Podcasts about Mike Hosking

An appointment sure to pique the interest of many New Zealand football followers. Olympic gold medal-winning coach Bev Priestman's penned a two-year deal to take charge of the Phoenix women's side. Priestman —who led the Canadian women's team to Olympic glory in 2021— has just finished serving a one-year ban from the game for her role in the Canadian team's misuse of drones at last year's Olympics. She told Mike Hosking that it's a long suspension and not something she's proud of, but in that time she's had a chance to learn, reflect, and grow. Priestman says she can't wait to get on the grass and do what she loves every day again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agriculture is leading the way as the country's top performing industry. Xero's latest Insights report shows consistent under-performance in New Zealand's small business sector in the past year, with sales falling by 0.1% in the June quarter. Country manager Bridget Snelling told Mike Hosking sectors that are more sensitive to consumer spending and interest rates are being hit hardest. She says construction is down 6.4%, retail is holding flat, and hospitality is down 2.1%, so it's tough conditions for small businesses. However, sales in the month of June rose 4.4%, the strongest monthly increase since April 2024. Snelling says we're in an unstable global economic situation, and people are not feeling confident to spend as they may have done in a more prosperous economic time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief it's going to be a long journey to get Kiwibank into the ring with the big leagues. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced the bank's parent company is being allowed to raise $500 million from investors to help it compete with the four major banks. Simplicity founder Sam Stubbs says Kiwibank will need more capital over time. He told Mike Hosking if the country has five banks making profits, at least one will re-invest in KiwiSaver. Stubbs says it'll bring pricing pressures into the market, which there's very little of right now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concern over a never-ending pile of costs for airlines as our air traffic control prices soar. Provider of the service, Airways, is putting its fees up 17.7% over the next three years. It says its pricing is based on the number of flights scheduled in and out of each airport. Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Mike Hosking some countries' governments invest in these services, but here, airlines pay for everything. She says they pay for air traffic control the civil aviation authority, and also airport buildings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Resources Minister says New Zealand's missed a trick with geothermal energy. Shane Jones' draft strategy lays out a goal of doubling its production by 2040. He says we should have begun investment seven years ago, when we banned oil and gas exploration. Jones told Mike Hosking we have some great expertise on geothermal energy that we should be harnessing. He says Indonesia and other areas are investing in this, and our New Zealanders are more highly regarded there, than here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister for Courts says updating procedures for running Judge Alone Trials is a good step in the mammoth task of speeding up the courts. Newstalk ZB can reveal it'll be implemented countrywide tomorrow. It introduces registrar-led prosecution and defence teleconferences three weeks before trial and allows courts to start earlier to review and prioritise scheduled cases. Minister Nicole McKee told Mike Hosking pilots they've run have seen good results. She says it's based on the need of the trial and the readiness of the person being prosecuted, especially for those sitting on remand for a long time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gang membership is on the rise, but if you believe Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Basham, an increase in numbers is not necessarily a bad thing. Gang numbers have climbed past 10,000, up from 9,200 in 2023, but that might be, he says, because they're keeping a closer eye on gangs, their intelligence is better, they know who's in and who's out, the record keeping and the data is better. He told Mike Hosking they have a laser focus on gangs and since the Gang Act was passed, they've launched more than 9000 charges against gang members. “Our staff are awesome, and I don't think we've ever been better. You know, there's been lots of reporting about the work we're undertaken against gangs like the Comancheros, last month, we were operating against the Greazy Dogs in Tauranga, two weeks ago we took out a chapter of the Hell's Angels in Whanganui. And that's pretty significant in policing terms because they don't make that easy for us, and to take out the Hell's Angels from a law enforcement point of view is significant and reflects the fact that our staff are doing awesome work. “You know, we're operating in a way that the government and the community would want us to be in the way that we're tackling organised crime and gang criminal behaviour. You know, we have the ambition for our communities to be safe and feel safe and I think the gang legislation that dropped last year has had a significant impact out there in terms of community feelings of safety and the feedback that we're getting is very positive in that regard.” Absolutely. You could also look at the rise in unemployment too and see correlation and rise in gang numbers. Smart people know that gangs are nothing but evil pyramid schemes. The only ones who make any money are the ones at the top and the favoured area managers. A bit like Nutrimetics on speed. Those at the bottom, the ones doing the door to door selling and the deliveries are dumb grunts who do the dirty work and pay the price. There were ten Mongrel Mob members, defendants in a murder trial in Tauranga earlier this year. They are prime examples of dumb grunts. Google them. I don't think I've ever seen a more hopeless, hapless, pathetic group in my life – they are just collectively woeful. Smart people don't join gangs, they start them. So if you're someone in a small town with few options for employment, you have few options in life, then you might find the idea of gang life attractive. You've got very little else going on in your world and your brain and your life. Being a grunt in a gang when there is very, very high unemployment and few options in your town, might seem attractive. But the good news is that police are acting – 9000 charges against the gang members since the new gang legislation was brought in. And I don't know about you, but I am not seeing the swaggering, posturing arrogance that I used to see on the streets, on the roads in my neighbourhood. I know the gangs are still operating as business as usual. That hasn't stopped. But what has changed is that the police are really inconveniencing them. They're making it difficult for them to do business. The legislation means that police can target gangs, they can target gang members, they can ginger them up, annoy them, make it difficult to go about their day-to-day business. I don't have to watch the gang members in my neighbourhood patched up strutting around the neighbourhood like they own it. And that that suits me. I know that they're still out there. I know that they're still doing what they can because they think they're untouchable. It's going to take a wee while – it has only been 18 months since they were given the keys to cities, the keys to towns, and the keys to the open roads. So it's going to take a bit of a moment to shift that. Rising gang numbers, sure. I guess if you want to see it as a bad thing, you will, it's certainly not good that 10,000 people feel they have little option other than to join a gang. That life is better for them in a gang than it is within the community. That's sad. That's a damning indictment. But police bringing 9000 charges against gang members. It's a very good start. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agriculture is leading the way as the country's top performing industry. Xero's latest Insights report shows consistent under-performance in New Zealand's small business sector in the past year, with sales falling by 0.1% in the June quarter. Country manager Bridget Snelling told Mike Hosking sectors that are more sensitive to consumer spending and interest rates are being hit hardest. She says construction is down 6.4%, retail is holding flat, and hospitality is down 2.1%, so it's tough conditions for small businesses. However, sales in the month of June rose 4.4%, the strongest monthly increase since April 2024. Snelling says we're in an unstable global economic situation, and people are not feeling confident to spend as they may have done in a more prosperous economic time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netball New Zealand will dip into its own pocket to keep the ANZ Premiership afloat in 2026. A one-year broadcast deal with TVNZ has been confirmed, with the competition to remain in the current two-round format. Chief executive Jennie Wyllie has not revealed how much the deal is worth or whether players will take a pay cut. She told Mike Hosking there is a change in economics, but they feel it's the new deal is aligned with the vision they have for the game – that Kiwis can see it with ease. Wyllie says the broadcast is different and there's more risk in the market, but they're willing to step into it as they know the game has a future. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has begun looking for possible areas for cutbacks for next year's Budget. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour said he hopes the Government can equal or exceed the savings achieved in its first two Budgets. He says the Government's trying to reduce its spending from about 35% of GDP to about 31%. Seymour told Mike Hosking it's an ongoing process of "looking behind the couch" for savings. He says it's a matter of every year, every Budget, finding things that the Government would never have started and stopping them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the gang numbers grow police say they're keeping a better check on their behaviour. Gang numbers have climbed past 10 thousand, up from 9,270 in 2023. Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Basham says since the Gang Act was passed, they've launched more than nine thousand charges against gang members. He told Mike Hosking they have a laser focus on gangs. Basham says part of the increase could be attributed to police keeping a closer eye on them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short term loans, minimal or no break fees, and cash-back incentives are driving a record number of mortgage holders changing lenders in June. More than 3,500 holders switched nearly two and a half billion dollars of debt between loan providers last month. It's the highest since records began in 2017. Squirrel Mortgages CEO David Cunningham told Mike Hosking it's a bit of a pass the parcel exercise for banks. He says that rather than pass on a lower interest rate to everyone, they just give them to those who go searching. Cunningham told Hosking it's a good way to seemingly compete with each other without really impacting their profits. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contradicting statements out of the US and Israel over the hunger crisis in Gaza. The region's health authority says 14 people have died in the past 24 hours due to starvation, which Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies. He says Israel's enabled humanitarian aid throughout the duration of the war, otherwise there would be no Gazans. But US President Donald Trump says he's seen it, and is promising to set up food centres. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the question now is how long does a starving kid continue to starve while new systems are being set up? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a wide range of announcements and figures coming out over the last week, Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking for Politics Wednesday. They discussed Brooke van Velden's consultations on children collecting eggs, clamping the cars of court fine dodgers, and scrapping surcharges. Plus, they delved into the changes around voting – is axing same-day voting the right choice? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Minister says he's disappointed in businesses who say they will pass on the cost of surcharge scrapping. Most in-store surcharges on card payments will be banned, with the changes set to kick in next May. Scott Simpson says this is a win for consumers. He told Mike Hosking they've also taken action on the fees banks charge businesses. Simpson says those rates will be lower following regulation that will kick in at the end of the year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More money's discreetly finding its way into the pockets of public sector board members. A quietly released Cabinet document reveals governance board chairs could now be paid more than $160 thousand. Annual fees had previously been capped at about $90 thousand. Public Service Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking these people are often responsible for large sums of money and assets. She says if we want good people to reform the public service and get Crown entities humming, we have to pay for it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are fears that retailers will wear the cost of scrapping payment surcharges. The Government will ban the added fees for most in-store card payments, including paywave. Hospitality NZ Head of Advocacy Sam MacKinnon says ultimately customers were always allowed to avoid the surcharges by paying in a less convenient way. He told Mike Hosking more work needs to be done on the issue. McKinnon says it's actually about the fees banks charge to accept payment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another instance of violence on our sports fields. A brawl broke out between parents and students during the rugby match between Auckland Grammar and De La Salle College. The match was called off, with eight police officers needed to break up the chaos. Former Springbok and Kings College Rugby 7s coach Kevin Putt told Mike Hosking while all-out brawls aren't common, they see intolerance and volatility in the crowds nearly every week. He says that we're living in a much more intolerant and volatile society, and even if another person tries to shut down abuse and poor behaviour, it can instead result in it escalating. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The video game sector continues to impress. One of the biggest players in our sector has recorded another stellar year, reporting $105 million in revenue for the year to September 2024, up from $83.4 million the previous year. Grinding Gear Games, out of West Auckland, is behind the multiplayer online fantasy game Path of Exile. Managing Director Jonathan Rogers told Mike Hosking they're probably doing better than average, having nailed their formula. Path of Exile is a service game, which is designed to be continuously updated over a longer period of time, which he says creates reoccurring revenue and an ongoing draw for players. Rogers says that people will play until they have their fill and go on to do something else, before a new release pulls them back in again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looks like the decision to go full steam ahead and focus on music has been the right one for Joel Shadbolt and L.A.B. In the time since he stepped back from teaching, the band's won awards, released new albums, and has just released their summer schedule that will see them tour both New Zealand and Australia. They'll be performing alongside Stan Walker and Corrella for three shows in Auckland, Tauranga, and the Gold Coast. Shadbolt told Mike Hosking they've toured with Walker a few times now, and he's a great addition to their summer line up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Minister says he's disappointed in businesses who say they will pass on the cost of surcharge scrapping. Most in-store surcharges on card payments will be banned, with the changes set to kick in next May. Scott Simpson says this is a win for consumers. He told Mike Hosking they've also taken action on the fees banks charge businesses. Simpson says those rates will be lower following regulation that will kick in at the end of the year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More uncertainty this week for Kiwi businesses exporting into the US. Donald Trump has agreed to a new trade deal with the EU this morning, which includes a 15% tariff on EU imports to the US. Trump's also indicated he'll raise the baseline tariff all countries face, from 10-percent to 15-percent. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking New Zealand hasn't been advised of an increase. He says they've agreed with the US to look at things again at the end of the year, but they don't want New Zealand to be any worse off than anyone else. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four of the country's largest primary health organisations are pooling their resources together in an effort to deliver more digital solutions. More than 500 general practices, supporting over two million patients fall under the umbrella of Pegasus, Pinnacle, Procare and Tu Ora Compass Health. Justine Thorpe is the Co-chair of the new innovation hub, Health Accelerator. She told Mike Hosking that the next thing they'll be looking at is AI scribe tools for GPs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says foreign building materials will help bolster the construction sector. A new pathway will mean any product, no matter where it's from, will be able to be used if it passes New Zealand standards. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says it will increase competition and in turn lower prices. He told Mike Hosking that we're missing out on a lot at the moment, and that it's a no brainer to use a product if it complies with or exceeds our local standards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The job market is slowly rebounding from last year's low point. SEEK's latest Employment Report shows job ads dropped for a second month, down three percent month on month. Applications per job ad fell two percent. Country Manager Rob Clark told Mike Hosking this is just a small drop, and we're still at record unemployment levels. He says the job market in the last 12 months has been flat, leaving Kiwis struggling. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our palliative care system may be waning as demand grows, prompting a push for action. We've fallen from third in the world in palliative care access ten years ago, to 12th place. An article in the New Zealand Medical Journal finds we have less than a third of the recommended number of specialists per capita, and many are nearing retirement. Author Dr Catherine D'Souza told Mike Hosking that we lack the funding to train more specialists, despite having ample opportunity and space to do so. She says that the number of people dying is going to double in the next thirty years, and if we don't take action quickly, already struggling health services are going to struggle even more and fall apart. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis is defending her decision to seek answers from Fonterra about its prices. The price of butter has almost doubled in the past 14 months because Asia is demanding more, and Europe is producing less. Fonterra is ruling out selling butter to New Zealanders at a lower price than it makes overseas. But Willis told Mike Hosking she has no regrets about raising the issue with the dairy co-op in the first place. She says she can't dismiss an issue lots of New Zealanders are talking about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belief changes to electoral day enrolments addresses slow administrative process and voter slackness. The Government's looking to ban prisoner votes, stop free food and entertainment at voting stations, and enforce a 13-day pre-election enrolment rule to vote. Otago University Electoral Law Expert Andrew Geddis told Mike Hosking same day enrolments require people to cast 'special votes', which take longer to process. He says the number of special votes has been increasing markedly over recent elections, so it's taking longer to get a result. Geddis denies the changes are deliberately aimed at negatively impacting the left. He says that special votes always result in more seats for the left, but whether or not that's a driving motivation behind the change is debatable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Trump: 7/10 He has had a significantly positive week: SCOTUS sacking people has gone his way, deals with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan, and Australia flipped on beef. Only downside is he's stuck in the Epstein files, and he has cankles. Nicola “mainland” Willis: 4/10 The old "I'm going to teach them a thing or two" trick blew up in her face. NCEA: 6/10 We will wait for the detail, but the idea that the joke that is NCEA gets blown up is no bad thing. Colbert: 7/10 The defence was "but he is number one". But the reality is being number one only counts if you're making money. He wasn't. The helipad appeal: 1/10 This country is too full of timewasters. We had a hearing, everyone had their say, someone won and someone didn't. That's life. Sky TV: 8/10 A small bag of lollies for a buck is good enough, far less a whole TV station. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People with unpaid court fines could be at risk of having cars clamped or seized from tonight. The Government's trialling number plate scanning technology, which bailiffs can use at police checkpoints to identify fine evaders. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking there's more than $100 million in unpaid fines. He hopes the trial's effective in clamping lots of cars, because the rest of the country is sick of people not facing consequences. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday is upon us, so Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. There's been another development in Mike's hot water and lemon saga – how many lemons can you get for $27? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unprecedented discussions between a high-ranking US justice official and Ghislaine Maxwell. CNN reports Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Jeffery Epstein's accomplice in her Florida prison, where she's serving a 20 year sentence for child sex trafficking and abuse offences. Intelligence Analyst John Miller says a meeting like this is unheard of, speculating they could have discussed others involved in the scheme, or what she'd be willing to say publicly on President Trump. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking it's all occurring as the Epstein saga blew up on Capitol Hill. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a conflicting time for the civil contracting sector. The Government has been touting a ‘turning point' for the industry at this week's conference, promising $6 billion worth of infrastructure projects underway before Christmas. However, the latest industry survey results tell a different story, with 73% of respondents saying the lack of work is the most pressing issue. Civil Contractors NZ Chief Executive Allan Pollard told Mike Hosking the $6 billion in infrastructure work isn't entirely civil work, and they need a lot more work to feed the industry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising supply and falling demand is pushing down rents. New Cotality analysis of MBIE data shows the national median rent dropped 0.3% in the year to May. That's the first time the rent has dropped in more than 15 years. Aspire Property Management's Managing Director Mike Atkinson told Mike Hosking housing supply is increasing at the same time incomes are falling in real terms. He says there's also been a huge drop-off in net migration, with fewer people coming into the country. However, there could be some good news on the way for landlords. Atkinson says things should pick up over summer, when migration typically increases. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister believes homelessness data can be hard to analyse as there's no one-size-fits-all description. The Government's June Homelessness Insights suggests communities countrywide are facing more pressure, with people living on the streets. Councils and support services say rough sleeping's increased everywhere, doubling by some measures over 24 months. Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking homelessness has been a lasting issue, and deals with complex issues. He says sometimes it encompasses challenges that include mental health, addiction, and family violence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Aussies are hopping over the ditch following a tourism campaign. Since the 'Everyone Must Go' campaign, almost eight thousand extra Australian visitors have come to New Zealand. It's estimated those tourists spent about $22 million. Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking there's plenty more room for growth. She says about four million Australians are considering a trip, so we need to get in their face more. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the world's bestselling artists, Ed Sheeran is one of the most influential artists of his generation. He's sold almost 200 million albums and is one of only a handful of artists on Spotify Billions Club with more than ten tracks with over one billion streams. Sheeran last toured New Zealand's stages back in 2023, and he's returning three years later, with 2026's ‘Loop Tour'. Despite his global musical success, Ed Sheeran has a reputation for being down to earth and humble, shrugging off the trappings of stardom in favour of a much more grounded presence. He alternates between projects – huge stadium tours and local gigs, painting and podcasts, parenting and performing. While the most enjoyable period of his career was the first two years after the release of Plus in which the world opened up to him, Sheeran explains that nowadays he prioritises balance. “It's about finding the balance and not going nuts,” he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking. “Not being like, I am just a popstar and that is all that I am, I think it's really nice to be a dad, and also be a popstar, and have a balance of the two.” Stardom and fame can take its toll, some people becoming jaded and disconnected from the world around them, however, Sheeran believes that only happens if you live in a bubble. “I think you get jaded when things start getting very self-centred, and you think like, oh this is happening to me, and this is this, and this is that, and it's very me, me, me, me, me.” Sheeran tries to keep himself grounded, surrounding himself with regular people, getting out into the world, and taking public transport at his wife's strong encouragement. “I do remember playing shows where no one wants to come to them and releasing music that fell on deaf ears,” he told Hosking. “So I feel super grateful to be, you know, people are still interested in my music, people are still coming to the shows.” “I don't think you can get jaded with that.” ‘Loop Tour' is Sheeran's sixth major concert tour, and although he still performs in the occasional pub, stadium tours are on a completely different level. Although there's definitely a pressure to match and even outperform his previous tours, Sheeran has faith in his music and what it means to his audience. “I know I can create special moments.” “I think that when you're doing these shows, it's an understanding that it's not about me, it's about the community and about the couples that are coming to the gig, the families that are coming to the gig, and what the songs mean to them.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's target of recruiting 500 new police officers has been held up yet again. A briefing sent to the Government suggests the two-year goal's been set back, and Police expect it'll be by August next year. That's nine months after the original target and two months behind the Police Commissioner's revised deadline. They're now looking at launching a recruitment drive into Australia – the place we're losing officers to. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking it's a la la land idea, as poached officers would get a 30% drop in wages, higher house prices, higher cost of living, and lower superannuation. He says NZ Police need to start looking at the things that would make a real difference for officers in New Zealand, such as the remuneration structure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sports Minister's standing up for a coalition-based decision directing Sport New Zealand to remove its community sport trans guidelines. The 2022 principles allowed people to play community sports according to their gender identity. Sport Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking most fair-minded Kiwis would agree with the move, which honours safety and fairness. He says as part of a New Zealand First coalition agreement, they decided not to dictate what sporting bodies should be doing, saying the bodies themselves know best. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks are sounding the alarm over a new kind of subscription trap. Instead of a typical ‘forgot to cancel scenario', businesses are instead selling goods and services that hook customers into reoccurring subscription payments. Westpac says it's stopped nearly 20,000 customers from being fleeced in the past three months, stopping more than $25 million in unwanted charges. Massey University banking expert Claire Matthews told Mike Hosking that the problem with this type of situation is it's difficult to cancel the subscription. Some companies, she says, straight up disappear when people try to cancel, so it's easier to stop the payment upfront. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fallout over the Epstein files appears to have ground Capitol Hill to a halt. CNN reports Speaker Mike Johnson closed proceedings for August recess a day earlier than planned, ahead of votes around the release of the files. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Johnson says the whole issue should be allowed to cool down, saying they've been ‘clear and transparent'. However, Arnold says, this is not the view of the MAGA faithful, with Republican activist Marjorie Taylor Green saying “if there is no justice and no accountability, people are going to get sick of it”. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halfway through the week, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest political stories thus far. Labour MP Camilla Bellich's member's bill, the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, has passed its second reading. But why do we want to talk about salaries? Nicola Willis has met with Fonterra over the cost of butter – has anything come of it yet? And how intense will the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election be? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers across the country are surprisingly optimistic in the face of ongoing economic challenges. The latest Retail NZ report reveals nearly 70% of retailers are confident their business will survive the next year, up from 57% for the same period last year. This comes despite 62% of retailers failing to meet sales targets for the same period. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that optimism is stronger in the provinces and rural areas than it is in major cities like Auckland and Wellington. She says that the success the rural sector is experiencing is putting funds back into the local economies, which is creating more buoyancy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't expect lower levies as a result of ACC's “accounting change”. The Government has approved a change that reduces the amount of money the insurer would need to pay out in claims by $7 billion. It would see the risk margin reduced from 12.7% to zero, shaving down the outstanding claims liability, which is used to calculate how much it may have to pay out in the years to come. ACC lawyer and researcher Warren Forster told Mike Hosking in effect, there will be no real change to how it operates in peoples' lives. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is moving into its next chapter after a year under a commissioner. The board's making a return today, with outgoing commissioner Lester Levy taking up the role as chairman for the next 12 months. Levy told Mike Hosking that although the agency's reached a turning point, the challenge isn't over. He says they need to involve clinicians and those on the ground in decisions and provide modern tools to the workforce. But Levy says the organisation's financially on track and has a very stable platform to move forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky TV's purchase of TV3 could lead to a change in sports viewing, but not for a while. Sky New Zealand Chief Executive Sophie Moloney says for the next 12 months programming on TV3 will stay largely the same. She says she expects TVNZ to put up a good fight for free-to-air rights for different sports, including rugby. Moloney told Mike Hosking they'd also like to try to acquire them. She says it will ultimately be up to New Zealand Rugby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The red meat sector remains positive despite significant trade barriers. The Meat Industry Association and Beef + Lamb New Zealand have revealed non-tariff trade barriers are costing the industry an estimated $1.5 billion every year. MIA Chair Nathan Guy told Mike Hosking they've lost an estimated billion dollars of stock in the last three years. He says it's unfortunate but the demand's still incredibly strong, so they're in good shape. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are becoming increasingly more interested in living longer. Health, wellness, dieting, and fitness are more and more prominent on social media, and health monitoring technology are becoming increasingly popular. Cardiologist Dr Eric Topol has been researching longevity for decades, and is considered to be one of the top five voices on the subject. He's just released his latest book, ‘Super Agers', a detailed guide to living a longer, healthier life. Topol told Mike Hosking it's not necessarily about living longer, but rather extending the years someone lives with intact health. He says living to 90 and being perfectly health throughout ought to be more important than trying to live to 110 and having many years of dementia, or profound frailty, or poor quality of life. Although there are revolutions happening in regards to anti-inflammatory and hormonal medications, Topol says it's never going to be as simple as a pill. Things like lifestyle factors, environmental pollution, microplastics, and forever chemicals also need to be controlled, he explains. Listen to the full interview for a detailed explanation of health, longevity, and the new developments in the medical sector. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Construction will begin this year on a new medical school at Waikato University. The Government's chipping in $83 million, alongside $150 million from the University and philanthropic investors. It'll have a strong focus on primary care and rural health and offer a graduate-entry programme. Health Minister Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking they've gone through a rigorous process to ensure it's as efficient and cost-effective as possible, so they can build the long-term pipeline that New Zealand needs. The postgraduate course element is already a successful model in Australia, he says. Brown told Hosking that it's about attracting people who are already living in rural communities, giving them opportunities to train and stay in place so we can attract and retain graduates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netball New Zealand's updated the eligibility criteria for the Silver Ferns. Overseas-based players can now be considered for national selection through a formal exemption process. The updated criteria will be implemented ahead of the upcoming international season, allowing Grace Nweke to be available if she applies. Board chair Matt Whineray told Mike Hosking they had to balance everyone's interests – players' aspirations and development, the strength of the domestic competition, and the needs of the high-performance system and Silver Ferns. He says they're pleased to have a process in place now to balance the different needs and to understand how everything fits together. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.