The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A chunk of businesses aren’t sure they'll survive this year. 

A Retail NZ survey has found retailers aren't confident heading into winter and a third think they might need to close this year. 

About two thirds didn't meet their first quarter sales targets. 

Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that the reality of where the economy is at is taking hold. 

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A hydrogen refuelling network across the North Island is the first of its kind in Australasia. 

Hamilton, Auckland, and New Plymouth will host the Hiringa Energy stations, with Tauranga to join later this year. 

The network will allow hydrogen trucks to travel within the 'golden triangle' covering 95% of heavy freight routes in the North Island. 

Hiringa Energy CEO Andrew Clennett told Mike Hosking this is only the start. 

He says by the end of the decade, hydrogen will be competitive with diesel. 

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One of the mysteries of our time is why so many businesses, and big businesses, spend so much money on social media platforms, given what's on those platforms. 

Hyundai are the latest to pause their advertising on 'X' after anti-Semitic posts were highlighted and the car company's ads were right next door. 

In Australia they are busy sorting out legislation to penalise these platforms for material that should not be anywhere near the public and yet is, especially after their knife attacks that, at least in one instance, involved a young man allegedly driven by religious hate. 

Australia is far from the first, and in general the social media platforms roll out, at least on the surface, a not unreasonable response. "It's not acceptable, we don’t condone it, we monitor, we try to stay on top of it" and so it goes. 

Yet it keeps happening and certainly keeps happening to the point where authorities all over the world are sick of it and are trying to work out what will bring them into line. 

It sort of dovetails into the media levy debate that has raged here of late, whereby many of the same platforms steal news content, put it on their service and wrap advertising around it 

So, while various Governments grapple with the issue of both the levy and the posting of shocking material, why is it that companies advertise in these spaces, given the very clear and obvious risk they run? 

The answer is simple. Eyeballs. You need to be where the people are. 

But we can increasingly ask as to whether that can be a good enough justification. 

Politicians are no better. Joe Biden wants to ban TikTok and yet campaigns on it. 

I assume politicians here abhor the sentiment pedalled on many of these platforms and yet they post relentlessly, knowing there is an audience to be connected with. 

Advertisers need to ask themselves some questions. They appear affected by the whim of the day, the 'me too' movement, the pride movement and the green movement for example. They sway with their advertising dollars in the winds of social change. 

Yet some of the worst material you will ever see is on social media and on a regular basis. We know this to be true. And yet they still hand the money over to people who claim to want to clean their operations up and yet never quite achieve it. 

Explain that logic to me.    

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 24th of April, we finally have some common sense being brought to the RMA. Federated Farmers' Mark Hooper gave some insight on the response from farmers.

An interesting new study says that if we don't change our ways in the medical industry and continue to force overseas doctors to conform to our cultural standards, we risk losing them. Lead author Doctor Mariska Mannes joined to unpack the findings.

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell were back for Politics Wednesday, digging into the Select Committee on gang patches, the wasted money spent during Covid, and when we'll get tough on crime.

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National MP Mark Mitchell says there's absolutely no plan to cut a fund used for recovery after extreme weather events. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has received advice on disestablishing the National Resilience Plan; a $6 billion scheme set up after Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods. 

When asked if it's being cut, National MP Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking absolutely not. 

He says there's no money being cut in terms of resilience, but they will be doing things a lot more efficiently. 

Labour’s Ginny Andersen said that when you ask for a report titled ‘How to cut a $6 billion Emergency Management Fund’, it’s not just going to have a picture of the Queen on it. 

Whether or not the Government scraps it, will probably be known by Budget Day, May 30. 

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We're being told helping international doctors adjust is about more than just medical competence. 

An Otago university study has found New Zealand is at risk of losing its international doctors if cultural integration practices don't improve.

Lead author Doctor Mariska Mannes says many want to be here but feel there's no support in helping them figure out how things work.

She says most of them say if there were some adjustment tools, it would make life a lot easier.

Mannes says that every year the Medical Council measures how many doctors leave, but not why. 

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A Courtenay Place bar owner says it's critical Wellington City Council has a plan for the area. 

It's walked away from a $32 million deal to renovate Reading Cinema, which has been closed since an earthquake risk was discovered in 2019. 

The council says it's working on other projects to help revitalise the city's entertainment district. 

But Dakota Bar's Jose Ubiaga told Mike Hosking that the area has been on the decline for years and is getting worse. 

He says the council doesn't seem to have any clear vision for Courtenay Place, and even the Golden Mile is all over the place. 

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A Christchurch City Councillor says their lifeline to the A&P Association isn't a grant. 

The board canned this year's A&P Show, saying it would be unwise under its current finances and business model. 

The association's now breaking the 100-year lease on its Wigram Road site, with the council paying about a million dollars a hectare to buy the remaining 95 years. 

Christchurch City Councillor Sam MacDonald told Mike Hosking the council is putting money into a capital protected fund. 

He says the association won't have to come back for handouts due to the interest, adding it's a win-win as council can also use the land. 

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Universities across America are bracing for more Gaza protests. 

Campus closures and arrests have followed increasing Pro-Palestinian and Pro- Israel demonstrations this week. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the epicentre of the protests, New York's Columbia University, is now offering online classes for the rest of the term. 

He says scores of pro-Palestine protesters camped out at the university refusing to budge for police. 

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Farmers see RMA reform as common sense returning to the farm gate. 

Changes across farming, water, and mining will be introduced to Parliament next month.  

Federated Farmers RMA spokesperson Mark Hooper says farmers already have good systems in place.  

He told Mike Hosking they have farm environment plans which show where the risk factors are and a winter grazing plan, which tells them actions to take, in the case of adverse events. 

Hooper says having an additional piece of paper doesn't add any value in terms of environmental outcomes. 

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A tense standoff between a London police officer and an antisemitism campaigner has sparked outrage. 

Gideon Falter, CEO of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was blocked by an officer from crossing a road near to a pro-Palestine march. 

Falter was wearing a yarmulke and according to the officer looked ‘openly Jewish’, and by crossing the road in that area was ‘provoking’ the protestors and risking his safety. 

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that this incident goes against the Police’s word that the marches are peaceable. 

Well, if they’re peaceable, he said, there wouldn’t be a problem with a bloke in a yarmulke crossing the road, would there? 

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Good news for the Italian Prime Minister. 

Giorgia Meloni and her allies have kept control of the southern region of Basilicata in the regional election, defeating their centre-left opponents by a wide margin. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that turnout was low, and that seems to have favoured the incumbent. 

She said that this is the second regional win for Meloni, and she’ll be drawing confidence going into the European elections. 

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A new TV3 show is aiming to highlight New Zealand’s food waste. 

Chefs are coming together in ‘Food Rescue Kitchen’ to challenge viewers’ perceptions of waste and what can be done with ingredients they otherwise might not consider. 

Peter Gordon, one of the country's most iconic chefs, is taking part and told Mike Hosking that he had a really good time on the show and enjoyed the challenge. 

He said that while most will be picturing rotted or expired food when food waste is talked about, that’s only some of it. 

Gordon said that a lot of waste is created when stores or supermarkets have to make room for the next delivery, and that’s often the point it’s at its prime. 

“For my particular challenge, I had some of the most amazing stone fruit,” he told Hosking. 

“I thought I’d never bought it like that from a shop before.” 

'Food Rescue Kitchen' premieres on Three and ThreeNow at 7PM Saturday April 27th.

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Surely we didn’t miss the irony on climate change? 

On the day it's announced we have reduced our emissions now for three years in a row, so good on us, the very next day Transpower, the people who get the electricity into your lounge, tell us yet again that this Winter has issues and peak load and demand might be problematic. 

Part one of the emissions reduction bit is increasingly about us feeling good because, as we also found out a bit over a week ago, huge chunks of the world are not reducing their emissions and not even close. 

Which then leads to a lot of people arguing that we shouldn’t bother because what we do makes no difference. 

I come down on the other side of that. If we can, we should. 

Let's be honest - in doing what we have so far, have we reached a point where we are massively inconvenienced? I wouldn’t have thought so until, well, until Transpower tell us what they have. 

Here is a simple rule of thumb; to not have enough power in 2024 is simply not good enough and it should be seen as an abdication of responsibility. 

The reason we don’t have enough is quite openly admitted. It's because the renewables are not voluminous enough and not reliable enough to cover the growing demand. 

The transition hasn’t transitioned to the point where we can largely leave fossils behind. 

So, here's the line for me. Save the planet all you want, even if it is futile given China and India aren't as interested. But don’t get so hell bent about it that the heater isn't on in July when its -3 degrees. That’s not a first world country and it's not a first world approach. 

Making it even more ridiculous is that the transition involves technological advances like EV's. If we don’t have enough power now, how do we power EV's? How do we power generative AI, the so-called future? It's a future that requires 10x more power than a Google search. 

Talk about cart before the horse. 

When we still struggle Winter in, Winter out to do the basics we have allowed ideology to hijack reality. 

That is not the future, of the future. 

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Resident doctors are set to take to the streets, protesting a recent pay offer. 

The Resident Doctors' Association say while some workers were offered up to 25% pay-rises, others were offered pay cuts in negotiations. 

As a result, they'll strike for 25 hours on May 7. 

National Secretary Deborah Powell told Mike Hosking that Health New Zealand's offer was uneven and unfair. 

She said it's robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

Powell said the strikes are a last resort as they’re going to mediation next week and remain hopeful. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 23rd April, the Government is bringing back the Three Strikes law. The public seems to be on the board, but lawyers and judges aren't. We got an expert’s thoughts. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike in studio to talk his recent overseas trip, the Waitangi Tribunal stoush, and criticisms against his fast-track bill. 

Fantastic Kiwi chef Peter Gordon talked a new TV show he is part of: Food Rescue Kitchen, where chefs make luxury meals from rescued food. 

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Employers have more choice with competition for work heating up. 

Recruitment companies are warning of thousands joining the unemployment queue and more people signing up for jobseeker benefits. 

The latest SEEK data shows job ads falling by 0.4% in March. 

Talent ID Recruitment's Holly Oppers told Mike Hosking that there's been a change of tide. 

She says a lot more skilled candidates are coming through, meaning there's movement in the market; which she says isn't a bad thing. 

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A criminal defence lawyer is hesitant to endorse the incoming Three Strikes legislation. 

The Government is looking to re-establish the laws which will see mandatory prison sentences for violent and sexual criminals committing a third offence. 

It will only apply to sentences above 24 months and give judges more discretion. 

Lawyer John Munro told Mike Hosking that overall, the evidence is conflicting. 

He says it hasn't been enforced here long enough for studies to show whether it works, so we're relying on overseas evidence. 

Munro says some of the studies out of California say it increases crime. 

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Christopher Luxon is defending spending millions on clean energy in Asia while cutting costs and Government jobs in New Zealand. 

The Government has committed $41 million towards an Asian Development Bank clean energy transition initiative. 

Luxon says the funding demonstrates New Zealand's commitment to help reduce global carbon emissions. 

He told Mike Hosking the money comes out of an existing budget, specifically set aside for overseas projects like these. 

He understands things are tough in New Zealand at the moment, but the Government needs to do what it can to get the books back in shape. 

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Wool could be making a comeback. 

The world's largest wool processing facility has reopened near Napier following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project 

Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, told Mike Hosking there's a big global trend going back to natural fibres. 

He says New Zealand could be at the forefront. 

Patterson says there's a highly motivated cohort of New Zealand entrepreneurs who see the potential in this, and they may want to make money, but they also want to be seen as doing something good for the planet. 

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The US House of Representatives has voted 311 to 112 in favour of a US$61 billion aid package for Ukraine, helping to provide ammunition to keep them in the fight against Russia.

But US correspondent Richard Arnold says while it was a major win for House Speaker Mike Johnson, some internal turmoil is brewing from his hardline Republican colleagues.

And opening statements for Donald Trump's hush money trial are due to get underway this week - with legal experts due to last between five and eight weeks.

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A good lesson in life is to work out, that if things aren't working the way you are currently doing them, then you want to change it.

We have a gargantuan hole in this country in terms of doing things in infrastructure.

We haven't, and don’t, get things done and when we crack on with the odd project it is almost always behind in time and over in money.

Part of the issue is the Resource Management Act, which I think everyone now agrees is broken and needs massive reform.

So in an attempt to kick-start matters, we have fast-track law. Fast-track, as I have said before, might well be the most important thing this Government does, in a big-picture sense.

Submissions on the legislation closed last week and you can imagine who turned up.

It's the same people who believe not doing things is the preferred option. The same people who have held this country to ransom over their individual myopic view of what's important to save, or treasure, or talk more about.

The fast-track law allows certain projects to be signed off by ministers, after going before a group of experts who tick it off as being beneficial to the country as a whole.

The pressure groups scream about a lack of democracy and dictatorial behaviour. The handwringers in the press try and beat up the idea that all this presents a problem for the Government.

There is no such problem. Most of this country are sick and tired of lobby groups, of inaction and of wastage.

The system we have hasn’t worked. We need to do things differently. We need to get on with it.

If this Government is smart they will not die wondering and they will not acquiesce to the incessant moaners, who have no one's best interests at heart but their own.

A Government elected on change needs to embrace that. It needs to be bold, back itself and believe that their approach and path is right and needs executing as soon as possible.

It is hard to overstate what a mess this country is in. That is the easy part given so many see it, feel it and live it.

But even with that scenario, there remains those who are inward-looking and can't get out of their own way.

Their time is up.

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Elon Musk and his social media company X have pledged to fight Australia’s online safety watchdog over posts about the alleged Western Sydney church stabbing. The CEO has accused Australia’s eSafety commissioner of censorship and has vowed to challenge an order to remove content on X, formerly Twitter, relating to the horrific incident in court.

On Tuesday, X and Meta were issued a notice to remove material within 24 hours that depicted “gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail”.

The companies were warned that if they failed to comply, they could face potential fines of up to AU$785,000 a day.

The move is related to the alleged stabbing of bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a service at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in Wakeley on Monday night.

The horrific alleged stabbing was all caught on camera due to the service being livestreamed, which saw graphic uncensored clips of the alleged attack to be widely circulated online.

However, the company stated that the posts did not violate X’s rules on violent speech.

A statement from X’s global government affairs team, which was reposted by Musk, said the company complied with the directive by the commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, to remove “certain posts in Australia that publicly commented” on Monday’s attack.

“The recent attacks in Australia are a horrific assault on free society. Our condolences go out to those who have been affected, and we stand with the Australian people in calling for those responsible to be brought to justice,” the statement read.

“Following these events, the Australian eSafety Commissioner ordered X to remove certain posts in Australia that publicly commented on the recent attack against a Christian Bishop.

“These posts did not violate X’s rules on violent speech.

“X believes that eSafety’s order was not within the scope of Australian law and we complied with the directive pending a legal challenge.

“X has now received a demand from the eSafety Commissioner that X globally withhold these posts or face a daily fine of $785,000 AUD (about $500,000 USD).

“This was a tragic event and we do not allow people to praise it or call for further violence.

“There is a public conversation happening about the event, on X and across Australia, as is often the case when events of major public concern occur.

“While X respects the right of a country to enforce its laws within its jurisdiction, the eSafety Commissioner does not have the authority to dictate what content X’s users can see globally.

“We will robustly challenge this unlawful and dangerous approach in court.

“Global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere.”

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler told reporters in Adelaide that the government would take X to task if it wanted to pursue the matter in court.

“Australia is not going to be bullied by Elon Musk, or any other tech billionaire, in our commitment to making sure that social media is a safe space,” Butler said.

“So if he wants to fight that fine in court, well, we’re up for that fight.”

There have been calls for harsher sanctions for social media platforms in light of the April 13 Westfield Bondi massacre that claimed six lives.

Distressing and graphic footage of the attack was rapidly uploaded online, and misinformation spread.

NSW Premier Chris Minns blasted X on Saturday and said it was time for penalties for social media companies to be strengthened.

“This is exactly as I’d expect from X, or Twitter, or whatever you want to call it,” Minns told reporters.

“A disregard for the information that they pump into our communities, lies and rumours spreading like wildfire.

“Then when things go wrong, throwing their hands up in the air to say that they’re not prepared to do anything about it.”

The NSW premier and other leaders met with Assyrian community groups after the alleged church stabbing and stated that they collectively condemned the violence.

“If anyone acts in that way, they are doing it in complete defiance of the religious leadership of NSW and it is against the law,” Minns said.

A 16-year-old male was charged with a terrorism offence over the incident and will face court in June.

eSafety said it expected platforms to make “genuine efforts” to protect Australians from harmful content.

“eSafety is aware social media users continue to upload and reshare distressing content and appreciates it is challenging for platforms to manage this,” the statement said.

“We are also aware some platforms are responding by applying technological solutions to prevent or reduce proliferation … eSafety welcomes these actions.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that social media companies were responsible for protecting the community from the spread of troubling content.

“It shouldn’t need the eSafety commissioner to intervene, to direct companies, in this case X and Meta, to take down violent videos,” he said.

“We are prepared to take whatever action is necessary to haul these companies into line.

“We’ve made that very clear because of the damage that a failure to act can have.”

- by Jasmine Kazlauskas, news.com.au

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 22 April, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly explained why the Government is changing the CCCFA to make it easier to get loans, while Trade Minister Todd McClay gave us insights from his trip to China.

Taupō Super400 winner and series leader Will Brown joined the show to recap Supercars returning to New Zealand and the future of the event here.

And Mike gave his take on Taylor Swift's new album The Tortured Poets Department.

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Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss the Black Caps' 7 wicket win in Pakistan, the Warriors' 30-12 loss to the Dragons, V8 Supercars in Taupō, the weekend's Super Rugby, and the Formula 1 in China.

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Full steam ahead with plans to re-build Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral on the same site as before.

Following a survey, the Catholic Diocese has selected their 160-year-old Barbados Street site as the cathedral's future location.

The former cathedral stood there before being demolished following earthquake damage.

Mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking the city may see a Catholic Cathedral before an Anglican one.

“The Anglican Cathedral is practically building a new church within an old one. This will be built from new, but it will be a lot cheaper and may be able to get it finished a bit quicker.”

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Taupō enjoyed some V8 Supercars racing over the weekend.

Championship leader Will Brown overhauled his Australian teammate Broc Feeney in a tense battle to win the second and final race of the weekend.

Brown cleared Feeney with nine laps remaining to claim the lead, following a nail-biting battle that saw the two Red Bull Ampol Camaros run side-by-side on multiple occasions.

Will Brown joined Mike Hosking.

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Donald Trump's support for the US$95 billion relief package for international aid is a good sign for Ukraine.

The US House of Representatives has budgeted a US$61 billion aid package for Ukraine.

It's likely the funding will be used to boost their military defence, including air defence systems, mid to long-range missiles and artillery shells.

International relations analyst Geoffrey Miller told Mike Hosking says Trump's giving his blessing for the deal.

“Trump has said that Ukraine’s survival is important for the United States. It’s a huge shift for him, so that means that even if Trump wins the election, we can probably expect this strategy to continue.”

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The Trade Minister is optimistic about China and New Zealand's relationship after his visit.

The Government's focused on deepening international ties with Asia, as Christopher Luxon comes back from his Southeast Asia trip.

Todd McClay visited China and told Mike Hosking the meetings have been constructive and respectful.

He says he's very pleased officials will work on upgrading the services part of our trade agreement.

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Growing operational costs are partially to blame for an increase in domestic airfares.

Air New Zealand's told travel agents domestic fares across all routes will be going up from midnight tonight.

House of Travel Chief Operating Officer Brent Thomas told Mike Hosking the airline is trying to cover rising fuel prices and wage costs.

“But obviously also they got an airline to run and profits to be made, and they’re looking to see where they can maximise their revenue streams and their profitability.”

Thomas says there is room for more flights and competition in the domestic market which could decrease the price of airfares.

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The Government wants to make loans more accessible to people who need them.

It's revoking 11 pages of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act introduced by the last Government.

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says vulnerable New Zealanders are being driven to gangs and loan sharks because the process takes far too long.

He told Mike Hosking they want to allow lenders to give discretion in the right situation.

“If you want to go get a $500 loan, and you’re a solo mum from Blockhouse Bay, it takes at the moment about eight hours to process your loan; it used to take two hours.”

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The Trump-trial saga continues, and the former US President has been spotted dozing in court again. 

Donald Trump is the first president in US history to face multiple criminal charges, this time for his alleged role in using hush money to silence a mistress before the 2016 elections. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump appeared asleep almost the whole time. 

Arnold reports he did snap to attention when one of the prospective jurors claimed they only had a flip phone, clearly shocked. 

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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 Government: 7/10 

A very solid week with the Prime Minister in Asia selling our image, Todd McClay in China drumming up business, Mark Patterson in Australia spruiking our wool and Shane Jones slashing red tape in mining and sticking it up the Waitangi Tribunal. That's ideas, policies, changes and common sense. It's got a desperately needed feel of momentum about it. 

The CPI number: 3/10 

The real issue is the 5.8% non-tradable figure, the stuff we control, yet aren't controlling. 

Jury selection: 3/10 

Twelve New Yorkers who don’t care either way about Donald Trump? Come on.   

Russia: 4/10 

Because they are growing this year faster than any other major developed nation. Those sanctions work, aye? 

Stuff/Hub: 7/10 

Because we wish them well, but it had a very distinct whiff of rip and read, cheap and hasty, didn’t it? 

The A&P show: 3/10 

It's a travesty, but what about the model! Are you serious? Twelve months work for three days revenue. You don’t think there is a bit of room to wind the old efficiency up? 

Supercars: 8/10 

Sold out in Taupo both days. Cars with big engines are so hot right now. 

LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW 

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This weekend will see up to 70,000 fans pouring into Taupo to catch the Supercars event. 

Jaxon Evans, a third-generation kiwi racer, won the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship in 2018, and is back this weekend to compete for Brad Jones Racing. 

He told Mike Hosking that this is actually his first race at Taupo, having spectated a few races but never running the track himself. 

Evans said that while those who know the track may have a slight advantage, none of them have run the current cars so it’ll be a clean slate for everyone. 

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A study has found that housing has a significant impact on the prospects of homeless people. 

University of Otago research has found that those who live in a housing first programme have better health, income, and justice outcomes. 

The study involved 387 homeless people, and in five years the number of hospitalisations fell by 44%, nights spent in mental health units fell by 63%, and there was a 43% reduction in criminal charges. 

Professor Nevil Pierse told Mike Hosking that the study really shows that permanent housing and support really works, and after five years huge improvements can be seen. 

He said that the key in this study was the people going straight into permanent sustainable housing as opposed to emergency transitional housing, which creates a sense of stability. 

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Liz Truss has a book out. 

It's what you do when you have been Prime Minister, even though she was only Prime Minister for about three and a half minutes. 

Slight digression - I am going to be fascinated to see how they promote Jacinda Ardern's book when it finally arrives. 

My assessment of her legacy is that it is increasingly dark and as the cold, hard economic reality of what she left behind is heaped upon us, more and more New Zealanders have realised how badly she duped us. 

In a Meghan Markle-esque kind of way she is not to be seen anywhere, just heard from occasionally through reports of speeches at conferences as she is adored by the luvvies offshore. 

I find it hard to believe the publicists would place her in Whitcoulls for a signing. 

Anyway, back to Liz. The sad thing for Liz is she makes a very, very good point when she suggests the West has about a decade to reassert itself and grab back everything it has lost of late. 

Whether it’s a decade, who knows. But in a very short space of time China has become something we didn’t really see coming. They are not the world's friend, unless of course you do things their way. 

They need to engage with us, but don’t like or trust us. They spy, they infiltrate, and they exert influence in increasing areas by way of money in pockets. Look at Africa or, increasingly, the Pacific.   

They are helping Russia in the war. 

Speaking of Russia, they're another problem. The International Monetary Fund this week tells us they will grow economically this year more than any other major economy on Earth. Pick any country you like in Europe, the UK, Australia, Canada, Britain, the U.S, they will beat everyone. 

How? Domestic consumption and oil. Who are they selling oil to? The Chinese and the Indians. While the West has talked tough and rolled out sanctions Russia has kept growing and China has kept growing. BRICS is another grouping that’s growing and is one to watch. 

Liz Truss is seen as a failure of a Prime Minister but on this she is worth listening to. She is more productive out of the office than in it and, most importantly, she is right. 

The West are losing. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 19th of April, Social Development Minister Louise Upston talked the Jobseeker number and dug into who would actually be hit by the sanctions.

Grant Dalton was back on the show after revealing the new name of the boat that's going to win us the America's Cup.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson wrapped the week, discussing everything from jury duty to whether they could be unbiased in a trial for Trump.

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Team New Zealand has officially launched into their America’s Cup era. 

They rolled their new AC75 out of the shed last week, officially launching it in a ceremony in Auckland yesterday afternoon. 

The boat was named Taihoro, the name gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, inspired by Taihoro-Nukurangi, the name translates to “to move swiftly as the sea between both sky and earth”. 

Team NZ CEO Grant Dalton told Mike Hosking that there is a quantum step up in pace between Te Rehutai, who they defended the America’s Cup with last time, and Taihoro. 

He said the wizardry of these engineers is that they’re able to make incredibly fast boats go faster and faster. 

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Mike Hosking was once more joined by Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to wrap the week.

They discussed jury duty, Tim revealing himself to be the only person who'd love to do it one day, and whether they think they could be unbiased in Donald Trump's criminal trial.

They also touched on Mike's appearance on Radio Hauraki's Daily Bespoke Podcast.

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Auckland's Mayor wants the city to serve as an air and freight hub between Asia and South America. 

The idea has drawn new attention with the New Zealand Brazil Business Chamber, pitching a direct flight from Auckland to São Paulo which could bring in millions in trade in its first year. 

The mayor's also keen to see direct flights to India. 

Wayne Brown told Mike Hosking that these routes should've been unlocked years ago. 

He says the shortest route from anything south of Hong Kong and Guangzhou to South America goes right over the top of Auckland, so the city is missing out on a huge amount of trade. 

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Reassurances are being given that those on JobSeekers won't be punished if a tough job market means they can't find work. 

New MSD figures reveal just under 188,000 people are on this benefit, up almost 20,000 people from last year. 

The Government's hoping to get 50,000 off JobSeekers in the next six years. 

Social Development Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking that if people are doing everything they can, they won't be sanctioned. 

She says it's about people not taking the steps to get ready for a job and doing their bit. 

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A UK debt industry leader's offering New Zealanders advice following a grim economic forecast. 

Infometrics data finds the economy's being hit harder than expected and it may be another year until it feels like the worst of the downturn is over. 

Steve Coppard told Mike Hosking that he’s urging households with increased debt to use the free mentorship available. 

He says people need to work with professionals to identify the barriers preventing them from escaping debt. 

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The meeting is underway for the G7 Ministers, taking place on the Italian island of Capri. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna said we’re likely to see predictable announcements coming soon regarding Iran, Israel, Palestine, and Gaza. 

She said that they’re likely to reinforce the opposition to what Iran did and reinforce the support for Israel. 

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More from our common sense file. 

Resources Minister Shane Jones has had a good week and I'm increasingly falling in love with him. 

He turned on the country's only electric digger. This is a big mother and may well be the future of heavy industrial work. 

He is also going to make it easier to dig for coal. As he points out coal, in terms of extraction, is not dissimilar to extracting lots of minerals and although there are a small, but loud, group of people that want to extract nothing, what happens when you don’t have energy is you either have to bring it in or you sit in the dark a lot. 

In a week where we learned we will need ten times the power we currently use just to search the net, given AI sucks up a shed load more power than your current Google search, it might be time to get a bit real about what makes the wheels turn. 

While we wait for solar and wind and whatever else to get approved and brought online, the simple truth remains we make most of our energy out of water (which is good), a bit out of hot stuff in the ground (which is pretty good). But we still need coal. 

Because we can't really look for more coal the same way we haven't been able to look for more oil, we got a bit stuck. So, we had the absurdity of importing coal from Indonesia. 

Not only was it coal, but it was coal not nearly as good as ours, thus defeating the entire purpose of saving the planet. 

Speaking of which, surely the numbers also out this week once and for all buried this falsehood that the world is turning on the climate. 

We have never used more coal and demand has gone up again in the past year. But we are planning and opening more mines than ever before, led of course by China. 

China, along with a long list of players from Greece to Vietnam to Pakistan to Korea, Bangladesh and Japan are all opening mines. 

No, that's not ideal. But as Jones points out, utopia in the form of renewables at a level of 100% is years away. 

In the meantime, it's back to the real world. 

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Warriors CEO Cameron George is trying not to get ahead of himself despite the coup of signing Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris on a four-year deal. 

The three-time Premiership winning prop has been granted a release from the final two years of his deal with Penrith on compassionate grounds. 

He's a like-for-like replacement for Addin Fonua-Blake, who will join Cronulla at the end of this season. 

George told Mike Hosking that it's another positive step for the club post the pandemic era. 

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Fans of the reggae and pop scenes will be very familiar with the works of UB40. 

The English band was formed in the late 1970’s, going through a few iterations as their music finds international success. 

Robin Campbell is a founding member of the band, having stuck with it for 45 years, throughout the drama, court cases, and a revolt. 

They’re popping over to New Zealand with the release of their 21stalbum ‘UB45’ stopping by Auckland and Christchurch in October on their ‘Red Red Wine Tour’. 

Campell told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that they have a few extra members in the band and a couple of new guys. 

“We’re firing on all cylinders, having a ball.” 

45 years is quite a significant amount of time for a band to be running, and Campbell said it’s always kind of a ‘pinch me’ moment. 

“You know, how the, how the heck are we still doing this after 45 years? Why are we so popular? How did we get so lucky?” 

The secret for them is doing what they love and hoping their fans and friends come along with them. 

“It’s just the way it’s always been for us, it’s always worked.” 

“It’s a wonderful position to be in.” 

UB45 releases Friday, 19th of April.

The Red Red Wine Tour will be coming to Christchurch on October 8th and Auckland on October 10th.

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of April, we spoke to former Finance Minister Steven Joyce about the good and bad news from the latest inflation number.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell gave his thoughts on what's next after the Police turned down their third and final pay offer.

There's a lot of angst about the public sector job cuts, particularly from Opposition Leader Chis Hipkins. Does he defend the decisions he made while in Parliament that led up to these cuts?

Robin Campbell of the original UB40 fame joined the show to talk about their new album and upcoming NZ shows.

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Some are saying the Government's updated health guidance for children is bringing back the balance from the pandemic. 

The guidelines say children with a mild cough, headache, or runny nose can go to school given they don't have Covid-19 or other symptoms like fever or diarrhoea. 

Auckland Primary Principals' Association's Kyle Brewerton told Mike Hosking that we've had four years of erring on the side of caution. 

He says it's part of a wider message to get kids back to school. 

Brewerton says we have a big attendance problem and it's a way of saying to get rid of any more issues. 

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Chris Hipkins is defending public servants in the firing line. 

Just yesterday, more than a-thousand job cutting proposals were announced at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki combined. 

The Government's suggesting some of the cost savings could be re-invested into frontline services. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking that he doesn't agree the public service had been 'bloating' under his leadership. 

He said the people losing their jobs are delivering valuable services like the food in schools programme or curriculum work. 

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Tread carefully over plans to extend earthquake-strengthening work deadlines. 

The Government's announced it's giving people an extra four years to get unsafe buildings up to scratch. 

It's also bringing forward a review into earthquake-prone buildings. 

AUT construction expert John Tookey told Mike Hosking that four years or beyond kicks the issue into a future governmental cycle or two. 

He says this inevitably mixes politics with public safety considerations. 

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A former finance minister says there's nothing to celebrate in the latest inflation figures. 

Inflation has fallen to 4% in the year to March. 

That's well down on the 4.7% recorded in the year to December but above the Reserve Bank's forecast. 

Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that non-tradable inflation —on things like rents and rates that don't face foreign competition— has only dropped slightly from 5.9% to 5.8%. 

He says that's troubling for the Reserve Bank and the economy, and points to 'stagflation'. 

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The Government says the latest pay offer to Police is the best it can do as the country is basically broke. 

Three quarters of officers have voted ‘NO’ and a decision now sits with an impartial arbitrator. 

The Police Association says it's 4% below what teachers have been offered, which is a slap in the face. 

Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that the package is a quarter-of-a-billion dollars better than the offer that went forward in August. 

He says for the first time they've been offered paid overtime, a lump sum payment of $1,500, and a 4% salary increase for three years. 

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New Zealand’s wool industry is getting a boost in front of an international audience. 

Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting the sector and outlining the Coalition Government’s support for revitalising it. 

Campaign for Wool Trustee Sandra Faulkner told Mike Hosking that it’s fantastic to have a minister who is publicly backing New Zealand farmers and what they produce. 

She said that with the focus on moving away from plastic products, it’s all about going back to the basics, getting out there, and celebrating the industry. 

Faulkner said that at the moment it’s a pretty competitive industry and some structures will need to be changed, and she holds hope that this Government will be able to do so. 

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You can ask a lot of questions about the TV3 deal with Stuff. 

Do Stuff know how to make television? How many people will they actually hire as opposed to re-purposing the staff they already have? Does the programme draw an audience? Will it look anything like what we are used to? 

Most importantly, does it solve a problem for TV, the media, and Warner Bros. Discovery? 

To a degree, none of that matters to us. We are viewers and if what they produce is worth watching, we will. If it isn't, we won't. 

It's important to remember, for all the noise the media has created about itself these past few weeks, TV3 news was never really been that successful, hence it cost more than it was worth. 

Will it now cost less and therefore be worth about what it costs? 

What Warner Bros. Discovery have done is what we do with lawns; we get someone else to do it. 

Small problem is if Jim's aren't up to much, we go get someone else. 

The media market is a bit tapped out in terms of suppliers, so you want to hope Stuff have the wherewithal to deliver. 

It's also worth remembering that what has been announced isn't new, or indeed revolutionary. This company sells news services to other operators and has done for years. Newshub makes the news bulletin for Sky TV each night at 5.30pm. It's simply the buying and selling of content. 

Depending on what you angsted over most depends a bit on whether this is a good deal. If all you wanted was a couple of 6 o'clock news shows on the TV, then that problem seems addressed. 

If you were worried about 300 people losing their job, that news might not be as good. 

What makes a deal like this work is synergies; people already doing related stuff, doing more of the same, except different. You write a story, it might end up online, it might end up on radio, it might end up on TV. This isn't new either. 

So, what we seem to have got is a shuffling of the chairs, except not as many chairs. 

It's better than what might have been but not better than what it was. 

It’s a cheaper version, it's scaled down, its different and it’s the new normal in an ever-changing landscape. As I said weeks ago at the start of all this, media has evolved as long as I have been in it. This is just another day and another iteration.   

But, as always, we wish the players well. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of April, we got an economist's thoughts on what we can expect today from our inflation stats, and the former Newshub Head of News Mark Jennings took a look at the TV3/Stuff deal.

Speaking of money, the Reserve Bank is looking at digital wallets and e-commerce for New Zealand, is this our future?

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell covered everything from the Waitangi Tribunal to boot camps for kids on Politics Wednesday.

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Labour and National are clashing over a potential mega-tunnel underneath Wellington. 

The government's looking at a tunnel connecting The Terrace and Kilbirnie, a distance of around 4km. 

It has been proposed to bring down travel times and reduce congestion on state highways. 

National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that they're going through a business case and analysis. 

But Labour's Ginny Andersen, based in Lower Hutt, is sceptical about how it'll happen. 

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David Seymour is setting his sights on cutting back safety regulations in early childhood education centres. 

The Associate Education Minister's announced he will scrap requirements for the Education Ministry to sign-off on new centres being established. 

Also binned are changes which had been due to take effect in August, requiring people in supervisory roles to hold a full teaching practice certificate. 

Seymour told Mike Hosking that they’re committed to quality health and safety regulations for kids, but beyond that it’s up to those planning to start ECE centres to take the risk and make their business work. 

He said that it’s up to parents to decide where they want to send their children, and if they don’t send their kids somewhere, maybe they’re trying to tell the owner something. 

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The Reserve Bank's opened consultation on the possibility of a government-backed digital currency. 

The central bank is currently researching such an option. 

It would be used alongside physical cash. 

Director of Money and Cash Ian Woolford told Mike Hosking their view is that there's not enough innovation and efficiency in the financial system. 

He says they hope a central bank digital cash will spur this. 

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Inflation is expected to cool further today, but some predict it falling more than others. 

ANZ's expecting today's figures to show annual inflation dropping to 4%, down from the 4.7% it was in last year's final quarter. 

The forecast is above the Reserve Bank's February expectation of 3.8%. 

ANZ Economist Henry Russell told Mike Hosking that's a little low. 

He says there should be enough data in today's figures to show inflation is continuously coming down, but progress is coming more slowly than the Reserve Bank anticipated. 

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Newshub's former head of news believes it's a waiting game as to whether the salvaged TV bulletin will work. 

Stuff has signed on to produce and provide a daily bulletin on TV3 from July 6, following Newshub's closure. 

Mark Jennings told Mike Hosking it's better than nothing. 

But, he says, it's going to be up to the viewers what they make of this, adding they vote with their remotes, and we will know the verdict from July 6th. 

Jennings says although Stuff journalists are used to collecting video, uploading it to a website is different to packaging it for TV.

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Dozens of prospective jurors in the Donald Trump 'hush money' trial continue to be dismissed as they say they can't be fair. 

It's the second day of the trial, and jury selection continues. 

Trump's charged with falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme before the 2016 election. 

He's pleaded not guilty. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking it's a tough jury selection. 

He says they've got nowhere, and more than half of those called said they couldn't be fair or impartial. 

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Northland businesses are telling Government to commit to a full expressway between Northland and Auckland. 

A NZIER report found a four-lane highway between Auckland and Whangārei would bring millions to the region's economy. 

Northland Corporate Group Co-Chair Andrew McLeod says the evidence for the benefits are clear. 

He told Mike Hosking that the Government just needs to make a decision now, because it's currently hurting Northland business. 

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The UK is walking a tightrope in their response to Iran’s attack on Israel. 

More than 300 projectiles were launched on Israel by Iran in retaliation for a strike on its consulate in Syria two weeks ago. 

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that the attack on Israel has bolstered them amongst their allies, Britain among them. 

However, he said, PM Rishi Sunak is hampered by having David Cameron in the Foreign Office, who's beliefs are antithetical to most of what is wanted by Israel. 

Liddle said that Sunak will continue to say that they support Israel, but will be mediated by his Foreign Secretary who says that Israel should do nothing more to try get rid of Hamas. 

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The plans for the grand opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics could wind up changed. 

France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and instead of the 6km boat parade down the Seine, the opening ceremony could be shifted to the Stade de France. 

Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that it seems to have been pushed on by several events, notably the security alert surrounding the Champions League football game and just before that, the attack in Moscow. 

While plenty of people were shocked by this announcement, she said that it came as a real surprise to those running the Stade de France, who said they’d heard nothing about it. 

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Migration in and out of New Zealand is still at record levels. 

Provisional estimates for February show more than 253,000 migrants arrived and about 122,000 left, putting net migration at almost 131,000. 

Arrivals and departures are the highest on record, but net migration was down about 12 thousand from last November. 

Massey University Sociologist Paul Spoonley told Mike Hosking that the large number of Asian immigrants entering New Zealand will have an impact on the cultural make up of the country. 

He said that its primarily younger people coming over, so in 10 or 20 years we could be looking at a very different New Zealand. 

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The Waitangi Tribunal are at it again. 

This time it's with another of their “urgent reviews”. This particular one is into the approach the new Government is taking to Oranga Tamariki. 

Karen Chhour, who is the Minister for Oranga Tamariki, would be as invested and experienced in the matter as any politician before her. 

She is a child of the state who rose to Cabinet level and, as such, is driven by the desire to contribute and give back and is a powerful reminder that the state is not all bad when it comes to dealing with kids and that you can in fact, have a tough start and not have it hold you back. 

In broad terms, Chhour is not as convinced as some others that race should play quite the obsessive role it does. 

In other words, if a child of Māori persuasion is removed from a home and is then placed in another Māori home that is directly connected to the home that caused the trouble in the first place, is that serving the child in the best way possible? 

This is not a new debate of course. The “wider whanau” approach and angst has been raging for years. 

What I think we all agree on is that Oranga Tamariki and its previous iterations have not served many kids all that well. 

I personally hold the view that in many circumstances we expect too much of the agency. After all, they are a Government department, not a miracle worker. 

The people they deal with have as challenging a set of circumstances as you would ever want to see. 

The social worker's caseloads are too high, the dysfunction is too high, and the expectation that these issues get fixed like a magic trick is too high. 

But the Waitangi Tribunal add nothing by yet again launching what appears to be an ever-growing level of activism and producing reports that, to be frank, will most likely, and rightly, be ignored. 

They have no real power. 

The original part of their existence, which was historic claims, is largely over and the stragglers should have been given a deadline decades back and the whole thing should be out of business. 

But bereft of fresh historic grievance to wallow over, they have created a new work programme of interventionism, of which the Oranga Tamariki case is the latest example. 

Taking a child out of a mess of a house and putting them on a path to success is the key goal. 

The moment you overlay that objective with race, race and more race at all costs is partially why so little has been achieved for these kids. 

Karen Chhour wants to get on with it. 

The Tribunal revel in being the handbrake. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of April, a former advisor for George W. Bush joined to dig into the beginning of Trump's 'hush money' trial, which is the first time in history a former president has faced a criminal trial.  

Finance Minister Nicola Willis filled in while the Prime Minister is overseas, and talked the CPI number, the public service sector, and whether Melissa Lee actually has any sort of plan for the media.

UK comedian and former doctor Adam Kay joined the program ahead of bringing his hit West End show to kiwi audiences for the NZ International Comedy Festival.

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Adam Kay has had an interesting career path. 

The UK comedian and bestselling author started off as a doctor, leaving after undiagnosed symptoms led to severe complications and a stillborn during one of his surgeries. 

He went on to writeThis is Going to Hurt,a book based on the diaries he wrote during his time as a doctor, which went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide. 

Kay has since turned the book into a comedy show which sold out on the West End, and was also turned into a miniseries. 

He’s bringing the comedy show to kiwi audiences as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival, taking to the stage on May 1st. 

Coming from a very normal background, fame has been interesting for Kay, telling Mike Hosking that it’s been weird to have people come up and ask for photos. 

“It’s quite weird that more people know me than I know people,” he said. 

“But I’m getting used to it and I’m just, I’m glad all these people have watched my shows, or read my books, or whatever and want to say hi.” 

Performing on stage has a different energy to selling books, the latter being quite abstract according to Kay. 

“You get an email from the publisher saying congratulations on this many copies, or it’s been published in this many languages, but going on stage, and you know, speaking, hopefully amusing people in their, in their thousands, it’s like nothing on earth.” 

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The continuing high migration figures are a surprise. 

February's net migration hit almost 131,000, with more than 253,000 migrants arriving, and about 122,000 heading offshore. 

JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mike Hosking that he's been expecting numbers to cool off, but this hasn't happened. 

He says lots of people are moving around as both sides of the net migration equation run at record levels.

Kelleher adds visitor numbers are positive, with the Chinese market the highest since January 2020. 

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The Finance Minister says there is no plan to "save" major media outlets in their current form. 

Newshub staff have been summoned to a meeting today about an "important business update", after learning last week that the news service will close with the loss of 300 jobs. 

TVNZ has also announced significant cuts including the end of its Fair Go and Sunday programmes. 

Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that while Media Minister Melissa Lee is looking into the issue, she isn't working on a salvation plan. 

She says the Government isn't going to come in on a white horse and rescue the media industry. 

Willis says the challenges facing the media industry go right to the digitisation of the way people are receiving news. 

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A feeling of justice for many in Australia, following a ruling on ex Australian Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann. 

A judge has found it's likely Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019. 

It follows a defamation case against Channel Ten, which he lost. 

Australia Correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Mike Hosking that Lehrmann has claimed he's the victim who's been put through hell. 

But she says it's now clear Higgins is the victim. 

Yeomans says Higgins has been forced to move overseas to try to get away from all this. 

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There are hopes renters with pets will be better supported in the long run. 

The Government's bringing in changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to make it easier for pet-owning tenants to find rental housing. 

It includes paying an extra bond of two weeks rent to cover potential damage.  

Property Investors' Federation president Sue Harrison told Mike Hosking that the changes have to go through a Select Committee and won't be in place until the end of next year. 

She says it's a slow process, and this change alone isn't a game changer but more properties in the marketplace will be. 

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Donald Trump's trial has started in New York. 

It's the first time a US president has faced a criminal trial. 

Trump is charged with falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme before the 2016 election. 

He's pleaded not guilty. 

The trial is one of four criminal cases he faces and may be the only one to face a jury before the election. 

Former adviser to George W Bush, Scott Jennings, told Mike Hosking that the chances of him being convicted in New York City are pretty high. 

But, he says, the issue itself is of low concern to Americans, the bigger issue would be if they get to trial for charges he faces about January 6. 

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The rules around opening the week with the Warriors is I do an editorial it’s a Warriors win. 

Did the Warriors win? No they did not. 

But was it as good as a win? Yes it was and that is why we are here. 

Glen Larmer, the commentator, at the end of the game said both sides will feel that they let it slip away. 

I don’t agree. 

I think we were losing for most of it. We weren't losing badly, but Manly, for the better part of the game, looked like the better side. 

We were under pressure and pressure sometimes makes diamonds, but on other days it makes Roger Tuivasa-Sheck drop the ball, which he did twice. 

Overall, and this is the best bit, it was as good as any game we've seen for a while and was played at a very high level by a couple of really high quality sides. 

The fact we were behind for most of it, especially the first part, gave rise to some level of concern given that at the very start we looked like we could get caned. 

The Manly tries were quality tries. They carved us up, they played at pace and they may well have been playing above themselves, given their place on the table. 

But the comeback eventually arrived, although it was too late. A try, which we got, would leave us two points short. 

The drop goal missed by a mile, so we lose. Except Shaun Johnson got his leg whacked and we got a life 

Penalty. Two points. A draw. Extra time. 

Could we have won? Yes. 

Could they have won? Yes. 

But in an odd way, the way it ended seemed fair. 

Manly should be gutted. For too much of the 80 minutes they were better than us and that is a lesson for the rest of the season. 

The competition is tight and if a side fires up we need to respond and if we don’t it will be Saturday night all over again. 

So, we got lucky. But sometimes when you are a pretty consistent, quality side you earn your luck. 

Which is why a draw is essentially a win. We more than likely could have got nothing, but we got a point and it's one of the best points we will get all year. 

Speaking of years, I'm still feeling good and still feeling confident. 

This is our year. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 15th of April, we talk to a retired U.S Army Lieutenant Colonel about Iran attacking Israel, the U.S being involved and how far this escalates.

We go to Sydney to get the latest on the Bondi Junction stabbing.

Mike reckons he's found some public service savings for the Government and it has to do with his breakfast radio competition.

On the Commentary Box, Guy Heveldt and Andrew Saville cover Ryan Fox at the Masters and all the great weekend of Super Rugby - plus that Warriors draw, that's as good as a win!

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Six people have been killed during a stabbing attack at a Sydney mall. Five of the victims were women, raising questions about the attacker’s motives. 

40-year old Queensland man Joel Cauchi has been identified as the attacker. He was shot dead by a police officer. 

9News Australia correspondent Charles Croucher tells Mike Hosking the killer was known to police but had no history of charges or intent towards an attack like this. 

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The cruise ship season is drawing to a close. It has been estimated to have brought in around $600 million to local economies. 

Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young tells Mike Hosking that with issues in the Red Sea, fewer ships are expected next season. 

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Trade Minister Todd McClay is in China this week to meet with the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in hopes of strengthening relationships and promoting New Zealand businesses on the world stage. 

Former NZ trade negotiator and trade consultant partner at Saunders Unsworth Charles Finny tells Mike Hosking NZ’s relationship with China is good from a trade perspective, but more complex politically. 

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The war in the Middle East escalated over the weekend, with Iran launching an attack on Israel. 

US, UK and Jordanian forces helped Israel to take down incoming drones and missiles. 

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Affairs analyst with Think Tank Defence Priorities Daniel L Davis tells Mike Hosking that “everything depends on what Israel does next”. 

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In another New Zealand business success story, OI Organic Initiative has made it big selling period products in the US. In just five months, the company has made it to number two out of more than 10 companies in that specific market. 

OI CEO Clare Morgan tells Mike Hosking the company has been in the US market since 2018 but refocused in 2022 by launching into the natural channel. 

The natural aspect has given the brand an advantage with product certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). 

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The Government has had a pretty good week.

The nine public service targets make sense. They give us a purpose and an idea of direction and, importantly, they come with markers and reports that tell us where we are.

The truancy plan is more common sense. I'm not convinced it's quite the answer, all the lights and fines. But an increased focus on what is a shameful embarrassment and crisis needs all the help it can get.

Winston Peters has had a good week. Say whatever you want about Nazi Germany or the Ku Klux Klan clan, when Peters is on the world stage he is a solid, if not a class ac. He represents us well, is connected, serious and reminds us what a monumental load of nonsense Nanaia Mahuta and her appointment was.

Probably most importantly in the big picture is the advisory group for fast tracking infrastructure.

These are not household names but names from business who will help the Government potentially pull off one of the most critical jobs they have - getting this country moving through actually getting major stuff done.

Fast tracking is the only answer, in terms of infrastructure, to a process that virtually everyone agrees has become captured, and by being captured, has failed us all.

The usual hand wringers worried about the power of ministers to make too bold a decision. There's not enough consultation and democracy, they said. These are the very people who should look at themselves long and hard in the mirror and realise it is their obsession with stalling everything through courts and lawyers and tribunals and protests that has led to so little actually getting done and us being, as a country, in the precarious state we are.

Also this week was the Prime Minister's unrelenting message around getting this place off its knees.

The greatest lesson of all over the past six years is just how easy it has been to lose momentum and to watch laziness and procrastination and excuse fill the void. Once true leadership got replaced with vacuous thought bubbles and nonsensical virtue signalling.

Trust, success, dedication and runs on the board are hard to get and easy to lose.

So the battle is on. We need more weeks like this, more decisions like this and more attitude like this.

This week gives me real hope.

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Forget switching on the TV, this weekend TikTok will have your rugby fix. 

The Women’s Super Rugby Aupiki Final is kicking off this Saturday and due to a partnership between 2Degrees, Sky, and Tiktok, the social media app will be broadcasting it live. 

The game between the Blues and Chiefs Manawa will be shot vertically by Sky and have its own presenters and commentary team. 

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, one of the commentators for the game, told Mike Hosking that it’s set up an amazing opportunity for rugby and women’s rugby to be accessible across not only New Zealand, but the entire world. 

She said that if they can get the big dogs doing this sort of stuff, it will be an amazing development for the sport. 

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With all the issues stemming from online learning, research has found a benefit. 

Charles Darwin University has found that online learning can increase a student’s short and long-term memory by improving their cognitive capability. 

They surveyed 482 students studying an accountancy degree between 2020 and 2021, and found students faced difficulties learning, overwhelming students and increasing their cognitive load. 

Dr Nina Hood, founder of the Education Hub, told Mike Hosking that the situation isn’t cut and dry, and there are a few reasons to be sceptical about this study. 

She said that while there definitely are benefits to online learning, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be the same quality as in person learning, and it also depends on the subject being taught. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 12th of April we looked at Winston Peter's bi-lateral meeting with the U.S' Anthony Blinken and got a university professor’s opinion on what we should do with puberty blockers following the UK’s report. 

How well have the Government performed this week? What about the media? Mike marked the week. 

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson wrapped the week and tried to stop Mike from telling stories he shouldn't. 

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Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby are back to help Mike Hosking wrap the week that was and stop him from telling stories he shouldn’t. 

They cover Tim’s holiday in Nelson, The Country’s 30thanniversary, Scrabble going ‘woke’ and the popularity of Vampire Weekend. 

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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 eclipse: 8/10 

For no other reason than it seems to get people fizzing …despite the fact i cant for the life of me work out why you would travel miles and spend thousands to do it 

The Climate Commission: 4/10 

Worthy but wacky, we will not be banning petrol cars by 2040. Saying weird stuff doesn’t help, but watch them as 2050 gets closer. 

The media: 2/10 

Tough week. 

Job losses: 4/10 

No fun for anyone but it's what you get when a previous Government spends what they don’t have and creates jobs that don’t really exist. 

Winston Peters: 6/10 

Looks good on the international stage. He looks experienced and serious, which is a different league to our last representative. 

Immigration: 7/10 

Not a moment too soon. No one loves more people than me, but they've got to be the right people who can do more than just cook stir fry or make flat whites. 

Britain's transgender report: 8/10 

Hopefully the turning of a dangerously progressive tide where madness and vibes trump common sense and facts and, ultimately, cause untold damage. 

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The Housing Minister says new tenancy changes will ensure there's a better balance between landlords and tenants. 

A bill that’s being introduced to Parliament next month will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants. 

Changes include re-instating 90-day no-cause terminations —removed by Labour last term— and requiring just 42 days notice when a landlord wants to move into their property. 

Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking that Labour's 'war on landlords' has ended. 

He says landlords aren't the enemy, and sensible laws are needed to balance the rights of landlords and tenants. 

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The Ministry of Health is expected to release an evidence brief on the use of puberty blockers in treating gender dysphoria. 

The UK has banned the prescription of the hormone medication, which delays the onset of puberty, to children. 

Weak evidence has yet been found for their use, with uncertainty about the potential psychological effects. 

UOA Professor Dr Paul Hofman told Mike Hosking that the blockers reduce self-harm and suicidal ideation in some patients. 

But he says there's hasn't been any strong follow up studies looking at quality of life and the impacts, nor any issues around safety. 

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New Zealand's decision to strengthen its ties with the United States won't be without risk. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have recommitted to our bilateral relationship, during a meeting in Washington DC. 

They've issued a joint statement saying New Zealand and the US will work more closely with each other and key allies like Australia, including around defence and intelligence. 

Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Mike Hosking that could affect our relationship with both China, and our Pacific neighbours. 

He says China will be looking at the joint statement with concern, and Pacific countries don't see themselves as pawns in a strategic game. 

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The 1995 murder trial of OJ Simpson was so gripping, it divided a nation. 

Simpson has died from prostate cancer surrounded by family aged 76. 

The former NFL star and actor was cleared by a Los Angeles jury in what the media called the trial of the century. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that he was represented by a group called the “dream team”. 

He says it was made up of DNA experts and Robert Kardashian, who became famous for his Simpson connection, and later his children for their reality TV show. 

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Has it been, and its only Thursday, a bit of a come to Jesus week for this country? 

Ola are leaving, they’ve been here five years, and they clearly can’t make it work, gone. 

Kate Sylvester, a doyenne of her industry, announced she is done. Done in an industry not so many years ago we sort of got fizzy about each year at fashion week, as no shortage or names like Trelise, and Karen, and Adrian, and Kate lined up their wares to the queue of overseas buyers who flocked to the country to wax lyrical about our creativity. 

Newshub finally confirmed they are closing, so we are down to one television version of a news bulletin. 

We could of course talk about all the downsizing, but at least with downsizing there is room to grow another day, as opposed to the lights getting turned out as the last one leaves. 

Which brings us to the question: is this the new us? 

We have had the debate in airlines. Essentially, we aren't big enough for two of them, so we have about one and a half, and moan a lot about them. 

We are clearly not big enough for two television news channels and is it important to have a local fashion industry, it is? Or does any old tat in from Vietnam suffice? Do we care? 

Spada, the people who make television shows, called yesterday after the Newshub news for the Government to save local production. 

Is a local tv show any more important than a local frock? 

How much of this is a nice to have versus something of cultural or patriotic significance? 

And how much of what we are seeing is economic? In other words, if we weren't in the mess we are, these places would be fine. 

The television side is simple: not enough people watched. So that’s on them and us, and Meta came along and nicked the money because we like short videos. 

We clearly like H&M more than Kate’s stuff, so that’s life, isn't it? Or is it? 

The French are very good at the patriotic equation, they protect a lot of their local production. But do we want to be like the French? 

Does every job have to be taxpayer supported? Is that what we are down to? 

How much weight do we place on the simple economic truth that if you make or produce something of value you will be fine. If you don’t? Well, that’s life. 

And for all those closing, what about those who aren't? How come they make it work while others don’t? 

Is there not a lesson in that for us all? 

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How good are you at dealing with your anger? 

Japanese scientists have proven that writing angry notes and shredding them up can make you feel better. 

Nagoya University found that out of two groups of students, those who binned or shredded their paper were in a calmer state than those who didn’t. 

Psychologist Gary Hermansson told Mike Hosking that the findings are in line with the standard beliefs about moving on and the rituals used to do so. 

He said that it fits with the idea that if we hold on to emotions, they can become a reminder or a trigger for that emotional reaction. 

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The Reserve Bank has left the Official Cash Rate where it was as inflation remains higher than target levels. 

The OCR remains on hold at 5.5%. 

Michael Reddell, a former Reserve Bank economist, told Mike Hosking that there’s pretty good reason to think inflation will be coming down pretty sharply this year. 

He said that the Reserve Bank itself said they expect to be within the 1-3% range this year, they just want to be certain before making any cuts. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 11th of April, Paddy Gower joined us to talk the closure of Newshub, and Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee dug into the the future of the media industry.

"Get stuffed" got a number of people riled up.

David Dastmalchian of Dune, Oppenheimer, and superhero flicks fame popped in to talk his new film Late Night with the Devil.

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Well known for his roles in some of the biggest films of the last decade, David Dastmalchian is a familiar face on the screen. 

Dune Part One, Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, and Bird Box are just some of the films on his filmography, not to mention his involvement in superhero films The Suicide Squad and Ant-Man. 

His latest work isLate Night with the Devil,a film he’s not only starring in but produced as well, with a rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Growing up in Kansas, Dastmalchian was quite the talented American football player, and whilst he loved theatre he was expecting his university experience to start feature college football, until a teacher convinced him otherwise. 

“She said, 'David, you have something special,'” he recounted to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. 

She told him to at least try auditioning for a training program at an acting conservatory, to which he was not only accepted, but was granted a full scholarship. 

“It completely changed my life.” 

Dastmalchian is used to playing the antagonist; bad guys, villains, henchmen, and psychopaths, and was initially unsure that he could pull off the leading role inLate Night with the Devil. 

He fell in love with the story in the initial reading of the script, but the first thing he said to directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes was that they had the wrong guy. 

“There’s no way that me, David Dastmalchian, could be compelling, or, or captivating, or even convincing as a late-night talk show. That’s just not wheelhouse.” 

The Cairnes convinced him to give it a shot, so despite his fears he packed up and shot the film. 

“I’m so proud of myself,” he told Hosking. 

“That might sound like a dumb thing to say, but I’m proud I overcame my fear to go do this film because I’m really proud of this movie and I’m really happy that I made it.” 

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Mounting pressure on the Broadcasting Minister to act as turmoil wages on the media industry.

Newshub has confirmed that it’s closing on July 5th, while TVNZ is cutting four of its major programmes. 

Melissa Lee says yesterday was a shocking day for media, and she feels for the people who are losing their jobs. 

She told Mike Hosking that the Broadcasting Act was designed well before the internet and doesn't account for how news consumption has changed. 

Lee says news is 24/7 but regulations haven't kept up with modern technology, so they need to be brought up to speed. 

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Ikea is promising a beautiful vision as it enters the New Zealand market. 

The Swedish furniture giant is looking for a "people and culture manager" who will oversee the hiring of 400 staff for its store at Auckland's Sylvia Park. 

Construction is underway at the megastore, which will be opened at the end of next year. 

Ikea New Zealand market manager Johanna Cederlöf told Mike Hosking they want to create better everyday lives, and not just through their products. 

She says this also extends to their partners, the wider community, and all store workers. 

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Paddy Gower has slammed “keyboard warriors” claiming the media is getting what it deserves for going “woke” amid mass job losses.  

TV3 journalist and TV host Patrick Gower spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning following yesterday’s Newshub meeting where the closure of Newshub was confirmed. 

Hosking asked Gower what he would say to those who say “you go woke, you go broke” and claim the media was bribed by the former Labour government. 

“Get stuffed, and actually go away and, to use the term they use, do your own research,” Gower fired back. 

Gower agreed the Public Interest Journalism fund had “branding issues” for media organisations because the public didn’t understand where the money was going. 

“But at the end of the day, I’m not going to sit here and listen to sort of people like that say that kind of thing after I’ve slaved away my bloody life alongside my colleagues, 25 years in my case, putting damn good news out there. 

“While we’ve got a trust problem, we need to address it and explain things that we’re doing properly. 

“When it comes to the sort of Facebook keyboard warriors, I ain’t got no time for that, Mike. 

“I’m about the 250 people who lost a job yesterday and actually the millions of other Kiwis that I know that trust me and trust my colleagues.” 

Patrick Gower and colleagues on their way to learn Newshub's fate. Photo / Alex Burton 

Gower told Hosking he didn’t know how many of the up to 300 people losing their jobs would remain in media. 

“Who knows? 

“I mean, even for myself, I’ve got no bloody idea what I’ll do next.” 

Gower said he hoped a lot of his colleagues would remain in the field, but recognised it was a difficult time for the industry in New Zealand. 

“It’s that simple, mate, not everybody can survive. 

“But we’ve got to be optimistic, we can’t kind of give in. 

“I can say for myself, I’m determined to get back out there.” 

Hosking asked Gower how many of the employees likely saw the closure coming. 

“It was always a possibility when we came in under the big company, particularly Warner Brothers Discovery when they’d merged ... some sort of shutdown was always possible. 

“I’ve survived a couple myself in the last 14 years or we’ve been very, very close. 

“So it was always on the cards.” 

The state of the economy and the recession have had a huge impact on the media industry, Gower admitted. 

“We often talk about the big structural problems that are behind all of this, but, hey, let’s face it, the economy has absolutely tanked, every single dollar virtually has dropped out of the advertising market. 

“People are really struggling, [advertising] is the first thing that goes when a business is struggling, everybody knows that. 

“That has just put insane pressure on all media companies.” 

Gower said he hadn’t seen “anything” broadcasting minister Melissa Lee had done so far for the industry. 

“I haven’t seen anything they’ve done, but at the same time, the media doesn’t need a bailout. 

“So if anyone’s talking about some sort of cash bailout, we don’t need that. 

“The media does need to be able to survive commercially. There are ways that we can do that.” 

Gower said there are issues that both Governments, current and former, have not addressed that could have helped the media. 

“There are massive structural problems out there that I just don’t think the Government’s got their head around. 

“Paying these Kordia fees, television companies, paying fees to another government organisation for something that we don’t really need anymore is just plain nuts. 

“It is crazy, that is literally jobs going out the door every time they pay those fees.” 

Gower confirmed his show Paddy Gower Has Issues was not funded by NZ on Air, so wouldn’t be funded by TV3′s new model. 

“There’s got to be other ways to do television programmes ... we’ve got to find commercially successful ways of doing this stuff. Stuff where things get paid for by viewers again. We’ve got to find a way back to that.” 

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Big changes could be in store for the way we do the Census. 

Stats NZ says the Census is becoming more expensive and difficult to conduct. 

It's signalling a new direction for 2028. 

Statistics Minister Andrew Bayley told Mike Hosking that the agency could move away from boots on the ground data collection, instead doing smaller surveys and using pre-existing data. 

He says the Census is essential, but changes are needed. 

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