The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Central Otago's iconic Cardrona Hotel is up for sale through private negotiation.  The 162-year-old building sits between Wanaka and Queenstown.  It's on the market for the first time in more than a decade.  Co-owner Cade Thornton told Mike Hosking they'll be selling privately, with no real estate agents involved.  He says there's been expressions of interest throughout their ownership, from overseas parties and nationwide.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of July, we cap off a week of crime announcements with some new trespass laws.  Codie Taylor joins the show ahead of the first All Blacks test of the year against France.  Tim and Katie give some programming advice and debate whether Mike would be any good as a police recruit wing patron as they Wrap the Week.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first All Blacks test of 2025 is upon us.  Saturday night will see a new team tackle an understrength French side in Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium.  There were plenty of surprises in the team announcement, with four debutants in the 23 and some unexpected faces in the reserve line up.  Codie Taylor is playing hooker, and told Mike Hosking that although the French side is understrength, they have to respect and acknowledge their opposition.  However, he said, their main focus is on making sure they get things right, since this is their first crack playing as a team.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it’s letting shop owners take back control.  It's proposing legislation to double maximum trespassing fines and allow trespassing people for three years, from multiple sites.  Hospitality NZ’s Steve Armitage told Mike Hosking the law’s been outdated for some time.  He says that when it was introduced back in 1980, a $1000 fine was much more material than it is 45 years later – according to the World Bank, the purchasing power of $1000 in 1980 equates to about $50,000 today.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a clever new marketing ploy from a Wanaka fashion designer.  ‘The Precious Collaborative’ are selling $10,000 coats in order to subsidise New Zealand wool products in their store.  The profits of the coats are able to discount a once $700 item to under $200 – the aim to put quality NZ wool items within the average person’s reach.  Founder Claire O’Connell told Mike Hosking that by purchasing the coat, people are supporting so much within the country – from the strong wool industry right through to local production.  So far two people have bought the $10,000 coat, and O’Connell says that since then they’ve sold almost 100 garments, of which 85% were bought at the discounted price.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talks about a major update to a 15 year old agreement between Taupō’s council and the region's largest landowners have sparked controversy.   The 2009 Joint Management Agreement between the district council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa is being workshopped, and a draft agreement has been presented to the public.  Critics argue that no public mandate has been issued, and that ‘Treaty principles’ are embedding ‘co-governance’ directly into council operations.   Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking the agreement has absolutely nothing to do with co-governance, and is instead about protecting Lake Taupō.  He says that when people actually look at and understand the deal, they’ll understand it’s about protecting the lake and ensuring it remains one of the cleanest in the world.  “It’s just all about the lake, nothing to do with co-governance at all.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support for the Government's move to change rigid insulation standards.  It's expected building code insulation requirements will be relaxed by year's end in a bid to cut construction costs.  The Government's called the changes "common sense", with building costs rising more than 40% since 2019.  Building Industry Federation CEO Julien Leys told Mike Hosking the current 'one size fits all' approach isn't working.  He says the rules force people to use an exact amount of insulation, meaning it's expensive and over the top.  The Government's also looking to make the Far North a separate 'climate zone', stating the region’s warmer climate allows for a more tailored approach.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I feel there should be a rule, and the rule is around balance.  Part of the media's demise is its unfairness in coverage, the latest example of which is the school lunch programme.  We have a smattering of coverage. When I say smattering, I have found two things.  One is by Radio NZ, who have the same stats as story number two by the Herald.  Radio NZ, once they produced the stats, clearly couldn't help themselves, given it was good news, so they went and found a miserable principal to moan some more about the lunch programme.  Their moan was, given the previous moaning didn’t work and things aren't going back to the way they were, they must have given up.  By the way these are the numbers: 99%+ delivered each day, complaints down by 92% and students positive feedback through the roof.  The Herald's story contained the term 3 testing news: new meals, with students in the trial posting 73% positive feedback.  By any standards these numbers are a success story. Where there was trouble at the start, the trouble has been fixed.  So, to fairness. Very little the Government did this year got more media spotlight than school lunches. The TV news in particular went to town on it, night after night, after night, melting plastic, burnt kids, shots of mush, finger pointing, union representatives and delivery delays. It was a feeding frenzy, and the media were in, boots and all.  So where are they now?  Apart from two stories, where are they now? We have stats and detail, we have a fix, we have happy kids and, do remember, the reason for it all in the first place, we have money saved and a lot of it.  And not just money saved, but more kids actually getting fed.  So as an exercise we are doing more with less and the recipients are happy.  So where are the stories? Where is the balance? Where is the fairness?  The rule should be minute for minute, column inch for column inch. If you loved the pile on, you have to be back to present the end result.  You have to do the right thing. You have to provide the other side, the balance and the outcome. If you don’t then the charge of bias sticks.  You look like an attention seeking, clickbait warrior and your pleas for the value of journalism fall flat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The scorching heatwave sweeping Europe has claimed lives.  Six people have died as temperatures top 40C, with three deaths in Italy, two in Spain, and one in France.  In parts of Italy, admissions to emergency units has risen by 15-20%, with a majority of patients being elderly.  Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that the government is issuing alerts saying that those working in construction or working outdoors should be out of the sun between 12:30 and 4pm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s property values are ticking back up again.  New data from Cotality has revealed a 0.2% national increase in June, reversing the 0.1% falls that came in April and May.  The medium house price remains around the $815,000 mark, with Tauranga and Christchurch both increasing by 0.6%.  Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking property values are fairly flat when averaged out over a few months.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.