The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The presidents of Russia and the US are both down as “maybes” for attending the peace talk with Ukraine, due to start later today.  Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy is personally attending the talks in Turkey and the Kremlin's sending a delegation – it remains unclear whether it'll include Vladimir Putin.  Donald Trump says he might turn up if the circumstances are right.   Former Foreign Minister Sir Don McKinnon told Mike Hosking Trump's involvement in the talks could be a bad thing.  He says he'd be prepared to give too much away, which undermines what liberal democracies like New Zealand believe in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doubts over the PSA's arguments on work from home policies.  The union's heading to the Employment Relations Authority after mediation didn't resolve differences with the Government on the issue.  The PSA claims a move to get more workers in the office will have a big impact on women.  Employment Law specialist Jennifer Mills told Mike Hosking she doubts the authority will side with the PSA.  She doesn't believe there's an argument that any changes are indirect discrimination.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Collins calls for “civility” in Parliament after suspending three MPs and attacks on female MPs. Collins praised Act MP Brooke van Velden for standing up for herself after using the c-word. Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi face 21-day suspensions without pay. Parliament Privileges Committee chair Judith Collins is calling for “civility” in the House after the decision to suspend three MPs without pay and attacks on female MPs. Collins said she was proud of Act MP Brooke van Velden for “standing up for herself” yesterday when she stirred major controversy by using the c-word in the House while attacking Labour for not condemning a column that used the word “c***” against female ministers. Yesterday, her committee’s decision was handed down to three Te Pāti Māori MPs after last year’s controversial haka. The committee recommended 21-day suspensions for co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, saying they should be “severely censured”. Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer face a heavy censure. It also recommended a seven-day suspension for MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke. Collins told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning the suspension also meant the MPs would go without pay during this time. She confirmed the suspension would be carried out consecutively. Collins said the committee had been “collegial” through the six-month-long process and only butted heads in the end when it came to handing down the penalties. “Even [the Green Party and the Labour Party] are differing from each other. “It’s a very severe penalty compared to what has been awarded in the past, it’s not only a suspension from the House, it’s a suspension of salary. “But then, we haven’t seen that level of behaviour before.” She said the committee’s decision would be tabled today before it was voted for on Tuesday. She said she expected it to pass. On Brooke van Velden’s use of the c-bomb in the House yesterday, Collins said she was proud of the Act MP for standing up for herself and the other women in the House being attacked. “I would say to Brooke, that I wouldn’t have used the word myself but I did feel that she did stand up for herself and all the rest of us and I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion… one MP, just one, to come out and say it’s not okay to attack someone just because you are not okay with what they do." She called reading the language in the column, which was written by Andrea Vance and published in the Sunday Star-Times, one of the “lowest points” in Parliament she has seen in her 23 years of service. “That and what happened on the 14th of November in Parliament. “It’s just the sort of behaviour towards each other that is despicable.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newly elected pope's preparing to deliver his inaugural mass this Sunday.  A number of world leaders are expected to attend, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Vice President JD Vance.  Newstalk ZB's Jo McKenna is in Italy and told Mike Hosking Pope Leo has been very active in his first week of his papacy.  She says he's made a number of unscheduled visits around Rome, repeating his message of world peace.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here is another example of the way the pay equity game is played by the media.  If you choose not to call a minister the c-word, you run a headline like this - "Ministers set to take big pay rises right after wiping 33 pay equity claims".  That’s the headline in Newsroom. It is dishonest in its inference.  It's emotive and it misrepresents what is happening. In that is the Government's battle to try and convince the casual observer there is merit in what they have done in changing the law.  First, a minister's pay and an equity claim are two completely different things.  Second, a minister's pay is not equity based because a woman minister gets what a male minister gets. Always has, always will.  Making it slightly more complicated, is a minister's pay is not merit based. They all get the same no matter how hard they work, how many portfolios they have and how good they are, or aren't.  Third, although the 33 equity claims were wiped, it doesn’t mean they were stopped from going ahead under new rules. It doesn't mean they won't succeed under new rules. We have yet to see how that unfolds.  Fourth, and part of the reason for the rule change, is a lot of the claims were not equity claims. They were bargaining, masquerading as equity from unions.  Fifth, the fact a minister gets a pay rise is not of a minister's doing. It's an independent body, over which a minister has no control.  Like an equity claim, the body looks at similar work to a minister's and makes a call based on those numbers. The irony is, who can you compare to a minister? You can't of course. A Prime Minister is also unique, so it’s a muddle. It's a system that is okay, only because we can't think of another one.  But at no point is it about equity.  The emotion of the debate overtook the rationale of the debate the moment Brooke van Velden made the announcement and it’s gone downhill ever since.  Sixth, the headline uses the word "claim". In ministerial pay there is no claim, just an occasional decision, independently reached.  So overall in terms of discourse around a detailed, if not complex, issue, apples and apples is what you might hope for, not immaturity and muddied waters.  Which is what we've got. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sussan Ley has become the first woman to lead Australia's Liberal Party.    She's been deputy for three years and has been appointed leader in a tight ballot, edging out Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor.   It comes after former leader Peter Dutton lost his seat in the recent election.   Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking Ley's switched on, as a qualified commercial airline pilot.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 14th of May, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is on after announcing the first Super Fund withdrawal will come years earlier than expected.  The Government is planning on investing $140 million into improving school attendance – Associate Education Minister David Seymour elaborates.   Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell discuss Jevon McSkimming, missing the new 500 police targets, and pay equity on Politics Wednesday.  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.

Netball officials are at the whim of the Commonwealth Games scheduling as they explore player eligibility options.  Pressure is mounting on the New Zealand governing body to allow overseas-based athletes to feature for the Silver Ferns.  The players' association has suggested moving the domestic tournament before or after the Australian competition, so their members can compete in both.  Netball New Zealand boss Jennie Wyllie told Mike Hosking they don’t control the Commonwealth Games, and it becomes difficult from a broadcast and commercial perspective when it keeps moving.  She says that ideally, they’d have some certainty, and the Games would sit outside of the window, but they’re at the whim of how the Federations plan it.  Wyllie's open to shifting the local competition from 2027.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A planned $3 billion inland port in Otago hopes to support soaring freight volumes in the region.  Construction of the Milburn Quadrant, north of Milton, is expected to start within two years.  It comes as forecasts predict freight volumes from Central and South Otago are expected to grow 30-40% over the next decade.   Project Developer Mark Johnston told Mike Hosking the development will include a 55-hectare inland port, offering freight storage and connected to the South Island’s main trunk rail line.  He says it will be similar to Hamilton's Ruakura inland port and offer land for other industrial development.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's conceded it'll likely miss its November target for 500 new police.  Under the National-NZ First coalition agreement, it aimed to reach the recruitment target within its first two years in office.  Police bosses say they've been facing challenges, with more trainees failing training and more people leaving the force.  Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they're not going to get hung up on the target.  He says they're going to deliver the 500, but standards matter, and they won't compromise.  Labour’s Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking that the closer they can get to what they promised the better, but they’re currently only sitting at 17 extra officers from when they started.  She says getting to 500 by November is virtually impossible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.