The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The ACC vs union work from home legal case is a good one and it became even better after the Westpac dispute in Australia last week. There are two bits to these sorts of cases. One was the specific, as in what's in a contract, what's the wording, what have you agreed to and what haven't you agreed to. Then you've got the moral question; the big picture, the team spirit and the attitude. Work from home is a symptom of all that is wrong with productivity and very few do productivity as poorly as this country. Covid wrecked the workplace. It allowed for work from home to be invented. Not literally, but generally for a period it was all you could do. From that moment a seed was planted, and the seed has grown into a mindset. Over a remarkably short period of time the idea became a habit, a right and, for some, the norm. Not just that, but so entrenched did it become in the minds of some that what was once not even an idea became something to be outraged about if the spectre of it ending was even uttered. Even though you have spent the vast majority of your working life going to the office. No one jumps on a get-out-of-jail card quicker than a union. I don't know what was, and wasn't, said at the ACC. But what I do know is work from home has become a gargantuan piss take. Don't get me wrong – you save on the commute, the cost of parking, and you don't have to worry about hoping the bus is on time. It all makes sense from a selfish point of view. The Australian case even had the woman moving miles from town so she could drop her kid off at the special school they had selected. Westpac said that was a lifestyle choice, which unquestionably it was, but tough luck said the court and the woman won. So maybe ACC are onto a hiding to nothing. Let's see. But specifics aside, work is a quid pro quo and taking the mickey, which is what work from home is now that you aren't locked down, isn't a balanced relationship. It's a material shift, born of necessity, and then abused. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. NZ Inc.: 7/10 A good week. Building consents, credit demand, house listings – up, up and up. Noeline Taurua: 6/10 Spoke for the first time, but in a way where the knots you are tied up in get in the way of the words. SCOTUS: 2/10 It went about as badly as you might have expected, unless you thought an argument about being a megalomaniac with uncontrollable powers was going to fly. Sir David Beckham: 8/10 He is a story of inspiration and lovely with it. I'm a fanboy. New York: 2/10 Mamdani is likeable and slick. But so was Jacinda. Transmission Gully: 2/10 How can a new road need $32 million worth of repairs, unless you didn't do it properly in the first place? Which then leads to the question - why didn't you do it properly in the first place? LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ongoing US federal government shutdown could stop many Americans returning home for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The shutdown's now the longest in US history. Thousands of air traffic controllers and security screeners aren't being paid for their work, prompting a sharp drop in flights across the country. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that more than 5000 flights around the country were delayed in the past 24 hours. He says air traffic controllers are reportedly resigning every day due to the prolonged nature of the shutdowns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another missed opportunity this week driven by fear and blunt honesty, or lack of it. When asked on Wednesday in Parliament whether the Government was going to change the law to ban homeless people from camping in downtown areas of this country, the Prime Minister gave us an answer of a scared person. Technically it may currently be true they have not discussed it in Cabinet. Technically it may be true they haven't passed a law. But that wasn't the point. The point is trouble in CBDs is crippling entire cities and it needs to stop, and that's where his answer should have started. Then he should have gone on to say we have had meetings, and we have worked out no one has the power to really tackle the issue, so we are going to change that. Then he should have outlined how they were going to change it. We don't deal with emotive stories well, because of fear, and that needs to change as well. Homelessness for many is sad. Not all, but many. There will be addiction, and sorrow, and madness, literally and figuratively, and you can get lost in that if you let yourself and then you end up like the Labour Party – apologising for shocking outcomes. Rotorua anyone? But each part of any given emotive story has a weighing. If the weighing is wrong on one part, then disaster ensues. Being afraid to deal with a very real problem for fear of offence is overweighing the plight of the homeless. The homeless need help but they can't wreck the joint simply because of their status. They don't get more rights because of who they are, and we can't look away just because it's easy to do so. Also requiring their share of weight is every business operator, bus driver, worker and citizen who wouldn't mind using their CBD but doesn't, or is fearful too because our leaders won't deal with hard issues. No one argues it isn't a problem. We can debate a bit, if you like, on how we resolve it. But resolve it we must and that involves getting the problem out of downtown and it requires the right attitude to do it. Labour asked the question because they back the homeless. They are happy to wreck cites and businesses and their record shows that. The Prime Minister failed to show up as a leader and run with a solution, because as he stood, his backbone vanished. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Friday which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. They discuss the ongoing saga with Netball NZ and Dame Noeline Taurua, which New Zealand restaurants could earn a Michelin star, as well as fulfilling the secret purpose of Wrapping the Week: bullying Mike. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 7th of November, changes are coming to the film industry's rebates and there are two major announcements for the energy sector. The All Blacks are looking to go two for two in their match against Scotland this weekend, Damian McKenzie joining to preview the clash. And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson bully Mike and discuss whether any New Zealand restaurants would earn a Michelin star as they Wrap the Week. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks take on sometime rivals Scotland in the second leg of their potential Grand Slam tour. After a strong finish to put away Ireland in Chicago, the All Blacks now look to retain their unbeaten record against Scotland. Scotland is set to be highly motivated, as they're celebrating 100 years of tests at Murrayfield and are eager to mark the occasion with a historic success. Damian McKenzie told Mike Hosking they know the strength of northern hemisphere rugby, and the last thing they need is to get complacent. He says playing in a Grand Slam is a rare occasion and an exciting opportunity, and each week they know they have to get better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pacific Championship wraps this weekend with Sunday's decider between the Kiwis and Toa Samoa. The Kiwis dominated Tonga last week in front of a record 39,000 strong crowd at Eden Park, cinching their spot in the final. But even though the Kangaroos aren't involved, the NRL have decided the final will be hosted in Sydney, despite efforts from the New Zealand Rugby League. CEO Greg Peters told Mike Hosking they would've loved to have hosted the whole thing in New Zealand, as the two fixtures we did host were pretty successful. However, he said, the NRL is the big dog in town, and they wanted content in the Australian market ahead of the World Cup, which is being hosted there next year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our largest electricity gentailer is welcoming two major announcements for the energy sector. The Government's announced it's widening the scope of its $200 million co-investment fund to support a broader range of projects. And the Commerce Commission has given final approval for the big electricity gentailers to build a coal stockpile at Genesis' Huntly Power Station. Genesis Chief Executive Malcolm Johns told Mike Hosking the generation units at Huntly will no longer be retired. He says they give New Zealand another 10 years to solve the long-term energy security issue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Bill Clinton's former top officials says a crucial Supreme Court decision on tariffs probably won't go Donald Trump's way. The court's due to make a decision tomorrow on the legality of the US President's tariff regime. Former US Under Secretary of Commerce Bill Reinsch says it's a major decision. He told Mike Hosking the justices are being asked to determine the limits of presidential power. Reinsch says Trump won't want to give the tariff money back, but the court could force him to do so. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news for our screen sector as it looks to become more competitive globally. The Government's set to lower the minimum spend for feature films to qualify for a 20% cash rebate next year from $15 million to $4 million. It'll also expand eligibility for an extra 5% rebate to include post-production, so films can be finished locally. Screen Music and Sound Guild New Zealand Chair John Mckay told Mike Hosking incentives like this are the backbone of film financing. He says we're not even competitive with Australia's rebate of 30%, so more flexible rules are welcome. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am hoping events this week, at least in some small way, teach us all a simple economic lesson or two. Lesson 1: the red meat numbers. We export a fortune in meat to the world. The critical part of it is it is the best of quality – quality will always beat quantity. Why? Because the world will always contain large numbers of people unaffected by economic tides, and people with money like good stuff. There are some things in life beyond the prevailing tide – Château Lafite, Bugatti cars, Rolex watches, and New Zealand meat and indeed wine. Not literally, but you get the point. Onions will sell better in Europe because of our free trade agreement with the EU. We need fewer tariffs in that case because onions are onions, but meat is about quality. Like kiwifruit is. Like great Boudreaux wine is. That's not to say tariffs are good business, because they are not. And lord only knows how rich we could be if the world really was truly tariff free, but for the here and now our red meat numbers into America are unaffected because people will pay for quality. Lesson 2: the job numbers. More people, young people, have stayed in or gone back to school because if they didn't, they would be jobless. The 15 to 24 age group have an unemployment rate of over 15%. It's shocking. Why? Because a constrained market doesn't provide work for people with limited or no skills. Young people start out with the disadvantage of no experience, add no skills to that and you are toast. This is not new, but it is new to the current lot, who clearly never got the previous lot's memo that it's hard enough as it is to get into the job market without turning up ill-prepared. But here is what I know about life and economies: it doesn't matter what the economic circumstances are, good people with good skills and good attitude and good determination are always, always, in demand and will do well. And good stuff, well made, with a story, high in quality, will always, always, do well. Quality, whether in person or product, is recession proof. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand's most polarising leaders, the debate around former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues to rage two years after her resignation. She led the country between 2017 and 2023, both the Christchurch Mosque shooting and the Covid-19 pandemic falling in her tenure. Although Arden's popularity was immense at the time, the tides have shifted within New Zealand, many questioning the actions she took and the impact they had. "Jacinda: The Untold Stories' is an unauthorised biography written by journalist David Cohen, drawing on more than 100 interviews and extensive research into Ardern's time as Prime Minister. “The ancient Greeks said, ‘count no man lest he be dead'. Jacinda Ardern isn't dead of course, but her political career in New Zealand, not internally, is over,” Cohen told Mike Hosking. “So we can start to assess what went wrong and what went right.” He entered into this project with the intention of creating a balanced account, starting not as a fan of Ardern's nor as an adversary. “I think one of the great tragedies of recent years is that we live in, in an era of the politics of emotion,” Cohen said. “You either love someone or you hate them, and Jacinda played into that with her politics of kindness to some degree.” He describes himself as an “old fashioned journalist”, with 25 years of experience in the field, and balance is a key tenet. “One of our guiding ideas, injunctions, was to tell the other side, so it's actually not a matter of whether I like her or I don't.” “I could say yes to both questions and no to both questions – journalistically, it was important to do this.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 6th of November, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis discusses the rising unemployment rate. ACT Leader David Seymour gives his thoughts on the University of Auckland's refusal to provide refunds for their now-scrapped compulsory Māori courses. Brilliant pollster Henry Olsen talks us through the various elections, New York City in particular, in the US yesterday. And author and journalist David Cohen discusses his unofficial biography 'Jacinda: The Untold Stories'. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian mining company Santana is a crucial step closer to opening its controversial proposed gold mine near Cromwell. Officials have granted a 30-year mining permit for the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project. It requires the company to return either 10% of profits or 2% of gold sales to the Crown – whichever is higher. Chief Executive Damian Spring told Mike Hosking they've now lodged a fast-track application for environmental and developments consents. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those who are in work are taking more sick leave. New research by Southern Cross Health Insurance and Business NZ has found an average staff member took almost seven days of sick leave last year, up 1.4 from two years earlier. It's costing the country about $4 billion a year. Business NZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking the rise in leave entitlements has had an impact, but many employees are also doing what they've been told, staying home when sick so they don't pass it onto their coworkers. She says post Covid, people think more about their wellness and are less likely to solider on like the Codral ad. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pressure is on Zohran Mamdani following his landslide victory in New York City's mayoral election. The 34-year-old democratic socialist has become the city's youngest mayor and first South Asian and Muslim mayor. US pollster Henry Olsen says Mamdani may not be the answer to issues facing the Democratic Party. He told Mike Hosking everything depends on how Mamdani acts when he takes office. He says if Mamdani pushes an ideological agenda, that could be a problem for the Democrats as a whole. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland University's completely ruled out refunds for its now-scrapped compulsory Treaty and Māori culture courses. The university's making the courses optional from next year but won't refund students who were required to complete it in the first semester of this year. The courses cost almost six thousand dollars for international students, and one thousand for domestic students. Act Leader David Seymour told Mike Hosking his party's continuing to call on the university to give the money back. He says they could refund students through a credit for future courses, rather than as a cash refund. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Economic Growth Minister's confident the economy will turn a corner soon. Unemployment's reached 5.3% in the September quarter – the highest it's been since 2016. 160 thousand Kiwis have been out of work and looking for a job, the most since 1994. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking unemployment may rise further this quarter, but there are positives, like the increase in hours worked and a move from part time to full time work. She says these unemployment figures do bounce around a bit, so she certainly won't say unemployment is at its peak. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here is a line up: Alex Salmond, former head of Scotland, Dame Noeline Taurua, and Siouxsie Wiles, as in the microbiologist. The Salmond family is wanting their estate made bankrupt. It comes out of a judicial review over the handling of a couple of complaints against him by civil servants that turned out to be “tainted”. In other words, his defence was successful, but the cost of winning proved too high. Noeline, I have no idea what her lawyers cost, but you would hope as part of the deal she gets the bill covered. But I doubt it. And then Siouxsie Wiles, who you may remember took her employer, Auckland University, to court and won. She took mediation arbitration – it went back and forward for a while, but ultimately ended in court. During Covid she was harassed, she claimed her employer should have done more to protect her. She has now launched a crowd funding page to help pay her bills. The commonality here is all three appear to be on the right side. They have been wronged, they have had to defend themselves, and yet all three appear out of pocket for the experience. Wiles has spent thousands – hundreds of thousands. She has taken loans, her and her husband, she won but she is paying off loans. Inherently here is a fault with the law. The costs, even when awarded your way, never cover the bill. My question: why not? Is justice really served or seen to be done if you can be victorious, if you can defend your name, your honour, or reputation and still go broke? Doesn't that mean the deepest pockets will always triumph? The State v Salmond. A sport v a coach. The university v a microbiologist. It's one thing to settle – yes it saves court time, but do you settle because you will be broke if you don't? Is being broke and right worth it? Is launching a crowdfunding bid acceptable when you didn't do anything wrong? Is the justice system serving us properly when even the victorious and validated aren't really winners?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 5th of November, unemployment is expected to rise – have we reached the peak? Chris Bishop has some strong words for Auckland council over the number of concerts at Eden Park and Shane Jones has an energy plan for us. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen cover police, whether a ban on homelessness in city centres is viable, and Te Pāti Māori on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to delve into the biggest political developments thus far. Labour has raised the question of if the Government is planning to ban homelessness in city centres – how would this work? The Te Pāti Māori stoush is getting increasingly ugly, and what's happening with police numbers and fake breath tests? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Jones says the Government's new Fuel Security Plan will ensure there's a reliable source of fuel in case of global or domestic disruption. The plan focuses on four key areas centred around resilience against supply shocks. Fuel importers will be required to hold minimum levels of diesel and jet fuel, and the Government will support domestic fuel alternatives. Jones, the Associate Minister of Energy, told Mike Hosking it's vital people and businesses can continue to access fuel, no matter what challenges the future brings. He says there needs to be a plan to ration and move the economy forward in case there's a big geopolitical event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84, from the complications of pneumonia, and cardiac and vascular disease. George W Bush says his VP's death is a "loss to the nation". Cheney's family say he taught his children and grandchildren fly-fishing, to love their country, and to live lives of courage, honour, love and kindness. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking he was the most powerful vice president in American history, pushing for the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq, among other things. Cheney gained the nickname Darth Vader for his role as well as his health, Arnold said, the VP experiencing his first heart attack at 37, with four more following before he got a heart transplant at 71. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's central business association is backing a ban on homelessness in city centres – with conditions. During Question Time in Parliament yesterday, Labour suggested the Government was planning to introduce such a ban. A Heart of the City survey has found 90% of operators are affected by rough sleepers and begging. Chief Executive Viv Beck told Mike Hosking there needs to be change. She says most central businesses would support the move as long as there are really good solutions available for vulnerable people. However, she isn't sure what the Government has decided to do, or whether an announcement is coming. But Beck told Hosking she's been making "good progress" in her talks with relevant ministers. She says they've discussed addressing economic risks and looking after people who need support. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unemployment's set to edge higher despite signs of the job market improving. Stats NZ data, due out this morning, is expected to show the unemployment rate reached 5.3% in the September quarter. That's up from 5.2% in the June quarter. Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Mike Hosking the unemployment rate would be even higher if more young people were in the labour market. He says they've been first on the chopping block as the economy slowed, so many have gone back into school and aren't seeking work. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government wants more concerts at Auckland's Eden Park. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has written to Auckland Council seeking feedback on allowing up to 20 medium-sized concerts a year, on top of the 12 concerts it currently hosts. An economic report warns current restrictions could cost the city $432 million in lost income over the next decade. Bishop told Mike Hosking these changes will be good for Auckland. He says the zoning and rules are holding the city back, even if there's demand for more concerts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increase in car sales could be a sign of consumer confidence returning. More than 14-thousand new vehicles were registered last month – up 13.5% on October last year. It was the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Motor Industry Association Chief Executive Aimee Wiley told Mike Hosking the last few months have brought some encouraging signs. She says there's been a rise in private and business buyers, and a particularly large rise in rental buyers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Louvre heist seems to have been carried out not by an organised crime syndicate, but by petty criminals. Four thieves last month raided the world's most-visited art museum, in daylight, stealing crown jewels worth an estimated $178 million in just seven minutes. French police arrested two men the following week and over the weekend a man and a woman in their 30s, living in a northern Paris suburb. France Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking the criminals allegedly left behind a fair bit of DNA evidence. Those who were arrested, Field says, already had criminal records, which meant Police were able to locate them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a question for you, about us: Are we chronic pessimists? Just when will it be a good time to buy a large household item? The ANZ Consumer Confidence figures came out Friday, and we have sunk again. Unlike business, which went up eight points while punters went down another two points. What about household items, like a fridge? We haven't felt good about that for any month in four long years. 48 months. Month after month we think it's not a good time to be sticking a bit of Samsung or Sub-Zero or Miele in your house. Yet how can business feel half-decent given the people they deal with are miserable? And how is it, as the bank pointed out, that the stats don't actually align with our mood? Spending is up – no, not by a lot, because this isn't a gold rush. But spending is up and the job ads are up. There are more jobs being advertised. My bet is when the unemployment stats arrive this week at 5.2% or 5.3% that will be it. It will get no worse. The layoffs are over. There are genuine, tangible, indisputable signs in the economy that things have turned. Call them whatever you want, flickers or green shoots or better days, but they are there. Like all economies, the tide doesn't rise and bring everyone with it. But it has to bring some, and some must be feeling better, or good, or (God forbid) upbeat. Is there a determination among some that we will simply not be happy? We refuse to accept the light at the end of that tunnel. Where once a trip to the seaside and an ice cream on a sunny day lifted the spirit, now we want the whole circus and a merch bag as well before we dare utter anything remotely upbeat. I have no doubt the tide has turned. I see too many data points, stats, and results to feel any other way. But New Zealand has caught a disease. You see it in Britain (they have it bad) and also Australia (but a bit less). There's a refusal to accept good news the way we used to. Where once the possibility was enough to lift a spirit, now you need a tsunami to bowl you over. The early bird, as always, will catch the worm on this. By the time we hit February or March of 2026 and a lot of people join the bandwagon, the early adopters will have been having a good time for months. It's only negative if it's actually factually negative. Being determined to be that way is a state of mind, not a reality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 4th of November, we've got good business news when it comes to lending and spending, as well as the building market. Erica Stanford is removing the requirement for school boards to "give effect" to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, saying it's made no difference to kids' learning. F1 driver Liam Lawson joins for an exclusive chat about his future and his nerves heading into the end of the season with his job on the line. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson says his future in Formula One remains unclear and he expects performance over the final five race weekends to decide his fate. In an exclusive interview with the Mike Hosking Breakfast, the Racing Bulls driver talked about the pressures of Formula One, his demotion from the Red Bull team and what needs to be done to secure a seat for the 2026 season. The Kiwi is in a battle for a seat alongside Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, teammate Isack Hadjar and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad. Only four-time world champion Max Verstappen is confirmed at Red Bull next year, signed through to 2028. He is expected to be partnered by Hadjar, who is the next best driver on the organisation's books so far in his rookie season. And with Red Bull understood to be eager to promote 18-year-old Lindblad after one season of Formula Two, Lawson and Tsunoda have effectively been left in a shootout for that final place to partner the junior at Racing Bulls. Lawson heads into this weekend's racing in Brazil, which includes a sprint race, on 30 points and 15th place on the driver standings, two points and places ahead of Tsunoda. He told Mike Hosking that his future in the sport remains unknown and he just has to keep performing on the track. “At this point right now, the decision is not clear and hasn't been made and has us in a position where basically I'm still working towards trying to secure that seat,” he said. “I think the pathway or the guide is to perform. And if you perform, you stay in the sport. That's just how it's been since I was 16 years old. That's how it's been since I joined the programme. That's just how it is. And that's basically my guide,” Lawson said. “It's at the point of the year where obviously the decisions are being made around the four seats that are in our camp for next year. It's something that obviously I'm very aware of. But at the same time, it doesn't change really anything I'm doing. It doesn't change the approach to each race weekend. All that stays the same,” he added. “I think all of the hard stuff makes you better anyway,” he reflected on the season. “And if I come out of this year, which is what I'm trying to do, I'll be in a much better place because of sort of the hard stuff that's been on this year.” Lawson is readying for this week's Brazilian Grand Prix after a disappointing outing in Mexico, where his race lasted only a few laps and he was lucky to avoid two marshals who ran across the track. Last year he finished ninth in both the sprint and Grand Prix races in Sao Paulo, with an impressive fifth placing in qualifying for the main race. This year's season culminates with race weekends in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, after which Red Bull will make their decision on the 2026 drivers. Lawson started the season in the Red Bull car with defending world champion Verstappen as his teammate but was demoted to the Racing Bulls team just two races into the season. His replacement Tsunoda has also struggled in the car and sits behind the Kiwi on the points standings. Lawson said he reflects more about his lack of time in the Red Bull car than how the Japanese driver has performed since replacing him. “It's not something I think about directly with him. I think that, at the end of the day, I had two races on two tracks I'd never been to. We didn't do pre-season, we didn't do a load of testing last year and pre-season testing to get it ready for this season. So, I would never be able to compare because I just didn't do the races. I did two and then I was out. He's had the whole season in the car. “I could never compare because, obviously, as a racing driver, we always back ourselves, right? And I'm always going to sit here and go, ‘hey, after the amount of time, I feel like I would have got my head around it and been somewhere'. But I think, to compare … we didn't get given the same amount of races." Hosking also asked Lawson how he would score himself this season, to which he responded: “Not high enough, not as high as I wanted to.” “I think it's very rare to look back on stuff and think I did everything exactly as I wanted to do. For me, as long as I look back on this year and learn from things that I feel like I could have done better. I think we've done a really good job through a good part of this year. The second half of the year has been a lot stronger. I think we were trying to play catch-up for the first part, because of the way the start of the year unfolded. “And I think that we definitely got there, but in a sport where there's just so many variables and you don't put one piece of the puzzle together on a race weekend and, especially in a season that's so close, you just get knocked out and you're fighting where you don't want to be fighting. I think that trying to do that every single weekend and have everything go right is very tough, but those are the things that I look back on and learn from.” The 23-year-old said a key lesson has been the pace of the Formula One season off the track. “It's crazy how you leave a race weekend and just straight away switch on to the next one. I think that's been something that has been a learning process this year … the things that I can learn from and just straight away move on to the next one, you don't really have time to dwell or think about what's happened.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel for the construction sector with the latest rise in residential building consents. New home consents in the year to September are up 3.6% on the year before. Consents in the month of September are up 7.3%, when adjusting for seasonal effects. Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming told Mike Hosking builders are welcoming the upward trend. He says builders are starting to get more enquiries and more projects. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This afternoon's Melbourne Cup is expected to be on the slower side due to forecast rain. Up to 40 millimetres is expected to fall at Flemington through the day. New Zealand and Australia Racing Hall of Famer Bret Thomson says Flemington is good at draining water, but expects racing to be slow. He told Mike Hosking it will be a very open race. Thomson says many of the horses are European, and they tend to handle the soft track well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says requiring boards to implement the Treaty hasn't made any difference in practice. Erica Stanford has confirmed plans to scrap a clause which requires school boards to reflect local tikanga Māori in the curriculum and offer te reo Māori instruction. The changes will go to Parliament today and are expected to pass before the end of the year. Stanford told Mike Hosking she's not certain what school boards were expected to do under the requirement. She says they've clarified that school boards must work to raise outcomes for Māori students and teach te reo Māori to students who want to learn it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Positive signs about our economic recovery in the latest lending data. New figures from credit bureau service Centrix shows a rise in lending, including a 21% rise in residential lending. Three thousand fewer people are behind on payments compared to a month earlier. Centrix Managing Director Keith McLaughlin told Mike Hosking it shows that households are continuing to manage their budgets effectively. He says the trend is very, very favourable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for a coordinated response to get on top of rising fraud operations. Crypto exchange Swyftx is warning scam networks have evolved into a new form of organised crime, with many operating out of South East Asia. Latest data estimates New Zealanders has lost $1.6 billion to online threats in the past year, with this expected to grow without intervention. Criminologist Gabby Lewis told Mike Hosking the Government needs to run simple, nationwide campaigns. She recommends simple messaging like "slow down, look around, shut it down". There's also a belief more needs to be done to protect New Zealanders from the syndicates. Lewis told Hosking the syndicates utilise human trafficking to make their money, the victims forced to stay in compounds and scam people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explain this to me. Which clause of the Treaty is the Waitangi Tribunal using when they suggest the Government recognise second generation Maori for citizenship? John Ruddock brought the case, while a similar one got headlines recently because it involved Keisha Castle-Hughes, the actress. In her case she was born in Australia to a New Zealand mum. Her children were born in America, hence they don't get automatic citizenship. Ruddock was born in Australia and got citizenship by descent. But his children were born offshore as well and descent only operates to one generation. This is not a new law, it's not a surprise. It's been this way for decades. So the tribunal hears the case and decides the law needs changing. But my question is, on what basis? Is the tribunal not there, however loosely, to interpret the Treaty? Where in the Treaty does it talk of generational descent issues? Under what clause does it talk of being born in Australia? Of course, it doesn't. Because it was written in the 1800's and it is, at best, vague, which leaves it open to interpretation. So the question for the here and now is how much so-called "law" is going on here versus ideology. Law is developed, if not by the Parliament, by regular courts when they see a gap. They interpret. The recent foreshore drama is a good example. The 2011 law was explicit. The court simply didn't like it so they suggested change and the Government had to step in. But the Waitangi Tribunal, which remember has no actual legal power, seems merely to make things up. One generation isn't enough so let's make it two. Why not four? Why not make it really easy and anyone who remotely feels Maori can claim citizenship for any number of offspring, no matter where they were born, as long as it feels right? Where does the Treaty stop and the improvisation start? Thank goodness the Government are not going to do anything about it. But that's this Government. What about another Government? And what are the historic, long-term consequences of a tribunal that's running roughshod? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Noeline Taurua has broken her silence, following her suspension and reinstatement as Silver Ferns coach. The 57-year-old and her coaching team were stood down in September after player concerns emerged from a Sydney training camp. Listen to the second part of her interview with Mike Hosking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 3rd of November, Dame Noeline Taurua gives her first interview since being reinstated as the Silver Ferns head coach. The Prime Minister touches down from Southeast Asia to come into the studio and talk about his meeting with Trump and Chinese visas. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville discuss the revelations for the Dame Noeline interview and review the All Blacks win over Ireland. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville join Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the weekend's sports. On the table today: Dame Noeline Taurua makes her return to Netball. Will the drama affect her game? Auckland FC played in front of a relatively quiet crowd on the weekend. And the LA Dodgers pull off a comeback to secure a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon reckons Donald Trump will take up his offer, of a round of golf in New Zealand. The Prime Minister's back in the country, after attending the ASEAN and APEC summits in Malaysia and South Korea last week. He met the US President, extending the opportunity for Trump to play a round with former PM Sir John Key. Luxon told Mike Hosking that Trump knows a lot about New Zealand's golf scene. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.