Podcast appearances and mentions of Chris Bishop

This week the Gals discuss big new housing powers for central government, the dumpster fire that is the world right now, Scrutiny Week and a roundup of employment and health announcements.   Yass Queen to a new female boss and Beehave Mate to an obfuscating Kiwi bloke.   Question Time: Who wore it better - Chris Bishop or Miley Cyrus?

The government has given itself new powers to override councils, if they their decisions will negatively impact economic growth, development or employment. Housing and RMA reform minister Chris Bishop has said the new regulation would stop councils stalling on housing developments. But the opposition said Bishop is annointing himself the chief council despot and it's a massive over-reach. While councils said they shouldn't be blamed for a lack of housing growth. Political reporter Giles Dexter reports.

A new regulation will give the government power to override council plans it considers harmful to the economy. RMA reform minister Chris Bishop says the move is temporary, while the Resource Management Act is overhauled. He spoke to Corin Dann.

I think this was the move of the week. Housing Minister Chris Bishop dropped the bombshell on local body operators that the Government has decided to give him the power to intervene around housing in local body decision making. Mind you, we could argue scrapping the calamitous Census was a good move, and indeed I'm a massive fan of reporting inflation data on a monthly basis, which sort of makes us look like a first world country. These are all good decisions. But as regards councils and housing, in the broader interests of this small country finally getting its fiscal act together, this move cannot come soon enough. The simple truth is we are over councilled. We have ludicrous numbers of local do-gooders in a vast array of fiefdoms making decisions that may, or may not, make any sense locally, far less incorporating themselves into the bigger national picture. Part of the problem is too often councils have not been up to much. Too many councils are littered with acrimony and in-fighting, progress is stalled, or watered down, or major work is ignored in favour of more headline grabbing material that makes the local representatives look good. Not all of course, but too many. From Tauranga, to Wellington, to Christchurch, to Invercargill; the infighting and dysfunction has become legendary. What you can say about central Government that you can't say about local Government is most of us took part in the democratic process and as a result this Government, rightly or wrongly, has a mandate to get on and do stuff. Mainly, stuff that got cocked up by the previous Government. If there has been a constant theme of this current Government, even from its broad-based supporters, it is that they haven't done as much as they might have. They have plans and ideas and announcements and KPIs. What they don't have is a vast array of results. They don't have tangible things that have been changed leading to us quite clearly being better off. With the Bishop announcement it would appear that message and the lack of traction is finally hitting home, and they have sat around the Cabinet table and worked out they have about a year left to put some major runs on the board so that election time is about delivery and not more promises. The country basically is too small for this many councils and committees. A lot of decisions have major national economic implications and as such, central Government has, or should have, a say. They will hate it of course. They will gnash and wail and moan about local democracy. But guess what? Big picture economic success is more important. The big picture, generally, is more important. The national story is more important. Christchurch learned this last week over their intensification scrap, which lasted years and cost them millions, that this Government is serious and on a central vs local head-to-head, only one side is coming out on top. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A social housing block that has sat empty in central Wellington for more than a decade will soon lose its heritage status - and there's hopes it could be demolished this side of Christmas. The Gordon Wilson flats on The Terrace have sat empty since 2012, with Victoria University buying the land in 2014. But the buildings held heritage status, making permission to demolish the buildings difficult to acquire. But now the government will progress legislation to remove the flats' heritage status, allowing demolition. “The amendment will remove the flats' protected heritage status and will make its demolition a permitted activity under the RMA. This means the building can finally be demolished, without a resource consent,“ Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. He joined Nick Mills to discuss the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's work to tackle emergency housing appears to be paying off. Only about 500 families remain in emergency housing after one year of the Government's Priority One policy. It bumps families to the top of the social housing waiting list if they have dependent children and have spent more than 12 weeks in emergency housing. Almost a thousand families with more than two thousand children have been moved from emergency housing motel rooms into homes, since the policy took effect Housing Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking they're well on the way to solving the problem. He says under Labour's government, there were more than four-thousand families living in motels permanently. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of June, we have good news around the number of families moved out of emergency housing and where they've gone. Small hint - it's not to cars or the streets. At 23 years old, Nico Porteous has decided he wants to retire from the Olympics, at the peak of his prime. He joined the show to delve into his decision. Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has a new book out about leadership and his time in the top job, so he's on to talk all things pressure. 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.

So, the great rates upset has begun to unfold. Auckland this week got its long-awaited council valuations. Why people get excited about them, I have no idea. It's a rough guesstimate by a council. It takes into account the broadest of criteria, but people seem to live and die by them. The upset of course has come from the fact that the value of a lot of properties has dropped, while the rates bill is going up. So we get the cost-plus-accounting scandal that is council economic policy exposed. This is happening all over the country and it's a specific and broad-based problem. It's broad-based because it's inflationary and it's specific because depending on where you are depends on how bad the scandal is. Auckland properties are down 9% while rates are up over 7%. In Wellington values are down 24% and rates are up 16%. Nelson values are down 9% and rates are up 6%, so this whole idea that rates are linked to value is of course complete crap and always has been. In short, councils are inept and will spend forever, will waste your money forever, will plead poverty forever and will always find something that is critical and needs doing now. For example, Christchurch got shafted last week by Chris Bishop, when the council rejected the Government's intensification plan. The council didn't like it, spent three years and millions of dollars to go back and forward and to achieve what? Nothing. That's council for you. As Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said, "it is what it is". He's right because he knows a couple of home truths; no one is turning up for local body elections, so very few people will be held to account, and he also knows a lot of people will moan but ultimately do nothing about it. If ever there was a reason to get exercised over the way we are being played, this is it. Your asset has dropped but the bill is up. The bill, in theory, is based on the asset value. Nowhere else in life is this scam played and gotten away with, apart from local body politics. We have too many councils, too much representation, too many boards, too much incompetence, and every year the bill for it rises. Democracy only works if you take part. What better reason can there be this year than to get your voting paper, look at the value of your property, look at your rate rise, put a name to the con and vote them out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about new theories about the big bang, maths anxiety, and the legitimacy of a silver Dutch basin. In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Chris Bishop's comments at the Aotearoa Music Awards, the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs from parliament, and the new Parent Boost Visa.  They also spoke to CEO of immigration advisory group Aims Global, Arunima Dhingra, about the Parent Boost Visa and how it addresses the issues migrants are facing in Aotearoa. And they spoke to the owner of Hard to Find Books, Warwick Jordan, about news that the bookshop's lease on Saint Benedicts Street will end at the start of next year.  Producer Faith spoke to Kate Stone from Justice for Palestine NZ, about why she thinks our government should recognise the state of Palestine. She also spoke to PhD student Yuan Gao from the University of Auckland's health psychology department, about her research on how robots can help people with dementia.

These past few weeks in politics have seen various issues that we spoke about in our weekly catchup with the National Party. First up, at the Aotearoa Music Awards, National MP Chris Bishop was heard making disdainful remarks such as “what a load of crap” during a performance by singer Stan Walker.  Second, Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngārewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi were recently suspended from parliament for 21 days for their haka protesting the Treaty Principles Bill. The penalty is far harsher than any previous penalty for an MP, raising questions about whether it is justified or sets a dangerous precedent.  Finally, the government recently announced a new visa for parents of migrants, allowing them to come to New Zealand for a longer period of time than traditional visitors without having to acquire residency. Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues in our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, starting with Chris Bishop's comments at the AMAs. 

“A complete balls up”. How about that for what might be quote of the day? That's how Christchurch city councillor Andrei Moore is describing the council's handling of the housing intensification row. It's a row that has been shut down for good by Housing and Resource Management Minister Chris Bishop, who has rejected Christchurch's bid to have its own, separate housing intensification rules. Which I have no problem with. If he had given-in to Christchurch, it would've opened the floodgates right around the country. So good on Chris Bishop. It's a final decision too, by the way. No correspondence will be entered into. The council can't blow any more money running off to the environment court. So Christchurch has to like it or lump it. What it's going to mean is high density, multi-level residential housing in the CBD (good), Riccarton (good), Hornby (good) and Linwood (good). Even if it means neighbouring properties losing sunlight. Which is not necessarily good - but that's just reality. We need to get over that. Not that I've felt that way from the outset. When these new rules were first proposed three years ago, I didn't like the sound of them. And there was no shortage of people saying they felt the same way. And I suspect that a lot of people will still be very unhappy about the prospect of a new place going up next to them and losing their sunlight. But that's just reality. I accept that now. Because what other option is there in a city where the population is only going in one direction? Do we want the city to spread out even further, chewing up land that is much better used for things like growing food? Of course, we don't. If there's one very small example of how the city has just kept on spreading outwards, it would be Musgroves - the second-hand building supplies outfit in Wigram. I'm still amazed at how that place is surrounded by buildings now. When I remember it being pretty much in the wops not all that long ago. And, if we don't allow the city to become more built-up, we're just going to see more and more houses built in places like Rolleston and Prebbleton. Which aren't in Christchurch - they're in the Selwyn district. Which means more and more people travelling into the city every day, using Christchurch's roading infrastructure but not paying a bean towards it. Because they pay their rates to Selwyn. But let's come back to councillor Andrei Moore - who is saying today that the council has ballsed this up. He said back in April that he thought it was nuts that the council was insisting on pushing back on more intensified housing in Christchurch. He said - and I agreed with him a hundred percent at the time (and I still do) that “it's high time we wake up and deal with the reality of city growth”. What's more, it hasn't been cheap. The most recent, available figures show that the council has spent about $7 million fighting the Government's proposals. It's not a total loss for the council. Three of its ideas have been accepted by the Government, which include increasing the building height limit on the old stockyards on Deans Ave to 36 metres. Mayor Phil Mauger says: “We obviously wanted to get our alternative recommendations approved. So, to only have three of them get the tick, is a kick in the guts.” As a result of the Government telling the city council to pull its head in, we're potentially or eventually going to see 10-storey apartment buildings within 600 metres of suburban shopping areas. Even if it means neighbouring properties losing sunlight. Urbanist group Greater Ōtautahi thinks it's brilliant and gives the city certainty. They say the quarter-acre dream of a standalone house on a large section is unsustainable. Spokesperson M. Grace-Stent says: “Not everyone wants to live the exact same lifestyle. Allowing more housing to be built allows people to make that choice for themselves.” They say: “We want people to be living near the city centre, near the amenities, not pushed out further and further into the Canterbury plains”. And they'll get no argument from me. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament has been debating the proposed punishment for Te Pati Maori MPs who stood in front of ACT MPs and performed a haka in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill during its first reading. The proposed suspension is 21 days for the co-leaders, and 7 days for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Last month's debate was cut short and delayed when Chris Bishop moved to postpone it until after the Budget. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

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. David Seymour: 7/10 In Britain, debating as we speak. But last weekend he ascended to Deputy Prime Minister and gave an excellent speech about what our country can be. It was uplifting, and uplifting is good. Chris Bishop: 7/10 Was at the music awards and expressed an opinion. People of the left didn't appear to like opinions. That's not as uplifting. Mitch Barnett: 3/10 Professionals get injured, but a season ender is a cruel blow, especially given this is our year. The Waiuku raised crossing: 2/10 Because it's bollocks, but at least it's on hold. Polls: 1/10 Joke of the week. Buy a dartboard and pretend it means something. Six million: 7/10 Our population prediction by 2040. I like more people because more people brings growth. I've always thought we are way too small. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament's picking up where it left off last month, debating proposed sanctions on three Te Pāti Māori MPs. The Privileges Committee's suggested Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer be suspended for 21 days, and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven. The three had performed a haka during a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill last year. Leader of the House Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking he just wants the debate over and done with. He says we need to deal with the issue, but it's a distraction from the need for economic growth, and he hopes it's dealt with swiftly at Parliament this afternoon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior government minister Chris Bishop said his comments directed at a performance at the Aotearoa Music Awards were due to his frustration at its politicisation. The minister was heard saying "what a load of crap' during Stan Walker's performance on Thursday, and while he says he should've kept his thoughts to himself, he's not going to apologise the musician. One of his Cabinet colleagues said he disagrees with the comments, while the opposition are pointing to the history of politics in music. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.

On today's First Up pod: Finance Minister Nicola Willis goes in to bat for her colleague Chris Bishop as the government takes a bat to road cones; Pam Corkery has all the news from across the ditch, including the latest from the mushroom murder trial and we hear from the whanau of Makareti Papakura and find out how she ended up being the first indigenous woman to study at Oxford University. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

We discuss personality politics in NZ. Chris Bishop had an outburst at the AMAs. Our Deputy Prime Minister has passed the baton. Jacinda Ardern's book is out. Usually we try to avoid focusing on personalities in politics, but this week we ask... what if they matter? with Philip, Stephanie, Simone Stephanie's fundraiser: https://www.sweatwithpride.com/fundraisers/stephanierodgers/swp/This episode's co-hostsPhilip, Simone, StephanieTimestamps0:00 Opening 2:29 Chris Bishop14:12 Competency22:22 Changing Prime Minister34:49 Chris Hipkins37:44 Jacinda Ardern1:02:10 ClosingsIntro/Outro by The Prophet MotiveSupport us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Organisers of the Aotearoa Music Awards have labelled Chris Bishop's comments as 'inappropriate' - and say they have no place at their event. The National Party Cabinet minister's come under fire, for saying "what a load of crap" during a Stan Walker performance. Bishop says he was criticising what he described as 'overtly political' Toitū te Tiriti flags and banners, but should have kept this thoughts to himself. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the organisers went on to say they are committed to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive environment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slashing certain consenting laws, allowing more quarries and mining and reducing farming red tape all feature in the proposed Government reform of the Resource Management Act. The Associate Environment Minister has described current climate regulations as 'out of proportion' to the environmental risk. Consultation's opened until July 27. RMA reform minister Chris Bishop says the country needs more energy, renewables and infrastructure - and the Government hopes to send a clear message. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is today unvelining it's budget - and its hotly anticipated. What can we expect? Also, Winston Peters says he wouldn't mind if a member of the public who heckled him earlier this week lost his job. Is this reasonable? To answer those questions, Transport Minister and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop and Labour's Health and Wellington issues spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall joined Nick Mills for Politics Thursday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hints the foreign buyer ban could be lifted, but not yet. OneRoof reports rumours have been swirling with some agents telling them politicians had told them a decision to reverse the 2018 Labour policy was imminent. Act leader David Seymour and New Zealand First MP Andy Foster were mentioned, but both deny any confirmed changes. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Mike Hosking it will not be in tomorrow's budget, but it won't be too long before there's an announcement. When it comes to the man who interrupted a rail announcement, Peters doesn't care if he loses his job. He and Chris Bishop faced multiple hecklers at Wellington's train station yesterday while unveiling Government funding of rail. The end of the media stand-up was derailed by an employee from the environmental and engineering consultancy Tonkin and Taylor. The man was reportedly wearing a company lanyard at the time. Peters told Mike Hosking it's now an employment matter. He says the behaviour is disgraceful, and he won't put up with it inside or outside of Parliament. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Leader of the House says postponing the debate on Te Pāti Māori MPs' sanctions is the right thing to do. Debate began today on proposed suspensions for the Te Pāti Māori MPs who did a haka during voting on the now-rejected Treaty Principles Bill. But 20 minutes in, the Government moved to adjourn it - to leave this week free to be all about the Budget. The opposition were blindsided. Chris Bishop says he was under no obligation to tell them. "There'll be many a chance for people to have their say on the appropriate punishment in a couple of weeks. As it stands, the Government is in favour of the report of the Committee." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, that ended up being a fizzer, didn't it? I mean, wow, here we were. We were expecting this big debate over the Māori Party punishments to drag on for days, if not weeks, and overshadow the Budget - and the blinking thing didn't even last an hour. It got postponed to next month. What happened was, in retrospect, very simple and very obvious, just a move from the Government. It came to the Government's turn to talk about it - and up pops Chris Bishop, Leader of the House. He says - hey, I move it gets postponed, and guess what, it gets postponed because the Government has the majority in the House, so they simply voted for that, and there we go, clear air for the Budget. Most relieved, I would say, would be the Government, because it means that they do get clear air for the Budget on Thursday. Most bummed out, I would imagine, would be the Māori Party - who'd even gone to the effort of organizing a protest on the full court of Parliament. So basically, what's happened is we put this thing to bed for a few weeks because of a checkmate move from Chris Bishop. But while we've got this pause, can I just make an observation? It's quite remarkable how quickly this has gone from being a thing about the deliberate flouting of rules consistently by a party doing it as part of a PR strategy to being a thing about the National-led Government using parliamentary process to banish MPs they don't like, thereby turning us into a "banana republic". This is the kind of reportage that I'm reading at the moment. Suspending the Māori Party MPs threatens democracy. It is a drastic step that looks, on the face of it, undemocratic. Those are two different articles, by the way - it seems to be a theme that's emerging. But hang on a minute here, because it's going to take a lot to convince me that this is the case of a heavy-handed Government silencing innocent dissent - because I haven't forgotten how we got here. I haven't forgotten that the Māori Party planned to disrupt Parliament that day. They planned to disrupt it - and then they carried out that plan. I haven't forgotten that Debbie Ngarewa-Packer pointed her fingers in the shape of a gun at another MP and that the Māori Party refused to turn up to the Privileges Committee when they were asked to - and when they were supposed to. I haven't forgotten that that the Māori Party refused to apologize and accept they've done anything wrong and that the Māori Party then leaked the recommendations of the Privileges Committee, which is against the rules, and that the Māori Party co-leaders have said that they will do this again - most likely with the Regulatory Standards bill. I haven't forgotten any of that stuff. And it's remarkable to me how quickly people want to turn this into a bad Government story instead of a bad opposition story. And it's also remarkable to me how quickly people have forgotten what this party did to end up here today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The suspension debate for the three Māori Party MPs has been postponed until June 5 in a surprise move. Do we think this is the right call? It's been revealed Auckland Council spent $3 million on communications and advertising for the green food scrap bins - do we need to scrap them for good? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public transport is brilliant when it works. You cannot beat it for convenience, for timeliness, for moving large numbers of people expeditiously and in an environmentally friendly-ish kind of a way, when it works. When it doesn't, it's a pain. Look at the poor Auckland rail commuters this morning – due to an infrastructure issue at Penrose, there were delays and cancellations. No services running through Newmarket on the Southern line, all Southern Line services were running via the Eastern Line, Onehunga line services cancelled until further notice. Just what you need, and not for the first time. Auckland's rail network rebuild started in January 2023 and in its final stages, as announced, there would be 96 days of train closures from Christmas 2025 through to January 2026. KiwiRail chief infrastructure officer Andre Lovatt said the work was critical to convert the existing network, which was designed for freight trains, to one that has the capacity to carry faster and more frequent trains, about 16 an hour when the CRL opens. And when they're running, and when it's working, and when there aren't closures, it will be brilliant. It will be a really efficient way of moving people about the city at critical times. A lot of the really long-term problems will have been fixed, he reckons, so that means they'll be able to focus on preventative maintenance, and he's promised the long periods of closure won't be required in the future once the work is done. The Government, too, appears to have faith in the rail network in our major cities as a means of transporting commuters. They also appear to have faith in its ability to shift freight, with the pre-Budget announcement of a $604 million investment in rail. Chris Bishop, the Minister for Transport, said investment in the Auckland and Wellington Metro network would enable vital and overdue work to be carried out. I thought vital and overdue work was already being carried out, but clearly there's more where that came from. A backlog of overdue renewals had made the services less reliable, with commuters experiencing ongoing disruption in recent years, and indeed this very morning that the announcement was made. Winston Peters, the Minister for Rail, says rail currently moves 13% of national freight and a quarter of New Zealand's exports, complementing the truckies during the short hauls. He says the rail network investment programme for 2024 -2027 is now funded, meaning maintenance, network operations, asset renewals and modest improvements are funded. We have a legacy for rail freight, says Winston Peters, and this builds on it. So there has been much investment in varying sorts of rail over the last two to three governments. Yes, we have a legacy of rail but clearly there is a commitment to a future for rail. Both in terms of Metro commuting and in terms of freight. I would love to see rail be a big part of our cities and of linking the provinces for commuters and of shifting freight – it's interoperable with the trucks. But we don't seem to have been terribly well served when it comes to getting value for money for our investment. I'm not even going to talk about light rail because I'll probably have a cardiac infarction and that will be the end of that, if you just think about the money that was wasted on that. We have a legacy of rail, is it a part of our future? I would really like to think so. I would really like to think that Andre Lovatt is right, that when it comes to Auckland in particular, all of the disruption and all of the inconvenience and all of the teeth grinding frustration of commuters will come to an end. The work will be done, they will get ahead of themselves in terms of renewals and remediation, and be able to be proactive in maintenance so that things don't come to a grinding halt. I would like to think that the rail tracks could be upgraded so that transport between our ports isn't just solely dependent on our trucks. That more of the load could be shifted onto rail making it easier for everybody – those using the road, the exporters, those working in the ports. But we have been so poorly served by the money that we've invested as taxpayers. We've earned the money, we have asked our bureaucrats and our governments to invest it wisely on our behalf. Most of us, I think, support some form of rail but I would really like to see more accountability for how it is spent and for delivery. KiwiRail says yes, you'll get that. We're getting ahead of ourselves by 2026, we'll be sweet. Do you believe that? Winston Peters says we have a legacy for rail freight. Do we have a future when it comes to rail freight? I'd really like to hear from those who do the heavy lifting for this country, metaphorically and literally. Can we have more than the 13% of national freight and a quarter of New Zealand's exports on rail? And when it comes to commuters do you have faith that this will be a brilliant, convenient, timely, fantastic way to travel in the near future? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 21st of May 2025, House leader Chris Bishop revealed a last-minute decision to delay the vote on Te Pati Maori's privileges committee punishment, Political commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts. A new report from JLL we need nearly 250,000 square metres of new retail space in the next five years to keep up with demand, Retail NZ's Ann-Marie Johnson shares her thoughts. Z energy wants to roll out grocery offerings, Monopoly Watch Spokesperson Tex Edwards tells Ryan Bridge what this will mean for competition in the grocery sector. Plus Gavin Grey has the latest on the UK suspending trade talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says maintenance to keep the country's railways working is long overdue. Chris Bishop, alongside Rail Minister Winston Peters, announced $461 million for the rail freight network, and an additional $143 million for Auckland and Wellington's metropolitan trains. It's ahead of this week's Budget announcement. Bishop told Mike Hosking more will be needed in the future to keep Auckland and Wellington's trains running. He says successive governments have neglected rail maintenance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 20th of May, millions are being invested into rail and tax changes for foreign investors – where is the Government getting the funds from? Parliament is voting today on the punishment for the three Te Pati Māori MPs. White Lotus star Murray Bartlett and Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy are on to talk their roles in the new season of Nicole Kidman's ‘Nine Perfect Strangers'. 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 was a fiery day in Parliament yesterday, with Workplace Relations minister Brooke van Velden quoting a controversial opinion piece and dropping the c-word in Parliament. Was this acceptable? Also, the Greens have released their alternative budget, promising $88 billion in new taxes. Is this lunacy or realistic? To answer those questions, Transport minister and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop and Labour's health and Wellington issues spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall joined Nick Mills for Politics Thursday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ministers Shane Jones and Chris Bishop continued to make decisions about several fast-track projects despite their respective parties receiving donations linked to the applicants. Farah Hancock spoke to Corin Dann.

Drivers who participate in street races will have their vehicles destroyed or forfeited in the majority of cases under new legislation announced by the Government today. On Sunday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the current penalties “aren't strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour”. He said police reporting found the frequency of anti-social road events was increasing and “enough is enough”. Presumptive sentences are coming, meaning more power for the police to monitor and close areas like roads. Assistant Police Commissioner Mike Johnson talks to Mike Hosking about the crackdown. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education Minister Erica Stanford is not alone in forwarding Parliament and ministerial emails to her personal account - with Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop revealing they're guilty of similar acts. The Cabinet Manual says ministers should avoid using personal mobile and email accounts wherever possible. CISO Lens Country Manager Nadia Yousef says Webmail services like Gmail can be safe if you use a strong password multi-factor authentication - but it's not an appropriate tool for Government use. "Long, strong and unique passwords - it's something we talk about all the time and everyone's absolutely sick of hearing it - but they are the silver bullet with multi-factor." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fantastic day today when my son, Austin stopped by the studio as a guest on the Check Your Six podcast. We talked about a few things, both of the podcasts that he generates, Frightmares and All Juice, No Gin as well as the short film that he and Gabby, his wife are in the process of creating. Frightmares is at about 311 episodes at the time of this recording and covers just about all things horror from movies to books to events and everything in between. Gave a shout out to Chris Bishop and his book The Scare Zone and to one of his favorite guest on the show, Eduardo Sanchez, director of The Blair Witch Project!!. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frightmares/id1452661594?i=1000704588564  We also talked about his latest podcast, All Juice No Gin and the journey that Austin and his buddy Cramer are on with sobriety.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-juice-no-gin/id1788489711?i=1000704908771 Talked about the short comedy horror film that is coming out in the summer called Dust Bunnies and the fun and challenges they were involved with putting that together. Also had to give a shout out to The Orlando Law Group after I talked about Austin working there...he doesn't, it is The Mortgage Firm but just because they are awesome I wanted to give them a shout out!! https://www.theorlandolawgroup.com/ All in all, a great morning sitting with my son and listening to what is going on in his life. Of course the best thing is the incredible granddaughter that we have been blessed with and get to see every day during the week, CJ...good day indeedEmail us at tim@grpstudios.com

Three prizes for three good calls this week by the Government. 1) Financial literacy coming to a school near you in 2027, and not a day too soon. In many respects it's the more valuable end of the education spectrum. It's education you can actually use. 2) Nicola Willis and her cutting of the operating allowance from $2.4b to $1.3b. The $2.4b number already had headlines for being skinny, or unrealistic. $1.3b is rabbit out of a hat material. I assume she is telling the truth when she says she has found billions in savings, because you can't run a country on thin air. 3) David Seymour, with more reality check reminders that we have too much Government. In his speech he alerted us to just how much - 82 portfolios, 41 departments and 28 ministers. If ever you wanted an example of bloat, there it is. The portfolio joke is about appeasing people. There isn't an issue or pressure group you can't appease by inventing a label. The real issue is ministers. The good news currently, as Audrey Young in the Herald pointed out this week in her famous marking of ministers annual outing, is most of them are getting good scores and most of them are decent operators. But it is not always the case and too often, with the last Government being your classic example, portfolios are used and/or invented to reward loyalty and/or give people pay rises. Whether you can do the job is secondary. Good governments are run by a handful of talent. In David Lange's day it was the Prime Minister, Roger Douglas, Richard Prebble and David Caygill. With Helen Clark it was the Prime Minister, Michael Cullen, Phil Goff and Annette King. With John Key it was Key, Bill English and Steven Joyce. This time its Christopher Luxon, Chris Bishop, Nicola Willis and Simeon Brown - multiple portfolios at the heavyweight end of the index. Unlike the real world, you will note Cabinet and Government never downsize. The public service can be downsized, but the Government never is. Sadly for Seymour, unlike the other two ideas this week, his isn't real. Financial literacy will materially improve our kids' future. Willis and her austerity will materially improve our economy. If Seymour somehow trims a single minister or ministry, it won't be an idea - it will be a miracle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week Transport minister Chris Bishop announced steps towards improvements to public transport from the Northwest of Auckland. The plan involves three stages, each promoting faster and more consistent public transport from the region. While early stages are planned for the next few years, later stages will be coming over the next ten or more years.  The government has also announced $53 million towards subsidising teachers registration fees. This announcement follows extensive campaigning from teachers on this issue, eliminating a barrier for new and long-time teachers in Aotearoa.  In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the transport upgrades in Northwest Auckland.

Chris Bishop is the President of the National Concrete Refinement Institute.   In this episode of Specified Growth Podcast, Chris talks about the background of the NCRI and some of the challenges and opportunities in the concrete industry. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness, refining standards and introducing measurable benchmarks in the concrete industry, and more. Don't miss this episode of Specified Growth Podcast!     Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuna topwater tactics, popper fishing tips, and offshore tuna gear setups—all in this week's report. The Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is your best resource for the Gulf Shores Surf Fishing Report, Orange Beach Fishing Report, Dauphin Island Fishing Report, Mobile Bay Fishing Report, and Alabama saltwater fishing everywhere in between. For the anglers looking for a Gulf Shores surf Fishing Report, Gulf State Park pier fishing report, Orange Beach Fishing Report and Fort Morgan fishing report, look no further than the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report. Every week we bring you an "onshore" report for those anglers interested in a gulf shores surf fishing report or a gulf shores pier fishing report. This week we're talking to: Chris Bishop, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Yo Zuri North America. Chris shares how tuna fishing techniques have evolved and dives into the best strategies for targeting yellowfin, blackfin, and bluefin tuna using topwater poppers. We discuss the importance of long casting, reading fish behavior, and maximizing the effectiveness of the Yo Zuri Mag Popper with its magnetic weight transfer system. Chris also breaks down ideal rod and reel setups, heavy leader use, and fight tactics that help land big tuna faster and avoid shark predation. Whether you're new to popper fishing or refining your skills, there are plenty of great takeaways for serious offshore anglers. Don't forget about the AFTCO promotion for Great Days Outdoors Podcast Network listeners—text ALSFR to 779-345-2918 for a free camo sunglasses cleaner cloth with any AFTCO purchase! It's all brought to you whether it's good, bad, or ugly. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you'd like us to email you the latest show, just head over to greatdaysoutdoors.com/asfr and we'll send it straight to your inbox every week. Keep Whackin' em!   Sponsors: Fishbites Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Killerdock Test Calibration Coastal Connection EXP Realty Great Days Outdoors Hilton's Realtime Navigator Bucks Island Marine Salts Gone Shoreline Plastics Saunders Yachtworks East Pass Broadbill Open Survival at Sea Tohatsu

Works toward improved public transport for northwest Auckland are a step closer after an investment case was endorsed by the Transport Agency, the Minister of Transport says. The announcement on the Northwest Rapid Transit plan - which includes public transport on State Highway 16 (SH16) from Brigham Creek to the city centre and a Northwest Busway - was made by Chris Bishop earlier in the week. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wheels are in motion for South Auckland's Mill Road project. Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced $91.1 million has been approved for completing design and consent work on the Manukau to Alfriston sections. It includes a four-lane general traffic corridor, with a westbound bus lane at the northern end. Bishop says the road will be tolled - allowing the road users to help pay the cost of the road. "All the new Roads of National Significance that we want to build around the country - we said, as a starting point, they will be tolled, because that's a way of bringing forward the investment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news for Northlanders - as the Government settles on the Northern Expressway option. The new route will run from Warkworth, and be built over the Brynderwyn Hills east of the current route, then through Whangārei. The road across the Brynderwyns has suffered continued closures, since 2023's severe weather. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's tipped to be a costly project - but a new road is needed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says there's a chance the new Northland Expressway project will have a budget blowout. The road will go from Warkworth, east of State Highway one, and over the Brynderwyn Hills to the east of the current route, then through Whangarei. It's expected to take around 15 years to complete and is one of New Zealand's most expensive infrastructure projects. Transport Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking they're doing a lot of preparation work now to make sure there aren't any slip-ups. He says they're working on detailed designs, consenting work, and getting the funding model right, but slippages in cost can't be ruled out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes are coming to our drivers licensing system, with only one practical test in a bid to have more Kiwis on full licenses. Transport minister Chris Bishop tells Mike Hosking a lot of people 'don't bother' graduating from a restricted to full license. "There are a lot of people out there right now breaking the law, just driving on the restricted," he said. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public feedback means small dwellings can now be built without consent up to 70 square metres. It was originally set at 60 square metres. Housing Minister Chris Bishop says it adds extra optionality for people. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Chris Bishop, Shamubeel Eaqub and James Marape.

Text us about this show.Hunter Gatherer. He's a musician who is an observer of not just the obvious, but of those not so obvious little pieces and moments life throws at you. Those observations are often times set to music often in ways that are unexpected. His sound is Americana blending folk, country, and bluegrass with just the right amount of humor. That friendly vibe you catch off of his songs is authentic. He's excited about life and he wants you to know it through each song because there's a wonderful little story in each one. So sit a spell, get to know Hunter Gatherer, and enjoy some of his well crafted music."Strawberry Rhubarb" and "The Big Empty" written and performed by Hunter Gatherer℗ 2025 Hunter Hildebrandt. Used with permission of Hunter Hildebrandt."Frootenanny" written and performed by Hunter Gatherer℗ 2021 Hunter Hildebrandt. Used with permission of Hunter Hildebrandt.Support the showVisit Into The Music at https://intothemusicpodcast.com!Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/intothemusic E-mail us at intothemusic@newprojectx.com YouTube Facebook Instagram INTO THE MUSIC is a production of Project X Productions.Host/producer: Rob MarnochaVoiceovers: Brad BordiniRecording, engineering, and post production: Rob MarnochaOpening theme: "Aerostar" by Los Straitjackets* (℗2013 Yep Roc Records)Closing theme: "Close to Champaign" by Los Straitjackets* (℗1999 Yep Roc Records)*Used with permission of Eddie Angel of Los StraitjacketsThis podcast copyright ©2025 by Project X Productions. All rights reserve...

There's confidence roadside drug testing won't pick up prescription drugs. Legislation giving police powers to do random saliva tests has passed its third and final reading in Parliament. Police should be ready to use tests late this year. Transport Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking there will be two tests at the roadside. He says it will be testing for cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 27th of March, the banks are continuing to call for capital rules to be eased. But Massey University banking expert Claire Matthews is warning against it. We get reactions to the new sentencing and drug driving testing laws coming into place. Fonterra's CEO Miles Hurrell defends the proposal to sell of the company's consumer brands, like Anchor. And the iconic Bob Geldof is the country for his stage show - so he joined Mike in studio for 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.

Land owners will have more control of their property under the Government's new Resource Management Act system. It's scrapping the RMA to replace it with two acts focused on land use and environmental protections. Cabinet is hoping to pass it before the next election - to be in place before councils start 2027 long-term plans. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says building and expanding will become much smoother. "So as long as you meet the standards and you're using your own property - you can go off and do it. So fewer plans, fewer resource consents, much more standardisation - a much simpler system." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As previously discussed, New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, has proposed a new member's bill to be placed in the ballot, aiming to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, targets in the public sector. This bill would amend the Public Service Act, which Peters, and NZ First, voted for when in a coalition government with the Labour Party in 2020. DEI refers to frameworks that aim to equitably represent certain individuals and communities not represented as much as other demographics in the country. The reception for this bill varies between the parties. Senior National MP, Chris Bishop, says if the bill were to be pulled out of the ballot, that the party would consider the bill, as they believe in “meritocracy,” however, would want a “public service that is reflective of modern New Zealand”. Opposition Leader from the Labour Party, Chris Hipkins, says he would want a public sector that represents all New Zealanders. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the National Secretary of the Public Service Association, Fleur Fitzsimons, about Peter's members bill, and how she believes this will impact the public sector. They started off by asking how DEI targets work regarding the public sector.

The Transport Minister said he's not getting ahead of decisions on the second Waitemata Harbour crossing - saying history has shown where it's gone wrong. At the government's infrastructure investment summit, Chris Bishop told potential investors he wants to work with them on what will work - from design, to how it's paid for. Labour also layed out the circumstances in which it will work with private investors and when it won't. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.