The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I note the whinging has started from EV owners as their fixed price deals for recharging their Nissan Leafs at home come to an end. Some claim the new deals will be 50% higher. How can you possibly be surprised? Did you think you would get away with it forever? For a while the more deluded lauded the road tax loophole, until it got closed as well. The power companies see EV owners as a new revenue source. As petrol may or may not become a commodity not worth bothering about, at least for cars, car dealers will be licking their lips that a product three and a half short weeks ago they couldn't shift for love nor money, may have a wait time as the desperados clamber in for something that unshackles them from the tyranny of oil. But equally if it becomes a “thing”, and it's way too early to say whether it is or not, but if it does, power companies will not believe their luck. An almost entirely new revenue stream, not just a whole new series of customers, but old customers paying way more now that they are hooked in. We must remember power prices are rising because of renewable investment and basic line maintenance. The Commerce Commission has allowed big increases for you and me to upgrade infrastructure so maybe the way to see an EV is not about the cost, although it is still cheaper. But it's more about the convenience and despite the doom merchants, we are no longer running out of power. In fact, in one of the countries more upbeat stories is we have seemingly transitioned, or will, pretty well in terms of base load and meeting ongoing, if not growing, demand. It's why Sri Lanka has turned the neon signs off and told office workers to kill the air conditioning – they don't have Clyde or the Taupo geothermal. They need oil. This won't be a moment for public transport. They've blown that. It's too unreliable. The current burst of patronage will vanish as quickly as it arrived. But EVs might be having their moment. Once you are in one you may not go back. That critical tipping point might have been provided by a war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suffered her first major setback with a bruising referendum result. Voters emphatically rejected the judicial reform, which proposed separating the careers of judges and public prosecutors, and splitting the magistrates' self-governing body into two sections. Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking the reforms were a bit muddy, and looked like a grab for power by the Meloni Government. She says many Italians didn't want the constitution to be touched in the first place, and on top of that, there's a lot of disillusionment about Meloni's close relationship with Donald Trump, particularly among young people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jenni Smith is entering a brand-new era with the release of her long-awaited debut album. The Kiwi pop country musician has been a part of the New Zealand country music scene since she was 12 – her first single, ‘T-Shirt' hitting #3 on the official NZ Singles Chart. Since then, she's taken home the Songwriter of the Year Award at the 2018 NZ Country Music Awards and had a couple more charting singles, including her most recent, ‘Mirror', which currently sits at #1. “They tagged me on Instagram, and it just blew my mind,” Smith told Mike Hosking. ‘Mirror' is the first single of her debut album ‘Girl Next Door, a collection of diary-style songs three years in the making. “I've been working on it for three years, so exciting is like, a lesser word for it,” While there are artists out there who create rapidly, making and recording artists in very short periods of time, Smith told Hosking her timeframe didn't come from overthinking, but rather from necessity. “I'm an independent artist,” she said. “So I have to find the time to record, but also fund it myself.” Smith has been honing her craft over the years, graduating a few years ago with a degree in songwriting from the University of Auckland. “I definitely learned a lot in my time studying songwriting,” “I think it made me think a little more in depth about what I'm writing – it arguably made my songwriting process slower, because I go back and tweak things multiple times, but I think it paid off.” ‘Girl Next Door' is releasing tomorrow, and as part of the launch, Smith will be performing some intimate shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new review by the Financial Markets Authority found most Kiwis aren't getting the financial advice they need. Just 28% of Kiwis sought advice in the last 12 months, despite rising debt and inflation pressures. As a result, many people are making KiwiSaver, insurance, and retirement decisions without any guidance. Financial Advice NZ CEO Nick Hakes told Mike Hosking people do want financial advice, but they don't know how to access it or potentially, what it is. He says as a culture, we're not very good at talking about money no matter what our situation is, despite the fact that it's often the biggest cause of stress. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 26th of March, the fuel issues continue. Jetstar has started cancelling flights to New Zealand, but Channel Infrastructure is looking at storing more fuel at Marsden Point. The Ministry of Education is considering remote learning options as fuel costs increase, but Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the shift will only happen if we face severe disruptions. Kiwi singer Jenni Smith has a new single and a debut album set to release tomorrow, so she joined us in studio for a song and a chat. 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.

There are “a couple” of empty tanks at Marsden Point which are in good condition and could be ready to store fuel within 2-3 months, the import terminal's owner says. The Government is considering helping refurbish the terminal's empty fuel tanks to quickly increase storage capacity amid the oil crisis. Currently 300 million litres are in use, but another 350m litres could be converted. The empty tanks were cleaned out after the refinery was converted to an import terminal, Channel Infrastructure chief executive Rob Buchanan told Mike Hosking. “They're all ex-crude tanks, so we can't immediately put petrol or jet fuel in them. There are tanks there that you can put diesel into much more quickly, which is one of the options that we've been looking at.” The company had already added 100 million litres of storage, Buchanan said, and would “absolutely” fund any further conversions of tanks. “The key issue is that we would need a customer for those tanks at the end of it. So if we're going to spend the money and do the work to bring a tank into service, we need somebody that wants to put fuel in it.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recreational fishing advocate says the Government's back-track on controversial fishing rule changes is too little, too late. The Government's U-turned on plans to ease minimum size limits for commercial fishing companies. Organisations like LegaSea were concerned the policy would significantly affect fish populations. LegaSea Chief Executive Sam Woolford says scrapping this one aspect of the law change, and not other aspects, isn't good enough. He told Mike Hosking there's some nefarious things still in the legislation, such as the intention to remove judicial review or make it hard for the public to get involved in consultation, and the legalisation of dumping and discarding fish at sea. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says schools will remain open as long as possible as fuel prices continue to rise. The Ministry of Education's been developing contingency plans as rural schools grapple with a shortage of relievers and falling attendance. Seymour —the Associate Minister of Education— says the Government won't repeat Labour's mistakes during the Covid era. He told Mike Hosking schools will only move to online learning if we face severe fuel disruptions. Seymour says we're not even close to that right now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may not have seen the end of cutbacks to flight schedules. Jetstar has reduced domestic and trans-Tasman flights due to rising fuel prices, following a similar move by Air New Zealand earlier this month. Airports Association Chief Executive Billie Moore says these will probably be the main cutbacks. But she told Mike Hosking airlines are thinking strategically, and more flights could be scrapped if the conflict continues. Moore says the issue right now is with the price of fuel, not the supply of fuel. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Employment Minister's backing a push to grow the energy sector's workforce. A report by two industry groups —Energy Resources Aotearoa and the Electricity Engineers' Association— has found the current workforce is a constraint on growth. They're recommending a new energy workforce governing body and a more bipartisan approach on energy so workers have job security. Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking attracting more people into the sector is a key focus. She says many school students don't understand how essential energy is for our future and keeping everything running. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many ways can you slice the petrol handout? Many. The Government is to be commended on restraint, and I hope that message of restraint has sunk into the New Zealanders who think we have money on trees and debt is never to be paid back. And for those who think Hipkins, Robertson, and Ardern were economic geniuses, Fitch have provided the wake-up call. The bill on interest alone for our debt is heading towards $10 billion a year. We have no room to move. We commend them too on the $370 million coming out of the operating Budget. In other words, no new borrowing. But its downhill from there I'm afraid. $50 a week for a year, or until 91 octane is at $3 or less for four weeks. In that random mechanism is the weakness of not only government, but relying on government. What's targeted about $50 for certain people based on the fuel price? How many of those people getting $50 drive an EV and their fuel bill is unaffected? How many don't use much fuel anyway, no matter what the cost? What about the city dwellers who walk a lot? I drive 12km a day, so 60km a week. If I do 10L per hundred, that's six litres. That's $35-45 a week for fuel. I'm winning. The Government is giving me free money that pays for my fuel bill. That's nuts. The people affected by fuel are the people who travel the distance. It has nothing to do with income. It's miles, but a government can't hand out money in that way. So how targeted is this actually? Yes, low incomes are affected in greater percentage terms when prices rise, but only if the price is a major for you. Petrol might be more expensive, but it's only a burden if you use a lot of petrol. Money is going to people who we have no idea whether they actually need it, because the mechanism that drives the support is all wrong. But what are they to do? The truth is this is the best of a series of bad options. Cap the fuel tax? A lot of people argue that. Sure, then millionaires get Ferrari's full of gas cheaper. It is the weakness of having a populous who has come to rely on government too heavily. Itches are scratched for political ends, not economic solutions. This looks more like a dartboard gesture than an actual economic solution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump says negotiations with Iran are already underway and Iranian officials are very keen to make a deal. Pakistan's offering to hold talks and Iranian officials have told CBS its mediators are involved in a potential precursor to discussions. The US President delayed the Strait of Hormuz reopening deadline after what he says were positive talks with Iran. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that while multiple countries are offering to host peace talks, there is currently no confirmation anyone from Iran would be attending. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mike Hosking was joined by Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen to delve into the biggest stories of the week thus far. They discussed political ‘cash for access' fundraising events and the Government's newly-announced fuel relief package for lower and middle income working families. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 25th of March, Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses the new fuel relief package and new All Black's assistant coach Neil Barnes explains his mentality heading into the role. Big changes are coming to Lotto that will make winning the big prize harder, but we'll see more people winning some of the minor prizes. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk cash for access events and the fuel package 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.

Lotto's changing things up for the first time in 19 years. It's increasing prizes and adding four new Powerballs, which means the odds of winning Division One plummet from one in more than 38 million to about one in almost 54 million. The top prize is also jumping from $50 million, to $60 million. CEO Jason Delamore told Mike Hosking the game changes every few years and it's time for a tune up. He says they're adjusting the game to match the size of New Zealand's population, which has increased by 1.1 million since their last adjustment. “You have to keep tuning the game to keep it up to speed.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes faster emergency care will ease pressure across the health system. In the three months to October, about 74% of ED patients were admitted, discharged, or transferred within six hours. That's up from about 72% a year earlier. Health New Zealand Chief Clinical Officer Richard Sullivan told Mike Hosking teams are working hard to manage patient flow, as EDs are handling up to 7% more patients than last year. He says they're working to strengthen primary care, but the pressure is coming from illness in an ageing population and outbreaks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand tech company is planning a large-scale expansion after raising more than $370 million in funding. Auckland-based Halter develops "smart collars" for beef and dairy cattle – creating virtual fencing and paddock boundaries without physical infrastructure. It's set to expand to the UK, Ireland, and South America later this year. CEO Craig Piggott told Mike Hosking there's currently a lot of capital out there for grabs. He says the markets in a really good spot if you have a good product, general ambition, and a healthy business. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil Barnes insists he'll be prepared to challenge his new boss Dave Rennie when and where he sees fit. The Taranaki mentor has been appointed Rennie's senior assistant at the All Blacks. Barnes told Mike Hosking there needs to be a bit of tension as to how they're doing things, and while everyone has lanes they're responsible for, you need to be challenging each other in order to get better. “You don't want yes people in there.” “You want people who are going to come up with new ideas, challenge the norm for the betterment of the whole team.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is confident she hasn't jumped the gun with her fuel relief package. The Government's unveiled a temporary $50 weekly tax credit for about 143 thousand eligible lower-income families with children. It will continue for a year, or until the price of 91 drops below $3 a litre for four weeks in a row. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking she has to prepare for a range of scenarios. She says the conflict could be prolonged, and the supply chain disruption that's causing prices to rise could continue for some time. Willis says she's focusing on securing supply rather than providing support for businesses facing rising fuel prices. When it comes to helping businesses, the Government is changing fuel rules so importers can bring in fuel refined to Australian standards. She told Hosking it's essential the transport, manufacturing and agriculture sectors have enough fuel to keep going. Willis says it would be wrong to artificially push down the price of diesel when —if the worst-case scenario plays out— we could be having to preserve our diesel supply. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the question is "what can the Government do to help you offset the war and its costs?", the answers will not only all be different, chances are no one is going to end up satisfied, or even grateful. Yet that is the dilemma the Government currently faces, as indeed do all governments. The moment something untoward happens our first port of call is a government. Operation Epic Fury is not the Government's fault. It's not of their making; it's just life in an increasingly unsettled and unpredictable world. Depending also on your political leaning depends on just what sort of role the government should have in your life. It's made worse for our government because it's election year. Their great fear will be: 1) This thing isn't over soon and, 2) The fallout will simply keep getting worse and worse. Outside of petrol we actually haven't seen any impact because most have already forgotten this thing is only three weeks old and even though they said it could be six, we are over it. But in some way, shape or form we will be short of something sooner or later. The trick for the Government is when to pull the trigger and what sort of trigger it is. Once you start, your first trap is the “out”. Getting in is always easier than getting out. Turning the tap on is easier than turning it off. What is the 'end'? What's it look like? What has to happen? You rarely win on that. Given we don't know what happens next in a conflict we have no control over, what are the parameters of the help? How targeted can we be? How much should a government help, and who? If it's petrol, why not food? Why not your mortgage? They are all directly related and will all potentially move because of the war. The best scenario is of course that this thing gets wrapped up, it's a blip and we can all get on with life. But from the starting point of having less than no money, in a world where debt is getting more expensive and nothing you do will be enough, you wouldn't wish that headache on your worst enemy, would you? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest names in food is undoubtably Phil Rosenthal. The creator of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond' has gone on to write cookbooks, children's books, and present food and travel documentaries, including eight seasons of ‘Somebody Feed Phil'. He's effortlessly entertaining, and has figured out a way to bring his passion to the stage, visiting New Zealand and Australia in a few months' time for a moderated conversation about his life, career, food, travel, and family. 'Somebody Feed Phil' is incredibly popular, with Rosenthal's love and appreciation for the things he experiences keeping audiences coming back. “There's enough in the world to make you angry and scared and frustrated, but I'm here to tell everyone that most of the world is not that,” he told Mike Hosking. “I sold the show with one line, this is the line: I'm exactly like Anthony Bourdain, if he was afraid of everything.” Bourdain, an American celebrity chef, hosted a wide range of food and travel programmes throughout his career, exploring international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. “I would watch Anthony Bourdain like everyone else and was a huge fan, and I thought, this guy's a superhero, he's amazing – I'm never doing that,” Rosenthal explained. Unlike Bourdain, Rosenthal is not the type to travel to Borneo and get a traditional hand-tapped tattoo from the native Iban people, and he bet most of the audience is the same. “So maybe there's a show for people like me, who are sitting on the couch, and maybe just getting off that couch is taking a giant step out of their comfort zone.” “I figured out a niche for myself.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major merger in the hotel sector. Two local players, Capstone Hotel Management and Marsden Group, are set to merge from April 1st, creating the country's largest independent hotel platform. With around 45 properties and 2,500 rooms, the group is positioned to compete directly with big international hoteliers. Marsden CEO Sajad Bassam has been appointed CEO of the combined group, and told Mike Hosking they had two big local businesses performing well independently, and when they saw the opportunity to create something more powerful, they took it. He says with international brands expanding into New Zealand, they need the scale of the combined group in order to compete. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 24th of March, the Government intends to relax our fuel standards to align with Australia. What does that actually look like, and does it mean we're bringing in “dirty fuel”? NZ Cricket has decided to back the new T20 franchise league. Players Association CEO Heath Mills explains the benefits of the new system. Phil Rosenthal from 'Somebody Feed Phil' is coming to NZ and joined for a chat while he was on his elliptical. 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.

A T20 cricketing revolution is officially underway in New Zealand. The governing body is backing the proposed NZ20 privatised franchise league as a preferred option for the domestic game next season, which already has major association and players' association support. NZC say the decision is in principle only. Players Association CEO Heath Mills told Mike Hosking the level of interest in the competition and potential teams has been encouraging. He says New Zealand is institutionalised to believe we're too small or don't have enough money for a league, but other, smaller economies such as the West Indies have had incredibly successful leagues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a tale of two cities, with Canterbury crowned the top regional economy and Wellington finishing last. ASB's latest Regional Economic Scoreboard shows Canterbury outperformed in nearly every key measure, including employment, retail spending, housing activity, and population growth. Otago and Waikato tied for second and Auckland climbed to fourth. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking it follows the theme they've seen over the past few years of export-focused regions being more resilient. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes aligning with Australian fuel standards could allow us to work together in an Anzac-type arrangement for fuel supply. The Government's changing the standards aiming to make it easier for importers to source fuel. Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says they're currently drawing the line at higher-sulphur fuels until officials know if it'll damage new European emissions-compliant engines here. He told Mike Hosking Australasia is at the end of the railway track, so we should work together. He says our Prime Ministers have been talking so we can act robustly together to secure supply if needed. Jones told Hosking the Government's signed off on all the specifications which can be harmonised. He says the specifications are down to different temperatures between our countries, with fuel designed for Queensland not as useful in Twizel. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synlait's boss says the company's facing its toughest period in 20 years, but hopes a turnaround is near. The Canterbury milk processor's posted a half year loss of $80.6 million. Revenue rose $32 million to $949 million, while debt soared 88$ to $472 million. Chief Executive Richard Wyeth told Mike Hosking the next six months are critical. He says they've got the sale of a North Island asset coming up but need to catch up on a backlog for advanced nutrition, then they can focus forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A refined oil expert's dismissing the idea the Government's allowing 'dirty fuel' into the country to ease supply. Our fuel specifications are changing so importers have the option to bring fuel refined to Australian standards. It says the fuel's compatible with New Zealand vehicles and meets safety and quality expectations. Australia's Macquarie University's Lurion De Mello told Mike Hosking they've used these fuel standards for the last ten years. He says it won't have the environmental damage some people are thinking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the second time in One NZ Warriors history the team has started a season 3 and 0, most recently beating the Knights 38 - 12. One NZ Warriors CEO Cameron George attributed the teams success to the team being 'balanced'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ First leader Winston Peters joined Mike Hosking to chat about his State of the Nation speech and election strategies. Peters said he will rely on past achievements versus policy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor has comfortably won re-election in South Australia while One Nation surpasses the Liberals. The result means Peter Malinauskas will return as NSW Premier for a second term. Australia correspondent Steve Price said the landslide result can, at least partially, be attributed to the Liberals being 'pretty useless'. Price also chats to Mike Hosking about illegal cigarettes and increasing fuel prices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of March, we look at what could happen after the 48 hours is up from Trump's ultimatum. The Prime Minister is back from Samoa and talks the trigger point for Government help with fuel prices and whether they would even entertain Winston's idea of splitting up the gentailers. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk the mighty Warriors and the record breaking game from Ronnie O'Sullivan. 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.

I tell you what, it never gets old. How good are the Warriors? First time since 2018 we are 3-0. It's the second time ever. That's a lot of years where the start has not been as good as the start of 2026. The Knights, although seemingly better this year than last, are not the Roosters and certainly not the Raiders. So in that sense when they scored early in the first half you didn't really wonder whether this was the week things could go wrong. The half-time score wasn't close so we didn't have to run away with it in the second. The score at the break gave you a good sense. We were never really going to be tested. At one point late in the second when the Knights scored again, the commentators got a bit over-hyped and the crowd went nuts, as though another three converted tries was ever going to be a thing that was about to happen, given they were 18 behind. The points perhaps didn't flow like our first two games. But at 38-12 it wasn't a contest. Look at any stat - completed sets, yards carried, tackles made - we killed them. So not just three wins out of three, but three really good wins. Andrew Webster will be in the weeds looking for little bits and pieces to work on. But for most of us, the fans, this is as good as it gets. You simply can't ask for more. There are no obvious issues, no glaring errors and no lucky escapes or last minute miracles. We are winning and winning easily. We have beaten a good side in the Roosters, a great side in the Raiders and an ordinary side in the Knights. There would seem at this point to be no side we would fear. No side we don't believe we can beat. We are a complete, fast, fit and agile team. We're also a team with some very good players still to return. Once again, as we have these past three weeks, I'll remind you it's a long season and a lot can happen. But you simply control what's put in front of you and to this point, we cannot have started any better than we have. This might well be the best beginning to a season we have ever had. There is something special brewing. Say it with real confidence - this is our year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ICE had been deployed to American airports amidst a partial government shutdown resulting in airport workers going without pay for weeks. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking, "it's because of the partial government shutdown as Dems and Republicans fight over rules for ICE immigration agents in the future." "Should they wear those awful masks, unlike regular police? Should they have badges so people know who the hell they are? Should they be able to barge into people's houses without any court warrants?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking for their weekly catch up to chat about the fuel crisis, economic management, and the possibility of the public placing blame on the current Government for the current financial struggles. Luxon said, "we will do everything we can to support New Zealanders, but I have to be really straight up and honest and say we cannot support everybody, to the extent they probably want to be supported." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's latest threats in the war with Iran are targeted towards Iran's energy fields. The threat comes with a deadline demanding Iran reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Monday night (tomorrow morning NZT). Foreign Policy Institute Fellow Jeffery Price told Mike Hosking he's not convinced the threat is anything other than a negotiation tactic. LISTEN ABOVE 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. The war: 3/10 Week three was the worst week for Trump by a mile. He asked for help, got none, and packed a sad. The Warriors: 9/10 You literally can't start any better than they have. Plus, it's the Knights this week, so three for three. Chris Hipkins: 2/10 Who needs that sort of crap? Fuel stations running dry: 4/10 Hyperbole, alarmist headlines, and knobs with jerry cans do not help. Booze reform: 8/10 Not a single bit of it doesn't make complete and utter sense, leading to the obvious question – how can something so obvious only be getting sorted now? LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Differing accounts on the US' level of involvement in Israel's attack on Iran's gas fields. The tit for tat between the two is continuing with gas and oil infrastructure becoming the latest targets, Iran retaliating by hitting Israel's Haifa oil refinery. Global oil prices are continuing to surge. Donald Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's been instructed not to attack these energy sites. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Axios is reporting that one source told them the attack was coordinated between Israeli officials and the White House, whilst another says the US knew of the attack, but was not part of it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obviously Chris Hipkins would disagree, but Donald Trump surely wins the "crap week of the week" award, given his week has material outcomes for all of us and Hipkins' is just a personal mess gone ugly and public. The war itself doesn't appear to be any different at the end of week three than it was at the end of week two, or indeed week one. Every indication is Iran is being obliterated. They have three major kills and the fact we have yet to actually see and hear the new Supreme Leader indicates the suggestion he is dead, or disfigured, rings more true by the day. The attacks on Gulf facilities shows Iranian desperation. But the number of attacks continues to drop. The marines are on the way and the B2's are dropping the massive 5000kg bombs around the Strait of Hormuz to presumably clear the way for them. So, war wise there's nothing new to report. Trump could call it off any moment and claim victory, remembering claiming something is not always the reality. But, and it's a massive "but", he asked for help on the Strait and short of the French possibly helping, once it's all settled and the sun is out, he got nothing. He got worse than nothing – he got the middle finger. A world weary of his arrogance, threats and bullying told him to get stuffed. "It's not our problem.” At which point he went straight to his baby act of whining and bleating and moaning. The Strait is a problem and he made it so. Whether they never planned for it or thought about it doesn't matter because they created it and his voters are paying. They're paying a fortune for gas, the market is sinking, the two things he cares most about (the Dow and the bloke at the bowser) aren't working for him and that's why this thing will still end sooner rather than later. Small side note - when he says America doesn't need the Strait, half of America's generics medicine comes from India. India gets their material through the Gulf. There isn't an American not on a pill or potion. So he's hurt them at the pump, and he's hurt them at Walgreens. It's a disaster, so he has to fix it. They said it'll be over in 4-6 weeks. They still say 4-6 but it'll be more six, than four. But the stakes are too high, not in Iran, but in Ohio and Minnesota and Georgia. That's where the real war is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two victories at home to start the season, the Warriors are heading across the ditch. They're facing off against the Newcastle Knights on Saturday – their first away game of the 2026 season. Both teams are dealing with injuries, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kurt Capewell missing from the Warriors side, and Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown from the Australian side. Former Warriors Captain Monty Betham told Mike Hosking that the Knights are also entering the clash two for two, Ponga's absence could be quite the blow, as they haven't managed a win in the last ten matches he was missing. He says that while it may be the Warriors' first away game and there's a few injury issues, but with the confidence from the last two weeks, they have a good chance of going three for three. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 20th of March, Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains what the Government is looking to do as fuel prices continue to rise. New Zealander of the Year Sir Rod Drury joins us in studio after winning the 2026 award. And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss some of this week's guests on the show and the state of the world at the moment 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 week has come to an end which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. They discussed cars, some of the guests that featured on the Breakfast show this week, and the unstable geopolitical environment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.