Podcasts about Mike Hosking

A war of words between the banking sector and its regulator over how much New Zealanders want cash. The Reserve Bank's proposing opening more branches and hubs to provide cash services, costing the sector $104 million a year. It says cash continues to play an essential role for small businesses and communities. But Banking Association Chief Executive Roger Beaumont told Mike Hosking customers are moving towards digital payment methods. He says they're using apps or online banking, rather than going to punch in a pin at an ATM to buy an icecream from the dairy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After almost six months, IndyCar is returning this weekend. Scott Dixon, Marcus Amstrong, and Scott McLaughlin are all lining up on the streets of St Petersburg for the first race – the same streets where McLaughlin got pole last year. However, McLaughlin has admitted that 2025 was a frustrating year, as he finished 10th in the Championship with three podiums. He told Mike Hosking that it was really the lowest of lows for him in many cases, and he's trying to turn that negative into a positive. McLaughlin says he doesn't have to do too much differently, he just has to execute it better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Someday soon your Uber could arrive with no one in the driver's seat, and a Kiwi's tech is behind the shift. UK self-driving company Wayve, spearheaded by Alex Kendall, has secured $1.5 billion in capital to support to the commercial roll out of their ‘Robotaxis'. The funding round also includes backing from Mercedes, Nissan, Microsoft and Nvidia, while local VC Icehouse Ventures is contributing $12.5 million to the capital raise. Kendall told Mike Hosking there's a couple of different ways to commercialise self-driving technology – creating your own cars, running your own fleets, or licensing the technology. Wayve is using the third option, and he says the AI they've built is so flexible that it will be able to bring self-driving technology worldwide. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's being argued the government has taxed beer to a point where people can't afford it as consumption levels plummet. Stats NZ data shows the volume of all alcoholic beverages made last year fell by 8.3%, with beer dropping by 10%. It follows the beer excise tax rising more than 20% in five years. Garage Project Brewery co-owner Jos Ruffell told Mike Hosking the multi-billion-dollar industry is feeling the pain of this bizarre tax. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A record-breaking State of the Union speech from Donald Trump. His 107 minute address is the longest since records began in 1964. The US president also spoke directly to invited guests, including the US Olympic champion men's hockey team, victims of crime by illegal immigrants, and a 100-year-old World War Two veteran. Political author and pollster John Zogby told Mike Hosking aside from the veterans, there weren't really any other heroes sitting in the seats, which is a reminder of how degraded US politics have become. He says that Trump made a good attempt to paint a rosy picture in his speech, but early polls indicate it hasn't persuaded anyone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels like the golden days for dairy farmers as they celebrate a record-breaking year. Dairy NZ's annual state of the dairy nation report shows farmers produced an unprecedented 21 billion litres of milk in the 2024/2025 season. The sector smashed export records – raking in more than $27 billion. Dairy NZ Chief Executive Campbell Parker told Mike Hosking it reflects the good work farmers have done over a long time. He says this injection into the economy can be invested back, meaning it's especially good for New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another Australian is leaving the Warriors on compassionate grounds. Co-captain Mitch Barnett is departing after the upcoming NRL season – a year ahead of his contract expiring. Barnett has a child that requires medical support and he wants to be closer to family. Warriors CEO Cameron George told Mike Hosking it's unfortunate because he's been such a great leader for the club. He says the situation only come to light in the last month or so, and they'd even had some discussions about possibly extending his contract before this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Primary teachers are the last on the list in the education sector, still to strike a pay deal with the Government. Primary principals have accepted a cumulative 2.5% immediate pay rise and another 2.1% next year. It introduces a $15 thousand curriculum-change allowance, recognising their work implementing reforms. Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking teachers want the Treaty of Waitangi acknowledged and increased learning support. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MediMap's Director says they've traced a breach to the platform back to a profile, which has likely been compromised. The platform's widely used across the country, especially in aged care, disability, hospice, and community health. Director Geoffrey Sayer says there've been unauthorised changes to some demographic records. Sayer told Mike Hosking the person hasn't used brute force to infiltrate the system, they've somehow gained access. He says there's no reason to believe this is a cyber-attack, they've simply used credentials of an existing user to cause harm. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Mayor is considering taking the city's bus lanes back to the drawing board. People driving in bus lanes are Wellington City Council's biggest money grabber, raking in around $6 million in fines. A new bus lane on Cambridge Terrace caught tens of thousands of people exceeding the 50 metre maximum, worth a penalty fee of $150. Andrew Little told Mike Hosking he doesn't want bus lane cameras to be seen as a source of revenue for the council. He says there's a genuine question on whether they need to be designated bus lanes for 12 hours a day seven days a week. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal cases against Lord Mandelson and former Prince Andrew are in the works as officials tread carefully to avoid prejudicing the proceedings. The UK Government is hoping to release files on why former UK Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were appointed to their high-profile roles despite ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Royal Correspondent Robert Hardman told Mike Hosking because of the ongoing legal case, no one wants to prejudice it. He says generally the view is, regardless of the outcome of the legal process, Andrew has behaved so appallingly they don't want him anywhere near the throne. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi start-up's labours are bearing fruit. ‘Forever Harvest' has raised $1.2 million to grow fruit and nuts in a lab, all year round. The project uses cellular agriculture, removing the need for orchards or soil and making production climate resistant. Co-Founder Mick Riley told Mike Hosking they're not looking to replace things like bulk cherries or bulk nectarines, but rather they're creating a whole new kind of high value ingredient. The products would be for commercial use, he says, as they're not looking to compete in the consumer market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Prime Minister was evacuated from his official Canberra residence on Tuesday. Anthony Albanese was moved from The Lodge to another location around 6pm, as the police investigated a bomb threat. He was able to return once a search has been concluded, after 9pm. Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking information is currently limited, but he's never heard of an Australian Prime Minister being evacuated from an official residence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a second major medical platform hack, leaving live patients labelled as dead and people's names changed to Charlie Kirk, the American activist who was shot dead last year – assassinated really. MediMap is widely used across New Zealand. It's often used by the aged care, disability, hospice and community health sectors. It's the second major cyber-attack on medical files and records in recent weeks after Manage My Health was hit at the end of last year, start of this year. Manage My Health's portal systems were compromised over the New Year holiday, putting the data of more than 120,000 users at risk. But it seems the two breaches are vastly different. Manage My Health was a ransomware attack conducted by a professional hacker, Kazu, not their real name, said they were motivated by notoriety and by profit. And there are thousands like Kazu. Think Roddy Ho in Slow Horses – annoying little geniuses who are completely removed from the rest of the world, who think along a different code, who live a different life. They do it because they can, because they think they're so clever and they want to prove it to their peers. They love showing off their hacking abilities. In some cases, they demand a ransom, in some cases they're motivated by profit, in other cases not. And generally, when the ransom is paid, they're terribly professional, you never hear another word from them. They take the money, they go and hit somebody else. In the case of MediMap, it seems there was a different motivation as Geoffrey Sayer from MediMap told Mike Hosking this morning. “What people would imagine a cyber hack is, is you've come in and brute forced and you've gone through a vulnerability in the software or the platform. This has not been the case. They've used credentials to come in, for all intents and purposes they look like a regular user, but what they started to do was not what a regular user does, which is why we shut the system down and contained it and are now working with forensic experts and government agencies to understand what's happened and then how do we bring this back online for people. We can trace it to a profile, I suppose is the best way to describe it, but we've subsequently become aware that that profile quite possibly had been compromised with their credentials.” So it could have been a staff member's kid or partner or just somebody who had access to that code. And we actually were having a discussion before we came on air, I said to the boss because I'd been broadcasting from home for the first two weeks, I said if one of the grandkids was tinkering around on the computer, would they be able to get into the radio station basically and move things around? And he said no, there's about three or four different passwords, but I don't have access to the inner workings. I need to be guided through it anyway and given different passwords at different points. So there could be no accidental hacking of this radio station by anybody at my house. These are not the first hacks, and they won't be the last. We have to accept that if we want the convenience of living in an online world, we're vulnerable, especially when we are complete tits when it comes to our security. Guess what the most common password is and has been for years? Yep, ‘123456'. Second most common, this is worldwide, not just New Zealand, second most common is ‘password', third is ‘admin', fourth is ‘qwerty', and the fifth is ‘12345678' – that'll fool them, adding the seven and the eight at the end, hey? I mean you don't even have to be a particularly good hacker to get into most people's computers. But what if you're scrupulous about your privacy? Sure, there should be tougher penalties for the hackers, but what about those who store our information, who demand it? How many places do we go where even the retail assistants, their KPI is to harvest our email addresses, to get them from us and the more they get, the more they're rewarded. Those who store our information should understand that it's a privilege. They use it. They can make money from it, they can profit from it. So should companies be held accountable if their security is breached? Should they have to pay some really serious fines so they get really serious about their security? In the case of MediMap, they handled that vastly differently. Different circumstances, but they handled it so much better than Manage My Health. They realised that somebody had access who legitimately got into the computer, to all intents and purposes the computer thought, yep, that's fine, come on in, you're welcome. Then once they started fiddling around, the computer recognised that something was going on that shouldn't be occurring and shut itself down. So different circumstances. But how much onus should be on the companies to protect our data and our information? There are millions of Roddy Hos out there, all wanting to show they're the cleverest thing in the whole wide world. How much should be on us to change our password and put in basic security protocols? And how can we stay or limit our presence online? Is there any way of having our cake and eating it too, to have the convenience of an online world without basically being laid bare and naked before the whole wide world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's no mandate to reduce the state's shareholding in Genesis Energy. The Crown's directing $200 million towards new shares to retain a 51% shareholding in the company, following a $400 million capital raise. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking if we don't take part in this raise, we'd be breaching the law requiring the state to maintain majority ownership – something the coalition's committed to. She says we don't want to be a barrier to these energy companies growing in the way New Zealanders need to secure electricity supply. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's some concern about our air traffic controllers being poached. Airways New Zealand has raised the issue during an address before a Parliamentary Select Committee, warning that there's a global shortage of controllers. General Manager of Commercial James Evans told Mike Hosking that New Zealand is currently positioned very well to cope with tight numbers. But, he says, there's definitely a problem globally, and they are having overseas Air Navigation Service Providers approach New Zealand controllers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns using vaping as a tool to quit smoking contradicts the rest of the world. Health New Zealand's free vape programme has given out more than seven thousand devices to smokers, despite Newstalk ZB revealing last year's trial had a success rate of less than half. Now, a half-million-dollar contract has been signed to provide the devices through New Zealand-owned company, Alt. Auckland University vaping researcher Kelly Burrowes told Mike Hosking it isn't recommended as a quitting tool, due to the risk associated. She says that's why other countries aren't doing this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A battle for front door delivery as Bunnings joins Uber Eats in Australia and New Zealand. More than 30 thousand tools, garden, and household items will be available on the delivery service sometime this year, claiming to be at your door within 60 minutes. Takeaways, groceries, and pharmacy items are among the products currently available Gorilla Technology Chief Executive Paul Spain told Mike Hosking it's a move to compete with Amazon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs of a turnaround in the retail sector as sales rise. Stats NZ data shows sales jumped by $239 million in December, compared to the September quarter – up nearly one percent. The growth was driven by pharmaceuticals and other store-based retailers, as well as electronic goods and hardware supplies. First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mike Hosking some of this is discretionary spending which is a great sign. He says potential interest rate rises could have an impact in future, but they're hoping the momentum will continue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though he was never seen, Andy Wilman was an inextricable part of the success of Top Gear. He's the co-creator and executive producer of the show, which has been seen by over 350 million people around the world. And when Top Gear came to a close, he was in charge of The Grand Tour, the show that picked up right where its predecessor left off, and now Wilman is running Amazon's record-breaking show Clarkson's Farm. More than two decades later, he's written a book about how it all came to be, looking behind the scenes in ‘Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure'. While it may have started out as an ordinary TV show, Top Gear quickly became a phenomenon, and Wilman told Mike Hosking there were dozens of tiny moments that made them realise it. “Richard [Hammond's] crash, obviously, we were, I think we were already big by then, but Richard's crash stunned us at how we were part of the nation's TV watching fabric.” “I think the, the things, the elements that were inevitable were because we were making things up as we went along, because we had no plan,” he explained. “So you surprise yourself ... those moments in turn generate new material, which keeps you fresh.” But as the viewership grew, so did the pressure, and the combination of a smaller crew size, ideological differences within the BBC, and the team getting “too big for their boots” started to cause problems. “Those three elements were the perfect storm that led to our demise.” A little further down the line is Clarkson's Farm, which despite being a smaller production, Wilman says is more rewarding. “[It's] a far more challenging and rewarding show to make, simply because they shoot all the time.” Since Clarkson is at work from the moment he steps out his front door, the filming has to cover everything. “We just shoot and shoot and shoot and then we'll see what sticks to the wall.” And a large part of the show's appeal is its supporting cast, which Wilman says was like catching lightning in a bottle for the second time. “A bit like Jeremy, Richard, and James – you couldn't plan that.” “Magic happened.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major moment in British politics as Peter Mandelson is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It relates to his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The former UK ambassador to the US and Labour minister has been accused of passing on information to the sex offender when he was business secretary. UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking while this might deflect heat off Keir Starmer in the short term, it'll likely come back around to him in the end. He says that Mandelson was a Labour appointment, and it wouldn't surprise him if he himself was almost directly responsible for appointing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as Trade Envoy in 2001. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New legislation identified in the weekend with this government wanting to criminalize homelessness with their so called "move on orders" that could fine and/or imprison rough sleepers and the homeless. Tonight, Rawiri Waititi joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk over the issue and the TPM response to it.Chris Hipkins had his State of the Nation this morning that heavily focused on climate change and talked about how a capital gains tax would help pay for some of Labour's initiativesChristopher Luxon this morning talking to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB admitted "I don't take advice from people" like any of us ever thought otkerwise.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation

Credit to those 120 business people who went along to hear Chris Hipkins' State of the Nation address yesterday, hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber. Credit to those few people who watched it live, like my colleague Mike Hosking. My word, it was dull. And that is not me being a lickspittle mouthpiece for the Tory overlords. Have a listen to this: “I know we didn't get everything right when we were in government last time. Many of you have been very clear on what you think we did wrong. But one thing is clear, we were trying to do too much, too fast, and we weren't focused enough. We're going to be making further announcements later in the year as we get closer to the election. But I want to be very, very clear on this. I want to know that I can deliver on any promises that I make. That's the standard that I'll be holding myself to and our next Labour Government to. “Because frankly, Kiwis have had enough of promises that aren't kept. And I don't want to repeat that cycle. We won't try and do everything in our first term. We'll be focusing on what matters the most and delivering on those things. I'm not promising perfection. Where we make mistakes, I'll take responsibility for those. But I'm promising this: a government that puts the cost of living first, a government that partners with business to create jobs and raise wages, a government that invests in our people and backs our potential. Not just managing the country, building it.” Yes. So there was another 20 odd minutes of the same, 20 odd minutes. He banged on about affordability, that word was used a lot. Repeated the mantra I first heard when he came in for the quarterly catch up, and which we will no doubt hear throughout the campaign: jobs, health, homes. He went big on renewable energy, promised Labour would scrap the Government's proposed gas import terminal. Also went big on his future fund. As speeches go, he was no JFK. It is not one for the history books. But commentators say that was by design, like Tim Murphy from Newsroom. Tim says this was Labour trying to convey maturity, a little contrition, humility, and to claim it could be the adult in the room now and after the November 7 election. Luke Malpass from The Press says the speech was to present as a calm port in a cost of living storm, to be dependable, reliable, and boring even. That was the aim. Well, that's something Labour's achieved. Above all else, says Luke, at this stage of the game, to not change the strategy that has served Labour well so far, which is not say much, not do much, not announce much. And it has worked for them. When there is nothing that you can argue against, it's steady as she goes. They're just letting the Coalition Government make mistakes, or not work fast enough, or not be snazzy enough for the electorate, and they're just sitting there and collecting the votes of the centre, who are underwhelmed by the Coalition Government. Basically, they're saying vote for this Chris because he's not Christopher Luxon and we're not National. But that works both ways. You might not be wowed by the Coalition Government and the Prime Minister, but the message could be at least they're not Labour, Greens, and Te Pāti Māori, and at least Christopher Luxon isn't the Chris that was in charge last time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business appears to be booming in most parts of the country. ABC's quarterly market report shows business sales are up 28 percent on this time last year, with average prices up three percent. It finds 507 completed sales over a 12 month period - a new historical high. ABS Business Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking that there's a link between sales and the current state of the economy across the country. He says in line with the economy, the South Island is up 70 percent year on year in business sales, while Wellington is down 10 percent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's relentless push for tariffs has thrown yet another spanner in the works of global trade - but New Zealand exporters might fare okay. The President's introducing temporary 15% tariffs to replace those enacted last year, after the Supreme Court outlawed them. It's unclear if the mechanism he's using to justify the new levies stacks up, as it applies when the US faces a balance of payments deficit. Trade Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking that we were facing mostly 15% tariffs already, so not much has changed for our exporters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says visitors should be able to enjoy new investments in our city-centres - without feeling intimidated. The Government's introducing "move-on" orders - allowing Police to order people begging and sleeping rough, to leave a public space for up to 24 hours. They'll be slapped with a $2000 fine or up to three months' imprisonment if they refuse. Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that in Auckland alone, the City Rail Link will be up and running later this year - and the International Convention Centre's already bringing in visitors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association has concerns around newly announced "move-on" orders - to deal with disorderly behaviour and homelessness. The Government is moving to give Police the power, to order someone sleeping rough, or begging, to leave a public space for up to 24 hours. They could face fines of up to two thousand dollars or spend three months in jail if they refuse. President Steve Watt told Mike Hosking that they know there's a problem there - but Police will have a lot of other call-outs. He says they don't have the staff to deal with this issue - as this is yet another job they'll have to do with already stretched resources. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was drama on and off the pitch for Wellington Phoenix this weekend. Following a 5-0 loss to Auckland FC, coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned from his role as coach. The team still faces eight games before the playoffs, with the team currently placed 10th in the A-League. Former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert told Mike Hosking that time will tell if this is the right decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Te Huia train service is hoping it can prove its critics wrong as its existence is extended for another year. The service, which connects Auckland and Hamilton will run at least until June next year, with NZTA picking up 60% of the bill. It's been criticised in the past for low passenger numbers and revenue. Waikato Regional Council Transport Committee Chair Angela Strange told Mike Hosking that in terms of farebox recovery, the service is actually doing really well when compared to other public transport in New Zealand. She says they're sitting at close to 16%, and it's closer per kilometre than the metro trains and ferries in Auckland. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Defence Minister says possible requirements for Army leaders having to know waiata and karakia from memory is unacceptable. Act MP Todd Stephenson wrote to Judith Collins about the cultural skills framework with concerns it went beyond normal expectations of the Public Service. She says the force hadn't raised it with her, but after speaking with army leaders they had decided to pause implementation. Collins told Mike Hosking a soldier's ability to serve their country has nothing to do with their ability to recite waiata. She says it would be nice for people to do it, but as evidenced in her visit to the Munich Security Conference there's more pressing concerns, like ending up speaking Russian. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A positive outlook for Chinese tourism as a new visa pathway delivers results. The trial allows Chinese and Pacific travellers with a valid Australian visa to enter New Zealand for up to three months. Arrivals have nearly tripled since December, with Chinese tourists injecting about $210 million into Kiwi businesses. Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive Grant Webster told Mike Hosking the trial is absolutely working and New Zealand's responding faster to growing demand from Chinese visitors. He says this just gives more options for these travellers, adding we're fortunate to have this system as it doesn't work the other way around. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An urban planning specialist is advising the Government to be careful changing a development plan he believes was already working. The Government's revising the city's housing capacity number in its new plan from just over two million to 1.6 million. It is focusing more on building in the city and by transport hubs, rather than suburbs. Mt Hobson Group Director Hamish Firth told Mike Hosking you're creating fear from something that people don't get. He says you create paper capacity, but also community backlash, land value distortion and probably not any extra homes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supercars season is officially underway this weekend. Chaz Mostert is defending his title in the Sydney 500, now in the new Toyota GR Supra. Ryan Wood and Matt Payne are leading the Kiwi charge, with five rookies also entering the fray. Kiwi motorsport legend Greg Murphy told Mike Hosking that last season was competitive and very, very close, and no doubt it will be the same this year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big weekend in Central Otago, as Arrowtown hosts the Ayrburn Classic. Hundreds of vehicles will be on display, from vintage to luxury, plus the new additions of motorbikes and boats. They're also hosting New Zealand's largest live car auction, adding a bit of serious money and competition into the mix. Director of Sunday Drive, Taylor Campbell told Mike Hosking the event is now in its second year, and has grown about three times the size. He says it's almost sold out to capacity, and the stunning setting, the hospitality, and the cars make for a great mix. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Friday, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. They discussed intermittent fasting, after a global review found it might not be the magic bullet it's said to be, the earlier chat with Angela Strange about Te Huia, and how much you spend when given an unlimited restaurant voucher. 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. Red meat: 9/10 It's so good, so record breaking, you honestly start to wonder just where is the ceiling? Dairy: 9/10 Ditto. Four auctions, four runs batted in. We are rolling. Warriors: 6/10 Early days, good crowd in the Bay, bad injury already, but the seeds of success are there. India: 3/10 This is the stuff that ankle taps us. Between Labour and Winston, doofuses and xenophobes, we are a two step forward, one step back country. F1: 8/10 The fact testing is being covered on New Zealand TV tells you how far that sport has come. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another country star on the rise. Jason Aldean is performing at Spark Arena tonight, and he's bringing with him Corey Kent – the latest Red Dirt star, according to Rolling Stone. Despite having been performing since he was a kid, it was a bumpy road to reach this point, complete with a happenstance performance with Willie Nelson, a change in jobs, and a lot of dedication. Kent's since gone triple platinum, released four albums, and had over a billion streams. He joined Mike Hosking for a chat about his career to date, and regaled him with stories of country legends Willie Nelson and Paul Simon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's kept the OCR unchanged at 2.25% and isn't forecasting any change until the end of the year. Governor Anna Breman says inflation should be back within target this quarter. She says the economy fundamentals are consistent with inflation falling to, and remaining at, 2% over the medium term. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking the Governor is playing with a pretty straight bat. He says it's a tricky balance, as the economy doesn't quite feel like it has recovery momentum, and they don't want to cut that off at the knees by spooking anyone, but they do have to be focused on inflation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Independent Children's Monitor says it's clear our child protection system is under immense stress. Its review shows carers killed 24 children between December 2021 and June 2025. It finds no improvement, despite recommendations in a review of the murder of five-year-old Malachi Subecz in 2021. Children's Monitor CEO Arran Jones told Mike Hosking that while there are deep-seated issues that go beyond what the agencies can respond to, there are certainly things that can be improved. He says the lack of progress up to this point is an issue of prioritisation, and it's about making sure the problem is front of mine not only for Oranga Tamariki, but for all the agencies that have a role to play. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New workplace testing results reveal cocaine detections have sharply risen across the country. The Drug Detection Agency's results for the three months to December show cocaine was present in 3.7% of positive tests – more than double the amount from last quarter. Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato were identified as the regions with the sharpest rises. Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Mike Hosking that New Zealand already has a strong use base of methamphetamine, and now they're starting to see a real increase in cocaine usage, which is a real concern for them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs the job market is on the up. New Seek data shows job ads have grown by 1.5% since October and are now 11.7% higher year on year. Gisborne's led monthly growth with an almost 4% increase, while Marlborough's the only region with a record annual decline in ads, at -6%. However Seek Country Manager Rob Clark says the fact growth stretches across regions and industries is a marked improvement on this year. He told Mike Hosking they're hopeful the growth will continue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our new Reserve Bank Governor says she has full confidence in the people making OCR decisions. The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Anna Breman, has decided to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25% for now. It says while inflation is above the target band, the economy still needs some time to recover. Breman told Mike Hosking the committee will make the best decisions it can, based on the data and forecasts it has access to at the time. She says something might look obvious in retrospect, but they're dealing with lots of global shocks constantly hitting the New Zealand economy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Infrastructure Minister believes a toll is a fair way of paying for a new Auckland harbour crossing. The Infrastructure Commission's 30-year plan makes 10 recommendations for what should be prioritised over the next decade, with hospital investment topping the list. The plan suggests the extra crossing in Auckland, tunnel or bridge, gets a $9 toll, but the Government is still weighing up whether the existing bridge should also be tolled. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking ultimately, roads have to be paid for. He says the second harbour crossing will be the biggest infrastructure project ever built in New Zealand, and they think it will wind up being tolled as it's a fair way of paying for the project. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland and Northland are being deemed New Zealand's most vulnerable regions when it comes to infrastructure. The infrastructure Commission has laid out a 30 year plan, with 17 recommendations for how to strengthen our delivery model. Downer Managing Director Murray Robertson believes Auckland and Northland are exposed due to lack of electricity which other infrastructure sectors rely on. He told Mike Hosking power largely comes from hydro in the south, to it's important to try get that reticulation closer to those key networks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing Netball New Zealand chair Matt Whineray regrets the way they communicated with the public during the drawn out Silver Ferns coaching saga. Whineray is ending his eight-year tenure alongside three others at board level. The governing body came under scrutiny last year for their handling of the standing down, and eventual re-instatement, of Dame Noeline Taurua. Whineray told Mike Hosking they had the right intentions. He says they were trying to balance the obligations they have with the need to keep people informed, but they know their communication could be better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sharp rise in food inflation could unfortunately be out of our control. Latest Stats NZ data reveals the rate's risen to 4.6% – well up on 4% a month ago. Fruit and vegetable prices have jumped 6.3% in the last year, and meat, poultry, and fish rose by 8.9%. Grocery Action Group Chair Sue Chetwin told Mike Hosking there's been a lot of uncontrollable factors impacting prices, like recent storm damage affecting crops. She says fresh fruit and vegetables should be at their cheapest at this time of year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Reserve Bank Governor will deliver her first Monetary Policy Statement today. The central bank's expected to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25%. It's likely to show when inflation should start easing, and when the economy should recover from last year's downturn. BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Mike Hosking today's announcement will likely see them swap out the mild easing bias the bank had in November and replace it with a mild tightening bias. He says they believe the Reserve Bank will probably want to signal a hike by around December this year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest stories of the week so far. They discussed the details Labour's seeking from the India Free Trade Agreement, the National Infrastructure Plan and the possibility of tolling the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and the latest political polls. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi company OpenStar Technologies has taken a serious step forward in the global race towards nuclear fusion. Backed by $35 million in government funding, they've successfully levitated a half tonne superconducting magnet, confining a cloud of ultra-hot plasma. It's a key milestone in recreating the same process that powers the sun – ultimately producing carbon-free energy. CEO Dr Ratu Mataira told Mike Hosking now they've proven the engineering can be done, it's time to push for performance and see just how hot they can get the plasma. He believes they'll definitely be able to reach nuclear fusion within his lifetime. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This past weekend marks 144 years since the first shipment of frozen lamb left Port Chalmers for London. It was instrumental in shaping in a food and fibre sector that's become a backbone of the New Zealand economy – worth $60 billion. The UK remains one of our most important, and premium, markets for lamb. Kiwi Chef and NZ lamb ambassador Melanie Brown told Mike Hosking that like other New Zealand products, including wine, New Zealand lamb is a product people return to regularly. She says they know they're going to get consistency and quality, and you just cannot beat the quality story. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.