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 Sat, 30 May 2026 13:05:34 Z en https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-horse-faced-duck-gave-a-look-behind-the-scenes-at-labour/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-horse-faced-duck-gave-a-look-behind-the-scenes-at-labour/ 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 Budget: 6/10  The days of drama are gone. It reflected the state of the place; one with prospects but difficult days ahead and discipline required.    Horse-faced duck: 1/10  You literally can't make this stuff up. A behind the scenes reality of what will be asking for your vote in a few short months.    Stuff: 2/10  Their coverage of our acknowledgement to the MP Joseph Mooney over outing him in the Luxon drama was wrong. They said we apologised. We did not apologise, Stuff literally made that up. It's sloppy, unnecessary and lazy.    The moon base: 6/10  Because it sounds cool, but the timeline of 2032 is six years away. You can't build a kilometre of tarmac in six years, far less house yourself on the moon.    The Ferrari Luce: 1/10  It's inexplicable.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW  Thu, 28 May 2026 22:38:09 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-my-thoughts-on-the-budget/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-my-thoughts-on-the-budget/ I asked for the surplus to arrive sooner than previously forecast and, as though she was listening this time yesterday, the first words out of Nicola Willis' mouth were it will be a year ahead of schedule.  You can't ask for more than that.  That’s not an election year lolly, but I'm increasingly of the belief that a growing number of New Zealanders have got the message.  A growing number of us have been shaken into the cold, hard reality that $9 billion a year in debt servicing is absurd and it can't continue.  We need to cut our cloth and that, in many respects, was what yesterday was about.  It's probably brave in election year to run things this tight. But it's also the adult thing to do.  So the message, politically, is stark. If you want free stuff the current Government aren't really for you. If you want grown-ups paying for life as they earn it then this may be the lot that gets your vote.  I do worry about health. Yes, health was a big, multibillion dollar winner and the hardware, the facilities and the equipment need a spruce up and, yes, bits and parts are squeezed.  But the health bill for five million people seems amazing to me and not in a good way. There has to be savings to be had there.    $17,000 for every house is not right. I didn’t use my $17,000 last year, so someone did.  The roads improvements in the tricky bits of the country I like. Build them properly and deal to the future – don’t patch it up.  We already know about education. A revolution is on and we will all be better for it.  You know I'm a trades fan. There were big wins for good, old fashioned, but increasingly important, jobs. Not every kid wants a BA and even if they did get one, it doesn’t mean a job is waiting. The world will always want a sparky or a mechanic.  There were the basics, the rational and the logic. There was a good message about three parties doing collegial work. There were wins for each of them, all mixed up with the overarching message that the madness, fiscally, has stopped and the reality has arrived.  But, big picture, get it right. This is a place that has its best days ahead of it.  I liked it. It's an easy 7/10.  Thu, 28 May 2026 22:32:12 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-latest-draft-plan-for-an-extension-to-the-ceasefire-between-iran-and-the-us/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-latest-draft-plan-for-an-extension-to-the-ceasefire-between-iran-and-the-us/ Donald Trump's yet to sign-off on a tentative agreement between the US and Iran.   US sources report negotiators from both sides have reached a deal to extend the ceasefire for 60 days, begin nuclear talks, and open the Strait of Hormuz.   It's understood neither of the nation's leaders have approved the agreement.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that according to both Trump and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the President’s not going to take a bad deal.   Bessent says there are several red lines, including Iran turning over its highly enriched uranium, and allowing free transit through the Strait.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 22:28:32 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-dame-lynda-topps-budget-criticism-holidays-and-oura-rings/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-dame-lynda-topps-budget-criticism-holidays-and-oura-rings/ After a busy week, Friday has finally arrived which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed Dame Lynda Topp’s criticism of the Budget at last night’s Aotearoa Music Awards, Mike and Kate’s upcoming holiday, and Oura Rings.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 22:17:17 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richie-barnett-former-kiwis-captain-previews-the-nrl-clash-between-the-warriors-and-panthers/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richie-barnett-former-kiwis-captain-previews-the-nrl-clash-between-the-warriors-and-panthers/ This weekend will be a test to see if this is truly the Warriors’ year.  Sydney is hosting the top of the table clash between the number two Warriors and the number one Penrith Panthers.  The Panthers have won ten of the last eleven clashes against the Kiwi side, but they’re also backing up after State of Origin.   Former Kiwis Captain Richie Barnett told Mike Hosking the Warriors need to get out there and show them what they’ve done this season.  He says they’ve proven over the last five or six games that they’re a premier side in the competition, so they need to start performing like it and seal the deal.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 22:07:30 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/campbell-parker-dairy-nz-ceo-on-the-new-dairy-season-wide-milk-price-range/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/campbell-parker-dairy-nz-ceo-on-the-new-dairy-season-wide-milk-price-range/ It’s an uncertain future for farmers, with global events making it harder to predict the milk price.   Fonterra's midpoint payout forecast for the current season is $9.70.   It's slightly up for next season, at $9.75, but it's signalling that could be as low as $8 or as high as $11.   Dairy NZ Chief Executive Campbell Parker told Mike Hosking the gap is mirroring the current volatility, with the top end of last year about $10.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 21:16:52 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-29-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-29-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 29th of May, we got the trades’ reaction to the Budget and an economist’s thoughts on what the books might look like in a couple years’ time.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Winston Peters both relay their wins from Budget Day.  And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss Mike's holiday, the Music Awards, and Oura Rings.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 21:11:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/alan-mcdonald-employers-and-manufacturers-association-head-of-advocacy-on-the-focus-on-trades-in-budget-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/alan-mcdonald-employers-and-manufacturers-association-head-of-advocacy-on-the-focus-on-trades-in-budget-2026/ There’s a view the Government's restoring the balance between university and vocational pathways.  The Budget doubles Trades Academy places from 10,000 to 20,000 over four years, giving more secondary students access to training while at school.  Employers and Manufacturers' Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Mike Hosking it’s a full-circle moment – recognising how vital trades are in a tech-driven economy.  He says AI can't build houses, and so many young people are coming into the workforce not ready.  McDonald says the new Industry Skills Boards will help direct training to where demand is, as part of their role is to work with businesses and polytechs to ensure current and future gaps are filled.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 20:53:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/brad-olsen-infometrics-principal-economist-on-budget-2026-return-to-surplus-coming-a-year-earlier-than-expected/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/brad-olsen-infometrics-principal-economist-on-budget-2026-return-to-surplus-coming-a-year-earlier-than-expected/ Most households may not see any immediate direct benefit from the Budget.  It shows a return to surplus in the 2028/29 financial year, a year sooner than previously forecast. The forecast uses the OBEGALx measure, which excludes ACC.     Infometrics Economist Brad Olsen says it might be a tad optimistic, given the state of the world, but we could maybe use some optimism.  The Budget includes significant investment in education and training, which Olsen says should boost productivity.  He told Mike Hosking it's an unusual Budget for an election year.  Olsen says most households won't see anything directly, as the money's going on structural things that should make the economy stronger in the long run.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 20:36:33 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-finance-minister-on-the-reaction-to-budget-2026-the-levy-on-banks/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-finance-minister-on-the-reaction-to-budget-2026-the-levy-on-banks/ Finance Minister Nicola Willis hopes her Budget will convince voters to re-elect the Government in November.  It includes significant investment in infrastructure and health.  It also shows a return to surplus in the 2028/29 financial year – a year sooner than previously forecast. The forecast uses the OBEGALx measure, which excludes ACC.   Willis told Mike Hosking her message is simple.  She says the Opposition would borrow and spend more, which would put the country's future at risk.  The Finance Minister is also defending the new 1% levy on banks, insurers, and other financial market participants, which would be used to regulate the sector.  Willis yesterday directed banks not to pass on the cost of the levy to their customers, saying they’re the most profitable companies in the country and do very well for themselves.  Asked by Hosking why she didn’t increase tax on high-earning individuals like himself using the same logic, Willis said she didn’t want him “flying off overseas”.  She says that the idea that taxing high-earners more and they’ll be more inclined to invest in New Zealand doesn’t make sense, but when it comes to banks, it’s a tiny, tiny levy relative to their bottom line.   The move brings New Zealand into line with other countries like Australia and the UK, Willis says.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 20:27:42 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/winston-peters-minister-for-rail-and-foreign-affairs-on-what-he-got-across-the-line-in-the-budget-the-situation-in-the-middle-east/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/winston-peters-minister-for-rail-and-foreign-affairs-on-what-he-got-across-the-line-in-the-budget-the-situation-in-the-middle-east/ Over $1 billion allocated for KiwiRail's planned network investments in the Budget means “all the things we want to upgrade are going to happen”, Rail Minister Winston Peters says.  He told Mike Hosking they have not asked for more than they should get.  Peters says it’s based on the fact that it’s a business or industry that’s been turned around rapidly where it’s going to make a greater profit.  The Rail Minister says getting that funding was a “great thrill” but it was common sense to fund rail, which was 2.5 times more fuel efficient than road transport.  And on the subject of the Middle East, Peters says the Iranian regime 'somewhat' knows what it's doing.   US sources report US and Iranian negotiators have agreed to a deal which would extend their ceasefire for 60 days, begin nuclear talks, and open the Strait of Hormuz.  It's understood the new agreement hasn't yet been approved by the leadership of either country.  The Foreign Minister spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister on Wednesday.  Peters told Hosking Abbas Araghchi laid out details in the memorandum of understanding.   He says all the details were included except denuclearisation.   LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 28 May 2026 20:08:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-we-are-finally-utilising-the-whole-country/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-we-are-finally-utilising-the-whole-country/ I'm immeasurably uplifted by some Trade Me data.  Could it be we are finally getting the message on rural or provincial New Zealand?  Job data increasingly shows we're looking to the regions for work.  More people (68%) are prepared to move, supposedly. Always be careful of surveys because what people say versus what they do doesn’t always equate.  But at least some of the 68% must actually pull the trigger.  There has been a 12% month-on-month search increase in job ads.  The likes of New Plymouth is up 40%, Invercargill is up 37%, and Palmerston North is 23%.  I have said for years, if you can do what you do anywhere, why would you do it in a place you can't afford to live in?  A lack of money makes life miserable. It limits choices, makes us stressed, and closes financial doors.  Too many people are stuck in places like Auckland. Auckland is disproportionately large and the salaries that this country pays, on average, do not support a decent life in a place like Auckland, or Queenstown, or possibly even a large slice of the Bay of Plenty.  But there are a lot of jobs where the wage is the same no matter what the location.  In fact, one of the most glaring pieces of intel is your average wage and it's broadly the same in most places in the country. It's a little higher in Wellington because of the public service, but overall, between $70,000-80,000 is where we sit on average.  You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that if, as a couple, you earn two lots of $70,000-ish a year, $140,000-ish together, it goes a hell of a lot of further in Nelson than it does in Auckland or Queenstown.  The house on the West Coast is nothing like the north of the country. This land is festooned with amazing provincial cities that have a lot of the big city access and choices.  Even Christchurch, which is booming, is still comparatively affordable and by the time you get to small town New Zealand you are rolling in it in your $500,000 house, no commute, later get-up, less stress, and all the while doing the same job.  So I hope the stats are real and the move is on. There is a lot of New Zealand that has never been fully utilised or appreciated.  If your lot is too hard, move. You won't know yourself.  Wed, 27 May 2026 21:49:14 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/lee-martin-kiwi-singer-songwriter-talks-musical-development-upcoming-album-marlene/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/lee-martin-kiwi-singer-songwriter-talks-musical-development-upcoming-album-marlene/ Christchurch-based singer-songwriter Lee Martin is yet another example of the incredible talent produced in New Zealand.  She’s a highly acclaimed musician, both here and around the world, with multiple awards, millions of streams, and sold-out performances under her belt.  And soon Martin will be releasing her fourth album, Marlene, coming out mid-July.   “I think this is probably my best work yet,” she told Mike Hosking.  “I was listening to some of my old songs last night, and I’m like, there’s a massive change and a massive shift – so yeah, I am very proud of it.”  The shift is not only sonic, but stems from a change in Martin’s own mindset when it comes to the creation of her art.   “I think I’m being a little bit more true to my own sound,” she explained.  “I’m less shaped by producers or external factors – I'm kind of just doing what I really want to do.”   In the past, Martin admits to chasing approval when it comes to her sound.  “I was so, you know, desperate for, I don’t know, some kind of success.”  But as she’s grown both as a person and an artist, she’s stopped caring quite so much about if others think she’s going down the right path.  “I just want to put out my music, and I just want it to be what it is,” she told Hosking.  “I don’t want to just shape and form towards, you know, to what other people are expecting.”   LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 21:38:14 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-28-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-28-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 28th of May, it's Budget Day, so we did a quickfire round with four of the biggest and most expectant sectors.  Reserve Bank Governor Dr Anna Breman talks about being the defining vote in holding our Official Cash Rate.  Kiwi singer Lee Martin tells us about her music journey and gives a performance of the latest single from her upcoming album.    Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 21:11:47 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/rob-nichol-rugby-players-association-ceo-on-the-potential-lifeline-for-moana-pasifika/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/rob-nichol-rugby-players-association-ceo-on-the-potential-lifeline-for-moana-pasifika/ Is there a lifeline for Moana Pasifika?  Foreign Minister Winston Peters has hinted at “good news” for the embattled club, and is reportedly instructing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to look into proposals.  Rugby Players Association CEO Rob Nichol told Mike Hosking that from a player’s perspective, the team hasn’t been set up for success, but they remain optimistic it can happen.  He says there’s two to three key areas that need to be nailed for Moana Pasifika to be successful – it needs to be true to purpose, there needs to be a sense that it is owned by Pacific people, for Pacific people, and it has unique opportunities for commercialisation that need to be utilised well.   LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 20:51:26 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/michael-johnston-nz-initiative-education-research-fellow-on-the-government-backing-down-on-proposed-homeschooling-changes/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/michael-johnston-nz-initiative-education-research-fellow-on-the-government-backing-down-on-proposed-homeschooling-changes/ The Government's being criticised for rushing homeschooling legislation.  It's backed down on proposed changes that would've increased the oversight of those who teach children at home after pushback from families.  NZ Initiative Education Research Fellow Michael Johnson told Mike Hosking the state has the right to reassess how education is delivered.  But he says the homeschooling community has the right to be upset.  Johnson says it exists because it's a bit different from mainstream education, and you can't be too heavy handed with it.   LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 20:27:24 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/anna-breman-reserve-bank-governor-unpacks-the-decision-to-hold-the-official-cash-rate-at-225/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/anna-breman-reserve-bank-governor-unpacks-the-decision-to-hold-the-official-cash-rate-at-225/ The Reserve Bank Governor is feeling good about her captain's call to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25%.  Anna Breman made the final decision after the six-member Monetary Policy Committee she chairs was evenly split on whether to hike the rate.  Breman says she understands the argument for hiking but told Mike Hosking she doesn't think now's the right time.  She says financial markets have already tightened quite a lot, and the economy is slowing down, which will reduce pressure on inflation over the medium term.  LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 20:10:14 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/luke-bradford-nick-leggett-steve-mccracken-and-katherine-rich-industry-leaders-key-hopes-for-budget-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/luke-bradford-nick-leggett-steve-mccracken-and-katherine-rich-industry-leaders-key-hopes-for-budget-2026/ High hopes for today's Budget from health, infrastructure, education, and business leaders.  College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking he's looking for some reallocation of health spending.  He says we currently invest 6% of vote health in primary healthcare, compared to the OECD average of 14%.   On the infrastructure side of things, Infrastructure NZ's Nick Leggett told Hosking he wants investment in new projects and maintenance of existing ones.   He says we have to build some resilience into them so they don’t fail earlier, because that just ends up costing more money.  Secondary Principals' Council Chair Steve McCracken told Mike Hosking he has three things on his wishlist.  He’d like to see an increase in operational funding for schools, a significant injection into senior secondary curriculum areas to support the implementation of the new qualification, and increasing vocational training places and support for those on that path.  And finally, Business New Zealand Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking she's focused on economic indicators.  She says they’re going to be looking to see when the country returns to surplus and how the new expenditure contributes to economic growth.  LISTEN ABOVE  Wed, 27 May 2026 19:44:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-moana-pasifika-showed-the-market-was-right/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-moana-pasifika-showed-the-market-was-right/ Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right.  Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here.  The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet.  If the idea was such a sensational one, someone actually using their own money would have thought of it and further put it into practice.  But the idea wasn't a sensational one. It was an artificial one propped up with other people's money.  The most immediate alarm bells should be ringing in the NRL with their PNG venture.  Having been handed millions by the Australian Government, players will live in a compound because it's too unsafe not to, and their pay will be artificially jacked up by tax treatment. Otherwise, if it wasn't, no one would want to play in PNG.  Gosh I wonder why.  The fact this harebrained idea has got as far as it has actually defies what is going on elsewhere in the sport, which is good. And what else it defies is belief.  But back to Moana Pasifika, it was taxpayers’ money through a series of very, very loosely connected organisations to sport i.e. a medical group who, if you join some dots, you can argue if you run around you might be a bit fitter and then not end up dying young. That sort of logic. Anyway, a medical group who ended up in charge of a professional sports team who didn't really attract a crowd and didn't really turn out to be that good.  Which is one of the great ironies – young Pacific kids were supposed to see their heroes and be inspired to be fit and play sport. You know what inspires kids? Winners. You’ve got to win.  And those kids could see their heroes anyway in the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and the Blues.  No one ever watched Lomu or Jones and wondered aloud to themselves, "wouldn't it be cool if they had their own, local team?"  So it ends in liquidation, a bad idea, with easy money, not properly executed and ending in the poor house.  In a world where successful sport is all around us, why would you try and gerrymander it in such an amateurish fashion?  Tue, 26 May 2026 22:18:18 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steven-joyce-former-finance-minister-previews-budget-2026-backs-public-sector-cuts/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steven-joyce-former-finance-minister-previews-budget-2026-backs-public-sector-cuts/ A Former Finance Minister expects this year's Budget to invest in health, education, and defence – with cuts elsewhere.  Budget 2026 is being unveiled tomorrow, opening up the Government's books and detailing when a return to surplus is possible.  Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking re-prioritisation is the story of the week, and he's backing further cost-savings in the public sector.  The Government aims to cut around 8,700 jobs in the public service by mid-2029, with savings set to be re-invested.  Joyce told Hosking we've had an increase in public servants since 2017, but outcomes aren't significantly better.  He says many believe it has just increased the churn, and number of meetings.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 21:54:05 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/marcos-pelenur-energy-efficiency-and-conservation-authority-ceo-on-the-public-ad-campaign-on-how-to-save-fuel/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/marcos-pelenur-energy-efficiency-and-conservation-authority-ceo-on-the-public-ad-campaign-on-how-to-save-fuel/ A Government agency's confident its multi-million-dollar fuel saving campaign is working.  The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has spent more than $3.5 million on ads encouraging people to drive smoothly and check tyre pressure.  It estimates an average fuel reduction of more than two million litres of petrol a week, saving consumers more than $7 million.  Chief Executive Dr Marcos Pelenur told Mike Hosking that while people may have already known some of the tips they shared, the campaign hopefully worked as a good reminder.  He says that the fuel price obviously acts as the price signal, but what this does is tell people how to react to that signal.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 21:32:53 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-27-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-27-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 27th of May, our attention is on the economy with Kelly Eckhold previews today’s OCR announcement while Steven Joyce looks ahead to the Budget.  How much do you think was spent on telling people to take off roof racks and make sure your tyres are pumped up to save on fuel?  And on Politics Wednesday, Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk the Labour leaks, accommodation entitlements for MPs, and the Ombudsman looking at the PM's office.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 21:11:51 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-nationals-mark-mitchell-and-labours-ginny-andersen-talk-mp-housing-entitlements-labour-leaks/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-nationals-mark-mitchell-and-labours-ginny-andersen-talk-mp-housing-entitlements-labour-leaks/ There’s debate over housing entitlements after it was revealed National's Louise Upston claims allowances for a home she already owns.   MPs needing semi-permanent accommodation in Wellington can access up to $52 thousand a year.   National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking it is an entitlement, because MPs have to stay in the capital.   Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking there's certainly room for a discussion.   She says much of this is hard for many Kiwis to stomach when there's a cost of living crisis going on.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 21:05:24 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/brent-eccles-eccles-entertainment-founder-on-the-governments-move-to-adjust-the-copyright-act-to-extend-protection-for-kiwi-music/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/brent-eccles-eccles-entertainment-founder-on-the-governments-move-to-adjust-the-copyright-act-to-extend-protection-for-kiwi-music/ An entertainment figure is singing the praises of the Government for moving to protect homegrown hits.   Changes to the Copyright Act will extend protections for Kiwi recordings from 50 to 70 years after publication.   It's part of free trade agreements with the UK and EU and will in place by mid-2028.  Eccles Entertainment Founder Brent Eccles told Mike Hosking it's an important move.   He says writing and holding on to songs is how artists make money.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 20:53:30 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/michael-webster-privacy-commissioner-on-the-inquiry-finding-health-nz-and-manage-my-health-breached-privacy-code/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/michael-webster-privacy-commissioner-on-the-inquiry-finding-health-nz-and-manage-my-health-breached-privacy-code/ Both Manage My Health and Health NZ are vowing they've made big changes following last year's cyber-attack on 100 thousand patients.   The Privacy Commissioner has found both failed to protect patient data.  Phase Two of his review will ask whether people actually knew their data was being held in the health portal.  Michael Webster told Mike Hosking we can't afford to be lax when it comes to private data.   He says health information is highly sensitive, and there needs to be a greater commitment to protecting it on such platforms.   LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 20:37:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-latest-in-the-middle-east-us-attacks-on-iran/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-latest-in-the-middle-east-us-attacks-on-iran/ Iran's claiming the ceasefire's been violated by US strikes.   The US military says it's hit Iranian missile launch sites and boats in the Strait of Hormuz to protect its own troops.   Peace talks appear on thin ice, with Iran's nuclear programme remaining a sticking point.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Iran's claiming they're holding all the cards.   He says Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a statement threatening US bases in the region, saying the hand of time doesn't turn back.   President Donald Trump's meanwhile due to hold a full-Cabinet meeting at Camp David.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 20:31:54 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/carl-carrington-nz-king-salmon-ceo-on-the-company-reporting-a-138-million-net-profit-for-the-first-half-of-the-year/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/carl-carrington-nz-king-salmon-ceo-on-the-company-reporting-a-138-million-net-profit-for-the-first-half-of-the-year/ The boss of New Zealand King Salmon says it's no fluke they're finally swimming downstream.  The company’s posting a net profit of $13.8 million for the six months to March.  The previous period saw a net loss of more than $20 million.  CEO Carl Carrington told Mike Hosking it was a tough summer on the seas, with temperatures well above average, but a lot of work went into investing in solutions.   He says a new well-boat arriving soon will mark the biggest transformation in the salmon industry in three decades.  Carrington says the company’s confident in what’s ahead next year.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 20:25:21 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/kelly-eckhold-westpac-chief-economist-ahead-of-the-official-cash-rate-announcement/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/kelly-eckhold-westpac-chief-economist-ahead-of-the-official-cash-rate-announcement/ An economist believes the Reserve Bank should raise the Official Cash Rate today to control inflation.  The bank will release its first Monetary Policy Statement since war broke out in the Middle East, with most expecting it to hold at 2.25% and not rise until September.  But Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Mike Hosking inflation was already at 3.1% before the war, and we'll likely spend time above 4% this year.  He says six years of this decade will have seen inflation over 3%.  LISTEN ABOVE  Tue, 26 May 2026 20:15:32 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-not-everything-is-a-conspiracy/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-not-everything-is-a-conspiracy/ Some are working pretty hard currently to buy into the Mike Smith storyline that the big end of town has the Government's ear over climate change.  Mike Smith is the activist, the agitator, the chainsaw man, the "smack the America's Cup" bloke.  So, you know, a life of angst and upset.  His latest outing was in court, looking to sue individual companies over their pollution around climate change. He was looking for an activist court to agree with the idea that a company can be held to specific and individual account for something that happens all over the world by, if you think about it, all of us.  The Government stepped in a week or so back and put an end to it.  Their argument is Parliament is your ultimate court and these sorts of laws are for it, not individual judges who may sway with the wind. They didn’t put it that way, I did.  But there is no doubt in my mind, in a number of areas, various courts these days are open to a bit of judicial dabbling. In my humble opinion it is brought about by an increasing arrogance that they make the rules.  It's true to say a court can have a say or hold sway. But it's equally true to say the ultimate court is the Parliament of the land and we do not want that undermined.  Now, Mike claims people like Fonterra have been writing to the Prime Minister's office and advocating for the Government to step in on court action like his.  And given they did he now suggests this is collusion, this is scally-waggery, this is big money, big influence malarkey that borders on scandal.  Or could it be a corporate saying what you would expect a corporate to say and a government, not surprisingly, doing what they would do anyway.  In other words, Fonterra didn’t need to say anything because Paul Goldsmith would have done what he did without any correspondence.  Why?  Because they think the same way I do. I didn’t write to anyone and didn't have a meeting with anyone and yet I would have thought, nay expected, the Government to nip the Smith fishing expedition in the bud.  Why? Because it's obvious and it's common sense.  See not everything is a conspiracy. Sometimes, remarkably, especially when it's obvious, people tend to have the same view. Letters or no letters, meetings or no meetings.  Nothing to see here.  Mon, 25 May 2026 23:08:58 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/ben-kennings-surfing-nz-ceo-on-the-world-surf-league-event-at-raglans-manu-bay/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/ben-kennings-surfing-nz-ceo-on-the-world-surf-league-event-at-raglans-manu-bay/ The World Surf League event at Raglan’s Manu Bay has wrapped after 11 days of competition.  It’s being labelled as a massive success, with organisers hitting capacity crowds of 6500 onlookers.   The event came to New Zealand’s shores in late January, supported by the Government’s $40 million Events Attraction Package.  Surfing NZ CEO Ben Kennings told Mike Hosking the purpose of the package is to get eyeballs from around the world looking at New Zealand, and the funding also helped inspire New Zealand surfers.   He says that the people who came down to Manu Bay throughout the event was pretty amazing, and probably exceeded expectations.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 23:04:08 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steve-jurkovich-kiwibank-ceo-gives-economic-lay-of-the-land-ahead-of-budget-ocr-announcement/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steve-jurkovich-kiwibank-ceo-gives-economic-lay-of-the-land-ahead-of-budget-ocr-announcement/ Kiwibank’s CEO is hoping the Reserve Bank will hold off on raising the Official Cash Rate tomorrow.  Economists are expecting it to be held at 2.25%, with markets pricing in moves later in the year.  It comes as the economy remains flat, with inflation, housing, global tensions, and weak spending all testing resilience.  Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich told Mike Hosking the economy is way too weak to cope with an increase to the OCR, as the inflation is coming from things outside of the usual set of worries.   LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 22:26:27 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jennah-wootten-new-netball-new-zealand-ceo-on-her-plans-for-the-sport-broadcasting-deals/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jennah-wootten-new-netball-new-zealand-ceo-on-her-plans-for-the-sport-broadcasting-deals/ Netball New Zealand officially has a new CEO.  Tātaki Auckland Unlimited deputy chairwoman Jennah Wootten has been appointed to the role, taking over from interim CEO Jane Patteron in August.  Her appointment follows a troubled year for Netball NZ, including the resignation of former CEO Jennie Wyllie, the situation surrounding Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua, and their struggles to find a new broadcast deal for the ANZ Premiership.  Wootten has plenty of experience in both the business and leadership side of things, and she told Mike Hosking they’ll be helpful in ensuring the sport and the organisation can reach its full potential.  She says there will be a focus on ensuring the grassroots game is thriving, and that the elite competition is doing incredible things, but a big focus for her coming into the role will be the commercial pressures.   And one of those pressures is broadcasting, with the current ANZ Premiership deal set to end at the end of this year.  Wootten told Hosking the Board and team at Netball NZ are working really hard to find a solution, but things aren’t yet at a place where they can be shared publicly.   “We want to make sure that we have got as many eyeballs on the sport as possible, because that helps all of us into the future.”   LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 22:07:54 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/john-stevenson-fonterra-co-operative-council-chair-on-farmgate-milk-prices-forecast-to-hit-between-950-and-10/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/john-stevenson-fonterra-co-operative-council-chair-on-farmgate-milk-prices-forecast-to-hit-between-950-and-10/ This past dairy season is all-but-confirmed as record breaking but remaining at those lofty heights will be farmers' next challenge.   Rabobank expects milk supply to stay elevated into 2026-27, with farmgate prices forecast between $9.50 and $10 per kilogram.  But rising inflation could squeeze margins.  Fonterra Co-Operative Council Chair John Stevenson told Mike Hosking in terms of returns, there’s no doubt it’s a good time.  He says they’ve seen strong milk prices and Fonterra farmers have seen strong returns on their shares, but the thing to look out for are input costs, which are continuing to creep up.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 21:31:17 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-26-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-26-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 26th of May, it's Good News Tuesday as we hear about the new energy transition scheme, the cruise ship season, and the business events industry.  Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich gives us his economic state of play leading into the Budget and the OCR.  Netball NZ's new CEO Jennah Wootten explains how she plans to turn the sport around and looks at a broadcast deal.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 21:11:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/lisa-hopkins-business-events-industry-aotearoa-ceo-on-the-50-increase-in-international-delegate-arrivals-in-the-first-quarter/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/lisa-hopkins-business-events-industry-aotearoa-ceo-on-the-50-increase-in-international-delegate-arrivals-in-the-first-quarter/ The first quarter of the year has seen a boom in people coming into the country for business events.   According to Stats NZ, international delegate arrivals are up 50%, with more than 16 thousand arrivals in the first quarter.   That translates to more than $54 million into the economy and often represents the first taste of New Zealand for visitors.   Business Events Industry Aotearoa CEO Lisa Hopkins told Mike Hosking numbers have now reached 96% of pre-Covid levels.   She says January was exceptional, as there were a number of big conferences during what would usually be a quieter month.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 20:50:48 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/roger-gray-port-of-auckland-ceo-on-the-3-reduction-in-the-number-of-cruise-ships-coming-into-port-for-the-202627-season/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/roger-gray-port-of-auckland-ceo-on-the-3-reduction-in-the-number-of-cruise-ships-coming-into-port-for-the-202627-season/ The boss of Auckland's port is still upbeat, despite another drop in cruise visits.   Data released to Newstalk ZB shows a 3% national reduction this season.   Auckland's dropping by 12%, but Port of Auckland CEO Roger Gray told Mike Hosking he predicts this is rock bottom, and things will pick back up next season.   He says they've already got 66 bookings secured.  Cruise visits to the South Island are meanwhile increasing by nearly two dozen.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 20:26:56 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jo-mckenna-italy-correspondent-on-pope-leo-xiv-calling-to-regulate-ai-in-his-first-major-teaching/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jo-mckenna-italy-correspondent-on-pope-leo-xiv-calling-to-regulate-ai-in-his-first-major-teaching/ The Pope is making it clear that artificial intelligence is a mounting threat to humanity.   In his first major teaching letter, Pope Leo has spoken out against the development of AI.  He says it must be disarmed before it slashes more jobs, accelerates wars, and dominates humanity.   Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking it's interesting Leo's targeting AI in his first major document.  She says he sees some positives, but wants to rein it in, and tech giants won't be happy about it.   LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 20:12:06 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/shane-jones-associate-energy-minister-on-the-governments-12-billion-gas-transition-loan-scheme-for-businesses/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/shane-jones-associate-energy-minister-on-the-governments-12-billion-gas-transition-loan-scheme-for-businesses/ Shane Jones says many businesses won't survive without help moving away from natural gas.  The Government's setting money aside in Thursday's Budget to back loans for firms transitioning to other forms of energy.  The Associate Energy Minister told Mike Hosking many industries reliant on natural gas have been seeing their energy costs surge.  He says unless the Crown steps in, many face dire options and will fail.  Recipients can transition to any other type – not necessarily renewable energy.    Jones told Hosking it's up to each business what they use.  He says some may go towards LPG, some to electricity if local lines company can cope, and some to coal.  LISTEN ABOVE  Mon, 25 May 2026 20:03:59 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nick-becker-auckland-fc-ceo-on-winning-the-a-league/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nick-becker-auckland-fc-ceo-on-winning-the-a-league/ On Saturday night Auckland FC beat Sydney FC to become the A-League champions in their second ever season. AFC CEO Nick Becker joined Mike Hosking to chat about the win. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 24 May 2026 22:40:38 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steve-price-australia-correspondent-on-the-latest-news-poll-and-potential-new-teal-party/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/steve-price-australia-correspondent-on-the-latest-news-poll-and-potential-new-teal-party/ Australia's teal independents could band together to form a new party, according David Pocock, with the aim to push back against the growing influence of One Nation. The talks are reportedly led by Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender. Australian correspondent Steve Price says the new party could be the end of the Liberal Party in Australia.  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 24 May 2026 21:51:56 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-25-may-2026/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-25-may-2026/ On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday the 22nd of May, is today finally the day we get a deal on Iran, plus raucous sideline sport parents have caused cancellations across the board in Waikato. The PM is in ahead of the Budget while also talking about Labour's leaked attack strategy. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the Auckland FC Championship win, Indycar and F1, the Warriors, surfing and some of the better Super Rugby of the season on the weekend.   Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 24 May 2026 21:11:47 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/christopher-luxon-prime-minister-chats-ahead-of-budget/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/christopher-luxon-prime-minister-chats-ahead-of-budget/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking in studio this morning for their weekly chat. With the budget coming up this week they spoke about the pre-budget announcements so far, and what's yet to come.  Luxon said that more spending announcements will be revealed on Thursday, but the budget is strict.  "That's what we have to have, good fiscal financial discipline year in year out in order to get the ship, you know, the books back in order again." LISTEN ABOVE  Sun, 24 May 2026 20:51:19 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-were-reliant-on-cars-and-we-need-to-stop-pretending-we-arent/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-were-reliant-on-cars-and-we-need-to-stop-pretending-we-arent/ A couple of interesting property developments for you. 1. Half finished town houses in Christchurch. 2. Lack of demand for off the plan deals from developers. That last one came from a select committee hearing last week. The head of Kiwibank was suggesting there is a stark lack of appetite for off the plan stuff because of the risk you take on what the value will be when its done i.e are you underwater? And also the risk you take that the thing will never be finished. Which dovetails into the first observation which comes out of Christchurch, a city in which you would quite rightly ask; how is it possible things aren't booming in that part of the world? As always, the answer is in the detail. The Christchurch problem is around small townhouse-type builds close to the city, often with no garage. In other words, building for a world view that isn't that of the average New Zealander. Once again we are supposed to be like Amsterdam or New York. Except we aren't and will never be. Cars are important. You have seen it in Auckland as well with apartments with no parks. 'It's so cool, we're all on e-bikes". Except we aren't, so the cars are stacked on the streets outside, blocking trucks and generally proving theory isn't reality. Plans? Who would take the risk? Tell me what the market is going to be in two years - no one can! That's a real problem and does remind us a consent is not a house. But the key is our need and desire for housing hasn’t really changed. Cheap builds will never thrive and builds with no garages will never have a demand. Rightly or wrongly the dream that has never really faded is a house. A detached house, maybe with a bit of lawn and most certainly a place for a car. The stats show it. First home buyers are in the market right now and standalone homes are what they want. They will borrow and bleed to do it. What the trendies want and what the real world is prepared to pay for it are, to some degree, at odds. And that is why the areas of the market that have trouble, have trouble, because theory and ideology doesn’t have a deposit. The buyer does.     LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 24 May 2026 20:25:59 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/matthew-cooper-sport-waikato-ceo-slams-parents-after-sideline-abuse-leads-to-games-cancelled/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/matthew-cooper-sport-waikato-ceo-slams-parents-after-sideline-abuse-leads-to-games-cancelled/ All Waikato junior league rugby games have been cancelled after fights and abuse from adults on the sidelines.  The Waikato Junior League Rugby Board said it would continue working with clubs to address the issues and ensure appropriate standards are upheld. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper joined Mike Hosking to chat about the issues, calling the behaviour 'disgraceful'.  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 24 May 2026 19:54:28 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-the-public-service-cut-is-to-be-admired/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-the-public-service-cut-is-to-be-admired/ Is the Nicola Willis public service announcement to be admired or condemned?  I think the former, on balance.  They should have done it properly two years ago and they didn’t, hence they probably should not be back here now, unless this was their Machiavellian plan all along.  Two public service haircuts a term. But assuming that wasn’t it, we go back to a lost opportunity that could be in the rear vision mirror by now.  What they talked was a big game. What they delivered was a surgical whimper.  Yes, it is always sad to lose jobs and restructure and cut. But few outside the Wellington bubble would argue with the fact that the growth engine of public service work was absurd and 65,000 is a city, not a workforce.  To make it worse, they got the same headlines and noise and pushback over a couple of thousand cuts as they would have ten times that.  So we are back for another crack, driven by necessity.  That’s the bit to be admired.  Laying lots of people off in election year is not really a vote-getter  Mind you it's safe, I think, to say most of the public service aren't conservatives so the vote loss, you'd guess, will be minimal.  It’s a horrible thing working in an environment where your future is part of the political wind. I faced it at TVNZ and Radio NZ. Whoever woke up on what side of the bed had some effect on what you were paid and whether you were hanging around for a while.  It's no way to have a job.  And in that sense, you can blame the Labour Government for stacking the place with well-paid work. And yet as you applied, if you thought about it, surely it couldn’t last, and it hasn’t.  As the unions bleat, this is not about the public service and its value. They do a lot of good things and a lot of vital things.  There are a lot of very capable, if not talented, people in the mix. But it’s the extra, the excess and the fat that needs the trimming.  This is fiscally desperate to a degree – an operating allowance of $2.1 billion and savings from anywhere and everywhere.  You can't accuse the Government of priming the pumps. The pumps don’t work because "the vandals took the handles", if you know your Bob Dylan.  The point is slashing spending and killing jobs is not your traditional electioneering. That's to be admired.    Fri, 22 May 2026 21:34:27 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-this-has-been-chris-hipkins-worst-week-of-the-year/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mark-the-week-this-has-been-chris-hipkins-worst-week-of-the-year/ 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.    Tourism: 7/10  This has been a good vibe week. TRENZ had them coming from everywhere, the sentiment is good, and the numbers are excellent.    Kiwifruit: 9/10  This story is starting to outshine dairy. Not in numbers, but in terms of growth. At almost $6 billion and booming, this is mana from vines. Add it to dairy and we are laughing.    Chris Hipkins: 2/10  This has been, far and away, his worst week of the year. Mystery policy detail and the arrogance to say we aren't interested in detail anyway. He is National's election year dream come true.    Trump: 4/10  We still don’t have a deal, but we do have a slush fund. He looks increasingly tawdry. But he's just as influential – just ask Thomas Massie.    Newstalk ZB: 8/10  Guess who’s popular? Ratings day yesterday was party day – the audience is up, and on some shows, up a lot. We thank you and appreciate you, as always, from the bottom of our hearts.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW  Thu, 21 May 2026 23:24:58 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-aussie-labor-have-shown-nz-labour-what-not-to-do/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-aussie-labor-have-shown-nz-labour-what-not-to-do/ Another lesson for our Labour Party if they want to ponder it.  Australia’s Labor have blown their Budget.  It's hard to overstate the anger and pushback on their tax changes made now well over a week ago.  Budgets and their news cycle tend to come and go.  This was different. It was billed as generational. It was seen as transformational and it was seen as Albanese having to spend a decent chunk of political capital, given his tax treatment was based on a lie.  He said in the election campaign of last year that he would not touch tax. 12 months on, he went back on his word.  The twist being the blowback came, and it hasn’t stopped coming, and somewhere in the past few days the concern, followed fairly quickly by panic, started to set in at Government level.  The anger has not been driven by rich, white, old coalition blokes whose myriad of investments would end up being taxed more.  It's been driven by young Australians who buy shares to save for retirement. Young Australians who start businesses to set up a decent life for themselves and their families. People the Labor Government never saw coming.  What it shows, and it's an encouraging sign and one I suspect is as relevant here as it is there, is that a decent chunk of our population are not the moaners you hear on the news. They're not the NGO's bleating about their lot.  They're not the success haters that dominate the news cycle. Rather, they're middle-of-the-road Kiwis and Australians who are quite keen on working hard and getting ahead in life.  All they have ever asked for is, to use the vernacular, is "a fair suck of the sav".  You don’t tax success and that’s what Albanese has had a crack at.  Why take a risk in starting a business if all there is at the end of it is Jim Chalmers and his tax department looking to extract ever larger amounts of your hard earned?  That’s what Labour wants to do here. It's always about more tax. It's never about more success, or larger growth, or bigger pie.  Got an issue? Short of dough? Tax someone.  Well, middle Australia isn't interested and they have been out in force showing it.  Maybe Albanese knew that. Maybe that’s why he lied to get into power so he could do what he's done.  If that's true then Hipkins is in real trouble, because he hasn’t lied. He's told you it's coming.  And if we are like Australia, it's not going to go down well.  Thu, 21 May 2026 23:05:09 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-zb-ratings-kate-being-banned-from-amazon-parenting-advice/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/wrapping-the-week-with-kate-hawkesby-and-tim-wilson-zb-ratings-kate-being-banned-from-amazon-parenting-advice/ Another week has come to an end, so Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed ZB’s latest ratings, some parenting advice, and Kate being banned from making an Amazon account.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 21 May 2026 22:38:46 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-backlash-to-donald-trumps-18b-anti-weaponisation-slush-fund/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-the-backlash-to-donald-trumps-18b-anti-weaponisation-slush-fund/ The backlash to Donald Trump’s ‘anti-weaponisation’ slush fund continues.  Earlier this week the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by previous administrations.  Some of those eager to tap into the fund are convicted January 6th rioters, who stormed the capital after a rally with Donald Trump, as well as prominent election deniers.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking a number of Republicans are opposing the fund, such as Senator Thom Tillis, who says it’s “stupid on stilts”.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 21 May 2026 22:32:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jono-ben-and-megan-crash-the-mike-hosking-breakfast/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jono-ben-and-megan-crash-the-mike-hosking-breakfast/ The Mike Hosking v Hits Breakfast Saga came to a head this morning when Jono, Ben, and Megan crashed the show, invading the ZB studio.   But it seems things aren’t over yet, as they managed to extract an agreement from Mike to come down and teach them a thing or two about radio.  LISTEN ABOVE  Thu, 21 May 2026 22:09:09 Z