The Mike Hosking Breakfast

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 campaign: 4/10 Is it just me or has the mental stuff with ice cream and dumb questions started so early that we will be suicidal by November? PREFU: 7/10 Confirmed widely held suspicions that our economy is on the way back in a material way. Labour: 4/10 Bad first week. Got busted on equity and the CGT promise appears problematic now that housing isn't growing. The EU FTA climate mess: 1/10 It's one thing for a bunch of Dutch losers to whine, but to be backed by Kiwis, even if they are radicals, is treasonous. The Opportunity Party: 2/10 Shot themselves in the foot with bottom lines. They may as well have named their favourite colours. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Given Westpac played what I would loosely call a dumb game this week with numbers, let me return serve. Their numbers involved a bunch of what they call "necessities" and their prices over the past ten years. White bread is up 120% and butter up 157%. Chicken though is only up 2%. So, if you ate a lot of chicken, not only would you be protein rich, you would have saved a fortune. The CPI is up in that period 38%. Their argument is that this is why we are miserable; everything appears so expensive. Not everything is, but if you eat a lot of white bread and butter, obviously without the chicken, you are arguing it's a cost-of-living crisis. By the way, here are my numbers: while the CPI is 38%, hourly wages are up 53%. Now that dovetails into what we saw just last week with the food price inflation for the year at 1.9%. Our wages have in fact gone up more than that, so in other words, food is getting more affordable. It's a statistical fact – food is more affordable this year than last year. If you spread it out over 10 years at 53% versus 38%, things are way more affordable. We are actually getting ahead. See what you can do with numbers? Which has been my argument throughout this cluster of numbers, and misery, and point scoring, and finger pointing. If you want to be miserable and find something that is wrong, or broken, or too expensive, you can. But equally —glass half-full— if you want to find gain, or benefit, or advancement, you can as well. That choice is yours. For dairy and meat, we can explain the price gains: they are international. For olive oil, it's a Spanish drought, for coffee it's a disease, for your council rates its half-wits with no clue. But if you aren't prepared to avoid things that appear too much, then that's on you. After all, what really is a necessity at the supermarket? What is a "must have" versus a "nice to have"? Is white bread really so good that it's worth getting exercised over? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Moa Point saga is now wading into the courts. The Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed charges against water company Tiaki Wai and the City Council after a catastrophic failure in February saw more than 14 billion litres of untreated sewage pumped into the sea. The regional council says the prosecution follows detailed investigation of the events, the roles of involved parties, and the environmental consequences. Both organisations could face fines of up to $100 million each. Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's highly unlikely there will be a fine at that level. He says there will be talks by lawyers on all sides, and if anything goes before a judge, there'll be a bit of teasing out about where responsibility actually lies, as that's still a bit of an open question. LISTEN ABOVE 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. They discussed the first official week of election campaigning, last night's minor leaders' debate, and at what point minor parties actually become major parties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 2nd of October, we look at the first week of the official election campaign. The gaming industry in this country has officially hit $1 billion in revenue for the first time ever. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the first week of the debate, their interview of the week, and at what point minor party loses the title of "minor party" 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.

New Zealand's video game industry is punching well above its weight. Revenue surged 33% to $1.01 billion in 2026, with all but $55 million of that coming from exports. The industry is confident it can hit $2 billion by 2030. NZ Game Developers Association Executive Director Joy Keene told Mike Hosking in comparison, the global game industry grew by just 2.7% in 2025, so we're boxing well above our weight. She says the strength and quality of New Zealand's games is what's causing our phenomenal growth. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new initiative aims to cut out the middleman and provide more value to wool growers and farmers. Wools of New Zealand has launched a direct-to-consumer service, allowing Kiwis to buy wool carpet directly through its Laneve brand. It's aiming to compete with synthetics on price while returning more to growers. CEO John McWhirter told Mike Hosking you can still buy their products via retailers – this is just another channel for customers. He says all the services you can get in a traditional brick and mortar shop are available on the website, and customers can see how different products would look in their homes, and an estimated cost. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our tourism industry's keen on a streamlined travel pathway between New Zealand and Australia. National wants to see a trial of a fully digitised trans-Tasman airport process in place by 2028. It says people could provide travel details digitally and pass through the gates on facial recognition. Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking it makes sense. She says particularly because Australia's our largest source of visitors, and a huge number of people cross the Tasman to visit friends and family. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More growth out of the new vehicle market, with September the strongest month of the year so far. Over 13 thousand new passenger vehicles were registered —up nearly 28% on a year ago— while total light vehicle registrations neared 25 thousand. Toyota led the market with over 3,000 sales, with BYD, Tesla, and MG, all sitting between 500 and 1000 new registrations. Motor Trade Association CEO Lee Marshall told Mike Hosking stubbornly high fuel prices are still driving many people's decisions. He says there are fairly large savings on the table when you compare a hybrid or electric car with one that costs $300 per 1000 kilometres to run. Sales are also driven by rental companies, who are boosting their stocks ahead of summer. Companies and rental businesses accounted for 68% of the total registrations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political commentator suggests Labour and National may struggle to claw back support before election day. The leaders of the Greens, ACT, New Zealand First, Opportunity, and Te Pāti Māori have faced off in the Stuff's Kingmakers' Debate last night. It came as the latest 1News-Verian poll had both major parties poling at just 28% support. Political commentator Trish Sherson told Mike Hosking the minor parties have shown they're putting thought into their ideas. She says the major parties are struggling because they're trying to be everything to everyone but are becoming nothing to anyone. Sherson also thinks the minor parties are doing better at delivering their policies, saying that while the debate wasn't exciting, it was civil and substantive. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have noticed an element of concern, if not alarm, over the number of young people who are not enrolled in the election. In the 18-24 age group there are just 61% enrolled. Last time it was 77%. The Greens in particular have been running campaigns about this for obvious reasons. The trouble is their campaigns are on university campuses where the bright and active hang out, not, I suspect, where those who aren't enrolled hang out. There was also a conspiracy floated momentarily when Chris Luxon last ran into his leadership trouble. Just before the caucus vote there was a lot of angst over the plot, for that's how they saw it, to overthrow Luxon and then call a snap election and the snap would leave thousands of young people un-enrolled. That conspiracy fell apart when, oh that's right, no such thing happened. There has also been the finger pointing over the enrolment rule changes and even though we still have well over three weeks to go its still, according to the aggrieved, not fair. Anyway, none of it is new. Young people have always been hopeless at enrolling and actually voting. It is sad but true, and as far as we can see nothing is changing this time. In fact it's getting worse. The important bit is how that plays out. It's entirely possible that the Greens, once again, are going to enhance their reputation as a party who polls well but doesn't turn out the vote. While we're on polling, the immigrant vote will tell a story not really seen in polling either. Language is an issue and increasingly this country is a country of migrants, especially in Auckland. The migrant population is not well polled. How they vote, which is broadly conservative, might well swing the election in a way, that if you didn't know that, would surprise you. Migrants work hard, strive for better and chase a dream. That's a centre-right view of the world. Watch this space. But key advice – before Chlöe measures the curtains on the Finance Minister's office, she might want to drum up a few more Gen Z-ers to pull their finger out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour may have to find another way to fund some of its policies. The party plans to use a Capital Gains Tax to pay for its health policies, and its costings assume 3% house price growth. However, Treasury has forecast just 0.6% growth in 2027, and 2.4% in 2028. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking this is a policy that's based on using its revenue to directly pay for other things – like free GP visits. He says if you don't get as much of the tax take at the start, you either have to find extra money to fund your promises, or you can't do them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks coach is reflecting on their performance against South Africa ahead of the Bledisloe Cup and later this year, the World Cup. The Springboks claimed a 3-1 victory in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Tour, but Dave Rennie says the experience has left the team in a much better place. He told Mike Hosking they're disappointed with the result, but committed to the way they're trying to play. "When we get that right, we're a real handful." He says they just have to be better and more accurate where it counts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 1st of October, we look into the record amount of emergency department visits in the last year. Dame Valerie Adams remembers the life of her friend and former ZB host Phil Gifford. All Blacks coach Dave Rennie gives us his review of the season at the midway point, with the Bledisloe tests looming. 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 Film Commission says they need to focus their energy on development to ensure New Zealand continues to create high-quality content. It's winding up its Core Funding Programme when existing contracts finish at the end of June next year. The scheme provides more than $1 million to ten industry groups. Film Commission CEO Annie Murray told Mike Hosking they have finite funding, so it needs to go to higher investment projects. She says they're investing in making their films as world class as they can possibly be. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people appear to be managing their money well against ongoing financial volatility. Centrix's August credit indicator shows expected seasonal uplifts in consumer and mortgage arrears, but an overarching easing pattern for both. Consumer arrears ticked up to 10.74% but remain 11.2% lower than a year ago. Company liquidations are up 14% on last year, but the indicator found demand is about the same as in 2025, and defaults are down 1%. Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey told Mike Hosking things are definitely stabilising, and they'd expect to see it continue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Valerie Adams has paid tribute to Phil Gifford after the legendary Kiwi sports journalist, broadcaster and writer died on Tuesday night. Across his more than 50 years working in media, Gifford was a man of many hats, hosting several radio shows, working as a sports journalist, columnist and author, both under his own name and that of his satirical alter-ego, Loosehead Len. Among his work, the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit worked with four-time Olympic medallist shot putter Adams on her 2012 book Valerie, The Autobiography. Adams told the Mike Hosking Breakfast show on Newstalk ZB of her “amazing relationship” with Gifford, who died aged 79. “The first memory is actually walking into his home in Stillwater. At the time, his wife was very unwell, so they were embarking on their own journey there, but [I] walked in and being greeted by amazing tapa cloth in the hallway, so many Polynesian artefacts in their house and just an incredible warmth within the home,” she said. “When he invited me into his little man cave to start the book, I just felt really at ease, and that just shows the kind of man he was. Not only him but also his wife. I came into their life starting this journey of having my book written, but also our relationship just blossomed to the point where, when I was living in Switzerland, they came to visit me, [they'd] come to see me compete at the Commonwealth Games, multiple competitions, helped with my kids. “Living in Christchurch during Covid, they made me feel at home, so I was like their Tongan child that never existed but just popped up.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another boost for Christchurch tourism, with millions of North Americans set to watch the city in the new season of The Amazing Race. The show's 39th season premieres tonight, with an episode featuring Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region airing in the next few weeks. Christchurch-born presenter Phil Keoghan told Mike Hosking the show aims to showcase the experience of each destination, while keeping the race at the centre. He says they want to show the things that typify where they are – there's no point going to Tsbilisi or Bulgaria if you're not showing off the culture. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are worries people are spending far too long waiting in Emergency Departments as demand surges. An Australasian College of Emergency Medicine report finds admissions around the country have risen 21% in the past decade, surging past our 13% population growth. It finds there are rising numbers of seriously unwell patients. Waikato Hospital Emergency Medicine Specialist John Bonning told Mike Hosking some patients are waiting 24 hours in EDs, with resources tight. He says this will be a result of things like a lack of in-patient beds, as well as inadequate staff numbers. Bonning says a range of things has added up – the population is aging, people are getting sicker, and there are unmet needs elsewhere in the sector, so people are ending up in EDs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins has been exposed for the fraud he is. Having made far too much of the PREFU and all the fiscal magic it would contain, he cornered himself. He snookered himself. By setting the PREFU release date as the date of revelation, he was always going to have to somehow explain that what we saw yesterday in no way was ever going to reveal the source of the $18 billion they have promised. Much smaller irony in the PREFU was the adjusted forecasts for housing. His projections around the CGT are 3%. It's 3% after July next year, despite the fact the money is already spent on doctors visits and the like. Forecasts have now created real doubt as to what sort of, if any, real return you are going to get from the sector. But that's not his biggest headache. His biggest headache is he has learned nothing about taking our money and wasting it. Pay equity is a terrific promise to make when you don't hold any real level of accountability. And so it was off to PREFU day. As we said yesterday, for the Government it was a report card on fiscal credibility and Willis was right; it was a decent result. We are tracking, all things considered, pretty well. But a lot of the forward projections were premised on the idea that spending going forward was going to remain tight. $18 billion more isn't tight and $13 billion for pay equity is not doable. So for Hipkins yesterday was a massive credibility issue, as he shot himself in the foot and announced that he won't be telling us at all how he is paying for this. There will be a fiscal plan but not a line item. A line item is a number, like how much does it cost and where is the money. He's not telling us. You know why? Because he's a fraud, an economic vandal and he thinks you're stupid. Do you want to vote for that? Go for it. But he is the same bloke who locked you down, didn't turn up to the Covid inquiry, and part of the same robber baron cabal that virtually ran us broke, and now he's back to play you for a sucker one more time. Don't say you weren't warned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of skydivers in Wisconsin jumped in to help the victims of a plane crash. Shortly after taking off, the group witnessed a small plane banking unusually before disappearing from sight. They immediately asked their pilot to identify a safe place to jump, and dropped in to offer aid. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking two of the jumpers had medical experience, with one being a former paramedic, and were able to treat the crash victims until emergency services arrived. He says that all four of the people on the plane survived. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th of September, it's time for Chris Hipkins to provide the details on how Labour plans to pay for their policies. Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains when we might get back to surplus, but unfortunately, it's based on the fact we've never been taxed more. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell discuss the passing of Adrian Rurawhe, strategic voting, and Chlöe Swarbrick's desire for the Finance portfolio 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.

OpenAI is promising to 'do better' as it apologises for the handling of a hack involving Australia's Medicare database. The tech giant says it will fund better cyber defences and has scrapped a new model's release over safety concerns. Reports suggest the new AI model broke rules, using deception and not following human intent. Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking OpenAI is sending one of their senior executives to Canberra to front the inquiry and apologise in person. He says major tech companies want to build data centres in Australia, and they don't want something like this to stop them from being able to. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to dig into some of the biggest stories of the week thus far. They discussed the call from some parties for voters to engage in strategic voting and the disagreement between Chris Hipkins and Chlöe Swarbrick as to who would be Finance Minister if they were in government. And they paid tribute to former Speaker and Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe, who died at age 65. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing is set to be a buyer's market for a while longer. The Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update shows housing price growth will peak at 3% by March 2028, down slightly from 3.2% in the budget update. Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking the further out you go, the more uncertainty there is, but there's potentially a general change underway in the market at the moment, and so growth may look lower in the future. He says there's a variety of reasons why this could play out —including higher supply, debt to income ratio changes and lower interest rates— and it's not so good for homeowners. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister has her eye firmly on returning to surplus after a pre-election look into the books. Treasury forecasts predict the next two years' deficits will be much smaller, and the 2028/29 surplus nearly $2 billion larger than expected. But much of that improvement is down to income-tax bracket creep, and more revenue from GST and company tax. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking it would be irresponsible to be talking about how they'll spend a surplus on things like tackling the tax bracket creep before it's arrived. She says circumstances could change, not because they won't remain focused, but because the world is volatile and forecasts could shift. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader is confident their numbers add up when it comes to paying for their policies – including reversing pay equity changes. The Government's books were opened yesterday in Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. It revealed the planned 2028/29 surplus will be nearly $2 billion bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less. Treasury thinks unemployment's peaked, and inflation's predicted to be back where it should be next year. Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking they'll show there's room for pay equity in their fiscal plan, but won't have a specific line item on it. He says you don't tell the other side what's in the envelope when you're going through a bargaining process, and that's never been done with pay equity. Hipkins is also still coming to terms with the news that former Speaker and Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe has died. Rurawhe was MP for Te Tai Hauāuru from 2014 to 2023, was the Speaker in the last Labour Government's second term, and was a Labour list MP from 2023 until early this year. The 65-year-old will lie in state at Whangaehu Marae, south of Whanganui, until his burial at Ngā Puketuurua Ratana Pa. The Labour Leader told Hosking Rurawhe was well-respected across Parliament and did a great job as Speaker, and his death will come as a shock to everyone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have Ruth Richardson to thank for today. She was the architect of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 1994, what today is called the PREFU – the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. If you don't remember it, it heralded a change in approach that seemed to me at the time as significant, if not profound. Elections were crap shoots. It was a different time. If you think most people's understanding of basic economics is limited, 1994 was a Wild West. Many years before, Muldoon had talked about the voter not knowing a budget deficit if they tripped over it in the street. He was right, as well as arrogant. By 1994 I'm not overly sure it was a lot different. So the idea was we could at least see what shape we were in and whether the ensuing promises made any sense. Here we are over 30 years later and the PREFU has a critical role for both major parties today. For National it's a report card, a credibility check. It's the very thing (almost the singular thing) that this election is being fought on – have they done enough economically to convince us they need another term? For Labour it's equally critical. There's a fortune in promises, in fact $18 billion worth, including the seemingly gargantuan and magical pay equity promise worth at least 12 of those billions. "Wait for the PREFU," we have been told, as if whatever is revealed today will answer any doubters. I doubt it will. I think Labour today, to some degree, will be badly exposed. It will be a contest today between the state of the place, and therefore the Government's economic credentials, and the "state of the place" and therefore the cold, hard truth there isn't $18 billion just lying around looking to be spent. But most importantly, thanks to Ruth Richardson, is the fact that it will all be there. The fiscal journey of the past three years, the fiscal cliffs, the debt, the cuts, the promises, the payments, the delivery, the growth, (or lack of it) and the outlook. They say every election has never before been as important as the current one and they say it's always about the economy. Both are true, and I feel never more true than 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, a novel in the Reacherverse will not be about Reacher himself. Frances Neagley is getting her time in the spotlight, with both a new spinoff television show, and two new thrillers focused on her. Author Lee Child is thrilled by the success and popularity the screen adaptation of his work has found – especially since it's now getting a spinoff. "I'm so pleased about the spinoff because Maria [Sten] is just fantastic," Child told Mike Hosking. "She's a great actor, but she's a lovely person as well." In fact, it was Sten's performance and the writing of the character in the show that led to the new series being written at all, as it filled in the gaps in Neagley's character Child was struggling with. "I never really developed her as a character, you know, to me she lived in the present. I had no idea of her past, I had no idea of her future," he told Hosking. "They answered the questions that I couldn't answer for myself," The first book, 'Zero Margin', is being co-written with Yasmin Angoe, a critically acclaimed thriller author, in order to give the Neagley series a distinctive voice from Reacher. "I've seen the first draft, it's great, and I know that the final draft is even better ... so I'm looking forward to reading it." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 29th of September, it's a big day for both parties as we get the PREFU numbers. It's the day to see if National has economic credibility and if Labour's election policies add up. There's a lot of angst around red meat in the country and why it costs so much while exports make record returns, so it's time to address some claims with Special Trade Envoy Nathan Guy. Reacher author Lee Child is back to talk about the success of the TV show, the spinoff Neagley, and the novels coming to the Reacher universe that doesn't involve Reacher. 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 shinier job market outlook, with growth ticking up. The number of filled jobs lifted a seasonally adjusted 0.2% from July to August and 0.9% from last year. Gaps between sectors are starting to close, with gains for industries like construction and retail after months of decline. ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking the encouraging thing about the data is it shows demand for labour is still there. He says if it weren't for the Middle East conflict, the economy would be absolutely booming and job growth would be much stronger. But, Smith says, it suggests the unemployment rate will be heading downwards from here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our red meat sector appears to be sitting pretty amid a turbulent global market. The sector's gathering in Wellington today for a conference focusing on resilience to market shocks, export demand, and geopolitics in supply chains. Exports continue to surge, with combined receipts forecast around $12.6 billion across 2026 and 27. Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Nathan Guy told Mike Hosking it's a success story given exports are still flowing while two wars rage. He says the UK, China, US, and Europe markets are all performing well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Privacy Commissioner has some advice for schools struggling to manage student image restrictions. Research by Christchurch tech company Hail shows 68% of schools have accidentally published an image despite consent restrictions. It found 53% rely on manual processes or staff knowledge to manage these. Michael Webster told Mike Hosking schools should try to focus on an activity when taking photos, rather than identifiable faces. He says they could take a photo of sport or a school production, but not in a way that could lead to people cutting and pasting the faces of children once the photo's online. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A building physicist says townhouses and multi-unit buildings are most at risk of overheating. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says any detailed changes to fix hot homes need to avoid unintended consequences and require sector consultation. It told RNZ it won't be part of the Building Code review until 2031. Building Research Association's Stephen McNeil told Mike Hosking townhouses often have lots of floor-to-ceiling glass and can't ventilate properly. He says without proper glass treatment, like shading, these homes turn into greenhouses. McNeil told Hosking modelling should be used to understand how a house will perform. He says simple rules are needed, with uptake low for modelling despite being cheap at the design stage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister's hailing today as extremely important as Treasury opens the Government's books. This afternoon's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update will show the levels of Crown debt, revenue, and expenditure. Budget 2026 predicted a return to operating surplus in the 2028/29 financial year – a year earlier than had been signalled. Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking things could change quickly, but it's a helpful snapshot. He says it's the best anchor, that shows where things are at, to help parties explain how they'll pay for their election promises. Joyce is warning to 'proceed with caution' though – saying it'll be better than people think, but there are dangers with that too. He acknowledges it may be a vote of confidence in the Government's short-term economic management, but the big issue still remains as to how to drive debt down. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Gates is the latest big name in the tech sector to issue a warning about AI amid rising concerns. Gates says the technology needs to be regulated and warns that AI can't keep going unchecked and that existing 'kill switches' aren't enough. US correspondent Richard Arnold says Gates is calling for a better 'monitoring system' to stop AI from causing harm. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Nation is seeing another boost in the polls, with Pauline Hanson being named preferred Prime Minister among Queensland voters. As the Albanese-led Government looks to introduce another round of interest rate hikes, Hanson is being backed by more voters in her home state. Australian correspondent Steve Price says One Nation doesn't appear to be losing ground with voters, as Labour cops backlash from voters aged between 35-49. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville and Jason Pine joined Mike Hosking to review all the big sporting events of the weekend, including the AFL grand final and Counties Manukau winning the Ranfurly Shield. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice Minister says citizen's arrests are 'just an option', with the powers off to a flying start. Sweeping Crimes Act reforms passed last month, meaning anyone can use 'reasonable force' to detain a person committing an offence, like shoplifting. Retail NZ's revealed to Newstalk ZB there's been 90 reported citizen's arrests in the first 44 days. Paul Goldsmith says he understands not everyone backs themselves to do this - and they don't have to. "If somebody sees somebody walking out of these stores and they feel confident that they can hang on to them, then if they can hang on to them - they ring the police and follow the instructions of the police." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's uncertainty if the looming mid-term elections will influence Trump's handling of Iran. The US President's rejected an Iranian proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days - saying Iran was losing badly. Tehran's Foreign Ministers says the only way to end the conflict is with a negotiated solution. Former US Ambassador in the Middle East, David Satterfield, says the economy will unquestionably hurt Trump at the mid-terms. "Is the mid-term, is that November date a trigger point, somehow, for some different strategy - either immediately before or after? It's very difficult to say." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a feeling Labour's leader is trying to ramp up the energy as election campaigning officially gets underway. Both major parties launched their campaigns in Auckland yesterday. While National stuck with slick videos and multiple speeches at the flashy International Convention Centre, Labour opted for a high-energy performance at Manukau's Due Drop Events Centre. Political commentator Brigitte Morten says Labour leader Chris Hipkins reacted to talk he'd been looking uncomfortable on the campaign trail. "If you don't want to be on the campaign, you clearly don't want to be Prime Minister again, so I think that was very much what was being told to him and I think he really tried to deliver on that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 28th of September, both the main parties have launched their election campaigns - so what can we expect? Will it be smooth or angsty? The PM is in after officially launching their election campaign to talk about how they'll get undecided voters across the line, council amalgamation and the PREFU tomorrow. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk the incredible NRL preliminary final games, the President's Cup and Liam Lawson's unlucky F1 race in Baku. 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.