The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Place your bets – it's Melbourne Cup Day. 

Three New Zealand-trained horses are in this year’s race: Sharp N Smart, Positivity, and Trust In You. 

Sharp N Smart is the most favoured of the three Kiwi entrants and is owned by Graeme Rogerson and his wife.  

Debbie Rogerson told Mike Hosking they’re feeling good about their prospects. 

“We’re very, very happy with the horse,” she said. 

“Couldn't be more than happy the way everything’s just fallen into place.” 

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Germany's coalition government is on shaky ground.  

The country’s struggling economy has sparked infighting between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), with the coalition on the brink of collapse.  

Europe Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking the three coalition parties have been holding emergency talks to try to bridge policy divisions. 

She says the Free Democratic Party's policy of tax cuts have been particularly unpopular. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 5th of November, on the eve of the US Presidential Election, so what do all the polls say is going to happen in about 36 hours? 

The Prime Minister faces some questions over the Government's bootcamps and potential use of force by staff. 

In an exclusive long form chat, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to Mike about the US election, what he thinks of Trump, and his upcoming visit to New Zealand. 

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Boris Johnson is praising the presidency of his friend and ally Donald Trump. 

The former British Prime Minister has spoken exclusively to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking on the eve of the US election, as final polling shows key battleground states could still go either way. 

Johnson is commending the unpredictability of US democracy, compared with countries like China and Russia. 

He says he has a good relationship with Kamala Harris, but he disagrees with the public perception of Trump. 

Johnson says the former president was robust on Syria, Iran, and Russia.  

He told Hosking that if Trump is a “nutjob”, there is definitely a method to his madness. 

Johnson says another Donald Trump presidency could ease the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

He says Trump has opposed aid to Ukraine only to separate himself from political opponents like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.  

If elected, he says Trump would be stern on Putin and wouldn't allow NATO and the United States to be humiliated. 

Johnson will be offering more of his insights as the the International Keynote Speaker at a one off “Long Lunch” event in Auckland this December. For more information, click here. 

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The Prime Minister is standing by the Government's military-style boot camp programme. 

Under the programme, children are spending three months in a youth justice residence and nine months getting community support under the current pilot programme. 

A leaked document from Children's Minister Karen Chhour has suggested giving military-style academy providers the power to use force could increase the risk of abuse. 

But Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking there are psychologists and social workers involved who are looking after the interests of young people. 

He says they are up at 6:30, in uniform, with a high level of physical training, but they're also writing resumes, thinking about job interviews, and have all the support they need. 

Luxon says that comparing the programme to abuse in state care is disingenuous. 

He told Hosking there was no oversight or monitoring decades ago, but they are now focused on care and rehabilitation. 

He says they have multiple layers of protection, and the checks and balances are there. 

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An education expert says the Government's targeted maths trial will help catch a lot of the students currently slipping through the cracks. 

The Government's announced a trial programme to accelerate the skills of about 2000 Year 7 and 8 students who are behind in maths.  

It will run in the first two terms of next year, with small-group tutoring and supervised online tuition up to four times a week. 

Education Hub Founder Nina Hood told Mike Hosking everyone can get maths, it's just about being taught in a way that builds skills. 

She says when people don't get those basic skills, it prevents them from doing more advanced maths. 

Hood says the tutoring pairs well with the new incoming curriculum, and if it’s done right, there’ll need to be less intervention over time.  

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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris remain neck-and-neck on the eve of polling day, but one top polling expert is picking the election for Trump. 

Trump is spending the day in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan. 

Harris is focusing on Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state with 19 Electoral College votes. 

Polling analyst Henry Olsen told Mike Hosking he believes Trump will narrowly win more Electoral College votes. 

He says the country has shifted to the right, and Harris isn't winning enough independent voters to offset that. 

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The boss of Westpac's New Zealand arm insists our banking market is competitive. 

Westpac is reporting a 10% increase in net profit in New Zealand while being hit by "intense market competition" in Australia. 

It comes as the bank bosses are being hauled before a banking inquiry at Parliament. 

Catherine McGrath told Mike Hosking the bank is positioned to support Kiwis as the economy starts to grow. 

She says as the smallest of the big four banks, Westpac believes any way to make competition easy is a good thing. 

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Support for the Australian Labor party and the coalition has dropped.  

Australian correspondent Steve Price tells Mike Hosking a new poll published in The Australian shows Prime Minister Anthony Alabanese is seen as incompetent and useless. 

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Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt join the Commentary Box to discuss the Black Caps incredible whitewash, the All Blacks close win over England, the first kiwi derby in the A-League, and the Kiwis loss to Tonga after a 75th minute goal. 

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Election week has arrived for the United States with both candidates spending the weekend drumming up last-minute support for their respective campaigns.  

NZUS Council Chairman Jonathan Mason joins Mike Hosking to discuss which candidate would best benefit New Zealand. 

Mason says the fear with a Trump election win is the 10-20 percent tariffs he is set to impose on New Zealand imports such as wine and meat. This would make a targeted hit on the New Zealand economy possible. 

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The Black Caps did the unthinkable over the weekend, securing a 3-0 test series win over India. 

New Zealand have become the first team to whitewash India at home in a series featuring three or more tests. 

Black Caps coach Gary Stead tells Mike Hosking winning in India is “incredibly special”. 

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Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the UK Conservatives new leader. 

The 44-year-old is vowing to turn the Tory’s around. 

Badenoch’s election marks the first time a woman of colour has led a major political party in the UK. 

UK correspondent Rod Liddle tells Mike Hosking there is a suspicion that the public will like Badenoch, bucking the trend of a big party cycling through several leaders before the next election. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 4th of November, it's day one of the new rollout for how police deal with mental health callouts, so how are officers feeling and will it go off without a hitch? 

It's Trump vs Kamala - but what does it mean for NZ and trade if either candidate win the presidency? The NZUS council is on the show. 

Another amazing weekend of sport, starting with the Black Caps and capped off by Liam Lawson in the points again in F1. Guy and Sav give us their highlights. 

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Phase One of the new Police approach to mental health callouts takes effect today.

Police Association President Chris Cahill tells Mike Hosking that 11 percent of jobs that Police attend are related to mental health.

Police will still attend to people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Overseas, the removal of police from mental health callouts has lead to better outcomes for patients.

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The clock is ticking on the US election, as the final polls have come in.

More than 75 million Americans have already cast their ballots.

US correspondent Richard Arnold tells Mike Hosking that polls show Kamala Harris has picked up support in the Republican red state Iowa, to lead Donald Trump.

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A new report suggests a fully funded dental system could cost less than the current approach.

Lost productivity and life satisfaction is costing New Zealand around $5.6 billion, prompting fresh calls for universal dental healthcare.

NZ Dental Association Policy Director Dr Robin Whyman tells Mike Hosking the association wants to increase the free dental care scheme to include those into their mid-twenties. The scheme currently covers those up to 18 years of age.

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Back to the review of the last election result we mentioned this week from the political brains trust at Victoria University. 

Just to remind you, they analysed our votes, our issues, and our voting intentions and, and as a result, what sort of mandate they thought the current Government has. 

My point was they overthought the whole thing, given we only have one vote and it doesn’t specifically buy a lot, or guarantee any sort of outcome, or even influence. 

So it is on that note I pose this very simple premise - if and when Labour get back to power, they are going to need most likely not just the Greens, but the Māori Party too. 

It’s the Māori Party that will potentially lead to a flurry of analysis and a lot of hard questions that I'm not sure anyone has even thought about yet. 

The Māori Party are radicals. 

When the police raided the Mongrel Mob the other day in Opotiki, Rawiri Waititi called it "state sponsored terrorism" driven by a race agenda. 

How do the Labour Party live with that? How do they explain it? How do they justify being in Government with that? 

To their credit, the Māori Party I think are long-termers, given Waititi seems to have a lock on his seat and that is far more reliable than 5%, which they will never get because they are radicals. 

They are single issue zealots. But democracy allows this if you can find 5% to agree with you, or a seat where that sort of rhetoric sells. Waititi has that seat. 

So when you vote for Labour or for the Greens do you think about a Government grouping that has the Māori Party radical element in it and, if you do, what do you think that will lead to? 

What if the Māori Party have the NZ First card, i.e. the balance of power where you can't form a Government without them? 

What do you think their price for that will be? How radical do you think that will be? 

When the political wonks at Victoria University get to analyse that, their heads will explode. 

What you thought you were voting for and what you got, will be unrecognisable. And yet in 2026 it's possible. 

In 2029 it might even be likely. 

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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. 

Wellington: 7/10 

As in the NPC team. A brilliant final, overtime and high drama. It's good for rugby. 

The haka: 6/10 

I know Joe Marler is a boofhead, but doesn't he make a not unreasonable point? By the time we show up, sing the national anthem twice and then the haka, that's a lot of indulgence asked for, isn't it? 

Anthony Albanese: 2/10 

"Hi Alan, can you stick us in first class?" What could possibly go wrong? 

Ginny Andersen: 3/10 

"Hahahaha look at that, I'll share that." What could possibly go wrong? 

Australia and their Covid report: 7/10 

Obviously a lot more efficient than us, but what theirs says ours will say. Sadly for both, the trust is gone, and lessons will never be learnt. But good to see some honesty at last. 

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Horticulture New Zealand is pushing the government to follow through with its veggie production commitments.  

A new Institute of Economic Research report reveals prices could skyrocket under proposed regulations to reduce nitrogen runoff, with broccoli potentially jumping to $9 a head.  

Horticulture New Zealand Strategy Manager Michelle Sands told Mike Hosking that at the moment fresh fruit and vegetable growing and supply isn't recognised as a matter of national importance for New Zealanders. 

She says the current rules would prevent growers from rotating their crops, which would negatively impact soil health and could seriously threaten vegetable production.  

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After a dominating win over Japan last weekend, the All Blacks are preparing to take on England.  

It’s a rather different side playing this weekend, with only three of the 15 players retaining their spot from the last match and prop Ethan de Groot being dropped from the selection. 

Coach Scott Robertson said the team was preparing for a boisterous Twickenham atmosphere and a determined England side. 

Patrick Tuipulotu told Mike Hosking that they’ve got a fairly good sense of what the opposing side is about.  

He says England will be a bit fresher than when they last faced off at the end of their season, but they’ll probably play quite similarly.  

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Capping off a short week, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. 

They debated the amount of sport someone can watch over the weekend before it starts to cause problems in their marriage, what people can do for their spouse to alleviate the damage, and touched on the Travis Scott concert debacle.  

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 1st of November, we've secured a new free trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council, so Trade Minister Todd McClay joined from Doha to discuss it. 

We give you a sneak peek of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's exclusive chat with Mike. 

Kate and Tim debate how long is too long to watch sport in the weekend as they Wrapped the Week, and speaking of sport, Patrick Tuipulotu joined for a chat ahead of the All Blacks vs England clash. 

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Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson offers his thoughts on the UK’s latest financial policy as part of an interview with Mike Hosking. Catch the full-length interview next week on the Mike Hosking Breakfast.  

Boris Johnson is condemning the British Labour Government's moves to hike taxes on the wealthy. 

High earners, wealthy foreigners, and businesses are facing $86 billion of extra taxes to fund public services like the National Health Service. 

Speaking exclusively to Mike Hosking, Johnson —the British PM from 2019 to 2022— says Sir Keir Starmer's government should be looking to cut the public service instead. 

He says putting up taxes, without reforming the public service, at a time when the UK state has already expanded massively, is "insane". 

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The Mental Health Minister says he disagrees with Mike King's comments about alcohol but supports his wider work.

The Gumboot Friday co-founder told Newstalk ZB alcohol is a solution for mental health problems, as it can help stop negative thoughts.

Labour wants the Government to stop providing funding for Gumboot Friday, an initiative that supports young people with their mental health.

Minister Matt Doocey told Mike Hosking the Government investment gives an extra 15,000 young people timely access to mental health support.

He says at the end of the day, it's about young people getting the support they need.

Doocey says King is allowed, as an advocate, to have his own views.

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New Zealand is getting a leg up in the competitive market of global exports. 

A free trade agreement has been made between New Zealand and the Middle East countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council. 

It comprises Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. 

Trade Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking New Zealand will be able to trade more with these countries. 

He says the tariffs weren't high, but bringing them down to zero gives exporters a competitive advantage. 

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Up to 20 thousand football fans are expected to turn out at Wellington's Sky Stadium tomorrow for the country's first ever professional football derby. 

The A-League match will see Wellington Phoenix play Auckland FC. 

Sky Stadium Chief Executive Warrick Dent told Mike Hosking with fine weather forecast, it's shaping up to be a good time. 

He says there's hype building both in the capital and amongst fans in Auckland. 

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An Auckland start-up is making waves in the United States. 

ListAssist has won a contract with real estate firm Howard Hanna, the largest independent firm in the country. 

They’ve created an AI tool that allows you to type your specific requirements into a search bar, which will then bring up the relevant options.  

Founder Chris McGoldrick told Mike Hosking that they essentially overtake the existing search bars on real estate websites and enriching the data. 

He says they build upon the information given by the agents, adding their own to build as comprehensive a picture as possible.  

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If this Government wants a money saving idea then they should cancel the two Covid inquires and simply adopt Australia's. 

Australia's review released this week is damning, as indeed will ours be. 

Ours will be pretty much the same as Australia's because, within a margin, we did pretty much the same thing. 

If there was any irony, it's that they had “versions” of theirs, and in that is a major lesson. Even with versions, it is broadly accepted none of them turned out to be much chop. 

If we were a state of Australia we would have come in at the tighter, or more restrictive, end of the Australian version. 

Places like Victoria were very much like us because they were run by two very similar people: Dan Andrews and Jacinda Ardern. 

They were hard-left control freaks. 

Western Australia was an outlier in the sense they had a lot of rules but not many of them applied inside the state. In other words, they locked themselves off, but because they were self-reliant, they got on with life. 

New South Wales, run by conservatives, had the most lenient response. 

But this is the biggest out-take - no matter what the response, faith and trust has been lost. 

The rallying cry post-Covid has been to learn the lessons, so we are ready for next time. Are we ready for next time? No. 

Will we ever be? No. 

Will it be worse? Yes. 

Why? Because, as the report suggests, the big lesson we have learned is that the people who run us aren't up to much, and they did a lot of things we would never go along with again. 

Which does of course present a very real issue because it's entirely possible there will be a next time. 

These reports are also predicated on the idea that those who ran it all learn their lessons. Will they? Of course not. 

The public service is full of Ashley Bloomfields, and Jacinda Arderns, and Dan Andrews and Gladys Berejiklians, and if it's them or their ilk running things, next time will look exactly like this time. 

Except, and this is where the carnage will ensue, we won't be along for the ride. 

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Antonia Prebble has been busy. 

The Kiwi actress has just recorded the second season of ‘Double Parked’, the second season of her award-winning podcast is releasing soon, and she also has three other TV shows currently in development.  

Prebble's husband, Dan Musgrove, is a writer by trade, and she revealed that the three shows were a collaborative effort between the two of them.  

One of the projects is a black comedy, another is a psychological thriller, and the third is a horror movie, Prebble revealed, and the latter two are genres she’s personally not a fan of. 

“I don't like watching things like that because I find them too full on and violent,” she said. 

“Whenever we work in it, I’m like, why are we doing this?” 

The television and film industry is going through a bit of a rough patch, and while Prebble generally tries not to buy into the rhetoric about the state of the industry, she admits it isn’t looking great. 

“It’s a lot harder to find those premium style shows,” she told Hosking. 

“If you want to make something that costs around $8 million you, generally speaking, have to have international support.” 

“It’s pretty hard to get.” 

It’s also becoming more and more uncommon for shows to be renewed and picked up for multiple seasons, so the second season of ‘Double Parked’ came as good news. 

“We were so thrilled.” 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 31st of October, Social Development Minister Louise Upston discusses the shocking new figures that shows how long young people spend on a benefit on average. 

Rally king Hayden Paddon is the first Kiwi to be invited to compete in the Race of Champions and joined Mike for a chat about the event. 

Kiwi actress Antonia Prebble is in studio to talk the new season of her podcast and the three TV shows she has in development. And who needs an excuse to catch up with Antonia anyway! 

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New Zealand will have a two-driver team for the first time at motorsport's Race of Champions in Sydney in March. 

Rally driver Hayden Paddon's been selected for the event which pits top competitors across Formula One, Indycar, Le Mans, Supercars, Nascar, and rallying against one another in a one-versus-one elimination format in identical vehicles. 

Another Kiwi will be announced in due course. 

Paddon told Mike Hosking that it’s surreal to be a part of something he always watched as a kid. 

He says there will be up to 20 drivers with a lot of top names included, so they’re up against the best of the best. 

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The Social Development Minister says beneficiary figures are dire.  

Jobseeker Support beneficiaries who are 'work-ready' spend an average 13 or more years on a benefit over their lives.  

People under 25 on Jobseeker spend an average of 18 more years on a benefit – 49% longer than in 2017.  

Those under 20 who were receiving a youth benefit spend an average 23 more years receiving one.  

Social Development Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking 23 years out of work is half one's working age. 

Their income and opportunities are far less than someone who’s been in employment, she says, which is something she’s not willing to tolerate. 

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Auckland's Mayor admits there's no way to guarantee the safety of passengers on public transport. 

Figures released exclusively to Newstalk ZB show Auckland Transport is dealing with about 83 incidents a week on trains, and an increasing number of those incidents are violent. 

Emergency services are being called to incidents on buses nine times a week, including stabbings, beatings, and other attacks. 

Wayne Brown told Mike Hosking he's asking Police to hop on buses during their regular patrols, but there can't be cops and security on every bus. 

He says they've set aside money to start caging drivers to protect them, but they can't cage passengers. 

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An abuse survivor says it should be no surprise to the government that Lake Alice survivors aren't jumping up and down with delight.  

The Government's announced it will reimburse survivors' the millions of dollars worth of legal fees from a 2001 Crown settlement.  

It's still considering forms of redress for what happened at the child psychiatric unit, which a Royal Commission investigation found amounted to torture. 

Jim Goodwin told Mike Hosking that while it's a start, the survivors are a cynical group. 

He says they've been mucked around for decades and had to battle for things that should be a right. 

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There's mixed emotions over the decision to move Auckland's speedway from its home of 95 years.  

This summer season will be the last raced at Western Springs. 

Councillors deliberated for seven hours before voting 11-8 in favour of an $11 million upgrade to Onehunga's Waikaraka Park. 

Western Springs Speedway Manager John McCullum told Mike Hosking it's a tough pill to swallow. 

He says normally an $11 million council investment is great, but it's coming at the cost of losing their home. 

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Is rugby union having a revival? 

Player registrations were up by 6% in 2024, with the critical bracket of teenage boys experiencing a 5% in of itself.  

There were 156 thousand registered players across the country, with Heartland provinces setting new records.  

NZR Community Rugby GM Steve Lancaster told Mike Hosking that enjoyment drives registration and retention. 

He said that their focus is on ensuring their participants, whether they’re a player, coach, referee, or volunteer, are enjoying their experience. 

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It's kind of odd that it took Jeff Bezos to explain what I would have thought was the bleeding obvious.

There is a 'to do' in the US election among the elites over a couple of newspapers not endorsing a candidate.

This is an American thing – we don’t do it here and we are wise not to.

It started with the LA Times, who decided no endorsement would be made. This led to one of the editorial board quitting and a lot of whining.

Then came the Washington Post, which is the paper Bezos owns. The editor said it was their call not to endorse a candidate, this was disputed and several board members walked, and allegedly a couple of hundred thousand subscribers quit the paper.

Enter Bezos, who wrote a couple of self-explanatory things.

Firstly, he wished the no-endorsement move had come earlier, not in the heat of the battle.

He then pointed out, quite correctly, not a single undecided voter ever, anywhere, had their mind made up by a newspaper.

Then most importantly of all he suggested, once again quite correctly, that the media is not trusted by the American public and wandering around pretending to be neutral while endorsing people is not going to help their reputation.

Not surprisingly both papers were going to endorse Kamala Harris and whether from a point of view of true balance or not, a media already seen to be hopelessly left-leaning and in the Democrat's pocket was not going to tilt the balance their way by further enhancing their reputation as anti-Trump.

The endorsement business comes from a different age. An age when papers actually mattered.

Some still do, but not many, and as the media is diluted it matters less and less.

The problem with this problem is those in the middle of it still clearly suffer from another of the age-old problems of the media – too many take themselves too seriously.

I bet many of them actually believe that people don’t make up their mind until they are told to. Many of them will think an endorsement swings the race or moves the needle.

Many of them will think that Bezos, as owner, really doesn’t get to make the calls. Guess what? He does.

The upside might just be a tired, old habit of an endorsement by paper might just have died in the race of 2024.

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Australia's Prime Minister is facing increasing scrutiny for allegedly asking the boss of Qantas for personal flight upgrades. 

Anthony Albanese is accused of asking for upgrades on 30 flights, dating all the way back to a flight from Christchurch to Sydney in 1999. 

Albanese claims he's doing everything by the book. 

But Australia correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking he's failed to answer questions about his contact with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce. 

He says the ones that are causing him trouble are private flights on holidays that are nothing to do with Government business. 

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Labour says homeowner protections will need to go hand-in-hand with Government's proposed building consents scheme. 

The reforms will allow tradespeople to consent their own work for basic housing, foregoing inspections.  

Criteria is also being considered for businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects to access streamlined consenting.  

Labour's Housing Spokesperson Kieran McAnulty told Mike Hosking customer protections like indemnity insurance are key. 

He says homeowners need confidence and if the legislation is wishy-washy, it won't work. 

National’s Mark Mitchell agrees, saying that there is a balance to be found, but we have to look at sensible ways of making it easier and cheaper to build houses.  

He says they have world-class tradespeople who can be trusted to self-certify. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th of October, we get the pros and cons of the Government's self-certified building consents scheme from different industry professionals. 

The lab-grown diamond business is booming in this country. So, can you tell the difference? And will they flood the market? 

Kieran McAnulty and Mark Mitchell cover off Ginny's social media faux pas, the building consents, and whether the Speaker is ruining Question Time on Politics Wednesday. 

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Not everyone in the industry is on board with the Government’s proposed building consents scheme. 

Businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects, will be able to access streamlined consenting. 

Qualified tradespeople will be able to forego inspections for low risk builds through the opt in 'self-certification scheme'. 

Institute of Building Surveyors President David Clifton told Mike Hosking consents are there for a reason, as not all builders are perfect and there's still a high failure rate with consents. 

Clifton told Hosking we need to get our foundation right before moving forward on this. 

He says if we get our education, building and consenting processes right, then this can happen. 

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The Government’s proposed building consents scheme is being hailed as a ‘common sense’ approach by one construction company.  

Qualified tradespeople will also be able to forego inspections for low risk builds through the opt in 'self-certification scheme'. 

Businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects will be able to access streamlined consenting. 

GJ Gardner General Manager Olly Sundstrum told Mike Hosking with this scheme, they could deliver homes 50% more quickly. 

He says they could easily return to this because product, material, and labour supply are not an issue. 

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Lab-grown diamonds are dulling the sparkle of the real thing. 

The jewellery trend is taking over the traditional diamond market, mainly due to their cheaper price. 

Auckland's Holland & Co Fine Jewellery owner Greg Holland told Mike Hosking people can't tell the difference between lab grown and real with the naked eye. 

He says someone would need strong magnifying equipment to see the growth lines on manmade ones. 

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The Education Review Office says there's a chronic absence crisis.  

This Term 2, one in ten students were chronically absent.  

Chronic absence has doubled in secondary schools since 2015, and almost tripling in primary schools.  

By age 20, chronically absent students can cost the state three times more than a student who went to school.  

ERO Ruth Shinoda told Mike Hosking the education they're missing out on damages their life chances.  

She says less than half get NCEA level two, and by age 25 almost half are receiving a benefit rather than working.  

Shinoda told Hosking the contributing factors are long-standing.  

She says half of schools don't refer to attendance services because they're often not effective as they're overwhelmed, with some having 500 students to one worker.  

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Small businesses want the Government to rethink regulations it describes as a burden. 

A new report from Business NZ claims small Kiwi businesses are bogged down by compliance hurdles and complicated regulations, which it says cost time and money. 

Business NZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking politicians need to ease the burden, and not politicise it. 

She says too often the debate around small business involves politicians promising to cut red tape, but she says they need to be more specific about what will actually change. 

Rich says they've provided a practical shopping list of possible regulation changes that would help businesses almost immediately. 

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Fresh off the back of new Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accepting free suits and glasses (is it just me or is accepting free glasses even weirder than accepting free suits?), the Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party accepted a free apartment in New York. 

I can understand that a little bit more readily. You're in New York, a donor says, "I've got a place, stay there", you needed a place to stay anyway, so it kind of makes sense. 

Whereas most people who need reading glasses buy them for themselves. 

Clothing is tricky, to the extent a spouse gets added to the mix and you are expected to look a certain way. It is expected you can't turn up looking the same every time, so you need more clothes than normal people. But where is the line between an allowance and simply taking the mickey? 

MPs aren't paid all that much here, or in Britain, or Australia, which is where their Prime Minister now finds himself in his own hole after the revelations he organised a bunch of free upgrades on Qantas by allegedly going directly to then-CEO Alan Joyce. 

This was for personal travel for himself and his family. As Prime Minister you travel first class, if not on the Airforce jet, but your son travels like anyone else. Or they do unless Dad has been on the phone to the CEO. 

How these people think this is normal I have no idea. How they think they will get away with it is beyond me. 

Public life these days is transparent. You can't do anything without a snitch, or a leak, or a WhatsApp going astray. 

Is it a Labour thing? A left-wing thing? 

How does Starmer and Albanese explain freebies you and I would never get? 

How do they defend freebies from an already exulted position? 

Back here Luxon got a bagging for doing nothing wrong, apart from being successful enough to own a few houses. What would we have done if he had been upgrading himself, or accepting free suits and Amanda turns up in new eyewear paid for by party supporters? 

Public service once meant serving the public, not using your position to upgrade yourself, whether for aviation or sartorially. 

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Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss some of the biggest sporting news from the weekend. 

They discussed the Black Caps history-making win in India, the Silver Ferns claiming a win over Australia and taking the Constellation Cup, the latest from Formula 1 and Liam Lawson's eyebrow-raising behaviour, and Auckland FC's second A-League win in a row. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 29th of October, we do a deep dive into the health spending figures with Minister Shane Reti. 

The Prime Minister talks meeting the King at CHOGM, the plans for Kiwibank, and whether we should let Singapore invest in our infrastructure. 

After a long weekend of sport Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt talk F1, the Black Caps, Silver Ferns, Auckland FC, and much, much more. 

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There's a growing market for electronic recycling companies as the Generative Artificial Intelligence industry booms. 

Nature Computational Science has published a study finding the rise of the technology, means hardware and chip technology is quickly becoming outdated. 

It finds that it could create potentially five million tonnes of e-waste between 2020 and 2030. 

Echo Technology CEO Patrick Moynahan told Mike Hosking there's money to be made, as recycling companies are trying to adapt to keep up with demand. 

He says they're dealing with juggernauts like Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world. 

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The Health Minister believes Health NZ is funded enough, it's just not spending it well. 

Treasury warned that health spending's been increasing rapidly due to demographics, with costs increasing faster than inflation due to an ageing population. 

The total health system's estimated to cost $30 billion this year. 

Documents show Treasury suggested further cost cutting at Health NZ could require changes to services. 

Shane Reti told Mike Hosking there are clearly some vacancies to fill on the front-line, and some back-office positions that may not be needed. 

Health now accounts for 7% of GDP, which Treasury predicts is likely to reach 10% by 2061. 

Reti says they want to be wise users of taxpayers' money. 

He says New Zealand generally sits in the middle of the OECD around its spending compared to GDP. 

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Treasury's advised the Government of three options to boost Kiwibank's capital to better compete with the Australian-owned banks.  

They include borrowing money for Crown investment, third party investment, or an Initial Public Offering on the share market.  

It comes in response to the Commerce Commission market study on personal banking. 

Massey University Business School associate professor Claire Matthews told Mike Hosking if Kiwibank is bigger, it can operate at a similar level to the other big banks.  

But, she says, whether it actually makes a real difference in how the sector operates won't be known unless it happens. 

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Singapore has its eye on New Zealand as the place to invest. 

This is the message that has been relayed by Minister Shane Jones, who's just returned from a visit to the wealthy city state. 

He says Singapore is keen to invest in infrastructure, including the government’s planned road building programme and water infrastructure. 

Queen City Law managing director Marcus Beveridge told Mike Hosking Singaporeans are already big players in commercial property here. 

He says getting them to invest into infrastructure is a good idea, but he's not confident it can be pulled off. 

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Plans are being put in place across Europe for the possibility of Donald Trump winning the US election. 

Europe Correspondent Catherine Field says the European Union has already set up a special taskforce prepared for next week's election. 

She told Mike Hosking the officials have concern over the former president's potential policies, including pulling out of supporting Ukraine. 

Field says they also fear across the board trade tariffs of up to 20% on all European goods going into the US. 

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The Prime Minister believes a major Commonwealth diplomatic summit does have a future, with certain priorities.

Christopher Luxon joined his Commonwealth counterparts for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, held this year in Samoa.

King Charles and Queen Camilla also attended.

Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking it was a good opportunity to meet leaders from the Caribbean and Africa who he doesn't see as often and build some relationships with them.

He says it has to be focused back on development and democracy, building the capacity of public services in developing states, and getting rid of corruption.

When it comes to Kiwibank, the Prime Minister says it needs to be fired up as the maverick in the banking sector. 

Treasury's advised ministers of three options to boost Kiwibank's capital to better compete with the Australian-owned banks.

They include borrowing money for Crown investment, third party investment, or an Initial Public Offering on the share market.

It comes after the Commerce Commission market study on personal banking.

Luxon told Hosking he hasn't seen the advice, so doesn't yet have a view on the best option.

He says one of the options is the stock exchange, and they could also seek Super Funds or other funds to invest. 

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Australian media executive, Kim Williams has been made chair of the ABC Radio. He aims to raise the importance of news radio in Australia.

William said that there's far too much fluff on the website and that they need to tidy it up and tighten it up, he has got rid of the National Morning Pres, Breakfast Presenter Patricia Karvelas and has advised the team to be more serious. They have now returned to being the number read website in Australia.

Murray Olds, Australian Correspondent tells Mike Hosking that news in New Zealand isn't as big as he believes people have started to “care less” about the news.

He says that there aren't many radio newsrooms around as there's no money getting put into it, saying that Williams is going to be a “breath of fresh air for this place.”

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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. 

Andrew Bayly: 2/10 

Inexplicable behaviour. We still don’t really know the details of it, but it's also been hopelessly explained, thus dragging it out. 

Darleen Tana: 1/10 

A person who should have never found her way to a House of Representatives. 

The America's Cup: 7/10 

Why wouldn’t you believe Ainslie when he says we're the greatest team ever? 

Liam Lawson: 9/10 

Not just a debut in one of the world's most significant and influential sports, but a debut that had everyone mesmerised. Next stop, Mexico. 

Katsu chicken: 8/10 

Victory of the week in many respects. A problem addressed, solved, money saved, and the critics essentially silenced. 

The Commonwealth Games: 3/10 

It's got staggering "on its last legs" vibes. It's ten events in a last-minute city. In a world where sport is booming, this isn't. 

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If you are looking for cogent arguments, then there was no shortage of them from the banks this week in front of the Parliamentary committee looking into banking. 

They are doing this because the Government has decided banks need some kind of reform and there is not enough competition. 

What they plan to do about it we don’t know, but it’s the same argument around telcos, and petrol, and supermarkets, and airlines. 

Of particular concern to the Government is the way the farmers are treated. 

There is dispute within the banking community, like KiwiBank, Heartland Bank, SBS, and TSB, all say it's not fair, the regulation is troublesome, and the playing field is not flat. 

The bigger players say things are fine. Of course they would say that. But between them, and if you want to add the non-bank lenders, there seems to be no shortage of options. 

The defence is that farm bank lending is tough work and it's tough work because lending money to farmers carries risk. Returns from rural lending isn't as high as city lending. 

The complaint about farmers having higher rates is because a lot of farms operate on flexible rates, not fixed. 

All the banks talked of their market share. No one bank dominates and a number of banks have grown their books. 

None of this is to defend the banks at the expense of the farmer, it's just to say that there doesn't appear to be one side overtly more right than the other. 

The ANZ boss this week more broadly defended her bank's profits. She was on a hiding to nothing. She too was cogent, made sense, and put up a good explanation as to how banks work and what sort of return they need. 

It will make no difference, which is the big problem we, or in this case the Government, has with big business. 

They say there must be a lack of competition, profits are too high (without of course anyone defining what exactly is an acceptable profit) and so we will need rules, threats, and the Commerce Commission. 

But I will tell you this for nothing - none of it will change. 

My very broad conclusion for all these industries is we have an imperfect market, based partially, but in no small part, on the fact we are a tiny isolated country with five million people. 

We think we should get better than we do and by being hoodwinked into thinking that, someone must be a robber baron. 

They aren't, but it makes us feel better. 

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New Zealand is experiencing a vinyl revival, a new generation getting hooked on the old-school technology. 

It’s not just the cities experiencing the boom, Napier’s ‘Just For The Record’ filled with customers. 

Gordon Stevenson, the store’s owner, told Mike Hosking that there’s very few artists that aren’t on vinyl these days.  

He said that vinyl sounds considerably better than digital mediums, as the conversion from analogue to digital back to analogue degrades the music, and you can lose up to 40% of the music.

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There’ll be carnage in Canterbury this Labour Day weekend.  

The Kiwis are facing the Kangaroos for the first time since November in a sell-out league double-header. 

Their last match saw them claim a historic win in Hamilton, claiming 30 points and leaving the Aussies with zero. 

Coach Stacey Jones told Mike Hosking he’s confident they can put together a good performance. 

He said they’ve got a really good group of people, along with coaching staff, trainers, and a strong leadership group lead by the team’s captain. 

“I feel comfortable with what we’ve got.” 

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Friday has come so Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  

It’s been a scandal filled week, with Darleen Tana being ousted from Parliament, Andrew Bayly’s offensive comments, and the new Crown Observer for Wellington City Council, so they decided to play a game of Rank the Scandal.  

They also stand on one leg as they discuss balance, and debate working from home versus teacher-only days.  

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 25th of October, Finance Minister Nicola Willis talks contract expectations for social services. 

International rugby league is back in Christchurch with a huge game between the Kiwis and Australia. Stacey Jones talks the young Kiwi team's chances. 

Kate and Tim stand on one leg while discussing balance, working from home vs teacher only days, and what the scandal of the week was while Wrapping the Week. 

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Donald Trump has edged ahead of Kamala Harris in the latest polls, with less than two weeks until the US election. 

A Wall Street Journal poll shows the Republican two points ahead of the Democrat – a direct swap from when they last did the poll in August. 

A CNBC poll also shows Trump ahead of Harris by two points. 

US correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking potential reasons behind this shift are Trump's negative ads and Harris having a couple of shaky media appearances. 

He says Barack Obama's former campaign manager David Axelrod described one of her answers in a CNN town hall as a word salad. 

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There’s been a shift in when New Zealand will hit peak petrol imports. 

After initially predicting it will peak around next year, Channel Infrastructure says the early 2030s is now the more likely date. 

It comes as the company announced plans for an energy precinct at Marsden Point. 

Chief executive Rob Buchanan told Mike Hosking some of the reasons of this shift are reductions in vehicle kilometres travelled and the purchasing of new vehicles. 

He says they've also seen a dramatic reduction in EV registrations, now they compete with internal combustion engines. 

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“It must be better than this” is the message from children's advocate Dame Lesley Max following the Chief Ombudsman's crack down on Oranga Tamariki.  

Peter Boshier has taken aim at the organisation over its handling of complaints against a man, accused of abusing his partner's young children, despite nine separate reports. 

Great Potentials Foundation Co-Founder, Max says it should not have gone unnoticed.  

She says it's striking there were nine reports of concern when in so many cases there are no reports of concern. 

OT says it's taken the Chief Ombudsman's recommendations on board. 

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Zespri is optimistic for 2025 after what it says has been an encouraging year for growers. 

Its last charter vessel for the season has left for Japan, expecting to arrive early next month with just over 4,500 tonnes of fruit. 

The company says Europe has been performing really well, while China has seen a 40% increase in volume. 

CEO Jason Te Brake told Mike Hosking they're expecting to have more fruit to sell in 2025. 

He says markets are finishing really strongly, which usually flows into a good start of next year. 

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There’s going to be a major overhaul in the way the Government contracts social services. 

The Government's announcing what it calls outcomes contracts in a bid to deliver results, but also scrap initiatives that are not working. 

It's also working on a Social Investment Fund, soon to be spearheaded by social investment secretary and former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. 

Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking there are often multiple contracts coming from different agencies. 

She says they're spending hours filling in forms and doing what she calls “administrative bureaucracy”. 

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We have to ask some simple questions around our attitude to nuclear and whether we are capable of becoming slightly more mature about it. 

This country got semi-famous for its anti-nuke stance. We are still anti-nuke, but we got famous a lifetime ago and the world has changed. 

Amazon and Google and Oracle are building their own nuclear reactors and, if not building, they are buying nuclear deals with places like Three Mile Island, which also a lifetime ago made headlines around the world. 

They need nuclear to run data centres. Data centres need astonishing amounts of power. 

New Zealand wants to host data centres. 

Can New Zealand be a data centre hub, given the power system we now run? No. 

Ironically, just yesterday Genesis announced they will be buying more coal for next winter to cover the gap. The ongoing gap. 

That’s not for data centres. That's to turn the lights on, on a cold morning. 

This country, as we found out this winter, can't handle cold far less data centres, and nothing is changing between now and next winter. 

Factor in EV's if you want and we return to the ongoing but unanswered question - just what is it we are going to run the country on? 

Hydro is good, but not reliable. 

And neither is any of the other options we may or may not ever get around to producing at scale, like wind or solar or batteries. 

Nuclear is not only reliable, it's good for the environment. 

So we want to run data centres, but we don’t have enough power, we are still burning more coal, and the thing we hate is a viable option and being picked up and run with around the rest of the world. 

Are we to be left behind? Or are we to grow up and move forward? 

I would have thought it answers itself. 

But let's see. 

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An iconic Kiwi actor is back in the country. 

Craig Parker mostly lives in the United States these days, but has been back in New Zealand for a while, filming a mystery project before he guests at Auckland’s Armageddon Expo.  

The last time he was back on this side of the world was a couple of Christmases ago, but he told Mike Hosking that he likes to try visit every couple of years, escaping the milder LA January.  

Guesting at conventions like Armageddon is an industry of its own, and Parker says that while it’s easy to be cynical, he loves the con scene. 

“They’re a place where, for all different reasons, people who love a show or a genre of shows come together.”  

“When you make a show, it’s about the making of the show,” he told Hosking. 

“And sometimes you forget that other people out in the world watch it.” 

“But these events, you get to meet people who really love the stuff you've done, and it's not an ego thing where you're going, I'm amazing, these people want to meet me, they want to meet you because you are part of some world they love.” 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 24th of October, there’s yet more inequality and poor performance in our schools, according to a new report. Education Minister Erica Stanford talks the ever-growing job before her. 

We hear all the time about how good it is across the ditch, but a new report in the construction industry takes a closer look. 

Kiwi actor Craig Parker very rarely gets back to New Zealand, so while he’s here for a mystery film project and Armageddon, we had to get him in the studio for the first time.   

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Some ambulance workers feel the Government's funding boost is too little, too late. 

The Government's increasing ambulance service funding by 6%. 

Hato Hone St John says the extra money has helped it settle pay disputes with unions, ending weeks of industrial action. 

First Union National Ambulance Coordinator Faye McCann told Mike Hosking that it hasn’t really fixed any of the problems they’re concerned about, but it has alleviated some of the financial burden people are facing.  

She says it’s definitely a Band-Aid fix.  

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The construction sector says the grass isn't always greener in Australia.  

New research suggests the long-held belief of Australia offering better financial opportunities in the industry than New Zealand may no longer be true.  

The Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council says, in some cases, salary and housing prices paint New Zealand as the better option.  

Chief Executive Phil Aldridge told Mike Hosking that there’s a lot more to consider than just salaries.  

He said that the income-housing gap shrinks as people get older and want to settle down, so it’s actually more attractive to buy a house and raise a family in New Zealand. 

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Queenstown's film and TV industry finally has a home. 

An old department store has been transformed into Remarkable Studios NZ – already ticking off having its first major drama project filmed there. 

It's located just five minutes from Queenstown airport and close to several hotels. 

Screentime NZ chief executive Philly de Lacey told Mike Hosking they'd been looking for a place for some time when they saw the lease became available. 

She says it was too good to let go, and after some negotiations and working out how it will run, they're open for business. 

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Rising concerns from the farming sector as more land is sold off for forestry.  

Beef + Lamb's new research reveals more than 51,000 hectares have been sold since the end of 2022.  

It estimates almost one million stock units are lost for every 100,000 hectares planted. 

Chair Kate Acland told Mike Hosking the issue isn’t forestry as such, but rather the ETS settings.. 

She says there absolutely is a place for trees and forestry within farming, they just need some sensible limits.  

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The Education Minister hopes curriculum changes gives policymakers more information to work with. 

An auditor-general report has found the Ministry of Education lacks information prior to someone entering the NCEA system. 

The report suggests it's difficult to identify and tackle equity issues in the education system without more information. 

Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking students will be assessed to measure progress through structured literacy and maths. 

She says they're about to bring in twice-yearly consistent testing. 

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The polls are concerningly tight as the US Election draws nearer.  

With Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck, the focus is on the battleground states. 

Harris’ Campaign concerned about a potential crack in the ‘Blue Wall’, made up of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that if Harris loses one of those states, she wouldn’t have the 270 electoral votes needed to take the White House without getting at least one of the other battlegrounds. 

He said the call is out for every voter, including long-term Republican voters who may be closeted supporters of Harris. 

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King Charles and Queen Camilla are leaving Australia, bound for Samoa after a short but sweet trip down under. 

The pair had 27 engagements across Sydney, drawing substantial crowds filled with people of all ages. 

However, the trip wasn’t without drama, with Independant Senator Lidia Thorpe interrupting the reception to heckle the King.  

Australian Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking that Thorpe has done the Republican movement the biggest favour in the world, as her outburst would flip people back after the King’s visit. 

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Who doesn’t love katsu chicken? 

And with the katsu chicken, and the wraps, and the lasagne, David Seymour has saved us $130m. 

All the moaners, whingers, whiners, and hand wringers can say sorry because it wasn’t the end of the world. 

Several crimes have been committed in the school lunch drama, which of course should never have been a drama because the previous Government, in yet another example of their wasteful, haphazard way of doing things, should never have got into the school lunch programme business. 

Because when they did, they worked out they couldn’t afford it and therefore only gave it to a few and many of the few didn’t actually want the lunches. 

But they had to take them because the kid who did want the lunch couldn’t be made to feel bad, so the other 300 had to eat sandwiches with them. 

That was crime number one. 

Crime number two was they only funded it until the election, thus making it a fiscal cliff. David Seymour should have killed the thing completely but got talked down to what we have, which is $3 dollars a meal. 

Crime number 3 is to all the hand wringers who opined over and over and over about how they wouldn’t be any good, no one can make food for $3, kids would go hungry, it’s a scandal etc, etc. 

Fast forward and the menu is out, complete with photos of food, and wouldn’t you know it, for $3 you can do a pretty decent job. 

You feed kids, you save money, we have a lesson in expenditure and wastage and a Government promise has been delivered. 

The lunches were $8.68 a pop under Labour vs $3 now. That's quite the difference, isn't it? 

What cost almost half a billion dollars now costs $320m. 

And maybe the stories of the teachers helping themselves, or the families getting delivered the extras, or the farmers feeding it all to the pigs will vanish along with the doubters who have made it a past time, if not a living, refusing to believe a lot of what was done under Labour could be done cheaper and better. 

If only they paid attention to detail and were driven more by practicality and less by ideology and thought bubbles. 

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Signs of economic recovery look to be turning the dial on retailers' mood.  

Retail NZ's quarterly survey finds 65% of retailers feel confident or very confident their business will survive the next 12 months. 

It finds 57% think they will meet or exceed their targets for the final quarter, even after 70% failed to meet their last sales targets.  

Chief executive Carolyn Young says retailers are expecting more consumer confidence from recent OCR cuts and falling inflation.  

She says while sales numbers are down, there's optimism for the future. 

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Today on Politics Wednesday, Mike Hosking was joined by Labour’s Keiran McAnulty and National’s Mark Mitchell for a chat about some of the biggest political stories of the week so far. 

They discussed the hot water Andrew Bayly has found himself in after making a Ministerial visit, Wellington’s woes and the appointment of a Crown Observer to the council, and McAnulty explained why he got a yellow card for the Parliamentary rugby team. 

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The fallout from the axing of sports from the Commonwealth Games has begun. 

10 disciplines will be included in the scaled-down Glasgow event, with hockey, triathlon, sevens, and T20 cricket among the sports missing out.  

Track cycling, swimming, athletics, and netball have made the cut. 

NZ Olympic Committee CEO Nicki Nicol told Mike Hosking that the cut sports have already begun considering possible alternatives to the competition. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 23rd of October, Wellington has finally been appointed a Crown Observer, and David Seymour seems to have cracked it with the cheaper school lunches. 

Mike is astounded that people are going in to buy one colour of every clothing item they like, and by how little we are spending on food, on average, per week. 

Mark Mitchell and Kieran McAnulty cover off Andrew Bayly, Wellington's woes, and why Kieran got a yellow card for the Parliamentary rugby team on Politics Wednesday.  

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Rotorua locals are calling for all of the city's emergency motels to be shut down right away.  

The Government's applied to keep seven motels operating after their resource consents expire in December.  

Independent commissioner David Hill will look at 176 submissions and decide whether to renew them.  

Of the 37 submitters, 36 are against.  

Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers chair Reynold Macpherson told Mike Hosking that they don’t have any faith in the commission process. 

He said that it’s set up by the council, and always seems to come out with their preferred situation. 

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School lunches look to open up a number of opportunities for businesses. 

The Government says it's saving $130 million a year by reducing the cost per meal from $8 to $3. 

The Compass Group has been contracted as the lead supplier. 

Associate Education Minister David Seymour told Mike Hosking other businesses will be able to get involved. 

He says that for example, the programme will need 18 tonnes of chicken a fortnight, so there will be opportunities in that. 

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A former Wellington Mayor thinks Tory Whanau's made the right call to accept a Crown observer at her council. 

The city's Long Term Plan's being re-written after the city u-turned on its decision to sell its shares in Wellington Airport. 

There's also been a raft of issues around the council table. 

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown cited councillors walking out of meetings and refusing to participate in votes as rationale for intervention. 

Ex-Wellington Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast told Mike Hosking there'll be some relief from Wellingtonians this morning. 

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New research has revealed pipfruit export growth is outstripping national export growth. 

The industry contributed just under $2 billion to New Zealand's economy last year. 

Export value increased from $347 million in 2012 to more than $892 million in 2023. 

Apple and Pears chairperson Lesley Wilson told Mike Hosking the regional impacts are huge. 

She says they're the third-highest contributor to Hawke's Bay's GDP, second in Tasman, and Gisborne is also third largest growing region. 

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There are more people than ever with private medical insurance. 

In a so-called “cost of living crisis”, over 15,000 more people joined Southern Cross last year – and that’s just one company. They now have almost a million customers. 

Having delt with my company recently over a series of issues, I can inform you I pay over $4000 a year and I have never made a claim in my life. 

So far, they are winning. 

But I know a person who had an operation the other day that had a value attached of $40 thousand. It wasn’t a major operation, the surgeon did seven of them that day.  

Seven operations at $40 thousand, that’s a lot of business for one surgeon in one day, in one clinic. Which would explain why Southern Cross was paying out $6 million a day last year.  

Think about it – $6 million for every business day last year 

My obvious question is what's wrong with us? Half of members made a claim last year – there were over 3 million actual claims. How is that possible? 

As a result of all these claims Southern Cross ran a deficit. They also had to deal with increased cost of claims.  

That’s 50%. That 50% by the way, compares to 33% in 2019. So, in the past handful of years there has been an explosion in medical claims. Why? 

Knees up 17%, colonoscopy up 17%, hips up 11% - is that age? Are we all just literally falling apart? 

The simple reality is this can't continue. Well it can, but at a price, and is it any surprise the price is going up? 

Part of the reason the insurance numbers getting up I have no doubt is because the public system is under pressure. 

So a public system not working well on anything outside emergency, and the private system under pressure from ever growing numbers of claims, is it possible we are not well as a country?  

How come so many people are actively engaged with the health system? Are we worse than Australia, for example, and if so, why? 

How long can a private model go for whereby the prices go up and up, along with the claims? We seemingly getting sicker and sicker – why?  

Is this not the cold hard truth that when they say health is a bottomless pit, it’s true? Because these numbers show it is. 

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Stephen Fry is a man of many talents.  

He’s an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter, director, and has claimed the title of ‘bestselling author’ multiple times.  

His latest work is the final instalment of his Greek Myths series, ‘Odyssey’ retelling the tale of Odysseus from Homer’s epic poem.  

Along with this, Fry is bringing his live show to New Zealand stages, offering an unforgettable evening filled with entertaining stories about his journey through life and show business. 

He’s been in the business for nearly five decades and told Mike Hosking that he still sometimes finds it difficult to believe. 

“I still think of myself as a little boy watching Parkinson interview comedy stars, and film stars, and so on, and just dreaming of the amazing idea of being famous." 

“It’s extraordinary,” Fry said. 

“You'd think after all these years, it would have lost its lustre, but actually it hasn't.” 

Questions are welcome at Fry’s live show, the second half of the show being entirely filled with questions from the audience.  

“People are free to ask questions as serious as they like, but also as frivolous as they like.” 

“I’m not someone who finds it difficult to talk.” 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 22nd of October, the Government are making more changes to the Three Strikes law, so can the legal fraternity get on board? 

The Ihumātao debacle is back on the table as documents show that Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka considered disolving the committee.  

UK comedian, actor, writer, and orator Stephen Fry joins Mike to talk his new book and his upcoming shows in New Zealand later this year. 

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

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There's disagreement as the Government toughens up its Three Strikes rule for offenders.

It's lowering the threshold for a first strike warning from 24 months imprisonment to 12 months.

It's also agreed to activate strike warnings for people who commit any of 42 qualifying offences.

Law Association Vice President Julie-Anne Kincade told Mike Hosking there's no evidence this will help.

She says everyone wants less crime, but this is going to put people in prison who shouldn't necessarily be there. 

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A former Minister holds the view that the Ihumātao committee's achieved nothing.  

Documents seen under the Official Information Act show that Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka considered dissolving the committee. 

It's now been almost four years since the previous Labour Government supported the sale of the land, after controversial protests.   

Former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told Mike Hosking all this group is capable of doing is talking.    

He says he wouldn't give them an ultimatum, he'd just boot them now. 

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The Prime Minister says he can't fathom why Minister Andrew Bayly would make offensive comments to a worker during a visit.  

A worker claims the minister told him to “go home... take some wine, and F... off”, and made an L sign with his finger on his forehead.  

Bayly's apologised. 

Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking Bayly didn't know the person, and he isn't aware of any connection between Bayly and the company. 

He says Bayly genuinely feels like he was trying to engage in light-hearted banter but got it so wrong. 

Luxon says it's not the language or behaviour he expects of his ministers – they hold the position 24/7. 

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The Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce says widening the region's key road will benefit everyone.  

The Hawke's Bay Expressway is being upgraded from two lanes to four as part of the Roads of National Significance programme. 

The route carries 29,000 vehicles a day, including those transporting goods to and from the Napier port. 

Chamber Chief Executive Karla Lee told Mike Hosking it's well past its use-by-date.  

She says a lot of trucks use it to get to the port, which is incredibly important for their freight. 

Lee says it's also huge for the commuters who go between Napier and Hastings every day. 

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The Royal College of GPs says registration fast-tracks will mean someone coming to New Zealand won't have to wait months. 

The Medical Council's introducing faster registrations for doctors with specialist qualifications from the UK, Ireland, and Australia.  

It comes after Australia introduced something similar for GPs from here, the UK, and Ireland.  

College of GPs President Samantha Murton told Mike Hosking New Zealand is an attractive option for people to come work.  

She says there's a lot of people who want to come – 41% of medical professions are overseas graduates, and there are jobs available in certain areas.  

Murton says there's plenty of roles in General Practice, psychiatry, and anaesthetics. 

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A very good victory on Friday for common sense.

The Solicitor-General fell on her sword over the instructions to the prosecution service promoting race.

It was Monday, this time last week we raised it because it seemed scandalous.

How did this happen? How does a Government so explicitly state the race card is no longer being played in policy settings, and yet the Solicitor-General is saying what she is to the police, having been advised by a radical-sounding Maori group, drummed up out of Andrew Little's famously well-catered justice gab-fest a couple of years back.

By Tuesday the media are still asleep at the wheel and no one has touched it. We raise it with the Prime Minister, who forgot his backbone, played the independence card and couldn’t really do what he needed to do, which was close it down.

By Wednesday David Seymour wonders aloud on the tiles at Parliament why, when surrounded by the press gallery, he hasn’t been asked about it, given the question line was around the Tui billboards.

By late Wednesday, into Thursday, the media, bless them, has finally been stirred, or embarrassed, into some sort of action.

The NZ Herald tries an op-ed sort of piece, quite rightly asking a few questions around how the Solicitor-General got herself in this mess, given her experience. Radio NZ bumbles out of its slumber and gives it some coverage. Even TV3 finally slaps together a little something for their 6 o'clock effort.

On Friday Judith Collins, as Attorney-General, turns up on ZB and says what the Prime Minister should have said - it's not on.

By Friday afternoon, a very good time for a press release, the Solicitor-General says it came out all wrong, it shouldn’t have happened and sorry about it.

So - a win!

But here is the issue for the Government.

1) You can't promise policy and approach if you can't deliver.

2) They clearly have a major issue with the public service and pushback, so they need to do something about it.

Rightly or wrongly, the Government are the Government, and they make the rules.

They won the election, rightly or wrongly, in no small part because of their race direction policies. There is an expectation from voters they get delivered.

But although this has been a win, it should not have had to have been the fight it was.  

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Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss the America’s Cup, Auckland FC’s maiden victory over the Brisbane Roar, the Everest, Chris Hoy’s cancer announcement, the White Ferns winning the T20 Women’s World Cup, the Black Caps’ win in India and the NPC semifinals.

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 21st of October, Peter Burling and Grant Dalton are on the show to talk the America's Cup win and where it will be held next.

A World Cup win for the White Ferns - Craig McMillan joins amidst the celebrations.

And what a weekend for sport overall! Auckland FC, the America's Cup, Black Caps, White Ferns, Silver Ferns just to name a few! Guy and Sav wrap it all.

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

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Former President Donald Trump's crude remark of legendary golfer Arnold Palmer is raising eyebrows.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are on the home stretch to election day in under three weeks.

US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Trump has spent time talking about the late golfer's genitalia during a visit to Pennsylvania.

And Elon Musk's daily voter lottery is gaining attention.

The tech billionaire is giving away US$1 million a day to a registered voter in the key swing state of Pennsylvania until election day in November.

Musk has emerged as a Trump supporter over the past few years.

Arnold says the winner will be chosen at random from those who sign a pro-constitution petition.

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Hopes new technology can help predict busy periods in emergency departments.

Auckland University research has found artificial intelligence algorithms can predict surges in admissions for respiratory illnesses - weeks before they happen.

Computer scientist Steffen Albrecht told Mike Hosking it finds recurring patterns in data.

“It’s really a database using data that goes back to 2012.”

Health New Zealand says there are processes in place to minimise risks - when considering using this type of technology.

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