/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-moana-pasifika-was-a-bust-from-the-start/ If you want a lesson in how to set up a business properly, then Moana Pasifika is not your guide.  I wandered through the whole sorry saga in Kate MacNamara's excellent work, which took me back once again into how it all started and how most likely, even then, it was always going to end up the way it has.  Sports Minister Mark Mitchell has said there is no public money for professional sport, and he is right.  And yet before he ever arrived with his head screwed on properly, we were run by people who held a different view.  Sport NZ is owed money. They will never get it back, given it's a loan and payments have already been missed.  The team and its business case were doomed from the start.  Ironically, I note the same company that did the business case, Deloittes, also got the job of trying to sell the joint last year.  The figure of $5 million was bandied about.  MFAT piled in financially, as in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So that's political, not really sporting.  Then you come to the various linked groups involved – Moana Pasifika Limited, Pasifika Medical Association, and Moana Pasifika Charitable Trust, as well as Pasifika Futures.  The medical association claimed they had plenty of dough to run the thing. Why? Because of a contract Pasifika Futures had. Who was that contract with? Whanau Ora.  So there's more public money.  The bit of the contract that Pasifika Futures were clipping could pay for the rugby. They held the contract for over ten years. The last year alone was worth $44 million.  The rugby team did the usual stuff for money like sponsorship and tickets but none of it covered the bills, far less paid back what was owed.  And obviously no one is paying $5 million for a team that, to be frank, isn't that good and doesn’t attract a crowd.  So what actually was it about? Fairies and unicorns.  The young Pacific kid sees Ardie Savea running round the field and thinks "I can do that. So I'm going to eat well, run hard and be a star”. Or something like that.  The fact they could look at any other team and see something similar doesn’t seem to have put the handbrake on a very bad business idea from day one.  So we the taxpayer will lose yet more money from yet more folly.  It's amazing how good ideas look when it isn't your money you're stumping up with.  Fri, 24 Apr 2026 22:52:45 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-how-hard-did-the-india-fta-have-to-be/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-how-hard-did-the-india-fta-have-to-be/ 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.    The India FTA: 8/10  Got there at last. Todd McClay is signing and Labour's on board. How hard did it ever have to be?    Labour and the FTA: 3/10  You knew they would blink. But it was either pathetic games or an inability to make a decision, both of which should give you pause for thought this election.    NZ First and the FTA: 2/10  "Butter chicken tsunami" is low rent. It's base level muck. We deserve better but that’s what you get, and you get it every three years, and some people never learn.    Christopher Luxon: 8/10  Thomas Coughlan called it well. It was a "baller move" and it paid off.    The Christchurch stadium: 9/10  A facility that will be used in anger this weekend and a representation of a city that knows what success looks like.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:05:40 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-my-disappointment-of-the-week/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-my-disappointment-of-the-week/ Disappointment of the week for me has been the gargantuan mess Formula 1 has got itself into in the name of climate change.  They want to be net zero by 2030. The question you can quite rightly ask as of this week, or as of the 2026 rules changes, is, at what cost?  In looking to save the planet not everything has to be ruined.  Christmas tinsel is up 40% because of the war and all the plastic bits that go through the Strait of Hormuz.  I'd rather go without Christmas tinsel than ruin F1.  Max Verstappen turns out to be 100% right: this isn't racing. And that is the most dagger in the heart-ish thing you can say to a motorsport fan.  "This isn't racing."  There's nothing wrong with moving with the times. When cars used to crash, they sometimes blew up and killed people. They decided that needed to change.  The halo had some pushback with its introduction, but ultimately it was the right call. But if you read the changes made this week to the cars and their power modes, and please don’t because its farcical, you would need a degree and you see just how out of hand and "unracing" all this is.  From qualifying, to racing, to starts, to tyre blankets, from kilojoules to megawatts, the changes are dizzying and depressing.  Where once a guy like Verstappen would ring the bejeezus out of an engine and get a car to defy physics, these days it's all batteries and who-knows-what other jiggery-pokery.  The drivers don’t like it. It's so complicated that some of the cars don’t even work. All in the name of net zero.  F1 is one of the greatest sports stories of the modern age. It's spectacular, it's massive, it's successful, it's global and it's growing It is everything you could ever want a sport, or business, to be.  Until it isn't.  It’s a golden goose and a battery is wrecking it. The more battery, the more wreckage.  The more questions, the more upset.  The more unpredictability, the more risk to the brand.  Speed, skill, risk, and an engine – that’s motorsport.  Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:59:51 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-the-state-of-politicians-financial-literacy-a-gift-for-mike/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-the-state-of-politicians-financial-literacy-a-gift-for-mike/ It’s Friday, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed the state of New Zealand’s politicians, David Seymour’s new financial literacy proposal, and the gift Mike received from what may be his youngest listener.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:49:28 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jack-mesley-super-rugby-pacific-ceo-on-the-action-packed-super-round-at-christchurchs-one-nz-stadium/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jack-mesley-super-rugby-pacific-ceo-on-the-action-packed-super-round-at-christchurchs-one-nz-stadium/ It’s a big weekend for rugby, Christchurch hosting the Super Round this weekend at the new One NZ Stadium.   Five games will be played across the long weekend, the Crusaders kicking things off tonight with a clash against the Waratahs.  75,000 fans are expected, with 13,000 coming from out of town.  Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley told Mike Hosking that squeezing five games into one venue was a pretty big challenge, but everyone’s been so excited to be a part of it.  He says all parties have worked well together to do all the planning and get everything sorted.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:39:52 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/neil-edmond-moneytime-co-founder-and-ceo-on-david-seymours-idea-to-give-students-the-opportunity-to-learn-to-invest/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/neil-edmond-moneytime-co-founder-and-ceo-on-david-seymours-idea-to-give-students-the-opportunity-to-learn-to-invest/ The CEO of a financial literacy programme for kids believes David Seymour’s youth investment idea has promise.   The ACT Leader's floating the idea of giving every Year 11 student $500 to learn to invest and be tested on how they're doing.  The financial literacy course would cover term deposits and risk funds, and any returns could potentially be given back to the students.   MoneyTime co-founder Neil Edmond told Mike Hosking from a student perspective, it’s an excellent opportunity to get some hands-on experience in investing.  He says many kids don’t have role models in that area or money to invest, so giving them a bit of a heads up and a head start is a positive thing.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:26:56 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-conflict-in-the-middle-east-ceasefire-iran-seizing-container-ships/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-conflict-in-the-middle-east-ceasefire-iran-seizing-container-ships/ Trump aide Karoline Leavitt has denied claims that the ceasefire has been shattered by Iranian forces seizing two cargo ships, because the ships did not belong to the US or Israel.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking two former national security advisors had weighed in, with one calling Leavitt’s claim “utterly incoherent” and another saying it was “very concerning” Iran could still seize ships after six weeks of intensive conflict.  Meanwhile the New York Times was reporting Iran was being run by a group made up mostly of generals, with the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, still not seen on camera or heard from directly since the initial strikes, Arnold said.  According to the Times, “written messages to and from the younger Khamenei are delivered through a chain of human couriers who take a convoluted path to his hideout. He appears to rely heavily on the advice of the generals now running the country”, Arnold said.  Meanwhile Trump was getting “antsy” over Washington politics, with talk of a cabinet shakeup as midterms approached.  New polling favoured Democrats on the economy for the first time since 2010, while Trump's approval rating was at 32% – the same as George W. Bush’s approval rating when he left office.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:01:46 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/louise-upston-tourism-and-hospitality-minister-on-the-government-pulling-funding-for-the-2027-auckland-sailgp-event/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/louise-upston-tourism-and-hospitality-minister-on-the-government-pulling-funding-for-the-2027-auckland-sailgp-event/ The Tourism Minister says SailGP simply wasn't economically viable. The sailing regatta won't be held in Auckland next year after the Government's withdrew funding for it. Auckland Council's economic development agency, Tataki Auckland Unlimited, says it's done everything it can to get the fixture across the line. But Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking the numbers ultimately just didn't add up this time around. She says they need to look at ways to get more people to attend, both locally and from overseas. LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:33:37 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-stop-trying-to-forecast-stuff/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/the-re-wrap/the-re-wrap-stop-trying-to-forecast-stuff/ THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Nobody Can/Who Wants to Be an Iranian Millionaire?/Mark the Week/F1 Getting Progressively Stupider/Picturing Ryan In the Shower Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:24:26 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/zoe-wallis-forsyth-barr-investment-strategist-on-productivity-data-continuing-to-decline-post-covid/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/zoe-wallis-forsyth-barr-investment-strategist-on-productivity-data-continuing-to-decline-post-covid/ Productivity’s taken another hit.  Stats NZ data shows a 0.9% decline in multifactor productivity in the year to March, and while labour productivity increased 0.8%, it was a result of hours dropping faster than outputs.   Primary industries are doing the heavy lifting, with a 72% increase in goods and services per hour.  Forsyth Barr Investment Strategist Zoe Wallis told Mike Hosking that productivity has been a long-standing issue – the current situation is about 50 years in the making, based on the data.   We haven’t managed to turn the slow-moving ship around, she says, which will take time and a lot of cohesive policy from successive governments.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:19:26 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-24-april-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-24-april-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 24th of April, Treasury is revising its economic outlooks amid oil shocks, and exporters are pleased the India Free Trade Agreement is finally moving forward.   It’s a big weekend for Christchurch with the brand-new One NZ Stadium hosting this year’s Super Round. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the Famous Five, Karl Urban's love of Kate's Instagram, and Mike's gift from a young viewer as they Wrap the Week.   Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:08:16 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nathan-guy-nz-special-agricultural-trade-envoy-and-meat-industry-association-chair-on-the-india-free-trade-agreement-getting-labours-support/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nathan-guy-nz-special-agricultural-trade-envoy-and-meat-industry-association-chair-on-the-india-free-trade-agreement-getting-labours-support/ Hopes of golden opportunities from the India free trade agreement, with Labour now giving the deal its backing.  The Government's set to sign the agreement in New Delhi next week.  It will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95% of exports to India, the world's largest country.  NZ Special Agricultural Trade Envoy and Meat Industry Association Chair Nathan Guy told Mike Hosking the business community needs this deal now more than ever.   He says there’s massive economic opportunity and growth opportunities, and even though the investment clause has been booted around as a political football, the exporters he talked to aren’t concerned about it.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:51:41 Z