Podcasts about Mike Hosking

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. Good ideas: 7/10 Not a bad week. Monthly inflation data, the census scrapped, the Housing Minister to overrule council and health targets improving. Things feel a bit like they're moving. The Crusaders: 7/10 A great comeback story for Rob Penney, who was vilified a year ago, on the verge of being a hero this weekend. Nico Porteous: 7/10 Story of the week in some ways for me. Living his dream, charting his destiny, and mature beyond his years. I wish him well. Venice: 3/10 They're protesting the Jeff Bezos wedding. He has booked the place out, he is throwing money at the joint, and they are a tourist town. What is it you want? Radio NZ: 4/10 They're looking for people to quit and that, sadly, is what you get when the Willie 'Snake Oil' Jackson rolls his circus into town to hand out lollies that can never be real. The world: 4/10 It's a mess, isn't it? This time last week yet another war started and where traditionally we have a country and a leader that rises to the occasion, sadly these days there's no such luck. He's too busy launching his gold phone. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Matariki this weekend, we've come to the end of a short week. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to get their session of Mike-bullying in early – going after his expensive tastes, his lack of control over his life, and his special burgundy suede loafers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest carbon auction was a bust. It attracted zero bids, becoming the eighth auction to be declined. The secondary market currently sits around $58 a tonne, while the auction price sits at $68. ACT's Climate Change Spokesperson, Simon Court told Mike Hosking it shows that industrial emitters, such as coal users, already have enough units in the carbon bank to pay for this year's emissions. With the success of the secondary market, Court says it's evidence the Emissions Trading Scheme and the carbon markets are working quite well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Crusaders' current Super Rugby season is like chalk and cheese when compared to the las. They missed the playoffs in 2024, with just four wins in 14 matches. In contrast, this year sees them host the grand final against the Chiefs – clashing at the Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday. Coach Rob Penney told Mike Hosking the Chiefs have beaten them twice this year, but neither team is the same team as they were on those occasions. He says it's going to be another tight match, and the team that holds its composure the longest, prepares the best, and plays the best will be the ultimate victors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sleep-expert assures Melatonin is safe, but is still urging people to take caution. Medsafe has given approval for the sleep drug to be available over the counter at pharmacies. It is commonly used to treat insomnia or jet lag. Sleepwell Clinic Director Alex Bartle says potential side-effects are fairly minor, and long-term effects aren't fully understood. However, he doesn't believe it's as valuable as it's made out to be. Bartle told Mike Hosking behavioural treatments are much more effective. He says a 2017 study shows a person's total sleep time after taking the medication didn't improve, and says he doesn't prescribe Melatonin at all. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns scrapping the traditional census won't deliver the desired results. Stats NZ is moving to a system using Government collected admin-data, saying the current five yearly Census is financially unsustainable. Census-style questions will still be asked in much smaller annual surveys looking at a small fraction of the population. Former national statistician Len Cook told Mike Hosking data-wise, this won't cut it. He says admin-data comes from about a dozen different sources, none of them complete. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy is expected to look better than earlier predictions. Figures —due out from Stats NZ this morning— are expected to show the country's GDP grew 0.7% for the first quarter of the year. It's slightly higher than 0.4%, predicted earlier this year. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking things are expected to slow through the middle half of the year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are early finishes to blame for the surgical backlog? Surgeon Chris Wakeman claims that public health professionals won't perform surgeries past the 4pm cutoff, causing backlog issues. Health NZ's Chief Clinical Officer Dr Richard Sullivan told Mike Hosking that early finishes do occur. The rosters generally run until about 4:30/5pm, and he says that there are very few operations that can be done in less than half an hour. He says they've been running weekend theatres to try get more people through, but you need quite a big work force to do that consistently. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's being suggested the pricey cost of our food baskets is great for the economy but bad for our wallets. Food inflation has risen 4.4% annually, the highest in 18 months. Meat, poultry and fish had the biggest increases, while butter, milk and cheese drove grocery prices. Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin told Mike Hosking increases in foods like Kiwifruit and butter is fantastic for New Zealand's economy, but tough for households. Quin says they're doing everything they can, but they can't contain the same costs of energy and people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vocational Minister's hopeful students will flood back to polytechs after the model is de-centralised. Staff-to-student ratios are still lower than they were in 2016, despite staff numbers being slashed by 8.2%. Penny Simmonds says low ratios signal financial trouble. She told Mike Hosking student numbers have dropped by 11,000 since Te Pukenga was established in 2020. Simmonds says the Government's working hard to get student numbers up and viable again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's being suggested small businesses are finding it tougher to get loans than big businesses, despite being a safer option. The latest data shows the compound annual growth rate of bank lending has slowed from 6% to 1.5% since 2013. Small Business NZ Founder Phil Wicks told Mike Hosking most banks are making business hard. He says lending to someone with skin in the game should be more attractive to banks. Wicks told Hosking many banks assess loan risks like it was centuries ago. He says there are small businesses with strong work ethics, no debt, and personal guarantees, still being declined LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is delivering an increased number of elective procedures to try to meet patient wait time targets. More than 84% of cancer patients are starting treatment within 31 days – 1% more than last year. Health Minister Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking they want that up to 90% by 2030, and are working to speed up treatments. He says they've swiftly outsourced nine thousand 500 electives to the private sector in an effort to get Health New Zealand moving faster. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's having another crack at mental health, allocating $36 million to suicide prevention. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey's unveiled a five-year approach for addressing high suicide rates. The new Suicide Prevention Plan includes strengthening the workforce, targeting higher-risk populations, and improving community care. But Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson told Mike Hosking they remain in a very resource-constrained environment. He says everyone will do their best with what's available from the Government, but a lot more is needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Mitchell's hoping to broaden relations with China in his role of Minister for Ethnic Communities. He's in the Chinese economic capital of Shanghai with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Mitchell's meeting with the Kiwi business delegation today to plan out what they want to achieve. He told Mike Hosking trade, food, and education are on the agenda. Mitchell says they're all ambassadors for New Zealand, aiming to solidify a relationship with China. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moana Pasifika are downplaying their dependence on outgoing skipper Ardie Savea. He will miss Super Rugby next year to take up a sabbatical in Japan, before making a 2027 return. Savea is signed with NZR through to the end of the 2027 World Cup in Australia and will end up spending half of that cycle playing in Japan. Franchise boss Debbie Sorensen told Mike Hosking that Savea's contribution might look inordinate, but there's a lot of things that go together to make the team work really well. She says that he's worked quite hard to ensure he's not the single outlier, working hard to bring the squad together and mentor other players. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Foster was one of the more polarising All Blacks coaches in recent memory. He took the helm after the superb record of Sir Steve Hansen, and during his time there were constant discussions surrounding his job security. During his tenure he had a win rate of 70% and lost New Zealand the number one world ranking, but at the same time, he won 4 Bledisloe Cups, 4 Freedom Cups, and 3 Rugby Championships, as well as coming within a point of winning the Rugby World Cup. Foster is still in the coaching game over in Japan, but in the meantime, he's written a book called ‘Leading Under Pressure', that tells the story of his time with the All Blacks. He told Mike Hosking he had never intended to write a book, but felt it was an important story to tell. “A lot of the feedback we got is that people actually saw a team go through a journey over those four years,” he said. “I just felt that I almost owed it to my management team and a lot of my leading players to actually tell the story of the journey of that particular team.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growing number of New Zealanders perceive China as a threat. A new report from the Asia New Zealand Foundation surveyed 2,300 locals between November and December, with an additional poll in March. It shows New Zealanders' perception of China as a threat rose from 28% to 40% over four months. Jason Young, Director of Victoria University's NZ-China Research Centre, told Mike Hosking the big jump in threat perception happened in March, just after Chinese Navy conducted exercises in the Tasman Sea. He says that New Zealand has seen China and its military grow, but its military has always been very far away, and coming into the Tasman changed that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nico Porteous is walking away from competitive free skiing, retiring at age 23. The Kiwi Olympian has admitted his 2022 Olympic gold and 2018 bronze in the freeski halfpipe have contributed to his decision. He told Mike Hosking he set out with a number of goals when beginning his career at age 12, and he's now achieved those goals. “I feel as if the ‘more, more, more' mentality can often lead to doing damage or leaving a sour taste in your mouth,” Porteous said. “So I just wanted to call it.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's confident it's getting on top of youth vaping, with more rules coming in today. New rules come in today including stricter advertising restrictions for vape retailers and a ban on disposable vapes. It's in an effort to clamp down on youth vaping, with around 10% of teenagers currently regular vapers. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello told Mike Hosking she believes we'll see further declines in youth vaping. She says Action for Smokefree data shows youth vaping rates have declined over the last three years. However, she says New Zealand isn't ready for a full crackdown, and Australia's prescription only approach won't work here. She says Pasifika and Māori continue to have the highest smoking rates, and reducing availability for those who aren't engaging with the health system is problematic. LISTEN ABOVE See 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.

The death toll continues to grow as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. Israel's initial attack on Friday has triggered a response from Iran as the two countries exchange air strikes. According to The Associated Press, at least 406 Iranians have been killed with 654 wounded compared to the Israeli death toll of 13. Israeli Journalist, Gideon Levy told Mike Hosking this is bearable for the short term, but what is unbearable is if it goes on for months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says told Mike Hosking that police bodycams would help clear up misconceptions in the field. He says he was talking to a young constable who was coward punched and a body camera would've made for compelling evidence. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers wants the cameras to be implemented after a decision was put off last year. Police are still looking into ways to deal with transparency issues laid bare when new tasers for frontline officers didn't include a camera. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US police have found a 'hit list' of names after they confronted the man who shot and killed Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband in the state of Minnesota. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the 57-year-old suspect got away - but police were able to search his vehicle. He says they found a papers listing around 70 names of other targets - as well as anti-abortion material. The gunman had also shot another Democratic senator and his wife in their home - they both survived.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increasing number of regional conflicts - as well as Donald Trump's tariffs, are threatening the global economy. Westpac Group Chief Economist Luci Ellis told Mike Hosking that she believes the tariffs were economic self-harm. She says they still threaten the US economy and trade patterns will continue to change, but other countries aren't going to escalate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Crusaders' 27-year perfect home playoff record is on the line again as they size up the Blues for a place in the Super Rugby Pacific final. It's week two of the playoffs and the two teams will be facing off in tonight in Christchurch. After that, the ‘lucky losers', the Chiefs, will take on the Brumbies in Hamilton. Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge told Mike Hosking that Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley keeps banging on about wanting jeopardy in every match, and last week's clash between the Blues and the Chiefs was a good example. He says the Blues' win surprised most of them, but that's the nature of the game – you don't know who's going to win, and that's what you want. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former defence minister doesn't believe the US will walk away from the AUKUS security pact altogether. The Pentagon's started a review of the agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US, which New Zealand remains open to being involved in. Officials will assess whether the deal fits with Donald Trump's America First agenda. Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking the US remains fundamentally committed to the partnership. He says Australia is America's closest ally in the Asia Pacific —possibly its closest ally in the whole world— and they're hardly going to trash that relationship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corrections is prepared for a projected spike in our prison numbers. The Ministry of Justice projects the prison population will increase 36% by 2035 to more than 14,000 people. New policies such as the Sentencing Reform Act and the reinstatement of the Three Strikes law are pushing the projected growth. Corrections Custodial Services Commissioner Leigh Marsh told Mike Hosking they prepare for a lot of variability in prison populations. He says in 2018 we had more than 10,000 prisoners, followed by a drop and now another rise. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India's set to lead an investigation into a plane crash in Ahmedabad, which has killed at least 290. The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed onto a doctor's hostel right after take-off, heading for London's Gatwick Airport. According to the Telegraph, the last words from the pilot were 'Mayday, no thrust, losing power, unable to lift'. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking this is the first fatal crash by this particular Boeing model, of which there's about a thousand in service around the world. He says experts believe the black box should contain a significant amount of information about the crash, and no doubt Boeing and US safety inspectors will play some role in the investigation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of public servants working within Government is down slightly on this time last year. But new Public Service data shows measured against last quarter, the number of civil servants has increased. The data shows there were 63,238 people employed by the Government as of March this year – 2045 fewer people compared to March 2024, but an increase of 269 on the last quarter. Economist Cameron Bagrie told Mike Hosking government personnel spending in that same period has also increased by 3.1%. He says that the big change in the fiscal stance, the tightening of the reins, have not been seen yet, and the question is if it will really be delivered. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some good news for the New Zealand fashion industry. The once troubled NZ Fashion Week has secured a three-year partnership deal with Giltrap, ensuring its future for the next few years. It comes after the event was cancelled in 2024 due to economic uncertainty. Owner Feroz Ali told Mike Hosking it's going to be an amazing show this year. He says they have a packed schedule for the five day event, with emerging designers, new designers, and designers that probably haven't shown for 15 years all returning to the runway. 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. Ryan Fox: 9/10 Living the dream by winning. It rarely gets better, and another chance at a big one over this weekend. Greta Thunberg: 2/10 Not kidnapped, just fantastically annoying. She is a good example of where your annoyingness outweighs your effect on your cause. Adrian Orr: 4/10 Local disappointment of the week is both him and the Reserve Bank over their petty mucking around over simple questions. When its petty at the top, it leads nowhere productive. They should be embarrassed. The Warriors: 8/10 Can't stop winning. Another two points this weekend with the bye and two more after that against the Panthers. This is the journey to the promised land. This is our year. Los Angeles: 3/10 Was that an overreaction looking for a skirmish, or what? You can only show us an intersection of a few hundred masked try hards and pretend it's a "thing" for so long. Businesses and franchises: 7/10 Record sales. We're selling businesses like hotcakes. That's got to be a good sign for confidence. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand motor racing driver Brendon Hartley is stunned by the quality of competition heading into this weekend's Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. The prestigious race has been operating since 1928 and the winner is the car that travels the greatest distance in a 24-hour period around the 13.6km circuit. The biggest names in vehicle manufacturing are taking part —with Genesis, Ford and McLaren joining the party next year— and Hartley says the level of driver is insane. He told Mike Hosking every single driver in their category are paid professionals and top class drivers. “I would argue there's... you can't find a race anywhere in the world where you have so many of the world's top drivers all in one place at the same time.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Carr is well known for a couple of things, his controversial comedy and distinctive laugh chief among them. And he's bringing both to Kiwi audiences early next year, travelling right across the country, stopping in 13 different cities. He's got a prolific career in standup, as well as being a household name in UK television, not only hosting an array of panel shows, but a regular guest on many of the rest. Carr has a busy schedule, and he told Mike Hosking that he works as much as he possibly can, as his work is such a joyful thing. “If I have a night off, what am I doing? I'm sitting at home having my tea,” he said. “If I come out and do a show, it's such a joyful thing." “I also think I do have a propensity to get cancelled once in a while,” Carr confessed, the comedian having seen his fair share of controversies. “So you never know when your last one's going to be.” When it comes to cancel culture, Carr is a big advocate for freedom of speech. “I'm not for everyone, and edgy jokes, there's you know, limits of it, sometimes it's not for everyone,” he told Hosking. “But the whole cancel culture thing, you go, well, as long as you don't get cancelled by your own audience, I think you're golden.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is acting as a magnet for thousands of Kiwis making the move down South. The latest Stats NZ census data shows 85,000 people moved to the South Island between 2018 and 2023. Around half of those have gone to the Canterbury region. ChristchurchNZ Chief Executive Ali Adams told Mike Hosking the Garden City's versatility is being recognized. She says people are realizing you can have a brilliant career and a great life. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is outsourcing more elective operations to private facilities to ease strain on the system. The agency aims to deliver more than 10,500 additional elective procedures by the end of June, by partnering with private hospitals to expand surgical capacity. The target is within reach with more than 8,600 procedures complete since March. Christchurch colorectal and general surgeon Chris Wakeman told Mike Hosking that although he gets paid less to do public work, this is the future of healthcare. He says it's so much more efficient and you can do a lot more work. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd McClay says surging value and supply is behind the rise in food and fibre export revenue. The latest forecasts project export earnings of $59.9 billion for the year ending later this month. It's now on track to reach $65.7 billion by 2029. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking we're seeing sectors like Horticulture raise exports by 20%. He says for the first time ever we saw Zespri sell $5 billion worth of kiwifruit around the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italy's squeezed middle class could be getting a breather. Tax cuts are at the top of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's agenda, as she says the middle class is the backbone of the Italian production system. She says they want to make the system fairer. Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking she's reduced the tax rate from around 26% to 24% so far. She says they're likely going to need to do a lot more, because many are still struggling financially. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says a move to require wool carpets in state housing makes financial sense. Nicola Willis has announced a change to Kainga Ora's supplier agreement that will see it re-open its previously nylon-only carpet tender process. From the start of next month, all public entities will also be required to use woollen fibres where practical and appropriate. Willis told Mike Hosking officials have told her it makes sense for Kainga Ora to make this change. She says it's cost-neutral, and it performs well across a number of other dimensions. Nicola Willis says the Reserve Bank should never be exempt from cost-cutting across the public sector. Newly released documents show Adrian Orr's abrupt resignation as Governor came after he was denied the Budget allocation he was seeking. The Finance Minister says the central bank still has the funding it requires to do its statutory duties. She told Hosking the Reserve Bank can't operate as a "gilded palace" – it needs to be fiscally responsible, like all other government departments. Willis says any idea that the Reserve Bank doesn't need to abide by the same funding constraints as other Government agencies is wrong. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unrest is spreading in the US over immigrant deportations. Donald Trump is sending hundreds of US Marines and has ordered 2000 more National Guard troops to go to LA's immigration protests. California Governor Gavin Newsom's called the US President's orders deranged and has filed a lawsuit. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking of the 2000 National Guard troops deployed, only 315 were mission assigned, the other 1700 having no particular responsibility. He says that 100 arrests have been made, but no charges have been laid. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts say specialist addiction and mental health services need rapid improvement. New research from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has found three New Zealanders die every week due to accidental and preventable drug overdose, with fatalities up 88% from 2016 to 2023. At the same time, despite growing demands, fewer people are seeking specialist help. Commission CEO Karen Orsborn told Mike Hosking the biggest concern is the falling access to mental health and addiction services. She says they're seeing high vacancy rates, particularly for specialist staff and psychiatrists, and that has a big impact on the system. Orsborn says that's where they want to see some faster action. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Assurance stronger anti-stalking laws are the right move to protect victims. Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year. But following the Select Committee process it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years. Chief Victims' Adviser to the Government Ruth Money told Mike Hosking the change allows greater prevention and targets the pattern stalking follows. She says it's not about charging the moping boyfriend, who's sent a non-harmful text and is feeling a bit sad. Money says it's important earlier intervention can be taken, and police need the powers because stalking behaviour can escalate into violence and death. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's $47.2 billion franchise sector is being celebrated. Today marks the first World Franchise Day. The model first took shape in New Zealand in the 1970s – with now almost 550 franchised brands including in accommodation, hospitality, education, childcare and retail. Franchise Association Chair Brad Jones told Mike Hosking they've had some great growth in the sector over the last few years. He says they're 11% of New Zealand's GDP, and if motor vehicle sales and retail fuel are included, that brings them to over $73 billion – 17% of GDP. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new rideshare option is skidding into the New Zealand market. Bolt, hailing from Europe, is promising better deals for both drivers and customers, while challenging the duopoly that currently dominates. They're first launching in Auckland, aiming to bring a breath of fresh air to the market. General Manager Adam Muirson told Mike Hosking that for the last couple of years, the competition has been stagnant at best, leading to increasing prices, limited choice, and decreasing service levels. He says that there was a growing sense of frustration among drivers at that lack of competition, and the sheer number of applications they've received leading up to the launch has reinforced that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fieldays kicks off at Mystery Creek today. The rural sector's somewhat bullish from its record profits across dairy and red meat, and pundits are expecting farmers to be “speaking with their wallets”. Big crowds are expected, with many looking to take advantage of the new tax rebate on the big ticket items. CEO of National Fieldays Richard Lindroos told Mike Hosking it's the largest agribusiness event in the southern hemisphere, with over 100,000 going through the gates over the four days. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The select committee process has proven useful in substantially strengthening anti-stalking laws. Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year. But it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years. Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Anderson told Mike Hosking it's an example of why the process is an important part of our democracy. She says it's been great to work collaboratively, to listen to submissions, to understand what Police can do and to make the changes to strengthen the law. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Hosking that police take these things extremely seriously, and they now have the tools to be able to give a meaningful response. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's unlikely New Zealand will be in for a repeat of last year's power shortage. Our winter stocks are in better shape thanks to improved lake levels, extra gas supplies, and an enlarged coal stockpile has added security to the system. And although customers are still battling high energy prices, a major government review is expected in the coming weeks. Meridian CEO Mike Roan told Mike Hosking that they're deep into investing in the sector so they can overcome the challenge represented by lost gas supplies. He says they're currently stabilising the impact, and in the long term, they're in good shape. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors legend Shaun Johnson will be back on our screens – this time, without a rugby ball in hand. He's supercharging his fledgling media career, fronting a new weekly TV show dedicated to the analysis of rugby league. Johnson signed a new deal with Sky TV for ‘League Lounge', which launches Wednesday, and will broadcast on Sky and Sky Sport Now, with delayed release on Sky Open and YouTube. He told Mike Hosking he wants to speak to what the audience might be feeling and seeing from the game and help educate them. Johnson says that if he can offer a bit of perspective as to what may be going on with players' performances, it might buy a bit of time to start seeing better results. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now is the time to sell your business. According to ABC Business Sales, the number of buyers enquiring about purchases is up 30%. Demand is currently outstripping supply, as new listings are down 10% on last year. CEO Chris Small told Mike Hosking much of the interest is led by migrants, and hospitality, services, and construction are the three sectors people are primarily looking to buy in. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar energy company Lodestone is expanding to the South Island. It's constructing a solar farm in Canterbury's Clandeboye, with first generation expected next year. It will generate 43 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually, similar to the company's sites in the Upper North Island. Managing Director Gary Holden told Mike Hosking there are six more consented sites in their portfolio. He says they're trying to build a solar farm in every area they can, to follow the populations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson believes he's leaving the game in a better place than he found it. He's confirmed he will leave the job at the end of the year, bringing to an end a six-year tenure that started just before the Covid-19 pandemic. Robinson says he's proud of what's been achieved during a turbulent period. He told Mike Hosking that the next six months are critical for their role both domestically and internationally, with both their involvement in the establishment of international calendars and competitions as well as the opportunity they have to reset the financial model for the New Zealand game. Robinson likes to think those would both be signed off by the end of the year, and that in conjunction with his family moving over to Australia, makes him feel it's time to move on. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.