The Mike Hosking Breakfast

How about our week of angst? 

Take your pick, because there were hot takes galore. 

Sydney Sweeney was the funniest. The ad agency that dreamed up that campaign must be lining up for a bonus. 

Because the airtime it got in the end outweighed any actual cost by about 10:1. It went white hot viral as millions raged about boobs and sexuality and insulting female athletes. 

All of which it did of course, but that was the point. Did no one work out that was the point? Get Sweeney partially naked, say "sports, sports, sports" a lot and queue the fury. 

The ol' sexuality card is the oldest trick in the book and we're still falling for it. 

Hyrox was just plain weird. An unfortunate scenario mid routine and the whole rule book is changed out based on the outrage. 

The woman concerned didn’t seem overly worried, having appeared on social media seemingly making light of it. 

Then you've got Harry and Meghan. I blame the media, mainly the British. But their school upheaval went viral globally and it turned out the security issue for the kids was a bit of traffic. 

It's once again a reminder that these two are the worst sort of attention-seeking grifters and I now genuinely feel sorry for the kids. Their Mum and Dad are buffoons but given they don’t know any better and their attention obsession is seemingly incurable, maybe it’s the media's job to step back and simply ignore them. 

It seems incredible that Lady Gaga, a vastly bigger name than both of them put together, can vanish, give birth and truck a reasonably, well-developed child around and no one knows about it, or sees any of it, unless she decides to let that happen. 

But the biggest and saddest of them all was Macklemore and the fellow travelling try-hards who decided to abandon their friendship with Ed Sheeran by dropping him in it after they, like so many of their lot, felt unable to keep their politics to themselves. 

Sheeran is famously apolitical. It’s a smart move that served Dolly Parton well and yet the musicians, some of whom you would never have heard of if it wasn't for Sheeran's kindness and desire to promote new talent, left him with possibly no American tour after Macklemore got dropped and the rest quit in a fit of pique. 

Is it too much to ask to park the self-importance for a half hour opening act and just play? 

Oh, and to maybe be a decent person for the bloke who's giving you your break? 

So much outrage, so many causes, so much self-importance. 

Lucky the world is such a benign place and we have nothing big to worry about. 

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Friday has arrived, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to help Mike Hosking Wrap the Week that Was. 

They discussed award-winning kitchens, how much they'd charge for a Swysh and ... three-ways?  

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 18th of September, we've got an education policy from Labour that promises more upheaval and years' worth of reports and studies... again. 

Assistant Coach Stacey Jones puts last week's disappointment behind him and tells us how and why the Warriors will beat the Knights. 

And as they Wrap the Week, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk award-winning kitchens, how much they would charge if they were on Swysh and ... three-ways? 

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Farming seems to be driving economic growth in our regions. 

Canterbury has reclaimed the top spot on ASB's latest Regional Economic Scoreboard, followed by Taranaki and Southland. 

Taranaki recorded one of the biggest turnarounds, after sitting second from the bottom last quarter. 

ASB Senior Wealth Economist Chris Tennent-Brown told Mike Hosking the common thread for the top three regions is the cash injection from the dairy sector, as well as good returns from the red meat sector.  

He says the rural sector is definitely the place to be when looking for green shoots at the moment. 

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The World of Wearable Art is going international. 

The long running fashion show's expanding from its original format and launching a landmark exhibition in celebration of its 40th year. 

Initially set for Wellington's Takina next year, it'll feature more than 50 rarely seen archived pieces in a large-scale, immersive experience. 

WOW Chief Executive Meg Williams says from there, the world is WOW's oyster. 

She told Mike Hosking thanks to social media they have a growing fanbase in the United States, particularly New York, and Asia. 

Williams says they can't take the show everywhere, but they can take the exhibition. 

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It's a sudden death match for the Warriors. 

They're going up against the Knights in a knockout clash this weekend at Eden Park in front of what's set to be the biggest Warriors crowd on New Zealand soil. 

If they win, they face Penrith for a spot in the Grand Final. 

Assistant Coach Stacey Jones told Mike Hosking it's disappointing they couldn't get the job done last week, but they have it sorted for the upcoming clash. 

He says they know their game and the players are clear on what their roles are and how they want to do them, so if they get that right they'll be tough to beat. 

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An Auckland secondary school leader says political parties need to stop kicking education changes down the road. 

If elected, Labour wants to freeze the Government's overhaul of the sector and put an independent group of experts in charge of determining next steps. 

NCEA would be left unchanged until 2029. 

Mount Albert Grammar Headmaster Patrick Drumm told Mike Hosking he questions why the changes need to be slowed down. 

He says they're already well advanced on the reforms to the curriculum and the design of the assessment system, and it would be catastrophic to tell people they're starting again. 

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The Internal Affairs Minister has called Fire and Emergency's alleged secret-keeping “despicable”. 

Brooke van Velden has lost confidence in chief executive Kerry Gregory, accusing him of actively withholding information about a serious incident for a year. 

The agency has also been referred to the Serious Fraud Office. 

Van Velden told Mike Hosking she doesn't have the power to sack anyone but has made her concerns clear and it's now up to the board. 

She says it goes to the heart of accountability and transparency in public service, where a crown entity has breached its own law. 

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So the battle of the supermarket beat-down unfolded for us lucky voters. 

Labour and National have gone head-to-head over how much head kicking they can do to, mainly, supermarkets. But seemingly in Labour's case it could be the financial sector i.e. banks, or air travel i.e. Air NZ, as well. 

Both party's ideas, let the record state, are fanciful. 

National are probably the worst offenders given: 

1) They have been in office virtually a full term and they have only now got to the business of putting out an actual policy. 

2) The trouble with the policy is it's merely a review by the Commerce Commission and because of that may never happen. 

3) No one has jawboned groceries like Nicola Willis, so her hot air outpaces any action. 

That’s before you get to the bit where it's entirely possible our perceived high prices at supermarkets is a result of a five million person market, not a lack of competition. 

The exact same grievances are aired almost daily in Australia. Their prices are "too high" and "rising", there "aren't enough supermarkets" etc, etc. 

As was pointed out to me the other day, Auckland actually has a lot of competition. Independents have a third of the market and it's not like the food price complaints are only coming from out of Auckland. 

As for Labour they say they'll look at large companies. They didn’t define "large". 

They said they'll look at excessive profits. They don’t define it other than to say the Commerce Commission has a formula. 

The Commerce Commission came up with the famous "$1 million a day" excess profit line for supermarkets, which may or may not actually be a thing. 

On air travel, when you ping Air NZ for excess prices from Nelson to Invercargill, that will affect the bottom line, increase their losses, and push them closer to insolvency. That’s a cool policy. 

Large company with excess prices, but losing money. What's the plan? Bankrupt them? 

So National look like a side that panicked because they talked a big game and delivered little. 

Labour is, once again, in the realm of theory and whiteboarding, with clickbait one-liners and no real-world workings of how any of this actually works or doesn’t. 

They both look like amateurs. 

They are both disappointing, which might explain why the third-party vote has increased so much. 

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An experienced captain is steering the NZ Breakers' ship for the next two years. 

Gordon Herbert coached the German national basketball team to their first ever FIBA World Cup title in 2023, and his teams have won championships across a wide range of leagues. 

Now he's taking over as Breakers coach, replacing Petteri Koponen in the role, although he has remained in charge of, and will continue to coach Canada's national men's team. 

Herbert told Mike Hosking it's been somewhat of a difficult pre-season, as he's been jetting all around the world, from New Zealand to Canada, to Australia, and then back to New Zealand. 

"It's been somewhat of a short preseason with our team, but it is what it is, we gotta move forward." 

The mark he wants to make on the Breakers is one of a team mentality – saying although there is an 'I' in win and individuals are needed, a team mentality is needed first. 

And it's that mentality that will hopefully allow the Breakers to achieve this season's goal: to be a top 4 team in the league. 

"We've had some injury problems in the pre-season, but to a certain extent, we can control our own destiny, the way we practice, the way we prepare."  

Herbert told Hosking he's not sure how long he'll be in this role, but he's taking it one day at a time. 

"I'm trying to get this team to play really good basketball, and we're, you know, not only do we represent the community, and the town, and the city, but we represent the whole country, which is pretty neat." 

"We want to have a really good product on the floor for our country." 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of September, National has announced a surprising plan to drive supermarket competition by splitting up Foodstuffs. We got an explanation from Nicola Willis and the reaction from the corporation itself. 

It seems we can't get enough of the sporting merchandise in this country. Dynasty Sport's Tyler Rakich discusses the jump in sales. 

New Breakers coach Gordon Herbert describes how he plans to handle the new gig alongside his main job of coaching the Canadian national team. 

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Kiwis are jumping on the bandwagons and buying more merchandise. 

Rebel Sport's seen a $3.6 million jump in its half year results, with sales driven by the Warriors, Auckland FC, and the All Blacks. 

Briscoes Group believes having high-profile sporting events across various codes contribute to the boost. 

Co-founder of Dynasty Sport Tyler Rakich, who create the Warriors merch, told Mike Hosking it's about creating something people want to wear. 

He says creating things outside of what's just worn on the field is seeing great success. 

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National's finance spokesperson is holding firm that breaking up Foodstuffs is the best solution. 

If approved by the Commerce Commission, the party would carve off Pak'nSave from New World and Four Square to compete with each other and Woolworths. 

Foodstuffs is promising to fight the plan, saying it could increase food prices by making business less efficient.  

But Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking it's been a lengthy, analytical process. 

She says there's no doubt this restructure would benefit the Kiwi shopper given how unusual our grocery sector is. 

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A warning from Foodstuffs that splitting it in two could increase prices.  

If re-elected, and if the Commerce Commission agrees, National would separate Pak'nSave from New World and Four Square to drive competition.  

The party says independent analysis shows prices could fall 3.5% a year after restructuring and 5% after six years.  

But Foodstuffs North Island Chair Dean Waddell told Mike Hosking the supermarket industry is already one of the most regulated.  

He says this policy would make business less efficient, with higher prices potentially passed onto consumers. 

Waddell says they plan to fight the policy. 

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Encouraging figures coming out of the job market. 

A new Seek report shows ads are up 0.6% – 9.7% higher than a year ago. 

Auckland is leading the charge with a notable 1% jump in ad numbers, its biggest rise in almost four years.  

Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Mike Hosking he didn't see that coming.  

He says it's really good to see Auckland's numbers higher than the national average, and hopes that continues later this morning when GDP figures come in.  

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Our economy might be more resilient than we thought.  

Stats NZ is releasing June's GDP data later this morning, with most economists predicting growth will come in between 0.1% and 0.3% for the quarter. 

Farming, manufacturing, and exporting activity have been improving. 

ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking the economy might be "uneven", but there are green shoots.  

He says the economy started the year with a reasonable degree of momentum, which has carried through to quarter two. 

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I'm pretty sure AI isn't going to wipe us out. 

AI is another of those technologies or gains we make that has the capability to do a lot if left unchecked. 

But the key to all of this, as it has been with so many things before from the musket to the nuclear weapon, is self-interest. 

Ultimately, we don’t actually have any desire to wipe ourselves out, given if we did, we would have and could have a long time ago. 

I suspect the AI alarmism is driven by the fact people, especially the media, love to spread alarm and a lot of us don’t actually know much about AI. 

If someone tells us an army is coming and it's a robot army and there is nothing we can do about it, then a lot of us not applying logic or knowing any better will freak out. 

This bloke Jacob Coxon seems to the casual observer to be a couple of things: 

1) 27-years-old. It's never really a good thing to believe everything a 27-year-old spouts. 

2) A bloke with quite a keen interest in TV appearances. He was doing the circuit over the weekend and in my experience people who like being interviewed frequently have ulterior motives. 

This isn't to say he hasn’t seen a lot of weird stuff at the office and it's not to say he isn't freaked out by its potential. But it is to say he is working in a field of an extraordinarily exploratory nature and therefore the possibilities are vast, both good and bad. 

Rock and roll was the end of it. Video was going to kill the radio star, and Bob Dylan sang about the times a-changing over 60 years ago. 

The nuclear free Pacific was needed to avoid oblivion, Covid was a problem, toss in a depression or two, any number of wars and their potential escalation, China was going to take over Taiwan, North Korea was going to pull the trigger, the Bay of Pigs was going to be cataclysmic – how many do you want? 

How many times do we have to do the ol' "it’s the end" dance before we realise it isn't? 

And a 27-year-old hasn’t seen something no one has ever seen before. 

He's probably done us a favour in at least waking a few more people up to what is a very transformative time. But it's not end times. 

You will be able to try out the CRL before it's over. So, as you were. 

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The Police Minister says we can't lose sight of the good work police did during the Tom Phillips case, even if there could have been improvement.  

An inquiry has suggested the Phillips children could've been found earlier, and there were communication failures between Police and Oranga Tamariki. 

Mark Mitchell says the police were dealt a tough hand in having to search in such a difficult area.  

He told Mike Hosking alongside improvements, the Phillips children remain the priority. 

Mitchell says he doesn't know where they are, but he knows they're being well looked after.  

Labour's Ginny Andersen told Hosking the report has exposed issues with the agencies, including hesitancy to act on reports from members of the public. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 16th of September, the Police and the Government respond to the Tom Phillips report that revealed some glaring failures. 

Supercars champ Chaz Mostert is in the country and the studio after it was announced the Race of Champions is coming to Wellington next year. 

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk the Phillips report, angst on the campaign trail, and Ginny getting kicked out of the House for the first time on Politics Wednesday. 

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Wellington's central city stadium will be converted into a motorsport track this summer to play host to some world-leading drivers. 

The international Race of Champions event debuts in New Zealand on January 9th and 10th. 

Formula 1's Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas, Supercars' Chaz Mostert, and rally driver Hayden Paddon are confirmed on the starting grid. 

Mostert told Mike Hosking the drivers think it's such an awesome event, and are so honoured to be invited. 

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Dairy farmers are preparing for summer of extreme weather patterns. 

New Zealand's set to be hit by a strong El Niño system, which raises the prospect of extreme heat, floods, drought, and disruptive weather. 

Farmers are being urged to prepare for tighter margins and potential feed shortages, with DairyNZ modelling showing it could push working expenses to $6.78 per kilogram, and the breakeven milk price to $9.07. 

DairyNZ CEO Campbell Parker told Mike Hosking the sector remains strong heading into summer, with a lot of debt paid down over the past few seasons due to good milk prices. 

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An admission of failures —and missed opportunities— over the long disappearance of Tom Phillips and his children. 

A four-year hunt for the fugitives ended in gunfire last September when Police killed Phillips. 

An inquiry's exposed numerous failures by Police and Oranga Tamariki and a lack of information sharing. 

Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers told Mike Hosking they ultimately achieved what they set out to do, which was recover the children. 

However, she says four years in the bush was absolutely too long, and she can't deny that the conditions the children were kept in were inhumane. 

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Immigration New Zealand is targeting unlawful employers as it tackles more than 19,000 visa overstayers. 

More than 6,500 visas have expired since 2023 without the holders leaving New Zealand shores.  

Americans topped the list of overstayers, followed by people from Tonga, China, the UK, and India. 

Compliance and Investigations General Manager Steve Watson told Mike Hosking employment is a major drawcard for people who overstay. 

He says Immigration NZ is focusing on employers who unlawfully hire migrants, which can lead to exploitation. 

But Watson says they're not entirely sure yet why so many Americans have overstayed in the last three years, with the count sitting at 925. 

He says Americans don't rank highly in immigration's four priority areas —criminality, character, exhausted appeals, or employment— so more work is needed to work out what is going on with that group. 

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Fear from our public agencies may have contributed to failure in the Tom Phillips case.  

Phillips was shot dead by police a year ago after being on the run for four years with his children.  

An inquiry has found public agencies missed opportunities to find the children earlier, and criticised Police and Oranga Tamariki for their lack of information sharing. 

Social Development Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking it needs to be reiterated that information can be shared if a child is in danger.  

She says they may have been scared of getting in trouble or worried that information wasn't kept safe. 

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I read that nearly a third of students who would have passed NCEA Level 2 under the current system will struggle under the new one. 

BERL have done research that suggests 15,000 students have followed pathways that may be harder to replicate. 

I'm not sure what the point of this research is. 

They also claim the changes come at a cost of $50 million, most of which goes into relief teachers to cover staff working on changes. 

The narrative is sort of presented as one of potential trouble, or a bleak future for kids that won't cope. 

Here is what I know as a parent of five, who all dealt with NCEA at various levels – it’s a joke. Not all of it, but a lot of it. 

The sad truth is that if 15,000 are not going to be able to carry on the way they were under this new system, I say not a moment too soon. 

NCEA was, without putting too fine a point on it, a piss-take. 

On paper the idea you could pick from a myriad of nice-to-haves, anything you want that didn’t need to be relevant to the real world or your chances at a job, was fun. You could piece together your eclectic selection of hobby topics and before you knew it, you had your credits. 

This was a farce. In theory it's fantastic. In reality it was a rort to game the system. 

When BERL say replicate the old system, this is what they mean; subjects no one cares about, or is getting work in, or subjects you may be interested in as a night class at polytech. None of it was designed to set you up for life. 

It was designed to produce a factory of success stories so schools could say look at our pass rate. 

You weren't passing anything of note. 

So the next problem is when students turn up to real subjects, with real expectations, and they struggle. That will show up in figures. 

It will show up in fails. Oh, I used that word that can't be used in education – "fail", "did not achieve", "not passed". 

But that is how countries who succeed do it. They educate their kids in real-world subjects at real-world rates because, guess what, they are going out into the real world. 

Our foray into educational fantasy was always going to end in tears. Between Covid and 25 years of NCEA we have sold a generation of kids short, if not down the river. 

Sure, lots did fine. But that’s always the way. 

Good kids never fail. It's the rest who didn’t know better, or who took the mickey, that will, and are, paying the price. 

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More signs of life in the economy, as the services sector expands for a third straight month.  

The BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index rose to 51.2 in August – it's strongest result since September 2023. 

New orders and business rose to 55.2, while retail climbed above 50 for the first time since January.  

BNZ Senior Economist Doug Steel told Mike Hosking the new orders number is the bright spot on the survey and gives them hope that recovery is going to broaden. 

He says exports are a pretty big driver of things picking up, especially primary exports, which is then driving activity in areas like transport and storage.  

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One of the greatest snow sport athletes of all time is heading to our shores this week. 

Shaun White is launching his new Snow League World Challenge at Cardrona this weekend, the event preceding the league's second season. 

The highly decorated snowboarder told Mike Hosking he's been coming to New Zealand for a long time, and so naturally, he had to bring the league here.  

"It's actually one of my favourite places to go," White said. 

"So when I was thinking about bringing my event, the Snow League, y'know, around the world, I was like, we have to stop in New Zealand." 

Snow League is something White's dreamed of doing since he was competing himself, and says it's been nice to be able to use his voice in the sport to make it better for everyone else.  

"I definitely don't think we're where we want to be – we're growing still, we're trying new things, and that's why we're so excited to come to New Zealand," he told Hosking. 

"But the future is looking bright." 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 15th of September, we've got good news across the board with tourism numbers passing pre-Covid levels, net migration doubling, and the services sector seeing the strongest result in more than two years. 

Is the UK about to split up? Leaders of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have met to discuss their right to seek independence. 

The G.O.A.T snowboarder and arguably the greatest snow sports athlete, Shaun White is winging his way here to launch his new competition in Cardrona. 

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There's a view friction will linger in the United Kingdom as the leaders from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland want out.  

The three first ministers have signed an agreement overnight, declaring no Westminister government has the right to block democracy. 

It's the first time they've shared the stance since the UK devolution began, with Scotland and Northern Ireland calling for referendums.  

King's College European Politics and Foreign Affairs Professor Anand Menon told Mike Hosking these political parties benefit when there's tension with London.  

He expects the rumbling of discontent to continue as long as this persists, as the leaders opt for political gains. 

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High prices and challenging conditions are fuelling uncertainty in the global dairy market.  

Rabobank's latest report shows global milk production growth has slowed to 1.4% year-on-year – its weakest since early 2025. 

Fonterra Co-operative Council Chair John Stevenson told Mike Hosking overseas weather patterns have constrained feed supply, and now the super El Niño could be upon us.  

He says farmers are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, but a prolonged dry spell would certainly hit New Zealand's milk production. 

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Fewer New Zealanders are leaving for Australia as our net migration hits the highest level in two years. 

The number of people moving here outnumbered those who left by more than 20 thousand in the year to July.  

There was a net migration loss of more than 28 thousand to Australia last year – an improvement from about 31 thousand the year before.  

UVisa Immigration Adviser Tobias Tohill told Mike Hosking it's an encouraging sign. 

He says while departures are similar elsewhere, the ones to Australia have fallen below the long-time average.  

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An expert says planning laws often need to be tweaked after they've passed. 

The Housing Minister will announce details of amendments to the fast-track system later this morning after multiple council complaints about fast-tracked housing developments.  

Mt Hobson Group Urban Planning Specialist Hamish Firth says the fast-track system was well intentioned and has helped build things like new quarries. 

But he told Mike Hosking it's a system which needs to shift.  

Firth suggests they might not have expected so many housing developments to be included. 

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A sigh of relief from the Tourism Minister after July visitor numbers surpassed pre-Covid levels. 

Stats NZ data shows 256,600 overseas visitors arrived in July – more than half of them from Australia. 

That's 0.4% higher than July 2019. 

Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking it shows a strong government focus on tourism can help drive demand. 

She says one in nine New Zealanders is employed in tourism and hospitality, so growing tourism is critical for growing economic opportunities. 

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It's hard to know where to start.

The referee obviously didn’t help. Three captain's challenges and three times we were right and he wasn’t.

That’s before you get to the reports and sin bins and general pokey-nosery that he seemed to delight in.

The NRL has long had quality issues with officiating, and Saturday didn’t help the reputation.

The two points decision near the start surprised me, but that’s why Webster is coach and I'm not. He had clearly worked out all points were worth their weight in gold and given they were all, sort of, in front of the posts it worked well for us.

In fact a lot of the game worked out well for us. We had an early lead, a lead at halftime and a lead with a gap that gave you a sense we simply had to ride it out.

Until we didn’t, and the whole thing turned.

In that, as much as it might hurt to admit, was one of the great comebacks of the season. A side that was on the wrong end of most of the night rallies in a way the best sides can.

The Dolphins were awesome. In the end they deserved it. It wasn’t so much us capitulating as them being exceptional.

It's why the record was 50/50 going in. There is something about them and us that just makes it a coin toss. It ended the wrong way Saturday but it could easily be different next time.

The record is now 5-4, or 2-1 for the season, in favour of the Dolphins.

If you want glass half-full I've got two things for you;

1) I like the idea of not having a week off. I like the idea of the rhythm of a season.

2) It’s the Knights. We will beat the Knights and we will make the preliminary final.

So in that sense there isn't a lot to worry about. We get more football and presumably a full Eden Park and $1.5 million more for the NRL bottom line.

So two games until the final, three for the title.

It's still real, it's still alive. It's still our year.        

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One Nation has outlined their latest bid to bring down migration numbers over the next three years.

The party has vowed to bring down temporary migrant population by 750,000 over this timeframe, with a focus on international students and the families of skilled workers. 

Australian correspondent Steve Price says immigration is a big issue for Australia, but employers have raised concerns about what this announcement could mean for their temporary workers.

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Andrew Saville and Jason Pine joined Mike Hosking to review all the big sporting events of the weekend, including the All Blacks' defeat to the Springboks in Baltimore and whether the Warriors can shake off their weekend loss and beat the Knights. 

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There's growing calls to boost the health system in order to drive economic growth, and BusinessNZ has outlined its concerns.

The list of Health Priorities  calls on political parties to take a smarter approach to health spending, including increased Pharmac funding, better workforce planning, and more opportunities to adopt medical technology.

BusinessNZ CEO Katherine Rich says good health policy is good economic policy, and it's important to look at healthcare as an investment. 

"If you invest well and differently, it means you can get people back to work...there are some concerns that we have had for a long time that we don't get the proportions of the health dollar spent in the right places." 

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Donald Trump is citing the US's rivalry with China as he brushes off concerns around artificial intelligence.

The US president is downplaying the heightened AI risks, despite multiple days of dire warnings by experts.

Grok owner Elon Musk and Sam Altman of OpenAI are backing calls to slow down development to reduce the risk of something going wrong.

US correspondent Richard Arnold says Trump has downplayed the risks and said it's important to 'win' when it comes to AI.

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The Warriors are hoping to put last weekend's loss to the Dolphins behind them as they gear up for their next clash against the Knights at Eden Park.

Despite being defeated 26-16 in their last qualifying final, the team's still hopeful ahead of Sunday's knockout clash.

CEO Cameron George says the team's back into training, and they're taking the 'scenic route' forward.

"We'll enjoy the geographical way forward, which is Newcastle, and then we'll go to Penrith...that's the plan, the boys know the game we're in."

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This morning’s rush hour is providing the first real test of Auckland’s new City Rail Link.

Thousands of commuters are expected to take the transformed network to work and school for the first time.

Auckland Transport group manager of rail services, Mark Lambert, says they're expecting things to be busy today.

"We're operating a lot more capacity than we did, for example, last week - we're really confident that the service will be operating really well today." 

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After years of anticipation, Auckland's City Rail Link finally opened to the public yesterday, and the Prime Minister's hopeful it will boost rail patronage by 50 percent in the long run.

Luxon was at Ōrākei station on the Sunday it opened and he witnessed people coming from 'all over the place' to try it out, but he's hopeful this weekend won't be a one-off.

Luxon says the CRL will encourage more new residential and commercial developments, and reduce how long it takes people to get to and from work.

"I spoke to some people, actually, who just said it was going to take 15 minutes off their commute into the city."

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 14th of September, we've got a new report saying we are spending on health in all the wrong places.

The PM gets agrilling on the carbon auction, Waitangi Tribunal report and the MSD screw up.

Andrew Saville and Jason Pine detail a mediocre weekend for Kiwi sport fans after the All Blacks and Warriors loses, but Liam tried to pick that up!

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

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The Government's defending its record on cutting public servant numbers.

Official advice shows every thousand jobs cut,  would save the Government 103-million dollars a year in salaries.

But redundancy payouts would eat into those savings — averaging 52-thousand 500 dollars last year per worker.

Minister for Public Service Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking staff numbers haven't fallen substantially under this Government.

He says they've been hiring more correction officers for example, because more people are being put into prison - due to their focus on law and order.

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In this episode of the 100 Years of ZB Podcast, Mike Hosking talks through the power of a major part of the station, talkback. 

You'll hear our listeners share their stories, how it can change lives, how it can make national and international headlines, and how it builds connection between the station and the audience. 

100 Years of ZB - Celebrating a century of New Zealand's conversation. Archival audio from the collections at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.  

New episodes every Sunday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts - powered by Newstalk ZB. 

Note: This episode contains audio of a mental health crisis and may be distressing to some listeners.

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As an extension to the 5% first home buyer deposit policy the National Party has released and the Labour Party is backing, can we possibly learn from its practicality and apply it to areas that are increasingly fraught? 

I cite fast-track. 

Fast-rack is an excellent idea. It gets things done better than what we had previously. Just ask the Tauranga Port; they spent seven years going nowhere under old rules while under fast-track it took five months to be sorted. 

But on housing we have trouble. 

I've raised this with the Prime Minister, but he doesn’t get it or want to get it. 

The key to successful election campaigns is offering simple, practical solutions to what voters perceive as problems. It's called retail politics. 

A 5% deposit for a young person is material and it's practical. 

Fast-track housing developments have turned into exactly what I said they would – trouble. Angsty, edgy, piss-people-off trouble. 

The Auckland Council is now considering refusing services to new developments. This is just the start. 

Any number of fury-filled meetings have been held, from Central Otago to Northland, to Auckland and to Christchurch over large-scale, 1000+ housing developments that are using fast-track to get the tick of approval. 

This will cost the Government votes. 

All the esoteric nonsense like bank buybacks and AI centre funding and breaking up supermarkets is beltway wonkery. Getting your backyard upended is real. 

They have to get large scale housing out of fast-track. 

Luxon argues every time I raise it that it's not just about housing, and he's correct. But that doesn’t address the elephant, and if he doesn’t address it, the voter will. 

The practicality and success of a 5% deposit for a house is directly connected to fast-track. 

Think about it – for average voters it's about their life. Can they afford a home and is their home their castle? Is their neighbourhood theirs? 

While 5% solves one, fast-track housing risks another. 

Ask yourself this question: are we in desperate need of tens of thousands of new houses, in a stagnant market and falling prices? 

It staggers me they can't see this. Politically, they need to join the dots, and fast. 

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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. 

The 5% first home buyers policy: 8/10 

Small house deposits for first-timers is the policy of the week. In fact, it's the policy of the campaign so far. It's easy, practical, and solves an issue important to voters. 

Michelin: 7/10 

Possibly the most encouraging story of the week. The Michelin effect is real, it's ongoing, and the good operators can prove it. 

Chris Hipkins: 4/10 

Worst week in a long time. A second bad poll and growing questions around the campaign, or lack of it, and his personal ability to look like he's actually interested. 

Trump: 2/10 

Is making stuff up about 9/11 a new low? When does exaggeration and bombast wander into the territory of insult and plain BS? 

The Warriors: 9/10 

Rounded it out with yet more victory. Home advantage, a week off and, potentially, it's all a dream coming true. 

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Is this the week the tide turned for the Labour Party and their chances of Government slipped away? 

It's indisputably true to say it hasn’t been their week, or even a good week. 

Some of the stuff that’s been bubbling for a while came to a, sort-of, head. 

The lack of policy, the waiting for this magical PREFU, which allegedly contains Lord-knows-what by way of fiscal revelation, that will somehow make billions upon billions of dollars in promises make some sort of sense. 

Are people who could vote Labour tired of waiting? Uninspired by the lack of vigour? Or just realising that the economy is coming back and the recovery is real, so some of the angst that drove them away from the Government is now melting? 

Are Labour not radical enough, so the Greens get a look in? 

Are people scared of the Greens and even more scared of the Māori Party, so the realisation has dawned on them that Labour can't do deals with mad people, so maybe the Government aren't that bad after all? 

Does the first meeting of the campaign for their leader, which involved 100 people and a cat, display the lack of enthusiasm, not just from Labour, but from their supporters who are channelling the lacklustre approach of their party? 

It's important to remember that of all the polling so far this year, the vast majority have never actually had Labour winning the election. But it did have them in front of National, which has given the media enough to feed on. 

But even that, in the past two polls, has slipped away and what was once the 'Luxon nightmare' is now the 'Hipkins drama'. "Is he the right guy?" 

Or is the ghost of 2023 back? As more people focus on their vote and what's happening around them, do the memories of the lockdowns, the fiscal failures, the kids not at school and the crime waves remind them that Hipkins, Sepuloni, Jan Tinetti, Ayesha Verral, et al are the same people? They haven't changed and the party hasn’t changed. 

Do the memories of the endless working groups come flooding back? And does the laziness of that period look a lot like the laziness of this period of minimal policy, of lack of vigour, of a lackadaisical Government bagging sound bite obsession? Does it remind us these guys work office hours and are out of original thought? 

It ain't over. But man, they look flat. 

And Hipkins looks flatter than most. 

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Friday has arrived, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. 

Donald Trump has offered every American adult $5000 if Republicans win the midterms in November – what would it cost to swing someone's vote? 

They also discussed whether there's such a thing as being too young to have a bucket list, and how despite the tough economy, there seems to be no shortage of money for things people want to do. 

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There's confidence there'll be no issues when Auckland's long awaited City Rail Link opens this weekend. 

The $5.5 billion project opens on Sunday, with twin three-kilometre tunnels, two new underground stations, and an entirely new timetable for Aucklanders. 

It'll also see three new main services: the East West, South City, and Onehunga West lines. 

KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy told Mike Hosking they've done significant testing and run the trains over the last few months, and have had international experts look at the project as well. 

He says of any large infrastructure project he's been involved in, this would be one of the best in terms of a readiness plan before it goes live. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 11th of September, Social Development Minister Louise Upston fronts up on the MSD screw-up that affected thousands of people. 

Andrew Webster details how the Warriors are going to beat the Dolphins this week as the NRL Playoffs begin. 

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss what we could bribe Kiwis with to vote, whether 19 and 20-year-olds can have a bucket list, and the fact we always have money for concerts and activities as they Wrap the Week that Was. 

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

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Warriors coach Andrew Webster is stoked to have another difference maker available for tomorrow's NRL league preliminary final.  

The team have completed their best regular season ever, securing a club record 18 wins and 728 points. 

They're now facing the Dolphins at home on Saturday in front of a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium.  

Versatile forward Jackson Ford's made a full recovery from a torn pectoral muscle suffered in June to feature on the bench. 

Webster told Mike Hosking he was voted the best player in the competition before he got hurt and probably should've played for State of Origin. 

He says he's a welcome return for the finals.  

Webster told Hosking he's confident they'll claim the victory. 

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Renewables have hit a record high, but the Associate Energy Minister says New Zealand still can't quit coal and gas. 

A new MBIE report shows renewables supplied 92% of electricity in the June quarter, with record geothermal generation and solar up 56%. 

Wholesale electricity prices also fell 66% compared with the same quarter last year. 

Shane Jones told Mike Hosking New Zealand needs coal and gas because there's not enough water in lakes or battery storage to guarantee supply. 

He's tired of people who think you can have these green accoutrements without a backup and won't support a model where New Zealand imports everything from overseas. 

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The Social Development Minister's apologising it took so long for the Government to figure out thousands of benefits had been accidentally cut. 

Around 30 thousand benefit and winter energy payments were stopped after an error caused by legislation rushed through Parliament under urgency last year.  

Minister Louise Upston doesn't accept the legislation was rushed. 

A review reveals issues were raised as early as April but only seriously addressed in August. 

Upston told Mike Hosking individual cases were being raised, but no one was putting it together and escalating it. 

She says the day she and senior leaders were told, it took 48 hours before all of the winter energy payments had been repaid. 

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As big of a fan as I am of good news, something wasn’t right in the latest PISA report. 

Like all reports, you can look at stats in any number of ways. 

For example, if you want to feel good about yourself have a look at the Australian results. They're not good. 

So for a bit of Trans-Tasman rivalry, their numbers will give you no end of good vibes. 

The socio-economic gap the Government talked up seems real, so that’s indisputably good. 

But I have two major worries: 

We look good because essentially, we went nowhere, and we went nowhere against an OECD that went backwards. Standing knee-deep while others drown doesn’t seem to me to be a thing. 

I mean you'll take it. But I would've thought that comparing yourself to the ordinary is not quite as fulfilling as actually moving forward. 

But the really big one is the OECD going backwards, and the 'why'. 

I surmise the 'why' is the death of critical thinking. Kids no longer think for themselves and it's only going to get worse. 

The reports raise issues around disruptive classrooms, the old screen-time issue, and of course the fact that kids don’t read. 

This is global. We have multiple generations of non-readers and reading is the key to everything. 

Mix the lack of reading with AI, which will answer whatever you want, and basically, we are headed for intellectual oblivion. 

Like the calculator before it, technological advance is efficient and gets you the answer. But the link to critical thinking is "do you know the answer is right"? 

Of course you don’t and you don’t care either. 

No one asks questions No one is inquiring. The rise of gormlessness is frightening. 

It's there in the PISA reports – our kids are going backwards. Not reading, not adding and not firing up the ol' brains. 

In the intellectual swamp that is global education, we aren't too bad. So instead of worrying about that, we decide to pretend it’s a good news story. 

But being okay, or average, in a world of the hopeless isn't what I call achieving. 

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Sir Peter Beck is one of the country's greatest ongoing success stories. 

The self-taught engineer turned his love of rockets into a multibillion dollar space company, and Rocket Lab is now the third largest launcher of payloads to orbit. 

He's competing directly with the likes of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX, managing to hold his own against the billionaires, and can be credited as the reason New Zealand has a space industry in the first place. 

Although the future of the industry may seem uncertain, Beck's confident in his ability to chart a path forward.  

"The space industry right now is an amazing place," he told Mike Hosking.  

"It's just growing rapidly. Like, it was $360 billion, they reckon it's going to be $1.7 trillion in the next five years."  

"It is really, you know, a new bastion of ... industry and growth."  

Going from being a small player starting his own company to a major corporation answerable to shareholders was a steep curve, Beck said, but one they were able to handle. 

"We've always run the company, you know, incredibly frugally," he explained. 

"We are never gonna outspend Jeff and Elon, so we have to be, you know, much more careful with how we build the company." 

"We have to out-hustle them and out-innovate, and that's the only way we can survive."  

And that ethos of hustling to survive has become a great advantage for the company, Beck's self-described 'workaholism' and drive flowing through into the very culture of Rocket Lab. 

"If you look at the resources and what we try to chieve in the time frames – it's insane," he told Hosking 

"We built two spacecraft that are currently on their way to mars right now, we did that in a couple years ... ten years ago that would be like, a half a decade NASA project, and we did it in two years." 

"The Rocket Lab hustle is everybody's expected to get out their spades and just start digging under the barrier or, you know, climbing over the top of it, or whatever it takes." 

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LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that spent billions of dollars luring top players away from the PGA, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. 

Launched in 2022, free-spending LIV caused shock waves and bitter divisions in the golf world, before losing the backing of its deep-pocketed Saudi investors earlier this year, prompting a scramble to stay afloat. 

The organisation has filed a Chapter 11 petition, which allows a company to reorganise operations while avoiding the initiation of any lawsuits, debt collection, or other attempts to enforce closure. 

Former PGA Golfer Marcus Wheelhouse told Mike Hosking it's possible a new model will emerge from the other side of this, though it will be smaller. 

He says the key is whether the brand will survive from a reputation point of view, as they owe a lot of people and organisations money. 

Wheelhouse says they have a lot of challenges ahead.  

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 10th of September, the Ministry for Regulation has released its review of the hospo sector, which should make it easier to do business and help thousands. 

All Blacks winger Jordie Barrett details how they'll tie up the South Africa series in Baltimore this weekend. 

Sir Peter Beck explores the extraordinary rise of Rocket Lab and going up against the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to be the number one launch company. 

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After a “whirlwind” last few days, All Blacks veteran Jordie Barrett says the side are back in test mode as they prepare to bookend Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series with a victory in Baltimore on Sunday.

Both sides are coming off a 20-hour flight from Johannesburg to Washington following Sunday’s third test, which shortens the preparation window for the final clash of the series in the US.

“It’s still a test match against the Boks for the All Blacks, but it’s certainly been a whirlwind 48 hours. We poured a whole lot of mental and physical energy into the test in Soweto, come off second best and four hours later we’re sitting across an aisle on a chartered flight with the Boks straight to Baltimore,” Barrett told Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB.

“We’re firmly on the ground now, we had a good training session this morning and test week is well underway.”

The All Blacks have lost captain Ardie Savea, stand-in captain Luke Jacobson and Barrett’s backline partner Quinn Tupaea for the fourth test after all suffered injuries in Soweto, adding to the injury toll for the tour. The Springboks have meanwhile made just two backline changes from the side that won the third test.

Coach Dave Rennie will name his All Blacks squad tomorrow with Barrett in the running as captain, with the likes of Codie Taylor and Patrick Tuipulotu.

Asked if he had spent any time considering whether or not the Baltimore test doesn’t count to the series because it was being played outside South Africa, Barrett said he believed that a drawn series is still alive.

“Certainly not. Like this Greatest Rivalry [series] was always a four-game series. There was a lot been talk about trying to win a test series in South Africa and that’s what we wanted to do ... this rivalry series is a four-game series and we’ve got an opportunity to go two-all against a team who’s been well established back-to-back world champions. We’ve only been together for a little while and we’ve got a chance to go two-all against them and that’s the opportunity that excites us for this weekend.”

Barrett, who has started every test for the All Blacks under Rennie, said the side were heading in the right direction under the new coach.

“We’ve learned a lot about ourselves in the past month and you do learn a lot about yourself against the best team in the world and on the road. I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction, that’s where we want to go and if we want to go to that place we’re probably going to end up playing the South Africans in a quarter-final in a Rugby World Cup.

“We are not overly pleased to be down 2-1 in the series, but look, we haven’t lost all hope in this group and there’s a lot of positives to come out of our last three games against the Boks. We’re not far away.

“What was it 33-16 in that first test at Ellis Park and we felt like South Africa probably had the wood over us for about 55 minutes. Couple of moments they get a yellow card and we win by two or three tries and we walk away from that test match all happy and we probably felt like we played better in game two and lost by seven points. And that’s just the way test matches are working at the moment and unfortunately we were on the wrong side of it again in game three but there’s an opportunity for us to level the series two-all this week in the States. So it’s a completely different kettle of fish.”

Barrett added that the South Africa leg was “the most memorable and enjoyable tests you’ll play as an All Black”.

“I think just the country in general and their history and the relationship with the All Blacks and there’s certainly a great rivalry also between the two countries and enough flying at the moment in terms of their rugby. They’re back-to-back world champions. They’re a country that probably haven’t been as united in the past but it seems like rugby is bringing everyone together at the moment and they’re certainly riding a high. It’s tough playing in their conditions but it’s also the most memorable and enjoyable tests you’ll play as an All Black as well.

“As hard as the last three weeks have been for me, I’ve absolutely loved it.”

Cameron McMillan has been a sports journalist since 2003 and is NZME’s Deputy Head of Sport.

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ASB's anticipating the upswing in the housing market will be steadier than in the past. 

Its latest housing outlook predicts a more measured, household income-led recovery, rather than previous borrowing-led booms.  

Chief economist Mark Smith expects national house prices to remain around 15% below the peaks of late 2021, which are unlikely to return until late 2029. 

He told Mike Hosking things got so hot because interest rates were at record lows, population growth was very strong, and buyers didn't have much choice, and those things have now flipped. 

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There are hopes a hospitality Action Plan will dish up more coherent regulation.

Ministers are now deciding what recommendations to keep from the Ministry for Regulation's completed review.

It highlights areas hindering food and drink operators, including alcohol licensing, high fees, and too many regulators.

Hospitality New Zealand CEO Kristy Phillips told Mike Hosking current rules are inconsistent across the country.

She says bringing it to one department will mean more gets done.

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There's a view Canterbury's economic growth can't all be put down to the earthquakes. 

The Herald's Project Canterbury report, out today, looks at the businesses, civic leaders, infrastructure providers, and investors driving the region's growth. 

ChristchurchNZ CEO Ali Adams told Mike Hosking the region has natural advantages helping fuel growth in sectors like aerospace and dark sky tourism, with an international airport just 20 minutes from the city. 

But she says things like a health precinct came from the earthquakes, and has been pivotal for the city attracting companies. 

But with plenty of room to grow further, the region is expecting some growing pains. 

Adams told Hosking attracting skilled workers will be the next challenge. 

She says there's amazing tertiary institutions in the region, but the sectors of growth rely on people studying science, technology, engineering, and maths, and that's dropping off. 

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Tourism New Zealand's shifting gears with a new campaign, with a specific group in mind. 

It's launched its new Don't be a Stranger campaign, targeting Kiwis' friends and relatives across the UK, Canada, and Australia.  

This cohort spent a total of $2.6 billion visiting this country in the year to June.  

Tourism New Zealand's Brodie McLeish told Mike Hosking they're trying to find different levers they can use. 

She says about 93% of Australians see their campaigns, so they're going after a different audience this time. 

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Here is a stereotype we have to break, especially given the solution is now available. 

There was a young woman in her 20s, in the beauty industry, training as a nurse and will go into the private sector. She has a plan and good on her. 

As part of this particular conversation though, she says she can never see herself owning a house. 

Of our five kids, one or possibly two, I suspect they feel the same, and yet the National Party's 5% deposit announcement made over the weekend changes all of that. 

Of all the policy released so far from any party, this is by far the most consequential. 

There is no Government-owned supermarket, they won't be breaking up gentailers, or buying BNZ back. This campaign has been full of fanciful nonsense. 

But the 5% is not only real, it's doable. It's so doable it looks likely the Labour Party will copy it and, above all else, it's the most important thing a policy can be – practical. 

5% of a $700,000 house is $35,000. For most young people they can see that. 

20% of that house is $140,000. That’s not real. 

At last, the biggest issue around housing is solved. It used to be solved, and we used to do this routinely, until we ballsed it up in yet another example of taking a problem that never existed and messing it about. 

20% was never needed. The only thing preventing 5% deposits was Adrian Orr and the Reserve Bank and an unhealthy fear of carnage. 

Even if you end up for a period in a flat market, as we have now with negative equity, it will pass. It always does. 

Even if housing in New Zealand never grows at 10% a year ever again, it will grow. And what I know, as sure as night follows day, is we love houses. We dream of owning our own place. 

That is the constant in this whole mad debate that too many people have made too complicated. 

Banks should never have been dictated to by the central bank because retail banks know what they're doing. 

Between a government-insured scheme and KiwiSaver and retail banks, there should never have been a hurdle as large as it was. 

There should never have been a generation for whom owning a piece of their country was seemingly beyond them. 

The 5% policy sorts it. The trick now is to get that message out to people like the trainee nurse, who still don’t know how close they might be.   

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Mushroom killer Erin Patterson is receiving weight loss drug Ozempic in prison – at the expense of the Australian taxpayer.  

She's serving three life sentences for murdering her husband's parents and an elderly aunt with a poisonous mushroom laced beef wellington.  

Corrections authorities say it's intended to reduce her risk of developing type two diabetes, which is associated with rapid weight gain, while she's in solitary confinement.  

Australian Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking Patterson inherited millions of dollars from a dead relative.  

He says she has a home worth two million dollars, so should be paying for the Ozempic herself. 

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Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen dig into some of the biggest stories of the week thus far. 

They discussed National's plan to widen access to 5% first home deposits, the Green Party's plan to break up the supermarket duopoly, carbon credit auctions, and the latest education results. 

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Average Kiwis aren't the only ones shopping locally, McDonald's is too. 

The fast food giant spent more than $580 million on New Zealand produced ingredients last year, with around 90% of the ingredients it uses here being locally sourced. 

This includes 17 million kilograms of Canterbury potatoes, 10.5 million eggs, and more than 6,400 tonnes of beef.  

McDonald's NZ Head of Impact and Communications, Simon Kenny told Mike Hosking they're very fortunate in New Zealand that virtually everything on the menu can be sourced locally, and that's always their first point of call. 

He says in other markets, such as Asia, North America, and Western Europe, ingredients are sourced from all sorts of places.  

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The Warriors have officially sold-out Mt Smart Stadium. 

Saturday's qualifying final against the Dolphins sold out within minutes of general tickets going on sale – around 25,000 fans set to pack the stadium. 

CEO Cameron George told Mike Hosking the Dolphins are a good side, but they've trained well and the boys are up for it. 

He says there is no easy game and they've had tight games with the Australian side in the past, but they believe in themselves. 

"We're at home and we're ready to rumble." 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of September, our good PISA numbers have Education Minister Erica Stanford happy.  

The Squash World Championships are coming to New Zealand in 2028, and our champ Paul Coll couldn't be more excited.  

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk carbon auctions, first home buyers' policy, and Labour Party election costings on Politics Wednesday.  

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Greymouth's Paul Coll wants all the home court advantage he can get for the 2028 Squash World Championships. 

It's being held at Auckland's International Convention Centre in February, running concurrently with the inaugural World Club Championships.  

The world number two is already adapting his schedule for the event, which will lead into the sport's Olympic debut in Los Angeles later that same year. 

Coll told Mike Hosking he's putting in the work to figure out how to perform under the pressure that comes from unfamiliar conditions, the looming Olympics, and home court expectations. 

But he says at this stage it's just pure excitement – he's looking forward to 2028. 

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The latest forecast from BusinessNZ shows New Zealand's economy's regained momentum.

It's predicting solid economic growth out to 2028, citing the fact business confidence is holding up, the Performance of Manufacturing and Services Indexes are back in black, tourism's growing, and credit activity's increased. 

Chief Economist John Pask says performance is improving across the board.  

He told Mike Hosking there's still some concern in regard to the upcoming election and political risks surrounding policy changes, but businesses are basically saying that they are concerned, but they're moving forward.  

Pask says elections are important, but they're not the be all end all, as it were. 

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There's a view National's alternative to a bed tax would remove some pressure on smaller councils.  

The party's pledging to re-set the International Visitor Levy, putting aside $100 million a year for conservation and $50 million for tourism.  

The rest would go to councils, divvied up based on how many international visitor nights they host.  

Local Government New Zealand President Rehette Stoltz —who's the mayor of Gisborne— told Mike Hosking this allocates it fairly across the country.  

She says $600,000 or $700,000 represents a 1% rate rise for some smaller councils. 

There are some councils who are unhappy with the proposal, with both the Mayors of Auckland and Queenstown saying they would be better off under a bed tax. 

But Stoltz says there's a chance future discussions could fix where the policy falls short. 

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The Education Minister believes improving attendance is one reason for the narrowing achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. 

PISA results find it's narrowed in the last four years, largely because disadvantaged students performed better. 

It also shows New Zealand students remain above the OECD average across all three subjects, ranking ninth in reading, tenth in science, and 16th in mathematics. 

Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking attendance is vitally important. 

She says when PISA was last done in the Covid year of 2022, attendance was around 39%, compared to this year where it's 64.3%. 

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There's a battle of the ideologies on display as ACT looks to cut art spending on roading projects. 

It's very ACT, i.e. fiscally disciplined. Every $1 million on roading needs to be $1 million on roading, not 99% on roads and 1% on art. 

The art is an issue for several reasons, mainly for me because most of it is unimpressive. 

I'm not actually against art per se. I like art. I prefer private operators to pay for it, but I wouldn't die in the ditch trying to cut it. 

It makes sense. We have no money, we need more roads, and so it's fairly obvious you make every dollar go as far as it can. 

And I suspect broadly most people feel the same way, so it's an easy headline and a political point to make in a campaign. 

But public art can be amazing. The trouble is a lot of ours isn't. 

On the highway out of Christchurch heading towards Kaiapoi there is some good work. At what they call Spaghetti Junction in Auckland there is what loosely looks like red light stalks. They're awful. 

On our way home on the new highway north of Auckland there are a bunch of Māori soldiers or chiefs, sort of metal cutouts that are rusted. 

It’s a look. I don’t like it, which is the other bit about art. It's fraught. 

There is also obviously an overt Māori fixation around it. There's not a lot of Siddell's or Sydney's about the place. There are more conceptual, race-based interpretations that you might argue may not get a lot of commissions if it wasn’t for the NZTA. 

So you have the battle between to do it, or not, and also if you do do it, is it any good? 

But to the ideology, ACT are about efficiency and that’s good, given our parlous state fiscally. 

The defence came from the transport wonks who said, "look, its only 1.4% of the overall budget", the inference being that we shouldn't worry about it because it's nothing. And yet, do the math. 

For every 72-odd roads, that's another free road if you don’t spend your 1.4%. Would you rather have another road or a bunch of eclectic sculptures? 

I think the inescapable conclusion is art is for better days, more affluent times, in countries that have productivity levels way better than ours and that have handled their finances better than ours. 

Art is a reward, not a must have. 

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Proving there's always mileage in a car show, it's time for a new era of the Grand Tour. 

There'll be three new hosts behind the wheel, Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman, and Thomas Holland taking over from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. 

Holland and Engelsman have hosted the YouTube channel Throttle House together for over a decade, while Bourgeois is a well-known social media trainspotter and mechanical engineer. 

The trio has big shoes to fill, and Holland told Mike Hosking they've been careful while making the show, as they know how much it means to so many people. 

"The whole team focused on, I guess, making the show that we would want to watch were we not on it," he explained. 

"I made sure that was in my mind the whole time, going like, is this good enough for me if I was watching it?" 

The inter-host dynamic was a huge draw of the original show, and fortunately there seems to be no lack of chemistry between the new hosts. 

Bourgeois told Hosking their first conversation would be familiar to most car enthusiasts —a discussion of who's driving what— but the building blocks of friendship grew quickly. 

"We're having laughs, we're going through into these chemistry tests, we're having drinks together in the bar afterwards." 

"It feels like our friendship was actually kind of ready to go and it was rocketing away by the time we were filming the first episode." 

They're hopeful the new iteration of the show will receive the same support as the last, Engelsman saying they have a lot of ideas for the future. 

"We went through so many for what would be in this series that were either not possible because of seasonality or timing, that now we can tackle if there is a season 2 and more," he told Hosking 

"I think there's more hope than there's ever been for a successful reinvention of the show, while honouring the formula and then the musical note that it hits with the audience." 

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A young Kiwi pool player is taking his game to the world stage. 

22-year-old Sheridan Burmester's heading overseas for a major international campaign, competing in tournaments across Vietnam, Bali, and India.  

He's also heavily invested in growing the game back home in New Zealand, similarly to things like darts, which has growing mainstream appeal.  

Burmester told Mike Hosking they just need some support and recognition to supercharge the sport. 

He says a lot of people don't know anything about pool being global or that you can even compete in the game.  

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The Michelin effect's in full swing, with a Christchurch venue full every night through the depths of winter. 

Fifteen Kiwi restaurants were awarded stars in June, with the Michelin Guide promising to attract 36 thousand extra overseas visitors annually. 

A Tourism New Zealand business case, including overseas evidence, shows this could bring turnover growth of up to 50% for venues. 

Inati co-owner Lisa Levy told Mike Hosking since the announcement, they've seen bookings far in advance they've never seen before. 

She says tourists obviously plan around their holidays, but they're seeing a lot more domestic tourism as well as international. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 8th of September, Resources Minister Shane Jones discusses the first projects funded by the Gas Security Fund, and we're already starting to see the Michelin effect on our hospo industry. 

We've got another carbon auction happening today, and David Seymour believes we should bin them. 

The new Grand Tour hosts have big shoes to fill, and Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman, and Thomas Holland tell us how exactly they'll fill them. 

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

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Relief for the Port of Tauranga as a long-awaited project gets the green light. 

The Government's approved the Stella Passage development under the fast-track to add to its container berths and wharves. 

Payments will be made to the local marae as part of cultural mitigation. 

Port CFO Simon Kebbell told Mike Hosking they're very grateful for the fast-track avenue. 

He says this is critical infrastructure for New Zealand and we can't spend seven years trying to get critical infrastructure over the line.  

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The regions are getting a boost, with the aim of enticing international visitors to stray from the golden route.  

The Government's putting $5 million into six campaigns to attract North American, Chinese, and Australian tourists to the regions at off-peak times.  

Tourism Minister Louise Upston says showcasing regional food, wine, and experiences spreads the benefits of tourism growth into more communities.  

Auckland Unlimited Destination Director Annie Dundas told Mike Hosking one of the biggest challenges is tourists sticking to the main destinations.  

She says it's an opportunity to show what's happening in other areas. 

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ACT's leader believes tonight's carbon auction will expose a policy that has lost touch with economic reality. 

The Government currently sets a minimum auction price for carbon units, which right now sits around $71. 

ACT's campaigning on scrapping the arbitrary net zero 2050 target and instead tying our emissions cap to a trade-weighted average. 

David Seymour told Mike Hosking no rational buyer will pay the Government's price, when the same units are significantly cheaper on the secondary market. 

The last six Government-run carbon auctions have failed to sell a single unit. 

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Security is a key concern for Germany's government as a far-right party seeks to gain control of a state for the first time since World War II. 

Preliminary election results in Saxony-Anhalt show the AfD party is three seats short of an outright majority. 

The party is assessed by domestic intelligence as "far-right extremist", a classification the party rejects. 

Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking if in government, the AfD would have control of security. 

She says the party —which is very pro-Russian— would be privy to all the information federal authorities have on Russia. 

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The Resources Minister says the Government loan book is necessary to entice business back to the gas industry. 

It's investing $23.5 million in two Taranaki projects from its $200 million Gas Security Fund, including drilling a new well and accessing deeper gas at an existing field. 

Both with be run by Todd Energy, and there are 17 other proposals sitting on the Government's desk. 

Shane Jones told Mike Hosking there needs to be incentives. 

He says people are unwilling to invest on their own and a take a risk if there's a prospect the sector will be closed down again. 

The Government's touting thousands of homes could be powered if the gas investment is successful. 

Todd Energy's projects could produce an additional four petajoules a year – equivalent to the energy consumed by 120-thousand homes.  

Jones told Hosking it could unlock up to 19.9 petajoules of additional gas reserves. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 7th of September, we've got a new first home buyer policy from National that Labour says they'll likely match.

The PM is in to talk Palau, carbon auctions, the Waitangi Tribunal and MAPAS reports and yet more angst over housing projects within fast-track.

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the All Black's loss and whether Baltimore means anything, the Warriors finishing the regular season in 2nd place and the F1 in Monza.

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

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The All Blacks faced a 29-24 loss against the Springboks in Soweto on Sunday, losing the ability to win the tour. 

Former All Black Josh Kronfeld joined Mike Hosking to discuss where they went wrong. 

"You know, just little mistakes when we didn't need little mistakes, you know, poor decisions when we didn't need a poor decision, and then just individuals just at the wrong moment who've been great at what they do, just not being quite there," he said.

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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking in studio for their weekly chat.

They discussed the Green's supermarket plan, a trade deal with Canada, the Waitangi Tribunal report, and National's goal to expand the first-home loan scheme. 

Luxon told Hosking there would be low risk to the Government from expanding the first-home loan scheme.

"The real problem that people are finding is not servicing the mortgage - it’s actually getting the deposit together.”

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Wastewater testing found 2 million doses taken in a single week in April, up around 15% on last year.

But Casey Costello, the minister in charge of tackling transnational and serious organised crime said weekly consumption fell in June to 27.7kg, 18% lower than the average over the previous four quarters.

"Around the world, you know, huge changes in the drug supply are happening very quickly, and big increases in drug consumption," Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm told Mike Hosking. 

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You do wonder if National have an agenda pre-election over race-based issues.

The Waitangi Tribunal review is on Tama Potaka's desk and has been for a while.

It hasn’t gone to Cabinet. Why not?

The report into what they call MAPAS (the Maori and Pacific Admissions Scheme) for medical school at Auckland and Otago university was a coalition deal between Act and National to review it.

They have done it. It's on Associate Health minister Matt Doocey's desk.

Has it gone to Cabinet? No.

Why?

Could it be National aren't all that gripped by race-based issues and don’t want to rock the boat before polling day?

The medical school programme is a scam. It's defended by the universities because they want the gap closed in terms of race representation in medical studies.

In simple terms if you are a Maori or Pacific Islander, your entry to medical school is easier than if you are not. That is indisputably discrimination.

What makes it worse is access to medical school for non-Maori or Pacific Islanders is extraordinarily high.

You need a score into the very high 90's to even get close. There has been much debate over the years as to whether that actually produces great doctors or not.

As a result Auckland take a slightly different approach to Otago over admissions, but the truth remains race gives you an easier pathway.

Their defence also suggests that once in you still have to achieve, no matter who you are and that they also run a rural programme that favours students from regional backgrounds.

My argument is race and geography should play no role. What I want in a doctor is competence and professionalism. Do they know what they are doing?

My GP's have been women, Asian, Indian, male, British, Irish, older and younger. None of it mattered.

Some were quite obviously good, some weren't. Their medical acumen was, and is, what I'm interested in. I assume it's even more relevant by the time you are on a surgery table getting cut open.

It will be interesting to see what the report says. I find it hard to believe the conclusion isn't inevitable i.e race is discrimination, and this Government promised that sort of thing would stop.

So, where is the report? Why isn't it public?  

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Reporting season has revealed better than expected results, with median growth across the economy at +21%, despite forecasters predicting it was going to be +16%. 

"We've come out of a pretty long trough in the context of profitability that we've seen across the New Zealand listed companies," Forsyth Barr head of research Andy Bowley told Mike Hosking. 

"But, it's unlikely to be uniform, and as we've seen over the last couple of years, it can be somewhat choppy when we look at it from a company to company, and sector to sector basis."

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In this episode of the 100 Years of ZB Podcast, Mike Hosking takes you through some recent big moments from Newstalk ZB.

You'll hear Sir Paul Holmes' last Breakfast show, Leighton Smith's final Mornings show and Larry Williams' Drive swansong. 

Plus, hear audio of Jack Tame and Heather du Plessis-Allan's debut on the station. 

And you'll hear memories from our suite of hosts. 

100 Years of ZB - Celebrating a century of New Zealand's conversation. Archival audio from the collections at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.  

New episodes every Sunday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts - powered by Newstalk ZB. 

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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. 

Cars: 7/10 

New car sales are up 20%. If that isn't a sign of confidence, I don’t know what is. 

The excise debate: 3/10 

Fantastically disappointing. Labour at $4.6 billion is sad, but not surprising. The Government at $1.6 billion and borrowing. Come on, we wanted, needed, and expected better. 

The bond markets: 4/10 

It's why we shouldn’t have done the excise business. Money is expensive and getting more so, and no one seems to see debt for what it is – a big fat red flag. 

Aeroplane gate: 4/10 

Honestly, the coolest flyover ever until the wowsers got hold of it. And the wowsers don’t even know how to fly a plane. 

Less booze: 6/10 

I think it’s the future. The numbers are down and they will never recover. Between health, fitness, and GLP-1s, the world is different. 

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I'm not surprised. But because I'm not surprised, I am disappointed. 

Papers released publicly for the first time reveal the Government considered axing their mad carbon auctions. 

But, and here comes the disappointment, they didn’t. 

They considered dropping them because every time they mucked with the ETS, the confidence in a market they were trying to create was cratered. 

This is not just them, but the previous Government also, who were wedded to the idea that an invented market could work, despite the fact it didn’t. 

Multiple Governments have tinkered and fiddled. They have set prices and reset prices, but each and every auction has basically been a failure. 

Just quickly, if you don’t follow this stuff, there are four auctions a year. You buy credits, if you're a polluter, to offset your environmental damage. 

The trouble is no one turns up; there are no bids and the really bad thing about that is there is no revenue. 

If this actually worked there could be $2 billion worth of income. 

I can't remember how many times I've asked Governments about this, from Robertson to Watts. They all said the same thing, all defended it, and yet the irrefutable proof was, and is, they simply don’t work. 

Credits can be bought and sold in a variety of ways. You can plant trees, you can trade other people credits, but when you are literally dealing with an idea that is invented out of thin air and you have no faith in anyway, why on Earth would you turn up and pay the Government money? 

Obviously, the answer is you wouldn’t, and you didn’t. 

Hence the Government got to the inevitable bit where someone other than me asked "do you reckon this thing is worth sticking with?" 

Under Labour I was not surprised they didn’t kill them because that’s what ideology does to you. It blinds you to logic and common sense. 

But the current lot you would have hoped knew better. Well, as the papers show, they almost did and yet couldn't quite get there. 

So at the next auction, which by the way is September 8th, have a look and see what happens and call me if the answer is anything other than... nothing.   

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Friday has arrived, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to join Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.

They discussed flight cancellations and the stress of being a parent while your kid travels, at what age you should stop handling your kids' problems, and calls from the Electoral Commission. 

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New Zealand's got a shot at Stone Skimming history this weekend. 

For the first time, we have an official team at the World Championship in Scotland, with Abbey MacDonald and Jay Reeve flying the flag.  

MacDonald is aiming to set a record, as no woman has ever hit the 63-metre back wall of the pond, but her personal best is around 74 meters.  

She told Mike Hosking there's no monetary prize for winning the competition, just absolute glory, which is all she's wanting to achieve.  

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A former New Zealand Defence Minister believes the US is deadly serious about locating into the Pacific. 

The US has declared it will accelerate its military presence in Australia following meetings between the Australian Defence Minister and American counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington DC. 

About a thousand US Navy personnel are set to be based near Perth from next year to support American submarines operating out of nearby naval bases. 

Former Minister Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking the Pacific is a long-term issue for the US, and it needs Australia as the bulwark to kind of underpin defence. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of September, there are changes to the move-on orders – Justice Select Committee Chair Tom Rutherford unpacks them. 

We preview the decider All Blacks test in South Africa, and discuss whether or not the Warriors can win the minor premiership. 

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson Wrap the Week, talking flight cancellations, parenting, and Mike's call from the Electoral Commission.

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The Warriors are on the verge of their first minor premiership since 2002. 

They've sealed their top two spot, sitting atop the ladder and leading the Panthers by just one on points differential. 

Saturday will see them host Manly at Mt Smart, while the Panthers face the Tigers on Sunday. 

Former Warrior Motu Tony told Mike Hosking when playing, the point differential isn't much of a consideration. 

He says you just go for the win and hope the training you've done over the season will come to the fore – whatever the outcome might be in terms of points differential, that's what you live with. 

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The All Blacks are focusing on discipline heading into the third test of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.  

The score is tied at one-all, and although there's still one test after this weekend's clash at Soweto, this is technically the series decider. 

Fabian Holland has dropped to the bench for this test, and he told Mike Hosking they need to clean up their discipline – that was how they led the Springboks into the game and that showed on the scoreboard. 

He says another big area is going to be set pieces, especially scrums and the lineout, as they kind of let themselves down there last week.  

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The country's bolstering its National Security Strategy by jumping on board a new partnership. 

New Zealand and the ‌US will jointly fund a major port upgrade on the island of Penrhyn in the Cooks – a former military base. 

China had previously expressed interest in seabed mining in the area. 

Retired Major General John G. Howard told Mike Hosking we likely didn't spend as much on foreign investment in the past, but it's where we need to spend in order to build our national security resilience.  

He says we'll never be able to compete with superpowers, but the port upgrade is not a material figure against our GDP, and the effect will outweigh competition and build that resilience.  

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The Government's proposed move-on orders look set to be watered down.

The Bill will let Police order people out of public spaces for rough sleeping, begging, and disorderly behaviour. 

The Justice Select Committee suggested changes include lifting the minimum expulsion age from 14 to 18 and reducing fines from $2000 to $1000. 

Committee Chair, National's Tom Rutherford told Mike Hosking two contentious changes his party didn't agree with, also got through. 

He says this includes narrowing the definition of begging and allowing people to come back to the area after receiving a move-on order. 

But Rutherford says he's overall happy where it's ended up, as they've made some pragmatic changes. 

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