The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Shayne Burke survived explosions and gunfire in the Iraq war, and has now survived an attack from a grizzly bear. 

The 35-year-old man from Wyoming, USA, was on his honeymoon when he stumbled across a mother grizzly and her cubs in the Grand Tetons National Park. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that grizzlies are very protective of their cubs, and within an instant Shayne was fighting for his life. 

He said that while he was carrying bear spray, he didn’t have time to use it and it was only upon the bear biting down on the can by accident that they fled. 

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It seems to have been a miserable week. 

We all seem miserable this week. 

The boss, who I complained to this week about a bunch of stuff, gaslit me by telling me it’s the time of year everyone gets a bit edgy. 

Smith & Caughey's told us they were done. That was profound that a multi-generational company that has survived wars can't survive downtown Auckland in 2024. 

Flybuys announced yesterday they are leaving the country. They join the tens of thousands of Kiwis that have already left the country. We have broken immigration records for leaving the country. 

A survey suggested 90% of us would look to leave our job if the work from home rules got changed. 

Let's be honest, working from home is about slackness. It's about taking the piss and skiving off. Or would the boss tell me that’s the time of year talking? 

There was a survey out of the U.S saying workers are less satisfied with their jobs this year in virtually every single area of it. It's gone up for ten years in a row but this year it's down. 

The Budget didn’t help. Although the Government are working hard, a lot of this country is broken. It is profoundly broken. 

- Teachers who never passed exams are teaching kids, who fail their own 

- Students are on rent strike 

- There are protests on motorways and Parliament proceedings are being hijacked 

-The bloke from the NZ Herald who took 1 hour 50 mins to drive 500m because everyone panicked, because as a country we obsess about weather and the MetService has taken to telling us how to live and when to leave the house and when to take shelter. Small tip - you take shelter in a tornado, not when it rains and a southerly comes in and everyone panics. 

The census told us of the thousands who have left the centre of Auckland. The census also told us how the census, yet again, wasn’t done properly because the computer was stuffed. 

A lot of medical people went on strike, yet again. Rugby had a massive scrap that has left a lot of people fuming and the sport no better off. 

Auckland Council put forward the two options for a national stadium. Why? We aren't building either. 

More people got laid off. Consultants did OK though as Government departments hired them to help lay people off. 

Adrian Orr made it harder to buy a house with his debt-to-income ratios. 

Katie said to me "how's it feel living in changing times?" She's convinced this is a moment in history. She also wants to move. 

But it might just be the time of year. 

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The health sector is getting a $16 billion boost over the next three budgets. 

It’s part of the Government’s plan to invest in frontline services. 

$12.2 billion of that will go towards primary health care, $31 million is going to increasing security in emergency departments, and $22 million will be used to train 25 more doctors each year. 

Buzz Burrell, Interim Chair of General Practitioners Aotearoa, told Mike Hosking that overall, they like what they saw. 

He said that they’ve got a baseline budget of $30 billion, and to an additional half of that coming over the next three years, they’ve got to welcome that. 

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Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. 

It’s been an action-packed week, with the release of the Budget, Flybuys announcing its demise, and the continued cost of living. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 31st of May, Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined to talk everything to do with the Budget and the tightening of the Government’s purse strings.

How long are you waiting for a doctor's appointment in your town? And does Taupo even have a supermarket? 

Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby covered everything from loyalty schemes to the price of snapper. 

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Rob Nichol has reiterated his disappointment in the NZ Rugby outcome. 

It comes after the provincial unions' Proposal Two won the majority vote in yesterday's Special General Meeting regarding NZR’s governance structure. 

The Players’ Association CEO believes the new model isn’t in the best interests of the game in New Zealand, but rather the best interests of the provinces. 

He told Mike Hosking that the game is in crisis and in desperate need of a reset. 

They needed expertise to come in and solve the problem, and they’ve lost that opportunity now. 

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The Finance Minister says the recent culture of spraying the money gun with reckless abandon has come to an end. 

Nicola Willis released the 2024 Budget yesterday, confirming the long-awaited tax cuts and announcing funding for various sectors and industries. 

She confirmed that the tax programme is fully funded by the baseline-savings exercise of rooting out waste in government departments. 

Willis told Mike Hosking that they’re funding it responsibly, without needing to borrow funds. 

The economy’s forecasts have degraded in recent times, the Government books not predicted to return to surplus until the 2027/28 financial year. 

If they hadn’t made those cuts and changes, Willis said, they wouldn’t be back into the black until 2031. 

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A saturated reward scheme market is likely to blame for Flybuys' demise. 

About 90 jobs will be lost when the scheme and its parent company Loyalty NZ close down at the end of the year. 

Members can still earn Flybuys points until October 31 and have until December 31 to redeem them. 

Retail and marketing expert Juanita Neville-Te Rito told Mike Hosking that most partners of the scheme will just set up their own reward system now. 

She says it'll be better for customers who want to be rewarded and recognised, rather than given points. 

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A former National Government Finance Minister says Nicola Willis did well with what she had. 

The Government's Budget includes changes to tax thresholds for three and a half million people. 

Funded through a suite of scrapped spending initiatives, all workers on more than $14,000 a year will receive between $4 and $40 a fortnight. 

Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that the Finance Minister took a solid first step towards rebuilding the Government's finances. 

He says it also gets the balance right between the private sector and families versus the large and increasing government spend. 

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Tax cuts are expected to be front of mind for many people in today's Budget. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is releasing the 2024 Budget from 2pm today, unveiling the final shape of the promised tax cuts and how the Government plans to pay for them. 

Independent tax expert Geof Nightingale told Mike Hosking that he expects the Government to adjust the thresholds for the first time in 14 years. 

He said it’ll be a good thing because it will lower the tax burden on middle income Kiwis, but how its funded will be the fascinating thing. 

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The Education sector is hoping today’s Budget will address the staff shortages. 

$53 million was allocated to the training and recruitment of new teachers in a pre-Budget announcement, but NZEI’s Mark Potter said that it’s not going to be enough. 

He told Mike Hosking that they need both staffing and financial support, as well as specialists, therapists, psychologists, and so on to address the desperate needs around the country. 

They’re hoping to see some increase in the Operational Funding Grant, as the increased cost of living as increased the cost of education, Potter said. 

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There’s hopes today's Budget will go some way to addressing staff shortages in the health sector. 

The Budget’s release comes amid strike action from both junior doctors and blood workers. 

Sarah Dalton from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists told Mike Hosking that it’ll take an extra $1.8 billion just to keep the health system ticking over as it is. 

She said that they would love to see funding tagged specifically to staffing increases, to ensure it goes where it needs to. 

Dalton told Hosking that there’s plenty of services who need more staff, and the employer agrees, but they're not willing or able to do anything about it. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 30thMay, a variety of sectors told us their hopes and wishes for today's Budget. 

Assistant police commissioner Mike Johnson joined to discuss how they are going to handle the Te Pati Māori backed protest clogging up major roads. 

Comedian Dai Henwood was in for an exclusive chat about his new memoir 'The Life of Dai'. 

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Kiwi Dai Henwood is one of the country’s most prolific comics. 

He's popped up on the screen in a number of programmes includingFamily Feud, The Project, Dancing with the Stars,and more recently,Taskmaster NZ. 

He went public with his battle against bowel cancer last year, and since then is now the healthiest he’s been in his life, he told Mike Hosking. 

Henwood joined Hosking to discuss his new memoirThe Life of Dai,which is releasing next month. 

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Traffic is being disrupted around the country this morning with thousands of people joining motorcades and hikoi against the Government's positions on Māori issues. 

A campaign group named Toitū Te Tiriti (Honour the Treaty) planned a strike today to “demonstrate a unified Aotearoa response to the Government’s assault on tangata whenua [Māori people] and Te Tiriti of Waitangi”. 

Protesters were expected to meet around New Zealand from 6.30am with marches and vehicle convoys planned along motorways, main streets, and rallies in town centres. 

Te Pāti Māori, alongside the Toitū Te Tiriti, said in an online post that the action was intended to “prove the might of [the Māori] economy by disconnecting entirely from it”. 

Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson told Mike Hosking that the largest protests are on Auckland's Northern, Northwestern, and Southern Motorways. 

He said that while they recognise the right to protest, they are there to minimise disruption and deal with people who break the law. 

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New Zealand's population growth is slowing. 

Last year's census data shows that while the population did increase by 300,000 people since the last census five years ago, the rate of growth has slowed considerably. 

But Otago University sociologist Byrndl Hohmann-Marriott told Mike Hosking that it's not a concern. 

She says our population is expected to keep growing for the next 50 years. 

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The infrastructure sector wants to see certainty in today's Budget, in the form of a construction "pipeline". 

Upgrades are needed across a majority of the country’s infrastructure, and the sector wants a program that will give a coherent delivery over the coming years. 

Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking that the Government needs to prioritise money in the right places. 

He said they aren’t looking for massive spending, but rather the right kind of investment. 

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Health New Zealand says it's deeply concerned about today's dual strike action from junior doctors and blood workers. 

It's junior doctor's third round of strikes and the beginning of a week of action from Blood Service lab workers. 

Health New Zealand's accusing the unions of scheduling action at the same time, compounding patient impact. 

But Chief People Officer Andrew Slater told Mike Hosking that contingency planners have worked hard to ensure as much care as possible goes ahead. 

He says emergency departments are open, hospital patients will receive safe care, and unless you're contacted directly, still go to your outpatient appointment. 

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Condemnation of the Reserve Bank's latest change to mortgage rules. 

The central bank has confirmed it's going ahead with plans to introduce "debt to income" restrictions, preventing home buyers from borrowing more than six times their pre-tax income. 

The changes will be partially offset by the easing of LVR restrictions, to allow for more low-deposit lending. 

But property commentator Ashley Church told Mike Hosking that the restrictions are a mistake that will be reversed within three years. 

He says this will be the "stupidest" move the Reserve Bank has ever made and will "screw up" the housing market at a time when it should be recovering. 

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Part of the day of upset, or protest, or whatever the Māori Party are calling it tomorrow, is about the way they feel they are being treated by this new Government. 

So, although it's Budget Day, it's not really about the Budget. 

It's about section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act and the right to vote if councils unilaterally invoke Māori seats and the move to replace or repeal references to the Treaty in legislation. 

One important thing that is worth remembering is the image that has been created by the coverage of the Māori Party that they somehow speak for all Māori, when they don’t. 

They speak for a small section of Māori. How do we know this? The first is their vote, which is tiny. The second is that 66% of the leadership of the Government is Māori. 

Winston Peters and David Seymour are Māori and want nothing to do with the Māori Party way of approaching how this country is run. 

Shane Jones, who is also Māori, is doing the business with the Treaty references. 

The references in law are a vague sprinkling of virtue signalling as pedalled by the last Government. 

They are not prescriptive, or specifically helpful, in just what it is you need to be looking at or doing when it comes to Māori and any given bit of law. 

That is partly down to the fact the Treaty itself is a very broad-based document open to a lot of interpretation. 

But by sprinkling references to the Treaty all over the place like pick n mix, you can be seen to be doing the right thing, as long as the right thing doesn’t come with too many questions. That was the Labour Government wasn’t it? Lots of feels or vibes and not being too strong on the ol' detail. 

By having a reference in everything it allows those who use taxpayer money to support themselves to activate a bit of legal advice, or legal action, if you perceive the Treaty isn't being appropriately nodded to. 

To cover themselves, those who have to adhere to these sort of practices then go about falling over themselves trying to second guess what an appropriate nod might look like in the hope they don't upset anyone. 

No one is better off, apart from those who make a living off the gravy train. Everyone is confused, if not angry and angsty, and a lot of time and money has been wasted in the ensuing period. 

So, if the Māori Party want to waste some more time tomorrow moaning, that’s OK. 

It's also a small price to pay if Shane is successful in ending the circus. 

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There's no clear end in sight for student protests over accommodation fees at Auckland University. 

Members of the Students for Fair Rent group haven't been paying rent since the start of this month. 

They're demanding a blanket rent reduction and safeguards against future rises. 

Group founder Matthew Lee told Mike Hosking that the university has a responsibility to provide safe, secure, and affordable accommodation for students, which they’re not doing. 

He said that they also have the responsibility to engage with students and have explicitly refused to do so. 

Lee told Hosking that striking is the only way they have to show the university that this is a significant issue. 

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A Napier wine has been deemed the best in the world. 

The city's Church Road Winery has won Best Chardonnay at the International Wine Challenge. 

Chief Winemaker Chris Scott told Mike Hosking that they've already been struggling to keep up with demand, and he reckons this will exacerbate the problem. 

Despite the local vineyard getting the accolade, France, Australia, and Spain remain top of the medal table. 

Kennedy Point Vineyard, based in Waiheke Island, has won Best Syrah, taking the title off France. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 29th of May, will the Reserve Bank's recently announced alterations to the debt-to-income ratio help or hinder the economy and housing market? 

Is the protest organised by the Māori Party for Budget Day actually legal? We look at the potential consequences that may come of it. 

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen cover Politics Wednesday and what gifts the Budget will give. 

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The Police Minister is condemning protesters' plans to disrupt major motorways tomorrow. 

Toitu Te Tiriti is urging people to protest tomorrow as a demonstration against government action towards Māori and Māori matters. 

Police are preparing to deal with planned slow-moving motorcades on major roads in a bid to disrupt morning traffic. 

Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that it's illegal. 

He says the right for peaceful protest will always be protected, but it doesn't mean others can trample all over the rights of law-abiding Kiwis. 

Labour’s Ginny Andersen said that while she doesn’t agree with the unlawful protest, Māori do have a lot of reasons to be angry right now and have the democratic right to speak freely and protest. 

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There's been clashes outside the New York City courthouse where Donald Trump's hush money trial has been held. 

Actor Robert de Niro has been speaking against Trump. 

He's argued with a spectator, saying law enforcement officers had to put their lives on the line during the 2021 Capitol protests. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that de Niro called Trump a “clown”, and said he was a “real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot”. 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. claims de Niro's appearance is a political persecution, and other A list actors believe Biden's failed the country. 

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An employment lawyer warns that some workers will be liable for consequences for taking part in nationwide strikes tomorrow. 

Toitu Te Tiriti is urging people to protest against the government's position on Māori and Te Tiriti on Budget Day. 

Strikes need to be within a legal framework in the context of bargaining, or some health and safety issues. 

Employment Lawyer Alastair Espie told Mike Hosking that communication with employers will be the key. 

He says if people are expected at work tomorrow and participate in the protest regardless, they'll likely be breaking their contract. 

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A media company chief executive says agreements to make tech companies pay for news have been successful in other countries. 

A Select Committee's recommended the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill not be passed in its current form. 

Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says they've not made a decision. 

Michael Boggs, the CEO of NZME which owns Newstalk ZB, told Mike Hosking that the current Minister and Prime Minister know there are issues. 

He says they're not looking for a handout, just legislation that gives them a backstop in dealing with global social media and tech platforms. 

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The news isn't all bad for prospective first home buyers. 

The Reserve Bank has confirmed major changes to mortgage rules from July, which will prevent most owner-occupiers from borrowing more than six times their pre-tax income. 

It's also signalling it will keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.5% for the rest of the year. 

Key Mortgages broker Jeremy Andrews told Mike Hosking that at the same time, the Reserve Bank is loosening LVR restrictions to allow for more low-deposit lending. 

He says the changes could actually help many first home buyers. 

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Things are heating up as the UK moves closer to its general election. 

The election is generally a two-horse race between the two major parties, the Conservatives and Labour, but UK Correspondent Rod Liddle says nobody really seems to want either horse. 

He said that there’s no great enthusiasm for Labour, with a poll saying that only 15% of the public are firmly in their camp, and there’s certainly no appetite for the Tories anymore. 

Current PM Rishi Sunak has announced the reintroduction of mandatory military service should the Conservatives make it back into power. 

He said that he believes twelve months of service would help foster the “national spirit” that emerged during the pandemic. 

Liddle said that it seems to be a bizarre, out of the blue policy which a good many members of his own party have cheerfully derided. 

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Ricardo Menendez March and teachers. 

Let me join a couple of dots. And the glue for the dots are standards, or lack of them. 

If you don’t have standards you end up with teachers who can't pass NCEA Level 1, and you end up with people like March using the F-word in Parliament. 

The F-word is not the end of the world, but it is indicative of the modern day outworkings of an institution that, despite whatever your political leanings, had an element of decorum and civility. 

Now it's full of thieves, swear words and cowboy hats. 

No standards. 

When you suggest or infer anyone can teach, what you end up with is what we have got - a system everyone knows and accepts is broken and yet has done nothing about. 

Our son was shown around some houses in London last week. The person who showed him was the same age, a young rental agent. They wore a suit and tie and were dressed for the job because in Britain you dress for the job. Because there is expectation. There are standards. 

The agents we have dealt with here could be agents, or surfers, or just out of bed. Not all of them, but too many. 

No standards. 

Look at poor old David MacLeod last week. It was hardly the crime of the century and if the paperwork had been with the Greens he would have been given the week off on full pay and nothing would have happened. In National he got sacked. 

Luxon is driven by standards. You set them high and keep them high. It leads to better performance, hard work, and it singles out the aspirants from the can't-be-bothered's. 

What holds teaching back, what allows the Genter's, March's and others to behave the way they do, what stops crime dropping, what stops climate protesting kids staying in the classroom, is a lack of standards. 

Dropping standards emboldens bad behaviour. It lets intent fall by the wayside and success become a scarce commodity. We hide by being average, ordinary and lazy amongst the crowd because the easy way out will always attract a crowd. 

That’s the value of leadership and what happens if you don’t have enough of it. When you're surrounded by it, it's normal. 

Otherwise you end up like we have. 

So much of this country these days is what a lack of standards looks like.    

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Keep New Zealand Beautiful claims it's been treated unfairly by the Ministry for the Environment. 

CEO Heather Saunderson alleges bullying by the Ministry, and the entire team has resigned. 

She claims ministers —past and present— have refused to meet them, there's been a lack of consultation, and funding has been withheld. 

Saunderson told Mike Hosking that other organisations that are legislatively mandated outside of central government receive funding, the SPCA for example gets $6.5 million a year. 

She said that the central government has basically said that by law, they have to do this, but they’re not going to get any funding to do so. 

In response, Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that the country has changed a lot since the anti-litter charity was set up. 

He says it's a well-known brand, but Kiwis take a lot of pride now in keeping the environment clean. 

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New Caledonia's State of Emergency has lifted after two weeks of unrest. 

Fewer than 20 New Zealanders are still there and wanting to come home, with one more flight today. 

French President Emmanuel Macron has travelled to the French island territory and says lifting it allows political dialogue. 

France correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that all he seems to have achieved is agreeing to lift the state of emergency. 

She says it's being seen as a sign that all parties that Macron spoke to there want to de-escalate the situation. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 28th of May, cancer services in the lower North Island are at critical levels, and trains in the Wairarapa are on schedule only 25% of the time. But hey, at least that's up from February’s 5%! 

The Prime Minister talks the Budget, whether he is sick of dealing with the increasingly revealing problems in this country, and whether the David Seymour and Todd Stephenson situation passes the sniff test. 

What's happening with the motor industry and electric vehicles? Kiwi Kay Hart is the President of International Markets for Ford and has some insight. 

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The future of cars is becoming increasingly complex. 

EVs, BEVs, and PHEVs have been pushed as the vehicles of the future, and yet there’s been an increasing number of major producers backtracking on the promise to go electric. 

The idea that the internal combustion engine will no longer be produced by 2030 seems to be out of reach. 

Kay Hart, the President of International Markets Group at Ford, has been in the automotive industry for nearly 25 years, and has seen quite a significant amount of change in that time. 

“I think the change has been phenomenal on so many fronts,” she told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. 

“The changes that we’ve seen in technology available in our vehicles, the connectivity of our vehicles, the features that are available to our customers, power train that we have, and also the way customers interact with, purchase, and service vehicles, I think has changed hugely over that 25 years.” 

There are distinct differences in the regulations each market has, and so automotive producers need to be very clear on what the rules and regulations are, and how they bring the right products to their customers in those regions. 

For example, the EU has restrictions around emissions and the use of internal combustion engines, but Hart says their timelines can leave something to be desired. 

“To be clear, we are for, are very much in favour of cleaner vehicles, lowering carbon emissions,” she told Hosking. 

“The overall, the intent of governments have been positive in terms of what their intent is. I think, to your point, maybe some of the timelines don’t necessarily ensure that we had the most viable alternatives for our customers in the market at the right time.” 

That flux, Hart thinks is what the industry is struggling to adjust to when it comes to EVs. 

“In the market like New Zealand, to have the most aggressive curve in the world, probably unfairly punished vehicles that didn’t really have a viable alternative.” 

“And that's, that’s probably where we’re at now.” 

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Looks to be years to go until Wairarapa trains are back-on-track. 

Only 22.5% of Wairarapa trains arrived within five minutes of being on schedule in April. slightly improving from February's 5%. 

Trains have also been slowed due to track issues. 

Greater Wellington Regional Council Transport Committee Chair Thomas Nash told Mike Hosking that both the track and trains are too old, but work is ongoing. 

He says we need to make sure we don't delay the new trains even further. 

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The level of the public service cuts needed to fund the Government’s tax cuts is becoming clear with more than 240 programmes scaled down or scrapped in Budget 2024. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis also revealed yesterday the Government’s drive to reduce public service spending could lead to 3900 job cuts, comprising about 2750 currently filled roles and about 1150 vacancies. 

The Prime Minister says the Budget will deliver what they've been promising. 

The coalition Government will release its first Budget this Thursday. 

Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that it includes stopping wasteful spending to generate savings, and more money for frontline health, education, and law and order. 

He says there's also tax relief for low and middle income working New Zealanders, which is important as it's been 14 years without tax relief and any adjustment to the tax thresholds. 

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There's been another push for students to be paid while on placement. 

Paid Placements Aotearoa's presenting a petition with more than 16,000 signatures to Parliament today, asking for paid placements to be reinstated. 

It's focused on students in healthcare, education, and social work. 

Campaign lead Bex Howells told Mike Hosking that it's normal for students to be working 40 hours, on top of a placement, each week. 

She says it's what they do to get by, but leaves students burnt out before they graduate, leading to high drop-out rates. 

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A doctor at Palmerston North's Regional Cancer Treatment Service says it's holding on by the skin of its teeth. 

Oncologist Richard Isaacs says Te Whatu Ora has not approved new staff, despite a 2022 review saying it needed significantly more. 

He told Mike Hosking that the situation is just getting worse as more senior staff reduce their hours. 

Isaacs says finances are blocking Te Whatu Ora from approving new staff. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 27th of May, we talk to the teachers and Education Minister Erica Stanford on the major investment for more teachers.

The theme for the morning was just how many people had significant careers before switching mid-career to being a teacher!

Guy Heveldt and Andrew Saville cover the sport, including James Preston breaking Sir Peter Snell's 800m record, the oldest running record in the country.

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Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss the Warriors' 24-20 win over the Dolphins, the upcoming NZR vote, Rob Penney, Jitka Klimkova's leave, Breakers coach Mody Maor stepping away, James Preston breaking Sir Peter Snell's record, and Aimee Fisher getting another one over Dame Lisa Carrington.

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Kiwi middle-distance runner James Preston has made a bit of history.

He’s broken Sir Peter Snell’s national 800-metre record of 1:44.3 seconds — Preston ran it in 1:44.04 in Germany.

That eclipsed the longest-standing New Zealand athletics record in the books and set a qualifying time for the Paris Olympics.

James Preston joined Mike Hosking.

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Former President Donald Trump was loudly and consistently booed throughout his speech Saturday at the Libertarian Party’s national convention, particularly when he asked attendees to “nominate me or at least vote for me.”

The heckling began the moment the former president took the stage, and some of his supporters in the room tried to drown out the boos with chants of “We want Trump.”

“Now I think you should nominate me or at least vote for me, and we should win together,” Trump said. “Because the Libertarians want to vote for me … and it’s very important because we have to get rid of the worst president in history.”

Trump added, “Only do that if you want to win; if you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting your 3% every four years.” (In 2016, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson earned more than 3% of the popular vote – a high point in the party’s history.)

Trump left the stage after 34 minutes, marking one of his shortest campaign speeches to date. The Libertarian Party is expected to select its presidential nominee Sunday.

Trump’s stop at the Libertarian convention marked an unconventional one for a presumptive Republican nominee, but it is illustrative of his campaign’s intensifying concern over third-party candidates. The outreach to Libertarians follows weeks of stepped-up attacks by Trump aimed at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose high-profile independent White House bid is increasingly viewed by the former president’s advisers as a potential problem in an election expected to be decided by a narrow margin in a handful of states.

Kennedy, who spoke at the convention on Friday, was nominated by a delegate Sunday on the convention floor, where his candidacy was met with boos from other delegates. He was eliminated as a potential nominee in the first round of voting after receiving support from 19 delegates, or just 2.07% of delegates.

Trump was also nominated on the convention floor Sunday, but Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle ruled the former president was not qualified because he did not submit nominating papers.

The scene inside the Washington Hilton was at times raucous Saturday, as Trump supporters and Libertarians clashed. McArdle, the party chair, took the stage ahead of Trump’s speech to tell supporters of the former president sitting in the front rows to make room for the Libertarian delegates.

“I don’t want to, like, fight with people or beg and plead. Let’s just make room for the delegates, because those are the people you’re trying to persuade, right? You are already sold. Our delegates are not sold, and President Trump is here to try to sell them,” McArdle said.

“Those of you who are Donald Trump supporters, I think what I would like to see tonight is for us to all get along and come to an understanding and find areas of agreement even if we don’t agree to vote for the same person,” she added.

Also ahead of the speech, Secret Service agents confiscated rubber chickens that the super PAC aligned with Kennedy’s presidential campaign had passed out to attendees.

“No lighters, no water bottles, no noisy chickens,” one agent yelled to attendees waiting to go through the security checkpoint.

Tony Lyons, the co-chair of the pro-Kennedy American Values 2024 super PAC, confirmed to CNN that the group had distributed the rubber chickens at the convention Saturday.

Libertarians in the crowd at times confronted Trump supporters, and some audience members were escorted out of the venue. One Libertarian critic of Trump was forced to leave after CNN observed him throwing a punch at a Trump-supporting audience member. Several people toward the front of the room turned their backs to Trump as he spoke.

One of Trump’s few loud applause lines Saturday came when he announced that if elected, he would commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the underground website Silk Road, which let users anonymously buy and sell anything from drugs to hacking tutorials. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 following his conviction on seven counts ranging from money laundering to drug trafficking, and many attendees at the Libertarian convention have been arguing for his pardon.

Trump also received cheers when he said he would put a Libertarian in his Cabinet and appoint Libertarians to senior positions in his administration in a potential second term.

Prior to the speech, the Trump campaign said it anticipated getting an unfriendly reception from some attendees – former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, now a Trump surrogate, received loud boos when he mentioned the former president in his speech at the convention Friday.

“Do we know that it’s not exactly home base? Absolutely. There will be people who want him to be there and people who don’t want him to be there, but we’re on offense and competing for nontraditional votes in order to unite the country,” Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller told CNN.

Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign cast Trump as “anti-freedom” ahead of his address.

“Donald Trump says his Republican Party is the party of freedom, but tell that to the women who have had the freedom to make their own health care decisions ripped away and their pregnancies monitored by the government,” Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement Saturday.

Biden was also invited to speak at the convention but didn’t respond, McArdle told CNN earlier.

At a news conference immediately following Trump’s speech, Chase Oliver, a Libertarian presidential candidate, said that he believed it was a mistake to invite Trump but that he was proud that Libertarians heckled the former president during his remarks.

“I don’t like having a war criminal on this stage. I don’t feel he deserves a spot on this stage,” Oliver said. “While I think it was a mistake to have invited Donald Trump, I’m glad he got to see a glimpse of what a real Libertarian reception feels like.”

Michael Rectenwald, another Libertarian presidential candidate, said he believed the party achieved some gains by inviting Trump to the convention, pointing to the former president’s commitment to commute Ulbricht’s sentence.

“We got a major political party candidate to say that he would free Ross Ulbricht,” Rectenwald said at the news conference. “We moved the needle toward liberty.”

Still, Rectenwald acknowledged that Trump’s remarks were unlikely to persuade Libertarians to vote for the former president.

“There are no people in this room in the Libertarian Party at risk for falling for Trump’s bullsh*t,” he said.

Trent Nestle, a Libertarian delegate from Tennessee, told CNN that Trump’s pledge to commute Ulbricht’s sentence wouldn’t be enough to convince him to back the former president.

“I want to see it happen,” Nestle said. “It won’t change my vote in November.”

- by Kate Sullivan, Aaron Pellish and Steve Contorno, CNN

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Welcome to the week of the tax cut.

The thing for me is it's more about the symbolism than the money.

I have no idea if I get anything at all and whatever we do get isn't going to pay for three weeks on the Amalfi Coast in July. But that's not the point.

The point is that somewhere along the way the mindset of keeping as much of your money as possible was stolen and replaced with the idea that there is always a cause, idea, disaster or group that can use it more than you.

Working for your money and keeping it is actually a calculation that leads to growth and success. It's an incentive. It's not fashionable of course to talk about money, or making money, or keeping your money.

It's not even that cool to admit that you like money and mainly that’s the reason you get out of bed in the morning.

Even people who give away their money enjoy the freedom of having earned it in the first place and having the choice as to what to do with it.

Tax is not choice, it is theft. In a small selection of cases it is broadly acceptable because we recognise the role of the state and we recognise the need for collective services.

Where it's all gone horribly wrong is it's turned into an industry and the outworking of that industry has been shown these past few months in the almost continuous gnashing of teeth from those that argue there is no money for tax cuts and they have a list as long as any arm you want to produce of people more deserving than you.

What the last six years has proven, and this is why the rules of engagement have to be changed, is that there is literally no end to handouts.

No matter what you spend, and just look at the numbers because we have spent astonishing amounts of money on literally everything, we have buried ourselves in debt and passed the curse of it onto the next generation.

We've been bailing people out, giving free money, cheap loans, backing dumb ideas, oversubscribing to folly and itches and indulgences.

Look where it has us - in a gargantuan fiscal mess and still whining for more.

Regular ordinary everyday New Zealanders get it, because we're the ones who earned it.

The beneficiaries, literally and figuratively, are the ones who make the headlines because they know the trick is up and the scam is busted.

The money tap come Budget Day is, if not being turned off, at least tightened a bit.

At last.

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An Associate Justice Minister says gun owners need to be proactive when seeking help for mental health.

Firearm owners say they aren't reaching out when struggling for fear their firearms could be taken away by police.

Nicole McKee — herself a former head of the country's Council of Licensed Firearms Owners — told Mike Hosking gun owners shouldn't be holding back from getting treatment.

“If they’re not feeling that they’re mentally up to it, then they should offload their firearms to a friend or family member and absolutely go seek some help.”

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A secondary principals leader says new money to recruit teachers is a good move.

Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced a $53 million package to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years.

It includes establishing 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job, and funding to recruit overseas.

Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault told Mike Hosking growing local teachers is especially important.

He says the school-based training seems to be attractive to all concerned.

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The UK Prime Minister's proposed mandatory national service is being called a misstep.

If re-elected on July 4, the Conservative Party will make 18-year-olds participate for 12 months in a military placement or one weekend a month of community service.

Former New Zealand Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking the roughly $5 billion plan is the wrong approach.

He doubts it will be a vote winner, and says they should focus on incentives to volunteer for service.

The Tories haven't said what they'll do if the compulsory service is not completed.

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A union hopes Thursday's Budget will fix longstanding issues with St John's resourcing.

A Coroner suggests the ambulance service lobby the Government for more funding after an Auckland man watched his wife die despite calling 111 five times.

First Union national organiser Faye McCann told Mike Hosking the crucial service should be fully funded by the Government — and not have to be a charity.

“Year on year we seem to find ourselves in the same situation where St John makes the agreement with the Government as to exactly what they’re going to receive with the funding, and then we’re in a situation where we’re in financial strife again.”

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The Education Minister says there needs to be more aspiring teachers training in the classroom.

The Government's made a pre-Budget announcement of $53 million to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years.

It includes 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job and funding to recruit overseas.

Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking she's also doing a bigger piece of work on initial teacher education.

She says this announcement gives a flavour of where they're heading -- which is young people training in the classroom, seeing great behaviour modelled.

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Tornado season is off to a wild start in the American Midwest. 

Multiple towns in Iowa have been devastated by storms, the small town of Greenfield basically flattened overnight. 

At least 35 are injured and five dead. 

Across the border in Mexico, a political rally was hit by a freak wind, killing nine and injuring 54 when the stage collapsed. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the tornado in Greenfield was travelling speeds of up to 265kph, but in Mexico, they’re barely calling it a storm. 

He said that it’s tragic and bizarre. 

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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. 

David MacLeod: 2/10 

Aaah paperwork aye? How to cock it up when you are barely out of the blocks. 

Shane Jones: 7/10

Living his best life on the West Coast, bringing back life to the coast with mining. 

Adrian Orr: 4/10 

I reckon he is stuck. I reckon he doesn’t have enough tools. I reckon he went too hard, too early and he doesn’t know how to get back and threats don’t work. 

The Warriors: 9/10 

That was as good as it gets, and we are back home this weekend for a frolic with the dolphins. 

Scott McLaughlin: 9/10 

He's living the dream on the front row of one of motor racing's great days. 

Rob Penney: 5/10 

Grace under pressure is a saying for a reason. 

Dairy: 8/10 

Come on the farmers! A good auction, big numbers and decent hope. We need all the help we can get. 

LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW 

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Despite the cost-of-living crisis, one industry seemingly not hit is that of the pollster. 

There are new numbers out this week on AI. 

AI is changing the world, upending the world, taking your job, re-organising your life... or it might do none of that. 

But according to PWC's first global AI jobs survey it will solve our productivity problem. 

This is good because this country is hopeless, and productivity has had any number of debates over the years about how to rev it up and all of them have failed. 

84% of the CEOs think it will increase efficiency, which by the way isn't exactly productivity. 70% think it will significantly change the way their companies create and deliver value. 

There is a 25% uplift in AI skill demand and 69% think most of their workforce need to develop new skills. 

In these results is the clue as to why despite all the change we have seen these past few decades, the big picture hasn’t really changed. 

Yes, in certain industries tech has changed life. But we still can't educate our kids properly, planes plummet in increasing turbulence, wars are still waged, and rage and we can still only find two old farts to run for the US presidency. 

For a group of global citizens on the cusp of so much, so much doesn’t really seem to have changed. In fact, a lot of it has gotten worse. 

As each tech chapter starts to unfold, whether it’s the internet, or Google, or the ability to face time your granny, the predictions at the start of it are always bold. 

We tend to take one of our stickier problems, in this case productivity, and connect it to the new invention and tell a pollster it will all be sorted. 

Here is what we know for a fact about AI; Governments, apart from the EU, this week haven't done a thing about it. They let social media go nuts and look how that turned out. 

It uses more power than we literally have. So how productive can you actually be when the thing that will change everything can't even be run because the lights don’t work? 

That’s before you get to the other predictions about it eating us all and life as we know it is over. 

In the 0-100 game we tend to play we still seem to be suckered into believing everything new is 100, when in fact even the good stuff might, might, end up at about 60-ish. 

Come back to me in five years and let's see where we are. My bet is where we are won't be an awful lot different to where we are right now. 

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New Zealand’s tech industry continues to grow. 

It’s the second fastest growing industry in the country, the tech industry being a quickly growing industry across the world. 

Pat Kenealy, former Global CEO of IDG and Partner at Ridge Ventures, is a venture capitalist. 

A venture capitalist takes capital from institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies and invests that money into what they consider to be the most interesting or fastest growing opportunities in order to make a return. 

He told Mike Hosking that some VCs invest in ideas, some in financial progression, and some in individuals, but in the end all are looking for financial return. 

However, Kenealy said, the difficulty comes in sifting through the hundreds of ideas to find the few winners among them. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 24th of May, former Finance Minister Steven Joyce discussed the bullishness of the Government's speeches ahead of the Budget now that they have the money for tax cuts.   

Mike has found an unusual candidate for the Tauranga mayoralty in the form of Chudleigh Haggett. 

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson Wrapped the Week and survey results for this number one show, and how Mike has tanked Kate's Early Edition. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to go through the week that was. 

Today they discussed the radio survey results. Newstalk ZB and Mike Hosking are still on top, but Kate thinks Early Edition has dipped since Mike took over... 

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Alarm bells continue to be raised over the high number of vape stores within the community. 

Canterbury University research shows there are far more specialist vape shops situated in our most deprived neighbourhoods than anywhere else. 

Researcher Matt Hobbs told Mike Hosking that 30% are also within 400-metres of a school, and just over 70% are within 800-metres. 

He says vape-stores are far more prominent than things like liquor stores and gambling venues. 

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There’s a view it's not all teachers' fault for low pass rates in high school. 

New research has found a quarter of new primary school teachers failed maths and more than half failed science at NCEA Level One. 

More than half who pursued Level Two maths also failed. 

The Teaching Council's calling for more investment and widespread changes to how teachers are prepared for the classroom. 

Chief Executive Lesley Hoskin told Mike Hosking that teachers have been let down by the structure and resources given to them while training. 

She says we have to stop blaming teachers for the system we created, as this is a systemic failure over decades. 

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No one is likely to be completely satisfied with next week's Budget. 

The public sector cutbacks have been continuing in the past 24 hours, with MSD confirming it's now cutting more than 700 roles and DOC confirming it will have more than 120 fewer staff. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says more spending cuts will be necessary due to the ongoing structural deficit. 

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that Willis is in a very tight position, with very little room to move. 

He says the people arguing for major cutbacks to public expenditure won't think it’s going far enough, those wanting more funding for public services won't be satisfied, and many households won't get the tax cuts they were hoping for. 

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The energy sector's viewing Shane Jones' vision for New Zealand's minerals as a common-sense approach. 

The Resources Minister's announced a draft strategy which would see a critical minerals list for the country produced, and a detailed stock-take made of the country's known mineral potential.

He wants to double export value within a decade from $1 billion to $2 billion. 

Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie told Mike Hosking that we have to stay abreast with the rest of the world. 

He says it's hardly unusual for New Zealand to want to pursue its mineral wealth, with Australia and Canada both making strategies within recent years. 

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Owning a car is getting more and more expensive. 

Online Insurance Platform Quashed reported a 40% increase in average comprehensive and third-party quotes over the last year. 

Stats NZ is reporting a 22.6% overall. 

Consumer NZ CEO John Duffy told Mike Hosking that there’s a lot of causes behind this, but a big one is unforeseen weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle. 

He said that insurers are seeing that that kind of event could happen again, and are updating their pricing accordingly. 

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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed a general election will take place July 4th. 

It comes as the ruling Conservative party trails Labour by 20 points in the polls. 

UK political commentator Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that despite that, Labour's not in a good position with its deputy being investigated by police and split views over Gaza. 

He says they're also in trouble in that no one really knows what they stand for, but that might not matter as the polls show everyone's had enough of the Tories. 

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An industry in reportage appears to have sprouted. 

Never before have I seen such coverage of what the Government is being told about their new polices and how said polices are no good. 

What might be a bit misleading about all this reportage, apart from its increasing volume, is none of it is news. 

Everything from the Oranga Tamariki 7AA repeal, to the fast-track law, to the Waitangi Tribunal and ACT's Treaty bill, to charter schools, and to school lunches. 

Everyone who has a say has that say increasingly splashed into the media. 

The mischievous thing about this is advice like this is run of the mill. Everyone gives it. It's one of the outworkings of a Government department or a lobby group. 

But when the media was more compliant under the early days of the previous Government the fascination in advice didn’t seem to be as prevalent. 

Case in point is the so-called fast-track law. The Ministry for the Environment has given some advice. What do you think will say? 

Think about it - a fast-track bill that will build more big projects, more ministerial power, less court time, will do more and we'll talk less. Take a guess what you think their advice on this is going to be. 

They don't like it. "Ministry for the Environment warns of fast track bills significant risks" is the headline. 

What are their concerns? Diminishing local voices, it violates Treaty commitments, impacts human and environmental health, opens legal risks to ministers, is an unprecedented backdoor for prohibited projects and erodes the value of conservation land. 

They said everything you would expect them to say and nothing you couldn’t think of yourself. 

You will note the backdoor bit to prohibited projects. A project is only prohibited if it's against the law. If you change the law, it's not prohibited, is it. 

Anyway, most department could, and presumably do, roll out the same stuff. 

But the key question is, does the way we do it now work well? Do we build big projects well, on time and on budget? 

Is there a massive infrastructural deficit? Yes. So why are we working overtime to defend what doesn’t work? Is defending the unworkable more waste? 

Do we want to get on with it or not? 

Do we want this country off its knees and running, or not? 

So how about less noise, less angst, fewer papers, fewer alarmist headlines and more action. 

Imagine if we just actually got on with it. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 23rd of May, Finance Minister Nicola Willis reacted to the Reserve Bank's updated forecast. 

Speaking of, Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr explained his position and whether the option of raising rates was just a threat or a realistic move. 

IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin was on after getting pole for the Indy 500 for a chat with Mike about how he's preparing for the race. 

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Scott McLaughlin is in the best possible position for the upcoming Indy 500. 

The Kiwi driver is sitting in pole position, first on the starting grid with a record-setting time. 

With the race set for Monday morning New Zealand time, McLaughlin has been spending the week preparing for what’s set to be an intense race. 

The Indy 500 has a unique qualifying system, with the fastest 12 drivers contesting a session to define who goes through to the Fast Six, who then race to determine who’s awarded pole. 

“It’s a pressure-packed situation,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. 

“To put the laps up that we did, and you know, win the pole by sort 0.3 of a mile an hour, which is pretty big in oval racing terms over here in America is super special.” 

McLaughlin is the second Kiwi to start the Indy 500 from pole position, Scott Dixon being the first. 

“I’m really proud of that and yeah, trying to replicate my hero in some way.” 

Much like any sport, racing takes an immense amount of mental energy, with drivers having to think and react while travelling at incredibly high speeds. 

“You’re travelling at, you know, three or four rugby fields a second,” McLaughlin explained. 

“There’s so many things happening that you’ve gotta be ahead of, you’ve gotta understand, you know, because if you make a mistake at one point, the mistake doesn’t catch up with you until, you know, two or three hundred meters, four hundred meters down the track.” 

McLaughlin averaged just over 234mph (377kph) in his final qualifier, and although those are insane speeds for any normal person, he said that it begins to feel normal when out among the other cars. 

“It’s not until you’re either trying to pit, come into pit lane or something goes wrong where you realise, oh wow, we actually... we’re actually ticking along here.” 

“It’s an incredible feeling for sure,” he laughed. 

“it’s probably the closest I’ll ever feel to being a superhero.” 

McLaughlin competed in the Supercars Championships up until 2020, making the switch to IndyCar for the 2021 season. 

He told Hosking that the two types of racing are different worlds and encouraged any sports race fan in Australia and New Zealand who’s never been to the Indy 500 to give it a try. 

“It’s an incredible spectacle,” McLaughlin said. 

“They call it ‘the greatest spectacle in racing’ for a reason.” 

Thousands of people show up to the race, and the 108-year history of the Indy 500 has resulted in quite the experience. 

“It's a typical American experience, big and loud and but it's very cool to be a part of and, and yeah, it, it's, it's definitely the big leagues for sure.” 

The sheer extent of the race would leave anyone nervous and excited in equal measure, but McLaughlin told Mike Hosking that you can’t let the pressure get to you. 

“You’ve gotta act like it’s another race, unfortunately,” 

“But it is, it is a lot more on offer.” 

“I’m just really excited for the opportunity and hopefully we can deliver when it comes to, you know, race day.” 

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The Reserve Bank governor says the Monetary Policy Committee spent considerable time discussing the possibility of hiking the Official Cash Rate. 

It has again held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5%, where it's been for a year. 

Inflation has fallen to 4%, but is still above the target of a 1-3% band. 

Adrian Orr told Mike Hosking that the talk about hiking the OCR is real. 

"The disappointing part is how stubborn domestic inflation remains.

"We don't determine productivity we just deal with the product we've got."

Orr said "inflation for large parts of the economy has fallen" but we are now at the "stubborn tail, which is not surprising."

Hosking said councils are crazy and out of control, and Orr said he wouldn't comment on councils.

"The biggest risk we run is not getting inflation low and stable," Orr said.

"We have to use the tools we have... we run monetary policy, we don't run councils."

Hosking said Orr has "hit the end of the road," saying that there’s little more the Reserve Bank can do except completely stuff the economy by raising rates. 

Orr’s response was: "that is a statement." 

He told Hosking that they’re very confident we’ll be in very low and stable inflation at 2%. 

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A new bill that would allow consumers to share their data with companies hopes to give people more power. 

The Consumer and Product Data Bill has been introduced to Parliament. 

It aims to prevent scams and encourage competition in banking, insurance, and telecommunications companies. 

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly told Mike Hosking that it would be the start of open banking in New Zealand. 

He says over time it will drive competition and lower prices for people. 

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The Finance Minister says the economy is in a very painful spot for many people. 

The Reserve Bank has again held the OCR at 5.5%, where it's been for a year. 

It means interest rates may have to stay higher for longer. 

Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that the Government's made it clear Adrian Orr needs to get inflation back into the target band. 

She says the Government has to do its bit to make sure its policies are more friend to him than foe, so he doesn't have to go as hard as he may otherwise. 

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There are claims extracting our own minerals can build the country's resilience from geopolitical vulnerabilities. 

Resources Minister Shane Jones's launching a draft strategy for the mineral sector today and will be announced in the West Coast's coal-mining district. 

He says it'll highlight critical and rare earth minerals, such as titanium and antinomy. 

Jones told Mike Hosking that with the rising geopolitical tensions we need to be able to rely on our own resources. 

He says unless we use them, we will continue to depend on other countries' natural resources, which aren't as stable as New Zealand's. 

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Even our sports are being impacted by the rising costs and turbulent economy. 

South Canterbury Rugby Union have had to pull out of the Ranfurly Shield as they can’t afford to play. 

CEO Tim Hyde-Smith told Mike Hosking that it would cost them about $50,000 to get up to Hawke’s Bay to challenge the Magpies for the shield, of which they only managed to raise 30%. 

He said that they’d been very privileged to challenge the last two years, but sponsorship and grant money wasn’t forthcoming this year. 

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One NZ’s earnings are up, but it’s outlook for 2025 isn't as positive. 

The teleco’s operating earnings jumped 13% to $600 million in the year to March 31st, 2024. 

However, they’ve predicted flat earnings for 2025, somewhere between $580 million and $620 million. 

One NZ CEO Jason Paris told Mike Hosking that they’re calling it flat for next year as they think the economy will continue to be a bit challenging. 

He said they’re lucky that they’re an essential service, but they will be tightening their own belts and ensuring they’re running as efficiently as possible to mitigate the impact of any future economic strain. 

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Here are a couple of things I know about education. 

The first is that we aren't that good at it and our results, whether PISA scores, or kids leaving school without proper qualifications, or even turning up in the first place, speak loud and clear on this. 

The second is that although the unions argue more money is the answer, it is, and it isn't. 

In New South Wales at the moment, they are handing out $30,000 dollar bonuses for teachers in tricky-to-fill subjects. They still aren't filling them. 

I think teachers should earn more, in some cases a lot more. But not just for the sake of it. In a way, they are two different subjects. Does paying a teacher more make a kid show up more? No. 

And that's where charter schools fit in. 

We had a crack at them a while back and, generally, they seemed to make a difference. But Labour got picked by New Zealand First in 2017 and ideology ruled the day and that was that. 

Ideology is one of the greatest problems of all. It should not rule education. 

The same way we need a long-term pipeline for major infrastructure that transcends governments, we need the same for education. 

But when charter schools are raised the unions don’t like them because charter schools aren't necessarily pro-union. We also have Cabinet papers released Friday that suggest funding might be an issue, depending on the size of the school. In other words, each pupil is allocated a base level of money and that funding travels with the student. 

The long-argued point by critics is charter schools get better funded. 

What charter schools do is offer choice, and choice in education, as in life, is no bad thing. 

The idea that a broad-based, state-funded mass model that results, stats and observations show without a shadow of a doubt doesn’t work, is somehow the only way to do things is short sighted to say the least. 

For many of us it worked fine. We went to the local, hated a lot of it, put up with the rest, the odd one had fun and we passed our exams and moved on. 

But life isn't like that anymore. We know we are failing, it's indisputable. So instead of embracing change or something new, we want to spend more time bitching over ideology. 

If you hate the charter school idea, show me the one you love. Finding a paper, or a critic, or a unionist isn't hard. 

Getting kids well educated apparently is. 

So how about we change it up a bit? 

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Donald Trump has decided not to take the stand amid his hush money trial. 

The former president faces charges of falsifying documents to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. 

The trial's defence has now wrapped up as jurors prepare for deliberations. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump declined to speak, despite his claims throughout the case he's been silenced. 

He says it's not uncommon for criminal defendants to not take the stand, as it opens them up to cross examination. 

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Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to dive into the biggest political stories from the week so far. 

Erica Stanford has been gifted a bed, what gifts have they received and had to register? 

Plus, the bill repealing section 7AA passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday, and Ginny Andersen is pretty strongly opposed. 

It doesn’t achieve anything, she told Mike Hosking. 

On the other hand, Mark Mitchell has been surprised at how vehemently opposed people are to the fast track legislation, and the push back it’s received. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of May, we looked at the bad newsthe Reserve Bank may give us today, and how serious is the threat from the Rugby Players Association to split from the NZR? 

In the midst of the bizarre news that Erica Stanford declared a gift of a bed, Mike revealed he was also "gifted" a bed, which turned into a big drama! 

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell told us what gifts they've been given and what Mark is doing for his birthday on Politics Wednesday. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players association to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting.  

In an explosive move, the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) has told the unions it is ready to break away to form a new and separate entity to manage the professional game. 

The NZRPA says that if the provinces vote in favour of what is known as Proposal 2 – a new governance structure that the provinces have developed themselves and one that differs significantly to an alternative blueprint that aligns with the findings of an independent review – it will withdraw, via its collective employment agreement, the right for New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to govern the game. 

It leaves rugby in an even more uncomfortable position than before, with the game to be divided even further if the NZRPA decides it will no longer allow its players’ image rights to be used by NZR. 

Former All Black Sir John Kirwan told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that the situation should never have reached this point and that he fears a repeat of the early days of professionalism, where players were split between signing up for official and rebel financial offers. 

“That will happen again, there will be an absolute split. That’s why I don’t think threatening to leave is the right answer. I understand Rob’s [Nichol, chair of NZRPA] frustration because he has seen this governance review done and now they’re trying to change it, I understand that frustration,” Kirwan said. 

NZRPA boss Rob Nichol. Photo / Dean Purcell 

He said that while rugby faces pressure for participation from other codes like football, there should be a united front among the leaders of the game rather than division. 

Kirwan told Hosking that those with the power to make change are digging in their heels and refusing to relinquish power, despite a review that cost millions telling them that was what was best for rugby. 

“Some of these chairmen, they’re just holding the game a wee bit to ransom. Some of these guys that are fighting, their unions lost $800,000 to a million dollars last year. It’s a broken system at the moment, we need to get back to what’s best for our game,” he said. 

“You spent millions of dollars on a governance review, that governance review’s come out and now you’re trying to change it. So the problem is power. 

“The interesting thing for the public is the NPC sides really at the end of the day have a vote, all of them, that can change the direction of the game. What we’re trying to do is speed that up, what the governance review said is we need to have a look at our game, we need to change it we need a different structure.” 

The 63-time All Black said he fears the New Zealand rugby-loving public are growing weary of the continued debate and that it will drive fans away from the game. 

“The trouble is, with me, I don’t like threats of people leaving and that sort of stuff but our game continues to be split. The saddest thing for me is people don’t give a s*** any more, because they’re just sick of it. 

“Rather than having an opinion and being passionate about it, if you just stop caring that’s when our game is in real danger.” 

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The Reserve Bank is walking a tight rope when it comes to interest rates. 

The OCR is expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon. 

It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year. 

ANZ's Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking that their view is that a cut is more likely to come next year, as inflation is coming down quite slowly. 

On the other hand, she said, the economy has come down quite quickly, so it’ll depend on how they weigh up those two factors. 

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Two MPs are facing electoral commission investigation after electoral paperwork blunders. 

The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine article about herself. 

At the same time, National MP David MacLeod has lost his Select Committee positions after he failed to declare almost $200 thousand in donations. 

Constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler told Mike Hosking that the commission —and most likely the Police— will be investigating MacLeod. 

Edgeler says the New Plymouth MP could be liable under the illegal practice charge for not taking enough care. 

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There are pleas for the Government not to scrap the first-home buyers grant. 

Newshub is reporting the Government plans to redirect the $60 million allocated to help first-home buyers and put the money into social housing. 

The scheme gives buyers between $5,000 and $10,000 towards their first home if they earn under a certain threshold, and property experts say dissolving it would be a bad move. 

Whitestone Group Director Shaneel Singh told Mike Hosking that many of his clients need the grant. 

He says a number first home buyers wouldn't be able to get on the property ladder without it. 

In the year to February 2024, nearly 25,000 first homes were purchased. In that time, 10,500 first-home grants were paid out, meaning that 42% of first-home buyers did so with the help of the grant. 

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It’s a sad, old business when part of your market update is the cost of the violent crime you are having to deal with. 

Michael Hill this week talked of the sort of things businesses talk of; the downturn, the mood, the spend and the consumer. All of it's bad right now for obvious reasons. 

What is interesting is they said of the various countries they operate in that New Zealand is the worst in terms of sentiment. 

I wonder why. 

But they talked too of the cost of security and the cost of crime, the cost of closing one of their shops because of crime. 

They are not the first of course. We have previously heard from Briscoes and the millions they have to put aside each year to offset the carnage that takes place at their outlets. 

Last week One NZ closed one of their shops because of damage and crime. 

They told the stories of the fear of staff, all the security issues and training required and the manager who was held by the scruff of the neck for ten minutes over a returned product. 

Who needs it? 

That’s before you get to the astonishing footage of the petrol station attendant, who got the life beaten out of him by some thug who literally laid into him and wouldn’t stop. 

He now awaits surgery on an eye, among other injuries. 

So, the question is - when does it stop? When do things change? How many videos do we need to watch before the much hyped and promised crackdown happens? 

The 18-year-old from the petrol station has been arrested and charged. How many years does he go to prison for? Does he go to prison? Does he have a sob story? 

When do major New Zealand retailers stop having to regale the sharemarket with their profit-sapping stories of jungle behaviour and frightened staff? 

No Government can solve this sort of malaise instantly, or overnight, or perhaps even quickly. 

But my word, the pressure is on. When you watch that petrol station video, and we all should, we look third world, and we look lawless. 

My fear is the treatment of such behaviour still leans towards forgiveness, as opposed to what should actually be happening. 

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It's a day of shame after an inquiry into Britain's infected blood scandal suggests a cover up. 

More than 30,000 people received infected blood and products in the 1970s and 80s from the state-funded National Health Service. 

3000 people died and thousands more contracted hepatitis or HIV. 

The inquiry's found the government hid the truth to save face and expense. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is pledging financial compensation for those impacted. 

He says they'll pay whatever the scheme costs, with details laid out tomorrow. 

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A new model is being proposed to give more local councils more control. 

Local Government New Zealand's calling on the government to adopt city and regional deals, a system that would see local and central government team up for local projects. 

It's hoped the arrangement would allow for more decentralisation. 

Local Government New Zealand President Sam Broughton told Mike Hosking that it's been a success in places such as the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, but New Zealand must figure out its own solution. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 21st of May, Housing Minister Chris Bishop outlined the absolute shambles that is Kainga Ora and how it's going to be fixed. 

The Greens finally got back to us about how much the Darleen Tana investigation is costing. Mike revealed the full details. 

Robert Patrick of Terminator fame is soon going to be in the country, so we had to get him on the show to hear how his Harley Davidson business is going and what cigars he's smoking. 

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One of the greatest villain actors of all time, Robert Patrick is stopping by New Zealand. 

He’s most well known for playing the T-1000 terminator in the second film of the Terminator series, and for his roles in Reacher, Peacemaker, and the Yellowstone prequel 1923. 

Patrick is coming to New Zealand next month, popping up at panels and signings at Auckland’s Wintergeddon Armageddon Expo. 

He told Mike Hosking that fans don’t normally get the chance to meet their favourite actors in person, so it’s neat that they can have a chance to meet him. 

“It’s neat to have people tell you how much they love your work,” he said. 

“How they saw your film, and where they saw it, and they watched it with their dad, and you know.” 

“It’s neat to see the impact you, you’ve been able to have on some people’s lives.” 

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The Government looks set to devolve large parts of the delivery of public housing to community housing and other social providers after a damning report into Kāinga Ora raised questions about its financial competence, showing it was staring down the barrel of a $700 million annual deficit. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that the results of the review were worse than they thought. 

“We had known from opposition that it was being abysmally managed,” he said. 

“It is the biggest landlord in the country, a $45 billion enterprise and has a huge responsibility to Kiwis to deliver state housing and it has done a terrible job.” 

Luxon said the responsibility sits with the board and the previous administration, which allowed it to run up $10 billion in debt. 

“It had no plan to stop it getting to $29 billion in 10 years' time.” 

He said the government is moving quickly to implement some of the report’s recommendations such as refreshing the board and getting a turnaround in place. 

Luxon said he was shocked when the board did not have a statement of financial position. 

“When the board doesn’t know to ask for that, that’s a big problem. Clearly, the financial literacy was poor.” 

When asked if the government would use community providers to build state housing, Luxon said organisations like the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Māori and iwi providers can do it at a lower cost. 

“They also provide better pastoral care in those communities as well,” he said. 

“I’m interested in providing more social housing, whether that comes from state houses via KO or community housing providers - the mix will be determined. 

“Ultimately, there is a bigger role to play for community housing providers.” 

Luxon said the government is still waiting for France’s go-ahead before sending an NZDF plane into New Caledonia. 

“We are waiting for the French authorities to deem that it is safe,” he said. 

“The roading out to the airport in the past 48 hours has had issues in terms of security and unrest. It has to be safe when we move. 

“All I can reassure you is we are ready to go. We can deploy NZDF assets, we have also explored other options such as commercial charters. We have been working incredibly well with the Australians. 

Luxon said Foreign Minister Winston Peters is doing a brilliant job at pushing the French system in New Caledonia and Paris. 

When asked whether the French are days away from giving the go-ahead, Luxon said it could well be, but the government, alongside the Australians, are pushing them. 

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The Housing Minister says change is well and truly afoot at Kainga Ora as a critical independent review finds it's under-performing. 

The inquiry's also found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable. 

Chris Bishop has ruled out a mass sale of state homes, but indicated a total refresh of the board. 

He told Mike Hosking that Kainga Ora's debt levels simply aren't sustainable. 

Kainga Ora is a $45 billion enterprise for delivering Kiwis state-housing, he said, and it’s done a terrible job. 

Bishop says the responsibility sits with the previous board and the Labour Government who allowed it to increase debt by $10 billion. 

He said that it sat around $2 billion in 2018 and is forecast to hit $23 billion in 2028. 

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New Zealand's largest supply chain collaboration has signed another deal with an international shipping giant. 

Kotahi has entered a second decade partnership with Maersk, which will allow for $160 billion worth of cargo to be exported on a reliable supply chain. 

Kotahi chief executive David Ross told Mike Hosking that it offers needed certainty to some of New Zealand's largest exporters. 

He says it's an exciting agreement which gives 10 years of international shipping reliability. 

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New Zealanders stranded in New Caledonia may have to endure a few more days of riots and civil unrest. 

The main international airport in Nouméa remains closed with all commercial flights suspended. 

The French president has called another meeting with defence and security council to discuss what to do next. 

Europe correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that the government's made it clear the airport won't reopen before Thursday. 

She says more than 60 barricades on the road to the airport have been cleared, but protesters are warning they'll put up more. 

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There’s still no word on when Defence Force aircraft will be sent to retrieve tourists stuck in New Caledonia. 

Commercial flights remain cancelled due to the unrest in Noumea; 231 Kiwis are registered as being there. 

Defence Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking “The issue is that Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has to work with the French government.” 

Collins said “Stay in your own home, don’t go out unnecessarily and understand that help is coming.” 

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Six people have been arrested after pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators clashed in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday afternoon. 

After a week of Melbourne-wide protests – Police confirmed around 7,000 people were in attendance. 

This follows a pro-Palestinian demonstration that stormed a Labor Party conference on Saturday. 

Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking “The Premier and Deputy Premier had to be locked in a conference room.” 

Price said “The Premier has stated ‘this is a federal problem, not a state problem. Australia must speak with one voice on the world stage.” 

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McDonalds is expected to face more community opposition as it launches a second bid to build a restaurant in Auckland's Orakei. 

A previous application to build on Kepa Road was withdrawn,  after community concerns around traffic, anti-social behaviour and litter. 

Orakei board member Troy Churton told Mike Hosking “the community’s said they don’t want a proliferation of fast food businesses in Orakei.” 

Churton says “There is a degree of brand ill-will against McDonalds.” 

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The Green Party is tight-lipped on the cost of an investigation into suspended MP Darleen Tana. 

The MP has been stood down since March 14, while an investigation takes place into her involvement into allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband's business. 

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told Mike Hosking “Every political party has funding that they can use at their discretion.” 

Swarbrick said “Obviously we would prefer that we weren't doing this investigation” 

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The two-time Olympic gold medallist Mahe Drysdale is hoping to deliver a prosperous "post-commissioner" future for Tauranga. 

The Olympian has put his name in the ring for the election on July 20, with nominations closing on Friday. 

Mahe Drysdale told Mike Hosking “I’m pretty central – I just want what’s best for the country.” 

Drysdale said “I will form an opinion of what the community wants - I'm very focused on making Tauranga New Zealand's best small city.” 

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Thick fog and limited daylight is hampering efforts to find Iran's president,Ebrahim Raisi and other officials.

The convoy of three helicopters was on its way back to Tehran, and onewas forced to make a "hard landing" due to the bad weather and fog near the border with Azerbaijan.

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking “They still haven't found the crash site.” 

Arnold said “Raisi is known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’, he brought in the execution of thousands of political dissidents in the late 80s.” 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 20th of May, we try and get some info as to how we will get the Kiwis home from New Caledonia from Defence Minister Judith Collins.   

Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick gave her "State of the Climate" speech and answered questions about the Darleen Tana interview.   

What a win for the Warriors! Season saver! Guy Heveldt and Andrew Saville join Mike in the Commentary Box to talk that, the rugby and Sid Going. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Hopes that business can be kept separate from geopolitics arise at today's China Business Summit in Auckland. 

Key issues on the card include the Government's goal to double exports by value within 10 years, and the implications of expanding into other markets alongside China. 

China Business Summit co-chair Simon Bridges told Mike Hosking “In China, it’s very interesting times.” 

Bridges said “With China’s economy – critics say it’s in trouble, and supporters say it’s robust.” 

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Top defence lawyers have called for changes to our courtrooms, arguing that it's biased in favour of the prosecution. 

In a letter, the Defence Lawyers Association has outlined how it believes they're automatically disadvantaged. 

Defence Lawyer Steve Cullen told Mike Hosking that there are some aspects worth looking into. 

Cullen said “If you have the prosecutor sitting in front of the judge, and defence lawyer behind them – some people may think that gives priority. But jurors don’t know.” 

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China has reported data that suggests slower consumer growth, but industrial activity has remained consistent. 

JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mike Hosking “There’s not been enough trickle-down to consumers and households.” 

Kelleher said “Consumption is down in the doldrums – retail sales are problematic in New Zealand and around the world – in China they rose 2.3% in April, which is well below expectations.” 

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Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in serious condition, and still faces risks of complications but has stabilised. 

Fico was shot five times at point-blank range last week, in an attack that sent shockwaves throughout Europe. 

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking “I suspect he’ll be in that hospital for a while yet.” 

Grey said “The man charged has appeared in court over the weekend – the court ruled that he could be placed in custody before the trial.” 

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The Warriors beat three-time defending champions Penrith Panthers 22-20, putting an end to their four-game losing streak. 

The NRL is also seeing a surge in popularity - ten rounds into the season, and nearly 1.59 million New Zealanders have watched matches on Sky Sport and Sky Open. 

Andrew Alderson told Mike Hosking “I think it’s a tremendous result.” 

Alderson said “I think there's genuine belief there and they’re bringing those fans with them – justifiably.” 

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New Zealand pet owners have added struggles during the cost-of-living crisis. 

Latest Stats NZ figures show the price of pets and pet-related things have increased by a quarter in two years, while vet bills have also been rising sharply. 

SPCA Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Alison Vaughn told Mike Hosking that although we want to spoil our pets, we need to be focusing on the basics when times are tough. 

Vaughn said “The most important things are food and vet care – especially getting your pets de-sexed.” 

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