The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Australian social media ban has started. Well, sort of. It came in on Monday but begins officially on the 10th of December. The worrying thing is one of the big proponents of the idea said she believed with all her heart that "we were saving a generation". That is not true. Saving them from what? Themselves? Theory vs reality is very powerfully at play in this move. We are dealing with too many intangibles. Between Monday and this time next week, teens are busy finding new apps that aren't covered by the ban. Influencers are busy directing traffic to these new outlets in order to work around the rules. The Government is smart to this and has announced a new series of apps that will be covered. So we are in a sort of whack-a-mole stage. As far as I can work out a lot of pressure has been placed on the tech companies to make sure kids don't lie. How literally that works I have no idea. Like alcohol, you will be asked what age you are. Whether a tech company can be held liable for dishonesty, I suppose in some way, shape or form, will end up in court. With face recognition user profiles can be used, I guess. But at some point, a market the size of Australia may end up being more trouble than it's worth. It's far better to battle, as they do, with places like the EU where privacy and trading laws are constantly under review and fines are handed out on an almost continual basis. Never forgetting of course, we are now dealing with businesses worth more than many countries and Governments. However, on the flip side this could of course be the Trojan horse. Australia is at the forefront of a major global movement that is going to somehow shift the nature of technological interaction of an entire generation. Studies may be launched. They'll look at things like if you were banned before you turned 16, when you got to the golden age did you go nuts? Remember repression is a problematic trait in a lot of social activity. So we watch with interest. I don't think it will lead to a lot. It has a touch of virtue signalling about it. But theory in Australia is now reality. I bet a lot of parents wish them well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Song Sung Blue', a story of hope amidst a tragic love story. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as Mike and Claire Sardina, aka Lightning and Thunder, a duo Neil Diamond tribute act that got major attention in Milwaukee. The film is based off a documentary about the couple with the same name, that was released in 2008. Before working together on this project, Jackman and Hudson didn't really know one another – meeting a few times but not in any great detail. But for a movie like this, where the relationship between the two leads is the basis of the film, that can be a risk. “On day one, Kate said to me, you know, if we don't work, this movie doesn't work,” Jackman told Mike Hosking. “And she was right, but I had a lot of confidence.” “I had a strong sense that it was gonna be great, but I didn't know it was gonna be this great or this easy.” For Hudson, things clicked into place when the two kissed for the first time. “It's like we've been kissing each other for years,” she said. One review described the role as Jackman's most ambitious yet, a sentiment the actor agreed with. “I think it combines a lot of different things that I do, but in many ways it was asking things of me that I hadn't done before.” Hudson agreed, comparing it to asking a baseball player if they want to play in the major leagues. “It's scary, but I want that.” “I love hard work, and I like work that gives me a little of the, you know, the butterflies.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 4th December, Sir Brian Roche discusses Andrew Coster's resignation from his new role over the McSkimming scandal. We've got a new ski deal with China that's set to bring in high value tourists. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson talk Oscar buzz on their new movie ‘Song Sung Blue', how easy their kiss was, and what Neil Diamond gave to each of them. 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 welcome boost to New Zealand's premium meat sector, with strong growth expected this season. Headwaters Farmers —who produce Lumina Lamb— are forecasting returns of $23.50 per lamb, up 60% on last year. It also reports successful expansion into the Middle East. Headwaters and Lumina Chief Executive Steve Brown told Mike Hosking these markets attract premium pricing. He says they also want to take on producers in the UK market and show them what quality lamb looks like. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new partnership deal in the ski industry aims to tap into the booming Chinese market. NZSki and Sunac-BonSki have signed on, giving New Zealand direct access to 13.5 million active skiers in China. NZSki CEO Paul Anderson told Mike Hosking while the New Zealanders and Australians make up the bulk of skiers, they've seen an increasing number of Chinese visitors to ski areas – particularly Queenstown. He says they're no longer the traditional bus tours of groups that came through from China, but high spending free independent travellers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view the Government has to get a handle on debt, with forecasts showing the economy's now finally recovering. BusinessNZ's Planning Forecast projects the GDP will grow at just under 3% per year to 2027. But it warns that an ageing population's set to drive superannuation and healthcare costs to unsustainable levels, consuming all income tax revenue by the late 2040s. Chief Economist John Pask told Mike Hosking we're not getting back to surplus until 2028/29, and even that's touch and go. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a view that Government funding for major events is a smart investment. The first round of events in its $70 million package has been unveiled, including the first ever concert at Christchurch's One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha next May. Other events include Linkin Park in Auckland and the Ultra Music Festival in Wellington. Auckland Unlimited Chief Executive Nick Hill told Mike Hosking this funding is designed to make existing events bigger. For example, he says, the Readers and Writers Festival in Auckland is a fantastic event, but could they use the funding to make it more international? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Commissioner says he believes former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster is genuinely sorry, following his resignation as Social Investment Agency Head. Coster's accepted responsibility for shortcomings highlighted in an IPCA report on the handling of complaints against his then Deputy Jevon McSkimming. His final pay will be near $124 thousand. Sir Brian Roche told Mike Hosking Coster's always seemed genuine in all his experiences with him. He says Coster's very sincere and has real courage, and is confident what he says he believes, is true. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mail I'm getting got a bit more official yesterday with Fitch suggesting they think the Reserve Bank isn't done. A lot of people thought the Reserve Bank was done cutting because fill-in Governor Christian Hawkesby basically said as much last week. On the inference that it was over, swap rates on the wholesale market started going up. Why should you care? Because if you owe money to a bank a lot of their income to lend comes from the wholesale markets. If it goes up so does your interest rate, which is what has been happening since last Thursday. Now this is where we get into subtlety and nuance. Technically Hawkesby said the bank remains open to further action, so if you lined Hawkesby up in court he could defend himself. But as always in these matters it is the between the lines stuff, the nod and the wink stuff, that markets read. And they are reading an end and, as a result, the numbers are rising. Tied in, if another cut is coming as Fitch suggests, things are further complicated with our dollar, given places like Australia are doing the opposite. Their Reserve Bank is closer to hiking than cutting. That affects how the world sees our economy and our currency, at 87cents to the Australian dollar and at 43cents to the pound, looks anaemic. For good measure, Fitch seems downbeat about our recovery. They are calling 2% next year by way of GDP. They were saying 2.7%. This then brings in the Government. The Government, in election year, would like 2.7% over 2%. 2% they'd be able to milk but 2.7% is home court advantage. If you want one more thing that kind of backs up the Fitch funk, Black Friday didn't work. Spending was down on last year. Personally, I think that's about it being a crock of you-know-what and it's more clickbait than it is bargains and people are over being ripped off. But that's just me. So anyway, Hawkesby leaves with a trail of questions left behind as he heads to the beach. If you are one of the so-often quoted ones who are rolling out of one mortgage into another, these are still tricky times to try and get right and you want to hope Fitch has misread it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Secretary of Defence is facing scrutiny for potentially having committed a war crime. Pete Hegseth is facing scrutiny over a strike he ordered on a boat in the Caribbean Sea suspected of smuggling drugs. The Washington Post reported last week that Hegseth authorised a highly unusual second strike to kill all survivors on the boat – reports Hegseth has denied. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Hegseth has previously railed against the Geneva Convention and the legal rules of engagement. In his book, Arnold says, Hegseth shares an anecdote in which he tells the soldiers in his platoon to ignore such legal advice. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the year nearing its end, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking for the final Politics Wednesday of 2025. They discussed Scrutiny Week, Labour's decision to chase the Māori seats and what's ahead as we enter an election year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 3rd of December, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers outlined the Police's new targets in the wake of the McSkimming debacle. Liam Lawson has officially retained his seat for Racing Bulls next season! Former Ferrari and Williams manager Peter Windsor broke down the decision for us. And Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Mike for their last Politics Wednesday of the year. 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.

New Zealand's relationship with the "Land of Opportunity" is taking the spotlight in Auckland today. Business, trade, and political leaders are attending the annual US Business Summit. Christopher Luxon is set to open the summit, shedding light on the Government's actions to strengthen bilateral ties. NZUS Council Executive Director Fiona Cooper told Mike Hosking New Zealand is doing great business with the US and the summit is about sharing stories about how to navigate the tariff turbulence. But at the same time, she says there are tonnes of opportunities in the US, in areas like technology, investment, education, agriculture, and aerospace, and this is about seizing them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The success story keeps rolling for Kiwi company AF Drinks. The alcohol-free brand has just secured nationwide distribution in the UK with supermarket giant Morrisons. It follows on from their US expansion, with them now stocked in over 4000 stores including Target, Walmart, and Sprouts. Founder Lisa King told Mike Hosking there's been a huge trend towards alcohol moderation. She says that a lot of people are still drinking alcohol, but they're moderating it and choosing to drink less or drink non-alcoholic versions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mentoring role for Liam Lawson in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The New Zealand driver has retained his spot in Racing Bulls alongside 18-year-old debutant Arvid Lindblad. Lawson had been vying for the vacant seat with demoted Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, following Isack Hadjar's promotion to the parent team. Former Williams and Ferrari executive Peter Windsor told Mike Hosking Lawson's the best fit for the requirements. He says Liam will flourish in a senior role and it'll bring out the best in him. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief support for first-time principals is falling short. Newstalk ZB analysis has found 970 principals quit in the past three years – one in five within their first year. Retirements jumped 26% over the same period. Secondary Principals' Council Chair Kate Gainsford told Mike Hosking other countries have solid systems to prepare principals, but we don't. She says part of the role teachers can get used to while they're middle and senior leaders, but part can't be learnt until you're actually in the role. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economic impact of international students is surging. New Stats NZ data shows education-related travel exports jumped to $4.52 billion in the year to September, up from $3.6 billion the previous year. Education New Zealand wants to increase that figure to $7.2 billion by 2034. Chief Executive Amanda Malu told Mike Hosking growth is across all sectors and there's still room to expand. She says universities have higher enrolments than they've ever had, schools are growing, and private training has grown 33%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confidence from the Police Commissioner that New Zealanders don't see police any differently in the wake of the McSkimming scandal. Richard Chambers has announced four new targets, which include restoring public trust and confidence to 80%. It follows the IPCA's recent and scathing report into how serious allegations against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming were addressed. Chambers told Mike Hosking people understand the blame lies with former leaders. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It probably came out on the wrong day to get the coverage it deserved, but one of the last pieces in the economic turnaround told us we are basically there. Consumer confidence is back, up six points to 98. It needs to be 100 or more for expansion, but it's the highest figure since June and backs the business confidence, which last week was up a lot. Business comes first because they see the turnaround on sales. The spending numbers back that up because they are pretty real time and then you get confidence as a follow up, given although we are spending, some may not want to admit it may still feel like they are in a bit of a funk. But add it all together and the conclusion is inescapable. You can also add the ASB housing numbers if you want. Confidence in the housing market is at a 15-year high. Why? Because it's almost perfect – good supply, cheap money, but most importantly we seemed to have crossed the psychological barrier and given ourselves permission to start to feel good again. The irony is the growth that drives all this might just have been there all along. We get the Q3 GDP number later this month with Infometrics suggesting it is 0.9%. Add that to the rest of the year and we are well above the growth line. Not that a lot of the commentary has backed that up. Which is not to say some still do it tough. It's not to say it's the boom times. It's just to say there comes a point where the facts, figures and evidence can no longer be denied. Here is my next prediction: as a result of all this, 2026 might well be a very good year indeed. That's based on the idea that economies are about psychologies. Yes, they are about fundamentals but if the fundamentals are in place, then the next thing you look for is mood. And given the mood has been so repressed, when we decide to take the handbrake off there might just be no stopping us. As I said last week don't underestimate the Reserve Bank and the finality of their cut. They said this was it, they they've done their job, we are free to go and enjoy our lives. For those waiting and dilly-dallying, that was what they were waiting for. The next confidence survey will be over 100 and that will be the start of a trend for the year ahead. Remember where you heard it first. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 2nd of December, the Government is bringing in rates caps in 2029. Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Nelson Mayor Nick Smith give their takes on the proposal. Will there be a coup in Netball NZ? A Special General Meeting has been called this weekend to discuss a vote of no confidence of the leadership. UK comedian and author David Walliams has a new children's book out and he can't wait to catch up with Mike and make of his tight jeans! 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.

Although he's best known for his comedy, David Walliams has a growing portfolio of children's literature. He's sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and has just released his 44th book ‘Santa & Son', just in time for Christmas. He released his first children's book in 2008, and even after 17 years and nearly 50 books, Walliams still finds writing to be a challenging task. “You're constantly scared, you think, oh my god, I'm gonna run out of ideas, or you think, oh god, this is too similar to something I've already done,” he told Mike Hosking. “The thing I try and do is move as far away as I can from something I've just done, because the thing is you just don't want to repeat yourself.” A lot of his earlier works were set contemporary Britain and revolved around schools, and after a while he found he'd run out of ways to make a teacher character work. “I can't think of any more traits that would make teachers funny,” he told Hosking. “So I thought I just have to move away from that and find different stories.” “I sort of have to make it difficult for myself just so I don't end up going down the same path.” When it comes to success, Walliams explains that he's not competitive in any major way. “I don't see other people who do what I do as sort of foes or anything,” he said. “But of course I want my book to be well-received, I want kids to enjoy it, I want it to make people happy.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach Rob Walter is comfortable with how the Black Caps are tracking heading into the three-test series against the West Indies, beginning today at Hagley Oval. New Zealand is fresh from overcoming the West Indies by a combined 6 games to one in the two white ball series. While Walter was pleased to get the results, he reckons the Black Caps can still improve as a cohesive group. He told Mike Hosking they're not expecting the West Indies to be a pushover. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netball stakeholders attempting to overthrow the national governing body say issues extend beyond the Silver Ferns coaching saga. The Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone has called a Special General Meeting for Sunday to declare its intention for the board and chief executive to be replaced. Tauranga Netball Centre board chair Nicola Compton says Dame Noeline Taurua's treatment is one of three major concerns. She told Mike Hosking the other two are the uncertainty surrounding the ANZ Premiership after next year and the mishandling of the television rights deal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An assurance a council rates cap will only target unnecessary costs, not community services or infrastructure. By 2029, councils wanting to increase rates by more than 4% will need approval from a government-appointed regulator. Water rates are excluded from the cap. Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Mike Hosking this will be an education process for councils. He says there's a lot of fat in the system and councils need to ensure cash has to be going into essential areas. Watts says he will work with the industry, not against them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view more New Zealanders are adapting to get on the property ladder to overcome economic woes. Kiwibank's Annual State of Home Ownership Index finds 57% of non-owners feel locked out of the market, improving by 6%. It notes 60% still find the cost of living the biggest obstacle to owning a house. Chief Executive Steve Jurkovich told Mike Hosking more people are open to exploring different pathways to ownership. For example, he says, people are exploring co-owning, getting together with their parents and grandparents to try buy a house. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's shrugging off food poisoning concerns at a Christchurch school, saying its principal is often complaining about Government policies. Haeata Community Campus recalled all lunches yesterday after discovering some boxes contained rancid and "dead" looking food. Some children had already eaten their lunch. Minister-in-charge Seymour told Mike Hosking a previous batch has likely been re-served to students. He says they're keeping an open mind while looking into how meals from last week got in front of children this week. The School Lunch Collective, Ministry of Education and MPI are all investigating. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an expectation a rates cap will prove challenging and require teaming up with central Government. The Government's proposing to stop rates increases at 4% a year, excluding water and other non-rates revenue. Councils wanting to go beyond this will need approval from a government-appointed regulator. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told Mike Hosking he's not surprised councils have been targeted by the Government as it aims to reduce costs across the board. But he says delivery will require the Government to work with them to get costs down, especially in the construction sector. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 1st of December, Local Government Minister Simon Watts speaks on what councils will be spending on 'Water Done Well' over the next decade. The Prime Minister speaks about our maths results, whether EU countries are worried about our climate targets and the City Rail Link being delayed until late 2026. For the final time Andrew Saville and Jason Pine speak to Mike for the year about the F1, Supercars and Auckland FC. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the UK the Justice Secretary has suggested the end of the jury trial, except for rape, murder, manslaughter, or what he calls "cases that pass a national interest test". The idea has received the sort of reaction you would expect from the usual quarters you would expect it from. My hope is we might want to look at something similar here. The wait, like in the UK, for a trial is absurd. The system is overwhelmed. Getting a jury is hard work and will never get any easier. So if we accept the system doesn't function in a way we would want, judge-alone would be an immediate improvement in efficiency. Could I be controversial and suggest the reality also is that most people who end up in court are in fact guilty of what they are accused of doing? Which is not to change the idea that you are innocent until proven otherwise. It's just that you can mount a fairly solid argument that a jury is made up of a collection of people who may or may not want to be there, may or may not know what's really going on, may or may not get nuance and minutiae of certain aspects of the law and, therefore, as a collective be a fairly weak representation of the justice you seek. In a way it's like democracy. We love the idea but at local body level we literally can't be bothered. We don't even turn up so is the idea still a sound one, even if it doesn't work? Being judged by a jury of your peers - what a wonderful 1800's style thought. But here in the real world it's got a very stale, arduous vibe to it. Why is it important that 12 people agree on something? Well, it isn't if they can't because in some cases we then make it that only 11 people need to agree. So you see, rules are malleable. In some places it's 10 needed. So lets not get all rigid, because the law has been around a while. If the basic premise is justice being seen to be done then the “doing” has to have an element of pace about it. Not rushed, not rubber stamped and open to skullduggery, but an efficient system seen to be working well. You can't argue we have that, or anywhere close. Lammy of the UK has been bold and good on him. Let's hope the same boldness resides somewhere here as well. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville join Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the weekend's sports. On the table today: Auckland FC suffered a loss at home amid monsoon-like rains. Should the game have been called off? The F1 Driver's Championship is headed to the final race of the season, with three contenders for the title. And the V8 Supercars Championship has changed up their format, but is it too confusing? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump's working to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of office. Trump's warned airlines and travellers to avoid the country on social media - and says land strikes on Venezuela could come 'very soon'. The Trump administration has pinned illegal migration and drug trafficking on Venezuela's Government - amid a crackdown on the issue. Foreign Policy Institute Senior Fellow Jeffrey Price told Mike Hosking that it's hard to tell what the strategy is from here, but it's clear Trump wants Maduro gone. He says it's not clear how he'll do this - but the US is willing to do it with force. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An anti-smoking group says young people don't think vaping is as cool as it used to be. Action on Smoking and Health has released the results of its survey which asks more than 30-thousand Year 10 students about their smoking habits. It shows 7.1-percent of the age group vape daily - down from the 10-percent peak in 2022 - and less than a third have ever tried it. ASH Chair Robert Beaglehole says Government policy has played a big role in the change. He says it took some time for the regulation to catch up with the issue - but it is clearly working now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon says banks need to be passing on their OCR cuts to customers - and customers should be switching banks if they don't. Mortgage rates have been falling significantly, following recent OCR cuts. But the Reserve Bank says the banks still have room to move, to be cutting the rates further. The Prime Minister says [told Mike Hosking] banks should be competing for customers, and customers should be trying to get the best deal they can. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Local Government Minister is pleased to see councils joining forces under the new water infrastructure model. The Department of Internal Affairs expects councils to spend nearly 48-billion dollars on Local Water Done Well over the next decade. The reforms could create more than 40 water entities, with some councils joining multi-council-controlled organisations. Simon Watts told Mike Hosking that 38 councils have already combined to form 12 entities. But he says it's never been about the number of entities - the critical part is whether it's financially sustainable. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repeatedly low wheat prices are driving more farmers to turn to dairy. The Canterbury Regional Council says up to 25-thousand more dairy cows could be added to the region this year - with 32 new farms given the green light. Federated Farmers' confidence survey in July found 81 percent of dairy farmers surveyed were making a profit, compared to just 40 percent of arable. National Dairy Chair Karl Dean told Mike Hosking that dairy has a more consistent cash flow. He says arable farmers are the ones with the land to convert. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you follow the carbon market, and you should, it is yet another lesson in the abject failure that almost certainly results in gerrymandering markets. Four times a year you bid for credits (offsets) to counter your polluting habits. You do this because we signed up to Paris and made a bunch of promises we were never going to be able to keep. By selling credits the Government has the potential income of about $2 billion a year. Except little, if any, of that happens because by and large people don't turn up and bid. And they fail to show up, broadly speaking, because people don't believe a word the Government says on climate. It's not just this Government. The last one was even worse. They have tried to set a price for carbon credits, remembering of course that it's an entirely invented market. So it's a dart-at-a-board stuff at the best of times. Of late the price was $52. Then it was $33 before settling back to about $40-something. Enter Climate Minister Simon Watts. Now, he doesn't normally talk about the market because that's interference, the same way the Prime Minister doesn't talk about the Reserve Bank. But Simon has talked about the market, and he has done that because the Government are panicked. He issued a reassurance that despite all the changes they are making around climate, the carbon market and the ETS are still a thing. We are still committed, it's still going to happen. His commitments, he said, are firm. Except, Simon, that's the problem – no one believes you. This is a Government that says one thing and does another. Don't get me wrong, what, roughly, they are doing is the right thing. The tide has gone out on climate. The promises are a bust. No one is going to make Net Zero, so the answer is stop pretending you are. Science might come to the rescue and if it does, fantastic. But the governmental promises around carbon and the ETS and car import duties is all BS. There is no better proof of that than the carbon market. The market is calling the Government's bluff. Carbon credits or snake oil? Same thing. No one's buying figuratively and literally. 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. Education: 8/10 The maths trial results this week were a tangible example of the simple truth that if you concentrate on something and work hard, you will win. The All Blacks: 6/10 They did better than the critics seem to suggest. Rugby has changed but the attitude on expectation and winning hasn't. This isn't 1986. Regional councils: 8/10 Bold call, good call. We will be better off for the call. Ginny Andersen and steak: 6/10 Who had her down as a surreptitious food stealer? Rachel Reeves: 2/10 Have a look at her work on taxes and ask yourself how far-removed Barbara Edmonds is - or isn't. Surrender by Thursday: 4/10 Wasn't that yet another harebrained thought bubble by a bloke who looks increasingly unhinged, or tired, or old, or mad. Or possibly all of those things. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 28th of November, Judith Collins speaks on the public inquiry to be held into the disappearance of Tom Phillips and his children. Could we grow more coffee in New Zealand? And who knew we grew any sort of decent coffee here in the first place? Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk about the installation of Mike's new TV and the legacy and impact of Simon Dallow 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.

It's the simple question with seemingly no simple answer: why aren't more people excellent? Naylor Love reported this week they are cracking the $1 billion revenue mark. They are an old company that has never cracked a billion. Naylor Love are in construction. Construction is apparently having, or has had, a hell of a time of it. So how is it a business in a tough sector can be so outstandingly successful? They put it down to being good at complex projects. They do those well, the reputation grows, the word-of-mouth spreads and so it goes. The other day I discovered a coffee roaster made by a company called Kaffelogic. Their machine is made in New Zealand. The sadness is they are one of a handful left that produce appliances of any sort in New Zealand. The thing is their machine is world class because the bulk of professionals who enter roasting competitions use that machine. So what that means is we can produce appliances, but don't. Mostly that will be price related but like wine, or kiwifruit, or salmon, it seems there is nothing stopping us producing in small numbers if it is at the top end. The same way there is nothing stopping Naylor Love booming in an industry that isn't booming. The same way I can name you any number of restaurants and cafes that are doing very nicely, thank you, in a sector that is, according to press releases, in a world of trouble. The same way, as we heard just this week, that despite all the job market downturns and tough times, at no time did it get any easier to find great talent. No shortage of people. Just a shortage of excellence. There seems to be a pattern here. It seems a truism that no matter what you are surrounded by, no matter what the circumstances are, excellence will always shine and do well. That if you are good, or dare we suggest excellent, at what you do, there is always a place for you not just to participate, but to succeed and even excel, while those around you flounder and complain and blame their lot. Excellence is your ticket to wherever it is you want to go. Don't tell anyone. Heaven forbid it catches on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The week has come to an end, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to wrap it all up. Mike ordered a new 85-inch TV and its installation has thrown the house into a bit of disarray. Kate's been looking at the price of salmon, and they discuss the legacy and impact of Simon Dallow as he signs off as 6pm newsreader for the last time tonight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shift in climate has opened the door to grow more coffee in the Far North. Industry specialists have gathered near Kaikohe for the annual Coffee Producers Association conference. New Zealand currently has about a dozen growers and more than seven thousand trees, with goals to scale-up production. Association Chair Peter Sheppard told Mike Hosking we're in a zone where the climate has become warm enough to make the industry viable. He says there's huge potential in New Zealand, and they're at the beginning of a really exciting journey. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mortgage advisor is joining the Finance Minister in urging banks to slash home loan rates. Nicola Willis is asking them to pass on “as much as possible” in the wake of the Reserve Bank cutting the Official Cash Rate to 2.25%. She says the banks have a stake in the economy, and passing the cuts on will make a significant difference. Loan Market Mortgage Advisor Bruce Patten told Mike Hosking the banks are holding onto some really good margins at the moment. He says he'd like to see them pass them on before Christmas – everyone needs it, so someone needs to make the move. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.