The Mike Hosking Breakfast

NZ First leader Winston Peters joined Mike Hosking to chat about his State of the Nation speech and election strategies.  Peters said he will rely on past achievements versus policy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor has comfortably won re-election in South Australia while One Nation surpasses the Liberals.  The result means Peter Malinauskas will return as NSW Premier for a second term. Australia correspondent Steve Price said the landslide result can, at least partially, be attributed to the Liberals being 'pretty useless'. Price also chats to Mike Hosking about illegal cigarettes and increasing fuel prices.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of March, we look at what could happen after the 48 hours is up from Trump's ultimatum. The Prime Minister is back from Samoa and talks the trigger point for Government help with fuel prices and whether they would even entertain Winston's idea of splitting up the gentailers. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk the mighty Warriors and the record breaking game from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I tell you what, it never gets old. How good are the Warriors? First time since 2018 we are 3-0. It's the second time ever. That’s a lot of years where the start has not been as good as the start of 2026. The Knights, although seemingly better this year than last, are not the Roosters and certainly not the Raiders. So in that sense when they scored early in the first half you didn’t really wonder whether this was the week things could go wrong. The half-time score wasn't close so we didn’t have to run away with it in the second. The score at the break gave you a good sense. We were never really going to be tested. At one point late in the second when the Knights scored again, the commentators got a bit over-hyped and the crowd went nuts, as though another three converted tries was ever going to be a thing that was about to happen, given they were 18 behind. The points perhaps didn’t flow like our first two games. But at 38-12 it wasn’t a contest. Look at any stat - completed sets, yards carried, tackles made - we killed them. So not just three wins out of three, but three really good wins. Andrew Webster will be in the weeds looking for little bits and pieces to work on. But for most of us, the fans, this is as good as it gets. You simply can't ask for more. There are no obvious issues, no glaring errors and no lucky escapes or last minute miracles. We are winning and winning easily. We have beaten a good side in the Roosters, a great side in the Raiders and an ordinary side in the Knights. There would seem at this point to be no side we would fear. No side we don’t believe we can beat. We are a complete, fast, fit and agile team. We're also a team with some very good players still to return. Once again, as we have these past three weeks, I'll remind you it’s a long season and a lot can happen. But you simply control what's put in front of you and to this point, we cannot have started any better than we have. This might well be the best beginning to a season we have ever had. There is something special brewing. Say it with real confidence - this is our year.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ICE had been deployed to American airports amidst a partial government shutdown resulting in airport workers going without pay for weeks.  US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking, "it's because of the partial government shutdown as Dems and Republicans fight over rules for ICE immigration agents in the future." "Should they wear those awful masks, unlike regular police? Should they have badges so people know who the hell they are? Should they be able to barge into people's houses without any court warrants?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking for their weekly catch up to chat about the fuel crisis, economic management, and the possibility of the public placing blame on the current Government for the current financial struggles.  Luxon said, "we will do everything we can to support New Zealanders, but I have to be really straight up and honest and say we cannot support everybody, to the extent they probably want to be supported."  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's latest threats in the war with Iran are targeted towards Iran's energy fields.  The threat comes with a deadline demanding Iran reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Monday night (tomorrow morning NZT). Foreign Policy Institute Fellow Jeffery Price told Mike Hosking he's not convinced the threat is anything other than a negotiation tactic.  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.    The war: 3/10  Week three was the worst week for Trump by a mile. He asked for help, got none, and packed a sad.    The Warriors: 9/10  You literally can't start any better than they have. Plus, it's the Knights this week, so three for three.    Chris Hipkins: 2/10  Who needs that sort of crap?    Fuel stations running dry: 4/10  Hyperbole, alarmist headlines, and knobs with jerry cans do not help.    Booze reform: 8/10  Not a single bit of it doesn’t make complete and utter sense, leading to the obvious question – how can something so obvious only be getting sorted now?    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Differing accounts on the US’ level of involvement in Israel’s attack on Iran’s gas fields.   The tit for tat between the two is continuing with gas and oil infrastructure becoming the latest targets, Iran retaliating by hitting Israel's Haifa oil refinery.   Global oil prices are continuing to surge.   Donald Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's been instructed not to attack these energy sites.    US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Axios is reporting that one source told them the attack was coordinated between Israeli officials and the White House, whilst another says the US knew of the attack, but was not part of it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obviously Chris Hipkins would disagree, but Donald Trump surely wins the "crap week of the week" award, given his week has material outcomes for all of us and Hipkins’ is just a personal mess gone ugly and public.  The war itself doesn’t appear to be any different at the end of week three than it was at the end of week two, or indeed week one.  Every indication is Iran is being obliterated. They have three major kills and the fact we have yet to actually see and hear the new Supreme Leader indicates the suggestion he is dead, or disfigured, rings more true by the day.  The attacks on Gulf facilities shows Iranian desperation. But the number of attacks continues to drop.  The marines are on the way and the B2's are dropping the massive 5000kg bombs around the Strait of Hormuz to presumably clear the way for them.  So, war wise there's nothing new to report. Trump could call it off any moment and claim victory, remembering claiming something is not always the reality.  But, and it's a massive "but", he asked for help on the Strait and short of the French possibly helping, once it's all settled and the sun is out, he got nothing. He got worse than nothing – he got the middle finger.  A world weary of his arrogance, threats and bullying told him to get stuffed. "It's not our problem.”  At which point he went straight to his baby act of whining and bleating and moaning.  The Strait is a problem and he made it so. Whether they never planned for it or thought about it doesn’t matter because they created it and his voters are paying.  They're paying a fortune for gas, the market is sinking, the two things he cares most about (the Dow and the bloke at the bowser) aren't working for him and that’s why this thing will still end sooner rather than later.  Small side note - when he says America doesn’t need the Strait, half of America's generics medicine comes from India. India gets their material through the Gulf. There isn't an American not on a pill or potion.  So he's hurt them at the pump, and he's hurt them at Walgreens. It's a disaster, so he has to fix it.  They said it'll be over in 4-6 weeks. They still say 4-6 but it'll be more six, than four.  But the stakes are too high, not in Iran, but in Ohio and Minnesota and Georgia. That’s where the real war is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.