The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I think the majority of us would agree that the gang patch ban, along with the renewed police attitude to gang activity, has produced a pretty successful answer to what was previously a situation with gangs where they basically ran rampant, ruined a lot of people's lives and produced untold misery in a lot of small-town New Zealand. I note as a watcher of Parliamentary Question Time that Minister of Police Mark Mitchell is very rarely peppered with questions these days because the Opposition know they were on the wrong side of history i.e. letting gangs run wild. It hasn't stopped though, with some bloke who got arrested and charged with a gang insignia breach finding himself a lawyer, going to court and successfully finding that the gang patch law is not consistent with the Bill of Rights. The upside is this now gets referred back to Parliament and they don't have to do a lot about it. They can of course appeal the finding. But Judith Collins, before she retired as Attorney General, suggested the new law may well find trouble in court. So whether an appeal is wise is debatable. But this bloke's lawyer (his details by the way are suppressed) thinks if this goes nowhere, it can be taken to the United Nations, which I think is where most of us would want to end our interest in the case. Kim Dotcom's case might go to the UN as well. My question is: for what? We have of course signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which I'm sure when we signed it, like a lot of United Nations frippery, we didn't anticipate the nitty-gritty of gang law being part of it. Generally, the UN conventions are built around the more extreme outworkings of law and morals and societal ills, and the Mongrel Mob down State Highway 1 on a funeral process wasn't one of them. Which brings us to the important question here. Let's say the court here is right, and the gang patch ban is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. But in being inconsistent it's brought some peace to people's lives, has quelled a level of behaviour most of us saw as out of control, and has broadly solved a problem. So who really won then? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A huge weekend ahead for one of the country's best up and coming boxers. David Nyika is set to face off against Australian Floyd Mason in the IBF cruiserweight world title eliminator. It's rank five versus rank six, and the winner will become the number one challenger for the title. Nyika told Hosking this is the best-prepared he's been for any fight he's done, having had 15 weeks' notice and a 12 week camp to train. “I've been fully immersed and I haven't taken any shortcuts.” The winner of the clash will go on to fight British boxer Viddal Riley, who has already won his eliminator, and Nyika is eager to win both bouts. “I'm aiming to get that title and then go on to becoming undisputed cruiserweight world champion.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rod Liddle has sadly passed away unexpectedly at the age of 66. He was the Mike Hosking Breakfast UK correspondent since July 2016. He challenged conventional thinking and left an indelible mark on British journalism. His contributions to the show were always spectacular and kept our audience up-to-date with the key issues in Britain. His three kids Wilder, Tyler and Emmy said "he left a legacy we are incredibly proud of. He will always be our guide on how to live an extraordinary life". We last caught up in person at a pub in Marylebone in May 2023 when the show was over for the King's Coronation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 4th of August, the Government has confirmed that the fuel support measures will continue – after a great start, have we trapped ourselves? We remember and celebrate the life of our long time UK Correspondent Rod Liddle, who passed away overnight at the age of 66. Kiwi boxer David Nyika joins for a chat ahead of the title contender fight that would give him a shot at the IBF Cruiserweight title. 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.

Hayden Paddon's booked a World Rally Championship drive on his favoured surface. He's back on gravel in Paraguay this month after three appearances for Hyundai on tarmac this season. Paddon's last WRC appearance on gravel was the 2018 Rally Australia, in which he finished second for Hyundai. The Kiwi driver told Mike Hosking the contract was originally only comprised of the three tarmac rallies, so the gravel is a nice little bonus. He says while they probably won't recreate what they did eight years ago, they're going to put their best foot forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders' credit performance continues to improve, with outstanding repayments falling to their lowest level in five years. The latest Centrix Credit Indicator report shows consumer arrears levels are now 13.9% lower year on year. There are still 84 thousand people whose payments are 90 or more days overdue. Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey told Mike Hosking consumers are being a little more cautious in their approaches. She says essential services such as mortgages and auto loans are still strong, but the more discretionary-type lending services are a bit softer. Lacey believes there could be a seasonal impact, but it's likely more a result of what's happening with the economy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Construction Minister believes a picture is clearly being painted of a recovery in the sector. Stats NZ figures show new home approvals rose 19% annually to June – topping 40 thousand for the first time since 2023. More than 18 thousand consents were issued for standalone houses and 22 thousand for townhouses, representing increases of 17% and 21% respectively. Chris Penk told Mike Hosking consents are just the start of a building process, and although people can't live in them, you wouldn't apply for one without the intention to build. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are mounting over how a large influx of migrants made it to Morocco's border unhindered. An estimated 60 thousand people attempted to swim around the northern Africa border to the Spanish enclave Ceuta – all but five thousand have since left. Spain's civil guard is continuing to look for bodies, so far at least 72 have been found. Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking they flooded the border from across the region. She says question marks remain as to whether Moroccan authorities were somehow involved as a way to get back at Spain. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boom in Chinese-made cars continues, with one dealer receiving their largest shipment to date. New passenger vehicle registrations rose more than 14% year on year in July. It's driven by strong growth from Chinese manufacturers BYD and Chery – both rising more than 140%. BYD New Zealand General Manager Warren Wilmot told Mike Hosking the fuel crisis is turning people towards electric vehicles. He says in the 70s fuel crisis people shifted away from big American cars to Japanese ones – a similar shift is happening now towards electric models. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says fuel support will stay in place until the Government is confident prices won't spike again. It's extending the in-work tax credit, higher mileage rates for health workers and eligible patients, and reimbursements for relievers. That's despite average pump prices sitting below $3 for four weeks. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the measures will return to Cabinet once prices fall below that mark again. She says it's important to note that the support can only come back with legislation - which isn't easy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 3rd of July, policy announcements up the wazoo and a chat with Dame Noeline Taurua after a redemption gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. The Prime Minister defends his business comments in Rotorua, responds to NZ First's plan to increase the birth rate and talks fast-track projects causing angst. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the value of the Commonwealth Games, the Warriors win and whether the NPC was a success over the weekend. 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.

We have in this country a lot of people paid for by us that basically do a lot of talking and gesturing and do it with no real power or influence. A lot of them are commissions. One of them is the Human Rights Commission. I'm sure these are well-meaning groups of people who espouse on their particular area of expertise. I guess in a grand scheme type of way they are there to inform and guide us through whatever area it is they specialise in. The human rights folk have written about the Government's desire to change or remove references to the Treaty in 19 pieces of legislation. They are doing this for the simple reason that referring to the Treaty and its obligations in literally everything it does is not helpful, or efficient, or even relevant. In this day and age if you mention the Treaty there will always be a hardcore collective of those who oppose it. They oppose it because they oppose everything. The Human Rights Commission has written, saying exactly what you think it would say. "This is bad", "this must not be done, partly because it fails to respect indigenous people's human rights" etc etc. That of course isn't true. Your human rights are universal, or should be, and the moment someone has more, or better, or bigger, or brighter human rights based on race you have trouble, which is partly why the legislation is being amended. 1) The Human Rights Commission would say that, wouldn't they, 2) It will make no difference, 3) It never makes any difference because these sort of groups have no power. It's good they have no power because if they did we'd all be shot. It's kind of like coroners who come up with weird recommendations, that if they ever had any legal standing would grind us to a halt. But given the human rights people say exactly what you think they would say, and given it has no power, and given they will be ignored by the Government (as they should be), can anyone offer me a cohesive and sensible reason as to why we have them and why we keep paying for it? If we're looking to save money and cut waste - Exhibit A. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Silver Ferns have won gold at the Commonwealth Games. They beat Jamaica in the final, and won their first gold medal 2010. Dame Noeline Taurua told Mike Hosking that she's overjoyed with the result, especially after her turbulent year that saw her reinstated just three weeks before the games started. 'For us to be in the contention for a gold medal, but to actually get it over the line and, and be successful is, awesome for our sport and the Silver Ferns.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon's standing by his comments telling struggling business owners to take more responsibility for themselves. The National Party leader told a Rotorua business function on Friday to not rely on the government and "be adult, be adult, be adult", responding to a question about the city's struggling economy. He says the previous Labour government had treated business with a "parent-child mentality" - and that he didn't wait for the Government when he was a business leader. Luxon told Mike Hosking that his government's trying to empower businesses. He says they've partnered with businesses through the fuel crisis, which is different to Labour's approach of dictating to businesses through Covid. LISTEN ABOVE Below is the transcript of the prime minister's full response to the question at the event, provided to Newstalk ZB by his office. "I think that's a negative view, to be honest. Like we're entrepreneurs and business people, and I get it. You know, if you're not retooling and radically disrupting your business, you ain't doing the job. "You know, you have to disrupt yourself aggressively before you get disrupted by global events, and if you keep thinking you want the same business model, the same customer mix, the same margin structure, you know you've got to be retooling and refinancing and rehoming, and that's just the reality of business people all around the world. "So, my job is to make sure I'm setting up the conditions for you to be able to go create that growth. And I think some of the subtext and assumption in your question is that...I think in New Zealand I'll be honest with you as a business person who was... I sat in Illinois for six years in Chicago, and the last person I wanted to ever talk to as a CEO was the government. I didn't sit there in Chicago saying I wonder what the government thinks and I wonder what they're doing to help me for my business? Can I get some grant money to do something? No, no, I'm a business person. "I'm building a kick-ass company that actually has commercially superior returns, great customer experience, and awesome internal culture. That is the job of what makes a great company, not a good one, a great one. And so that was my mentality. "Come home to New Zealand, and there's a parent-child mentality. I have literally sat in boardrooms across New Zealand, and the conversation goes: 'I wonder what the government's going to do? I wonder what the government's going to think?' "Who cares what the government thinks or does? Our job is to be adult, adult, adult. The business leaders, the political leaders, and the community leaders working together, doing things differently. I set up the operating system. You go out there and smack it and go create the road, and the community leaders see the pain, the hurt, the need, and the frustration, and the three actors do different things but complementary things to deal with the challenges and the opportunities. "So I still think there's a little bit of.... okay, so in this chamber, how many of you are actually using Claude or Claude code? Okay great. How many sessions has the chamber run to help you understand that? Is that your number one focus right here, right now? Because that is going to disrupt your businesses, and it's a huge opportunity for you to do exceptionally well off the back of it. "So how do we collectively lift our SME literacy on something like AI as a result? So I'm just pushing back to say my job is to set the conditions up. We're getting spending under control. We're getting inflation back into the band. We're at 2.9 percent, strip out the fuel pieces. We've got growth coming in. And that creates opportunity."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has called off strikes against Iran, provided a deal is reached rapidly. In a Truth Social post, the US President says he's been asked by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off, while the parameters of agreement are set. He says that would include the reopening of the critical Strait of Hormuz, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat. John Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute Fellow Jeffery Pryce says this is a pattern seen before. He says it feels like groundhog day - threats of military action on Friday, frantic intervention on Saturday, then an agreement is announced on Sunday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sociologist believes New Zealand First's latest policy won't tackle falling birth rates. The party's announced a Kiwi Kids Fund, which would give citizen families $5000 a year for the first three years of a child's life. The grant would be limited to a family's first three children and would be tax free and not means tested. Massey University's Paul Spoonley says fertility rates are low, but this won't fix that. He says it's a concern, but the Government doesn't have the ability to change that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US was the victim of cybersecurity breaches over the weekend. It's believed that Iranian hackers accessed computer systems monitoring water infrastructure in several US states, disabling alarms and decreasing water pressure in an attempt to contaminate the pipes with groundwater. Although no culprit has officially been identified, President Trump took aim at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, suggesting that Walz was behind the hacking. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the President's comments are 'absurd' - and that US intelligence feared this is how Iran would respond to a war in the Middle East. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes a $20million boost for local student teachers will make a real difference. Education Minister Erica Stanford's redirecting the funding from an under-used relocation grant for overseas early childhood teachers, to a programme paying student teachers to learn on the job. Rural School Leadership Association President Andrew King told Mike Hosking that international teachers are great, but this will improve access to training for locals. He says it's a financial incentive to help teacher aides or people on a Limited Authority to Teach become full-time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeremiah Azu has entered what appears to be a growing debate at the Commonwealth Games. He is a sprinter and is talking about respecting the flag, respecting the Commonwealth Games, and just generally making an effort and turning up. Hamish Kerr has been allowed an easy run this week with his maybe/maybe not decision-making process. It's important to point out that he can do whatever he likes. It's just the lack of scrutiny around it, the lack of questions, and the complete absence of any media probing how this has unfolded and wondering on our behalf whether all this “in and out”, “up and down” is actually kosher. It appears Kerr is not alone, as a good chunk of the English team has bailed as well. Which is where Azu comes in, asking what the media should be asking – is this legit? Can you simply turn up if you want, or not if you don't want to? Is the Commonwealth Games just a weekend event of no great consequence? Does representing your country not really count for much anymore? Personally, I don't really care. I'm not a Commonwealth Games fan. As a sports nut, the world is so full these days of the finest of the fine doing amazing things on a regular basis, so do we have time or interest to watch and follow the progress of a team made up of the potential heroes, as opposed to the current ones, because the current ones don't see it as worth their while? It already has survival issues, given Glasgow is being paid for by Victoria. The sports have been cut, and we are down to 3x3 backyard basketball. Now if all of this is ringing a bell, how about a bit of truth and a bit of bluntness and a bit of reality. If you don't want to go, don't get selected. Sponsors and national Governments who fund a lot of this deserve a set up where they know what they are getting, they understand the standard and the expectation. If time has passed this event by, then that's life. If venues are hard to come by, that's life. If it needs to be demoted to an up-and-comers outing, that's fine. But let's clear the air, work out what's what, who's interested, who isn't and where we go. Because it's got bugger's muddle vibes, as they say in the military. And it doesn't need to. 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. Our Covid response: 5/10 In totality it looks like a thing you do to score some points against the other guys, with no real sense there is any accountability and no real assurance it won't be the same next time. Parental leave: 5/10 Political misstep of the week. Took a decent idea, then turned it into an inter-coalition bitch slap. Gregg's: 3/10 First the peaches, then the coffee. What's next? Jaffas? Oh, wait. The new tariffs: 2/10 Between them, the courts, and the war, the Trump presidency, if not already in flames, looks increasingly combustible. Zoe Hobbs: 7/10 My pick of the success stories from Glasgow. Seemed overwhelmed, grateful, and pleased she could prove the doubters wrong. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can end the week by adding another example of angst and anger to the fast-track pile. We have talked about Delmore and their 1200 houses north of Auckland, as well as Pegasus and their 1000 homes north of Christchurch. The fast-track application was lodged this week, and now we have Ridgeburn in Arrowtown; 1200 more houses and this week, a hall full of ropeable locals. Now, the question for fast-track becomes increasingly political. It's that interface between doing what's right and fixing a problem. There is no doubt that the RMA, which is what fast-track is addressing, is broken. It's slow, it's expensive, it's wasteful, and it's holding us back. Some mining will get done because of fast-track. That is jobs and incomes in areas that need it. Tauranga Port might (they haven't got it yet) be able to extricate themselves from the quagmire of nonsense they have had to deal with now for literally years. But for every project that looks like it fixes something, we have a growing number of what looks like good old-fashioned housing developments, and it is those that might cause untold misery for the Government. It may well be a compounding problem because once you green light a Delmore, you have to green light a Pegasus, and then a Ridgeburn. They are all 1000ish houses in a country that apparently wants more houses. Yet in doing that you have thousands of angry voters who may not forgive you for wrecking their little piece of paradise. And if you recognise that political danger you then run the risk of the political trap, which is to try and sooth some people. Furrowed brows with some good old-fashioned compromise and once you do that it's a Pandora's box of ebb and flow, give and take, compromise and legal action. Before you know it, you're back where you started with 900 pages of laborious, go-nowhere RMA law. The easy answer is to stay the course, have the courage of your convictions and believe that in the long term they will all thank you. But it's election year. Who is for turning and who is for taking the risk, that this doesn't turn into a voter rebellion and an election bloodbath. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Friday, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to join Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. On today's agenda was the newly inked deal for the Northern Expressway, the results of the latest Ipsos political poll, and the supermarket promotions going on at the moment. Plus, an update on Mike and Kate's fountain. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors are on the Gold Coast this weekend, looking to bounce back against the Titans. They just scraped past the Dragons earlier in the month before being thoroughly defeated by the Bulldogs – losing 18-6. They're currently sitting third on the ladder, but another loss could see them drop out of the top four. Sky Sport Rugby League Analyst Willie Poching told Mike Hosking the Warriors aren't sitting third without knowing how to win. He says last week they lacked the zip they've had for the majority of the season, so if they can get some of that back when playing the titans, they'll return to their winning ways. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 30th of July, Mike couldn't be more excited for the signing of our biggest-ever PPP deal for the new Northland Expressway. Has Winston Peters crossed the line with his latest comments? Or is this just Winston in election year? Former Speaker Sir Lockwood Smith shares his thoughts on the situation. And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike to Wrap the Week – just wait until you hear about the latest with Mike and Kate's new fountain. 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 Regulation Minister's hopeful solar power will be well on its way to being more accessible – pre-election. A report from his ministry outlines recommendations to ease New Zealand installs. He says it'll slash costs and approval times for smaller installations and legalise plug-in systems – which are already legal in Australia. David Seymour told Mike Hosking it's a pretty affordable way for people to get into generating their own power, bringing down their bills. He says it's exactly the kind of red tape we should be cutting. Seymour admits the systems can pose a danger but says there are too many stupid rules in this country premised on the idea that the people themselves are stupid. He thinks that if Australians are smart enough to manage the danger, then New Zealanders definitely are. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Island business leaders want to be recognised as the engine room of New Zealand's economy. The eight chambers of commerce have launched a joint manifesto, representing around seven thousand businesses. It calls for policies to lift productivity, with a goal of increasing South Island GDP per capita to at least $130 thousand by 2035. Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Mike Hosking it shows there's great alignment across the South Island. She says if New Zealand wants stronger productivity, higher incomes, and greater resilience, backing the South Island is the smartest investment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Opposition MP's wary of National's social media ban, claiming some information's missing. Labour's Reuben Davidson says he's read the Bill multiple times but hasn't seen a regulatory impact statement or the Privacy Commissioner's advice. He wants a copy to discuss with his caucus, but Education Minister Erica Stanford says legally that's not possible. Davidson told Mike Hosking limited access is slowing down the process. He says there's a risk a bad Bill could create a false sense of security and allow harm to continue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister wants to get Northland booming as the Government moves ahead with the first stage of the Northland Expressway. It's signed a $3.6 billion deal with the Northway consortium to design, build, and operate the road, stretching from Warkworth to Te Hana. The 26-kilometre, four-lane highway will include 15 bridges and twin tunnels a kilometre long. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking it'll be an expensive road, but this is the sort of game-changing infrastructure we need. He's also offering assurances that it won't end in a cost blowout – saying there's extensive conditions in the contract around delivery. Bishop says the consortium will also maintain the road for 25 years, once it opens in 2033/34. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former minister for international trade believes comments made in the House by Winston Peters were untidy, saying international relationships need mutual respect. The Chinese Embassy has lodged representations with MFAT over Peters' derogatory comments to Chinese-born Green MP Laurence Xu-Nan. Former Speaker of the House and National party minister Sir Lockwood Smith told Mike Hosking Peters holds the foreign affairs portfolio at all times. He says the dilemma is now Chinese leaders know in dealing with him, what Peters really thinks of them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have time, there's a podcast from The Economist that features Elon Musk in it and he argues that AI will lead to so much productivity that you won't need money because things won't cost anything. It was so odd that; 1) It didn't make sense. 2) I'm not sure even he understood what he was saying or, even if he did, if he believed it. But the thrust was, when things are produced in abundance if they are not free, they are pretty close to it. My question is if it gets to that then who is going to produce anything? Someone has to build the robots. If there's no return, why build them? Which is where the price of power comes in. The wholesale price spiked this week because of the cold weather. But did it spike more than it needed to because supply, although better than it was, is not what it should be? It went from $64 to $240 a megawatt per hour. In a world of renewables why are we not at the point where we have abundance? Abundance is argued to be the cornerstone of growth. If your base materials are cheap, you can do more for less. That is productivity. But to get to abundance in power someone has to dig a hole, or build a panel, or a windmill, or provide a battery. And although we seem to be doing that, do we ever do it to a scale where the conversation in winter is not about issuing notices to generators that Transpower needs more sauce to pump through to the heaters on a cold night? Or is a $64 to $240 jump as good as it gets? Also remember our current state for this winter of generation is helped by good rainfall, which remains a crap shoot. In other words, this year we are lucky. In other years we may not be. Also remember in this new renewables age we are currently being told power prices for commercial operators is at last dropping. But they aren't for the rest of us because of retail and fees and lines and so on. In other words, can one ask whether Nirvana is never actually coming? There will always be someone in the chain having to boost the prices and that offsets gains elsewhere. Is your power bill dropping? No. The new age is here. There seems no way around the tension that you must have profit to encourage the investment. Which makes Elon wrong, doesn't it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's just under 100 days until the US midterms arrive. Broadly, the Democrats have an edge in the polls, but both the House and the Senate are tight – the Republicans holding a narrow majority. There are a few key factors that are likely to play a role in the election's outcome – Donald Trump's war in the Middle East, his unpredictability, and the business with the Supreme Court. Expert in US politics, Nick Bryant told Mike Hosking the economic disruption caused by Trump's war with Iran is so politically problematic. “One of the key things about this war, Mike, is that Trump cannot warp reality,” Bryant explained. “He cannot get even his most ardent supporters to ignore the evidence of their own eyes and the evidence of their own wallets.” A Washington Post-Ipsos poll shows waning support for Trump, with his overall approval rating sitting at 37%. The way he's handling the economy and Iran are viewed even more negatively, with only 33% saying they approve of his economic stewardship, and 29% approving of his handling of Iran. "Even amongst Republicans, it's terrible,” Bryant told Hosking. “Just 19% of Republicans have told CNN in the latest poll that they are enthusiastic about the rest of his second term.” “That's just one in five Republicans.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mortgage rates look set to continue creeping higher. The cost of two-year wholesale borrowing for banks has jumped from 3.35% to around 3.70% in just four weeks. The increase reflects markets pricing in higher inflation, rising global borrowing costs, and expectations the OCR could stay higher for longer. Independent Property Commentator Tony Alexander told Mike Hosking it's primarily a result of domestic factors – with the extra pressure from rates moving up in Australia and the United States. He says New Zealand is currently in a mild recovery mode and inflation is unusually high for this point in the cycle, so our monetary policy will be tightened further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farming is powering strong small business sales growth. A Xero Small Business Insights report reveals an 8.6% year on year increase in sales in the June quarter. Agriculture saw a 16.3% increase, construction climbed 11%, and manufacturing rose 8.6% during the same time period. Country Manager Bridget Snelling told Mike Hosking it is a bit of a two-speed recovery, with retail only growing by 6.4%. She says there's some ongoing uncertainty around fuel costs and geopolitical events which will continue to influence small businesses when it comes to hiring and investment decisions. Plus, Snelling told Hosking, consumers are still going to be a bit circumspect with their discretionary spend heading towards the election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 30th of July, Health Minister Simeon Brown discusses the Government's response to the second Royal Commission into Covid. The fireworks debate is going to rage again after the Government rejected the calls to ban public sales. US political expert Nick Bryant is back on the show as we're about 100 days out from the very important midterms. 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 Government's granted its first permit to dig for offshore petroleum since reversing the oil and gas ban. Aussie company EnZed Energy's been awarded a 12-year exploration permit in the offshore Taranaki basin. Resources Minister Shane Jones calls it a major milestone and a clear signal confidence is returning. Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Mike Hosking that exploration is an inherently risky exercise and uncertain process, but the permit area covers a promising target. He says that with supportive regulatory settings, if a commercial discovery is made, it might be possible to get gas to market in as little as five or so years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought a better argument's needed to get a fireworks ban across the line. The Government's quashed a select committee recommendation to ban sales to the public, aimed at protecting animals and free up firefighting resources. National MP and Committee Deputy Chairperson Greg Fleming told Mike Hosking he was originally against it, but after hearing the submissions, he was in favour of a ban. He says his colleagues decided with pre-conceived ideas, and he'll try harder to convey the full argument if the Bill returns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A defence expert's in favour of drones with strike capability as the Government weighs its options. It's looking into buying one-way military strike drones that are operated by humans and used to drop explosives on a target. They're currently playing a huge role in ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Massey University Senior Fellow John Battersby told Mike Hosking our Air Force lost its strike capability decades ago, so there's a need for it. He says we have our military forces for the purpose of contributing to our defence, wherever that may be. The drones also serve as a lower-cost alternative to missiles and combat jets, which Battersby says are too expensive for us. He says these drones are much more cost-effective, reasonably easy to access, and we could possibly even make them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister says the Government's setting an expectation of accountability in its response to the Covid inquiry. It's promising to in future release information around major decisions within five working days and has already proactively released advice from the Covid vaccine advisory group. Simeon Brown has committed to reviewing the Health Act, so any future pandemic response balances the protection of public health, the economy, and New Zealanders' rights. He told Mike Hosking transparency should be core to any future response to maintain public trust. Brown is also rejecting claims the Inquiry could be wasted time if the Government changes after the election. He says it provides a framework for future governments, with timely, targeted spending, and transparency, and importantly, they won't be setting up a separate piece of pandemic legalisation – if it needs changing, they'll update what's already there. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It turns out a lot is in a name. Stats NZ gave us the latest household living-costs price indexes. This is what we pay for stuff. This is the cost of our living or, as is more often than not referred to by the media and the miserable, the "cost of living crisis". In that name, "the cost of living crisis", lies a lot of our problems. And a lot of our problems lie in our attitude. The "cost of living crisis" no longer exists. It arrived in Covid and it roughly finished when inflation dropped back to a more orderly level. Now this is not to say things are perfect, or brimming, or bullish. It's just that it's not as bad as it was, nor indeed anywhere close. But we've decided the "cost of living crisis" has stuck. It makes us feel justified in moaning and it gives some political operators ammunition. The actual increase in our cost of living was 3.2%. That's actually not bad. It's not great, but it's not bad and just about in the Reserve Bank band. If you take out petrol, which has nothing to do with us, it would have been way lower. What was way lower was the interest rate costs on the mortgage. See, not everything is going up. We hear a lot about power and rates, and rightly so, but little about the mass saving that has arrived in our bank accounts by paying interest rates that by any historic reading are quite low. Like all stories your individual circumstances matter; how much petrol you use, what your income is, what industry you are in, what sort of pay rise you got, etc. They are in fact, the majority of people you know, doing fine. They have plentiful work, they are well paid, they have savings, take holidays, wish the power bill was cheaper but, by and large, life is decent and there is no crisis. It's getting close to the time that if we can get the war out of the way, the oil at about $70 a barrel consistently, and renewable power supply dropping generation prices, we will actually arrive economically at a pretty good spot. At 3.2% with a war, we are close to being maybe 2% without one. And that is what they call a sweet spot. All that's left is for those obsessed with the negativity of a crisis to recognise that it isn't. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House says Donald Trump's meetings with Israel and Ukraine's leaders were both positive and productive. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met separately with the US President at the Oval Office earlier today. Zelenskyy says he discussed Patriot interceptor missiles and other ideas which could help his nation's fight against Russia. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Netanyahu's visit marks his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the start of the Iran war. He says the Israeli leader is pushing for further military escalation, after claims some of Iran's nuclear programme has been moved to an underground facility. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest stories of the week thus far. They discussed the bill that would ban social media for under-16s, Labour's desire to see the bill before pledging their support, and the seeming lack of support from National's coalition partners. And they touched on stances around AI data centres and the alleged Russian spy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 29th of July, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford was on to discuss the changes the Government is making to the RSE scheme. The latest economic data dump shows the cost of living is up, but according to one economist, we're no longer in a cost of living crisis. And Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk the social media bill, AI data centres, and the alleged Russian spy 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.