The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I'll tell you why I don't like the money we're spending on Sunny Kaushal and the Retail Crime Advisory Group: it's not a good deal. I haven't got a problem with Sunny Kaushal, but he was offering his ideas to the Government for free. If someone offers you something for free and you then decide to pay for it, that is a bad deal. And it's not bad coin we're paying either. Sunny Kaushal is earning $920 a day. Between March 1st and June 10th, which is 102 days, he earned $95,112. He can claim up to $920 dollars a day. Now my sums tell me that means he's been working and claiming seven days a week. For 102 days straight. Nearly $100,000 for three months work ain't bad. Then there's the personnel cost of $330,000 for, what Sunny told us yesterday, lawyers and policy work. That's work which can mostly be done in-house by Government departments and ministerial offices, who do this all the time, and have probably already done work on some of the ideas pitched by the retail crime fighting unit. Frankly, at the cost of $330,000 I think we can all see someone's taking the mickey with their bills. Now, if you are offered something for free, why would you pay for it? That's how the Government gravy train works. Good for Sunny Kaushal. If I was offered that much money by the Government for doing what I was already doing, I would take it. But I expected better from National, given that we are broke and they are supposed to be careful with money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The week has come to an end, and so Trish Sherson and Tim Wilson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to Wrap the Week that was. They discussed Woolworth's latest promotion freebie and KiwiRail's confusing ban on melatonin and sleeping medications. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix are desperate to land a high-profile scalp when they confront Wrexham in the Capital on Saturday. The Nix are keen to bury last year's disappointing 11th place in the A-League. Crowds are expected to comfortably surpass 20 thousand. Phoenix General Manager David Dome told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Sydney beat them 2-1 last weekend, and he knows for a fact that their academy is better than Sydney's. He says they'll put out a very good team on the ground, and they definitely have it in them to beat the Welsh club. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 18th of July, new stats reveal that Jobseeker numbers are still rising – Social Development Minister Louise Upston explains the situation. Some big sporting events are happening this weekend, with the All Blacks' third and final test against France and the Wellington Phoenix's clash against Wrexham. Trish Sherson and Tim Wilson Wrap the Week that was, talking about Woolworth's prize offerings and KiwiRail banning staff from taking sleeping pills. 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 recent wild weather in Nelson-Tasman could push up the price of our produce. Growers faced weeks of heavy rain and flooding that's damaged infrastructure, affected harvests, and disrupted supply chains. There are concerns about saturated soils meaning growers can't plant new crops, affecting vegetables like broccoli, lettuces, and spinach. Vegetables NZ Chair John Murphy told Heather du Plessis-Allan the market responds quickly to shortages. He says we will see prices grow marginally. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Robertson can no longer be accused of being timid with his All Blacks team selections. Ten changes were made to the starting XV for Saturday's third and final test against France in Hamilton. Ethan de Groot, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea and Rieko Ioane are the only players remaining from the last run-on side. Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan that opportunities to test out different players and different combinations don't come along too often. He says the All Blacks still want to win the final test, but Robertson has to take these opportunities to find out a little bit more about the likes of Damian McKenzie on 10, Samipeni Finau on blindside flank, among others. “You just won't get them too often, and it certainly won't come in the rugby championship.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A breakthrough in New Zealand's long-running trade dispute with Canada is expected to benefit our dairy sector, to the tune of about $157 million a year. Canada's agreed to meet its obligations under the CPTPP trade deal to provide New Zealand greater access to Canada's dairy market. It had previously refused to accept a dispute settlement panel's ruling in New Zealand's favour. Export NZ Executive Director Josh Tan told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's an important win. He says it's essential that countries follow through on their international trade agreements. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Development Minister says more jobs are coming to address the number of people on the benefit rising. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost eight thousand more people were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. As well, close to 81 thousand beneficiaries have moved into work in the last financial year. Louise Upston told Heather du Plessis Allan the Budget included multiple incentives to create more jobs. She says apart from the infrastructure pipeline, they're also giving businesses the confidence to take on more staff. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Work and Income boss says the Government getting 81 thousand people off the benefit is a big achievement, despite the overall number going up. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost eight thousand more people were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. It follows the coalition putting new requirements and sanctions in place for beneficiaries. Christine Rankin told Heather du Plessis Allan the increase is inevitable with the current economy, but the tougher conditions are the right move. She says until Louise Upston came along as Minister, there were no expectations for beneficiaries to do anything. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Erica Stanford is this Government's MVP. Once again, she is taking an inexplicably stupid thing in schools, ditching it, and going back to common sense. This is something close to my heart at the moment because I have to make a decision in the next six months or so about which school we send our son to. But I've basically already made the decision, and it will be the one school in the area that has single classes instead of open plan, modern learning spaces. It's the school his best friend from kindy is now going to. It's also the school another parent I know has just sent their child to. All of us are doing it for the same reason: we want to avoid open plan learning spaces. We know, like most parents know, that if you stick a hundred kids in a big room and tell them to pay attention to the teacher in front of them, they can't. They get distracted by the loud noises coming from the other kids over there. Why the Ministry of Education forced this in schools will probably baffle me for the rest of my life, because there is no logic to it. No one who has kids, or spends time with kids, can really believe kids can concentrate and learn with 100 voices chirping all the time. Which idiot came up with this? I'd love to know. I tell you what, the legacy of this Government could well be that it finally turns around our up-to-now decades long decline in education stats. That, along with the ban on phones in schools, and the hour a day of reading writing and maths, and the expectation that kids must pass existing standards, actually gives our kids a chance to learn as well as kids in any other developed country, like we used to. And if that is what happens, given how crucial education is to a country's success, Erica Stanford will remain as I see her: The MVP of this Government, if not of the decade. Or, of this generation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than ten years in the musical game, Lachie Hayes has released his sophomore album. The Kiwi musician hails from the deepest of the deep south, blending rural blues, alt-folk-country, and soul rock to deliver a new wave of alt-country music. ‘Subsatellite' is an eleven-track album, produced by prolific musician and producer Delaney Davidson, filled with the colourful stories of ordinary people. He joined Heather du Plessis-Allan for a chat about the rising popularity of country music and where his career is headed next. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Roger Tuivasa-Sheck make another code switch in 2027? The Sydney Morning Herald reports the Warriors great is a target of the proposed Rugby360 competition for when he comes off contract after next season. The newspaper estimates the value of the offer at over one million dollars per season – double what Tuivasa-Sheck is currently earning with the Warriors. Former Kiwis Captain Richie Barnett told Heather du Plessis-Allan this is a massive threat to the NRL. He says they've always had to contend with competitions trying to recruit across codes, but the money and consortiums that are coming up now have too big a pool of money to say no to. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 17th of July, Erica Stanford continues rolling back bad education policies – this time we're getting rid of open classrooms. The National Library is looking at getting rid of tens of thousands of copies of books, including religious texts, as they prioritise New Zealand books and authors. Kiwi singer Lachie Hayes has a new album, so the Catlins-based musician joined to talk the rise of alt-country and where is career is headed. 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.

It's believed new RMA planning systems will relieve at least 50% of unnecessary work from councils. The Government is putting a halt on council planning work before the new RMA planning system comes into force. It's also moving to force councils to focus on core services and may move to cap future rates increases. RMA Advisory Group Chair Janette Campbell told Heather du Plessis Allan councils will still remain very busy. She says it's going to be a big job to get ready for and impliment the new system, and councils will not be twiddling their thumbs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belief the cost of propping up retail crime advisors is money well spent – and that's from a key member of the advisory group. It's been revealed $500 thousand has been spent on the Retail Ministerial Advisory Group in the 102 days to June 30. Group Chair Sunny Kaushal told Heather du Plessis-Allan the group's coming in under budget, and money is required for their proposals. He says retail crime is costing $2.8 billion, and if laws are to change, they need to produce quality reports. Kaushal says the money's coming from the Proceeds of Crime Fund. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity companies could face further rules if the latest measures to drive down prices don't work. The Electricity Authority's moving to require power companies to charge less for power during off-peak periods and pay more for solar and battery power during peak periods. But it hasn't stated how much lower off-peak prices actually need to be. Commerce Commission Chair John Small —a member of the authority's Energy Competition Task Force— told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're hoping competition will drive down off-peak prices. He says they want to see how things go, but the regulator will need to consider further action if things don't go as planned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Internal Affairs Minister's being criticised for allowing improper destruction of religious texts from the National Library. The Government plans to shred around half a million books which include the Bible, the Qur'an, and the Torah, to save on storage costs. Massey University Professor Emeritus of Religion Peter Lineham told Heather de Plessis-Allan religious texts should be offered to the relevant communities. He says Minister Brooke van Velden suggested they can do what they want with the books because New Zealand's secular. But Lineham says being secular doesn't mean being careless with other people's beliefs. Lineham told du Plessis-Allan religions have strict beliefs about how texts should be handled and destroyed - if at all. He says only preserving New Zealand books fails to recognise our society contains —and is stemmed from— many cultures. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many principals are welcoming the Government's decision to scrap open plan classrooms as a no-brainer. Education Minister Erica Stanford says all new builds will have more traditional layouts, reversing the decision from John Key's government. Christchurch's Shirley Boys' High School's paid $800 thousand to transform its open plan classrooms to single cells. Headmaster Tim Grocott told Heather du Plessis Allan they noticed an immediate improvement. He says they're a secondary school teaching individual subjects, so individual classes for teachers is crucial. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm as interested as anyone on this mystery about whether David Seymour is in trouble over the letter he sent to the UN. Whether the media reporting is right that the Prime Minister gave Seymour a telling off, or whether David was right that it was just a nice chat, or whether the media reporting is right that Winston is cross with David for sending the letter, or whether David's right that Winston is fine and is basically going to send the same letter again, or whether Winston is right when he says that's not true – I'm as interested as you are in what the truth is. But regardless of whether David is in trouble, he was right when he called the letter "presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced". I personally think he did us a favour giving the UN a slap-down for piping up on the Regulatory Standards Bill with their letter, which started the chain of correspondence. In particular, what the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples got wrong is his assertion that the bill fails to uphold indigenous rights guaranteed in the Treaty, including partnership. There is no partnership guarantee. It's not in the Treaty. It was a judge's comment in the mid 80's and was subsequently misinterpreted to mean partnership. He apparently also claims Māori have been excluded form consultation, which is again not true, because we've just had a full week of select committee hearings which included submission from Māori. Both of these facts could've been discovered with a simple Google search. Unfortunately for the UN this makes the case, again, for the thing being scaled back to what it was originally set up for: preventing WWIII. They should get out of everything else —climate change, indigenous rights, advocating for wealth taxes— because it's gone way beyond its original remit. It's too political and it's frankly not very good at any of it. Just look at the fact that it hasn't stopped climate change. So thank you to David Seymour for giving the UN a well overdue slap-down. Even if he wasn't really supposed to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Parliament sitting once again, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week so far. They discussed the situation with David Seymour and his letter to the UN, financial audits for political parties, and Ginny's 50th birthday. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleep deprivation is worse than showing up to work feeling a bit groggy warns a workplace safety expert as KiwiRail moves to ban sleeping medications. Its Chief Medical Officer has reviewed Zopiclone and Melatonin and found them incompatible with its safety critical work. EMA workplace safety manager Paul Jarvie wants to find out what led to KiwiRail making this decision. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan Melatonin isn't a sedative that lasts too long, and will probably be out of a person's system after an eight-hour sleep. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday the 16th of July, Shane Jones wants to create special economic zones for fuel security – with one at Marsden Point in particular. Sonny Bill Williams talks about the animosity between him and Paul Gallen ahead of the fight tonight. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the UN letter, financial audits for political parties, and Ginny's 50th birthday on Politics Wednesday. 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.

It all goes down in Sydney tonight. Sonny Bill Williams steps back into the ring for his long awaited bout against fellow footy star turned boxer Paul Gallen. There's no lost love between the pair, who have been wanting to fight for nearly a decade. Williams told Heather du Plessis-Allan that hate is a strong word to describe their dynamic, but the animosity between them is definitely real. He says that he's not generally a trash talker, but if someone's going to keep pushing, eventually you're going to push back. “I don't consider it trash talk, I kind of just spoke some truth, and I think with this bloke, every fight he's had, he's made it personal,” he told du Plessis-Allan. “But the reality is, all I've done is spoken some truths back and I think it's riled him up quite a bit.” Williams says the bout can't come quick enough. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Medical Council's expanding pathways for doctors trained overseas to work in New Zealand. GP registrations from the US, Canada, and Singapore are being fast tracked, and doctors trained in Chile, Luxembourg, and Croatia will be recognised as eligible for provisional general registration. Timeframes for UK, Ireland, and Australian specialist assessments are also being shortened. But General Practitioners Aotearoa Chair Buzz Burrell told Heather du Plessis-Allan 60% of international doctors leave after two years. He says we need to work on retaining doctors and not being an immigration agency for Australia. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand airports and its national carrier may be suffering the winter blues in new data showing the punctuality of global air travel. The June figures base its rankings on flights arriving and departing within 15 minutes of schedule. Air New Zealand has dropped to tenth in the Asia Pacific region after sitting in the top five earlier this year. No airport in the country cracked the global top 20. Air New Zealand General Manager of Airports Kate Boyer told Heather du Plessis-Allan the seasons play a big part in this. She says it's impacted by the likes of de-icing, foggy days, and storms throughout winter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government wants to ensure local councils get back to the basics. A bill moving through Parliament would require councils to financially refocus their core services. The Government wants councils to give more value to ratepayers. Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Heather du Plessis-Allan anything could be defined as "wellbeing". He says because of lack of clarity on council responsibilities, any activity is in scope, which is bad news for ratepayers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Associate Energy Minister's suggesting domestic fuel producers could get special treatment, to shore up energy security. The Government's asking for feedback on its draft long-term fuel strategy. It focuses on resilience, domestic infrastructure, low-carbon alternatives, and security. Shane Jones told Heather di Plessis-Allan special economic zones present a great opportunity. He says in other countries they offer a range of incentives through tailored tax treatment and planning rules for the particular site, with areas like Marsden Point already an energy precinct. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's probably sensible, don't you think, for the Blues to consider leaving Eden Park for Mt Smart? It's not going to fix the attendance issues, though they seem to be hoping it will. In the consultation they're doing, the question they're asking fans is whether moving to Mt Smart will make them “more or less likely to attend Blues Super Rugby [mens] home games”. The fans might say yes, but they won't. Mt Smart is no better than Eden Park. It's not easier to get to there with public transport, it's about the same. If you drive you still have to find a park somewhere on the road, or on private property. You're still exposed to the elements in the stand. You're still paying for your beer and chips instead of getting them out of your kitchen. Maybe you could argue Mt Smart has a slight advantage in that you're coming straight off the motorway instead of fighting to get down Dominion Road, but I don't think that's enough of a difference to supercharge the crowd. Maybe you could argue that because the Warriors and Auckland FC are there, fans form a habit, so they go because they know how to go. But again, I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is Super Rugby You're seeing poor turnout for Super Rugby regular season games around the country. 6000 are turning up for Moana Pasifika games. 13,000 for the Crusaders. 11,000 for the Blues. 11,000 in a 50,000 capacity stadium looks horrible. 11,000 in a 25,000 capacity stadium like Mt Smart looks less bad. But it's giving up, isn't it? The Blues leaving the home of rugby is basically accepting that this is how it is, that the crowd size of 11,000 is simply how it's going to be. What they should really be doing is finding smart ways to get us to come to Super Rugby games again. Find ways to get families along. Eden Park's kid zone with the bouncy castle is the right kind of thinking. Find ways to get us excited about the game of rugby. I'm sorry, but it's a boring product. Unless they do that, crowds that only fill quarter of a stadium are the future, in which case, move to Mt Smart. A smaller stadium will hide the empty seats better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whenever there's success at the top level of international rugby in New Zealand, more often than not there is one specific name involved. Known as the ‘Scrum Doctor', Mike Cron was an assistant coach for the All Blacks for more than 200 games, winning the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. He then came out of retirement in 2022 to join the Black Ferns, helping them win a world title as well, before shifting over to join the Wallabies. In the midst of all this, he's written a book: ‘Coach: Lessons from an All Black Legend'. Cron told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's always had a thirst for knowledge, and found ideas from looking at other elite sports. “I've never been really interested in rugby coaching seminars,” he said. “They left me a bit bland, so to speak. Y'know, they just showed you a new drill or something.” Ballet and sumo are two sports he's pulled ideas from, saying the key is to go in with an open mind. “If you've got an open mind and you look and listen, there will be some, some bit of gold there for you.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 15th of July, the Government has revealed their plan to dissolve Te Pukenga and return 10 polytechs to regional governance. The Blues are exploring whether they should move their home games away from Eden Park. Heather's onboard and details what she thinks the issues are. Legendary All Blacks coach Mike Cron has a new book out, so we get the lowdown from one of our best rugby minds right before he helps Australia take on the Lions this weekend. 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 Blues are weighing up their future at the hallowed turf of Eden Park, with their contract coming to an end. The Super Rugby franchise have asked for public feedback on moving their home games to Mount Smart Stadium for the 2026 season. CEO Andrew Hore told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've seen an increase in broadcast numbers, but they've seen a much smaller increase in crowds over the last three years and they want to accelerate that. He says that moving from Eden Park may not be the answer, but it could be, and they've got to investigate all avenues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology is welcoming the dissolution of Te Pukenga. From next year, ten of the formally 16 polytechnics across the country will be re-established into standalone institutes after being clumped into one governing body. NMIT Executive Director Olivia Hall told Heather du Plessis-Allan the organisation runs quite a tight stopping and starting of programmes, and has been very lean on all support functions available. She says the community and local industries are very clear on their expectations for the industry, which is to be standalone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern the US President's given Russia too much breathing room in his ultimatum. Donald Trump says the Kremlin has 50 days to reach a ceasefire deal for Ukraine or they'll introduce secondary tariffs of 100%. He's also confirmed plans to sell billions of dollars of US weapons to Ukraine, through NATO. International relations professor Robert Patman told Heather du Plessis-Allan Vladimir Putin will likely use the time to stall. He says he'll hang in there and hope the Europeans become demoralised and Trump changes his mind again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expected uptick in the country's avocado production as the global market value smashes past $30 billion. A Rabobank report reveals our avocado industry saw a strong recovery last year after crop losses in 2023, due to Cyclone Gabrielle. NZ Avocado's forecasting a production increase of around two-million trays for the 2024/25 season, compared to the last. NZ Avocado CEO Brad Siebert told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've got all the ingredients for a better season ahead. He says New Zealand avocados are harvested for over 10 months of the year – a unique window compared to many of our offshore competitors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minster of Education says it's the teachers who have made the difference to improving NCEA literacy and numeracy pass rates. Small improvements were seen last year with 57% of NCEA students achieving the numeracy standard, 61% achieving the reading standard, and 55% achieving the writing standard. Erica Stanford told Heather Du Plessis-Allan she knows there's a long way to go but it's the schools, principals, and teachers who have done the heavy lifting. She says they've moved heaven and earth since this has become compulsory, and it's made the difference. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister for Auckland's keeping positive despite a mixed annual State of the City report. The third annual report shows the city rates strongly in sustainability, resilience, and culture, but is falling when it comes to prosperity, skills, and innovation development. Minister Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan Auckland's at a good turning point. He says it will be a great year with the City Rail Link opening and the international convention centre bringing opportunities. Brown says they're also addressing inherited challenges, with crime coming down. He's also assuring that health workers and the government are working to ease hospital pressure, amid reports some Auckland ambulances were redirected from EDs. RNZ reports delays handing patients over to Auckland City and Middlemore Hospitals yesterday afternoon, with some assessed by phone or diverted to non-hospital clinics. Brown told du Plessis Allan patients with less severe symptoms are sent to after hours urgent care from time to time. He says the reality is winter is a challenging time for the system, but they're continuing to focus on front line resources to make sure patients receive timely and quality care. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 14th of July, the Government has revealed their plan to double our international student sector to be worth $7.2b in 10 years. The Prime Minister is back from holiday in time to get a grilling from Heather on road cones, the economy and who he wants to win the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville covers off the All Blacks, the cheeky South Africans against Italy and the Warriors getting their season back on track. 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.

Christopher Luxon says all options are on the table when it comes to increasing competition in the grocery sector. He hopes that more overseas operators - like Walmart – will expand their operations to New Zealand. The Prime Minister told Heather du Plessis-Allan Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis is doing everything to establish new operators in the supermarket industry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bullying, unmet special needs education, and system pressure appear to be some of the likely causes of a rise in homeschooling rates. The Ministry of Education's data shows 11,400 children had an exemption from school, favouring home education last year - twice that of 2001. National Council of Home Educators government liaison Cynthia Hancox told Heather du Plessis-Allan resources are stretched, teachers are stressed, there are more children with additional needs, and the system isn't keeping up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the world's largest military exercises is underway in Australia. Operation Talisman Sabre involves 35,000 military personnel from 19 different countries including NZ, the US and the UK. Lieutenant Colonel Tim Tuatini says a large exercise with Australia is an important operation for the NZ military to take part in. He told Heather duPlessis-Allan that this exercise, ‘finishes off our training and allows us to exercise our combat readiness.' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has its eyes on boosting international student numbers. It's looking at extending "in study" work rights with the hope of doubling the sector's economic contribution to 7.2 billion dollars by 2034. Universities New Zealand Chief Executive Chris Whelan says it won't get us back to the highest numbers seen back in 2016. He says it will make sure international education gets to a level where it's making a significant contribution to the economy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ball is now in the Government's court following calls for bold action to fix a broken energy market. An open letter, signed by several influential groups including Consumer NZ and Auckland Business Chamber, has been sent to the Prime Minister. Major Electricity Users' Group Executive Director Karen Boyes told Heather du Plessis-Allan an independent review is also now with Energy Minister Simon Watts. She says there are lots of underlying issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible, such as increasing prices, market power issues, and the lack of an energy strategy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.