The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The most uplifting part of the week for me in terms of news was the combination of Winston Peters and his very wise words over diet and work.  The statistics department released the numbers of those who are working beyond 65-years-old. In fact, not just 65, but 70, 80 and 90-years-old.  For Peters, what made the advice so useful is you can argue he has never been more relevant and effective.  Age is one thing, but performance is another.  If you take the politics out of it, he would be the match for anyone in the current political game. There would be few, if any, that would question his work ethic, the miles he is covering and the effort he is making in putting us back on the international map.  And he is doing it at almost 80-years-old.  The trouble with age is we still focus on the number. Say whatever you want about Trump but he is a good 78-years-old while Biden was a very poor 82-years-old.  In fact, I am surprised that 65-years-old is still a thing. It only gets attention because of superannuation. There is an official attachment to the age – you get money for a so-called lifetime of work, you can retire, you are old, so you get a gold card for a ferry ride, etc.  The really upbeat aspect of all this is that it wasn’t so long ago that age in work was an issue, but for negative reasons.  Older workers were let go, they had trouble getting new jobs and roles for women of a certain age in Hollywood became a thing.  It all seems to have been reversed.  Dare I suggest it has been helped by the reputation, whether real or imagined, that the so-called new generation aren't really as interested in work.  Covid ruined a lot of us. Work-life balance became a thing. Work from home became a thing. Quiet quitting became a thing.  As more and more younger people moaned and complained and slacked off, the diligence, consistency and institutional knowledge of the older worker increased in value.  Winston Peters' knowledge and experience in Parliament is to be seen any Question Time you want to look. He runs rings around most of them.  He has purpose. And as the Asian cultures in particular will tell you, age is but a number and purpose is everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back on the air, joining Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  They discussed the Liam Lawson situation and Bob Geldof – who Mike interviewed earlier this week.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand winemakers are continuing to make moves in the US.   Amid an uncertain market, we were the only nation in the top ten US wine suppliers to increase its volume last year.  Data suggests it’s the 16th year in a row New Zealand wine has reported growth.   Invivo Wine Founder Tim Lightbourne told Mike Hosking there’s big opportunities over in the States, with New Zealand wines being sold right around the country.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 28th of March, it’s official – Eden Park will be getting a revamp, and Auckland won't be getting a new stadium.  Kiwi’s trust in our public institutions is eroding over time – a survey revealing it’s at its lowest point since 2022.   Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss Bob Geldof with Mike 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.

Liam Lawson has had the keys taken off him at Red Bull and will complete the Formula 1 season with the franchise's Racing Bulls development team.  He lasted two Grands Prix before management decided to replace him with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda for his home event next weekend at Suzuka.   The switch confirms widespread speculation.  BBC Formula 1 correspondent Andrew Benson told Mike Hosking the line CEO Christian Horner is running about “duty of care” is them trying to dress the situation up as best they can.  He says getting rid of someone after two races isn’t duty of care by any stretch of the imagination, and instead, giving him a chance to try and perform better would be.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trust is eroding over time in our public institutions.   The Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer reveals 67% of New Zealanders express a sense of grievance with business, media, government and NGOs – surpassing the global average of 61%.   Many feel overlooked by those in power and disillusioned as a result  Acumen Chief Executive Adelle Keely says it's a wake-up call for those in charge.   She says for the past few years, businesses have been the most trusted institution - but this year for the first time, no institutions are trusted at all.  Keely told Mike Hosking it's a worldwide trend.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says they've over-delivered on their promise to save money from public sector job cuts.  Latest Public Service Commission data shows the core workforce decreased 4% in the year to December 2024.  Public Service Minister Judith Collins says the Government's expecting to save $800 million by June – double the initial target.  Nicola Willis —the coalition government's initial Public Service Minister— told Mike Hosking the money saved is going into much better purposes.  She says it’s instead going into things like the Family Boost Policy, to support early childhood education costs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Eden Park remains hopeful of convincing the Government to help fund a major expansion.  Auckland councillors have voted to back the upgrading of the stadium over the building of a new arena near the waterfront.  But Eden Park has yet to secure any public funding.  Chief Executive Nick Sautner told Mike Hosking work will now begin on making a case to government.  He says while everyone's doing it tough right now, there are opportunities for money to be re-allocated and invested in New Zealand's national stadium.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review confirms better access to care should be a key priority.  Health New Zealand's released a Clinical Quality and Safety Review using data from the past decade.  It reveals the number of people waiting more than four months to see a specialist tripled between 2020 and 2023.   Royal College of GPs Medical Director Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking fewer people are also choosing not to access care, especially since Covid.  He's concerned there's been a drop off in immunisations and cancer screenings.  However, there is a belief the quality of care is getting better despite taking longer to access it.   Bradford says there's been a decrease in surgical complications and better experiences had by patients in the system.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The problem with Red Bull and Liam Lawson is several fold.  One, the most egregious part is, if the reports are true, that Honda offered another $10 million to get their man Yuki Tsunoda in the seat. This is not new, they have done so before but were rebuffed.  Two, next weekend would be the first track Liam had actually driven on previously. Red Bull would have known this when they hired him. To have two races on unknown tracks is pretty tough.  Three, they hung in with other drivers who struggled a lot longer than two races. So suddenly the harshness has reached a new level and probably reflects an internal level of panic given the performance of other teams.  Four, they know Liam can actually drive the car. They saw it, they tested him, and he can do it. So, they are not guessing. They took a punt on him but not a blind punt.  So, you then have to look at the damage you are doing to a young driver and his confidence.  Yes, he is still in F1 and yes, the Racing Bulls are improving on what they did last year, but he will never win mainly because Racing Bulls is a feeder team to Red Bull, so they are not allowed to win.  Red Bull also carry responsibility for building a car that doesn’t work. Even Max Verstappen, the driver of his generation, is having trouble.  So Liam goes to a mid-field team to do what? Hopefully perform well to then be lured away to someone who can offer the hope of better prospects.  As exciting as living a F1 dream is, turning up each weekend to come 13th can't be that much fun after a while.  The cutthroat part though is life. The good thing about motor racing is they have been in it since they were kids. They have been schooled in winning and losing and in victory and failure.  Liam has had Helmut Marko in his ear forever. It's a tough and unforgiving business. But that’s the keyword, business. They aren't in it because they like you, they are in it to use your talent for as long as you are useful.  The reward is if you're good you get rich, famous, collect trophies, buy a place in Monaco, and live your dream.  If you're okay, you drive for Alpine or Sauber, travel the word, and get moderately wealthy.  It ain't over, but your heart goes out to a bloke who was that close.  He seems sadly to be on the end of some poor management, ruthless ethics, and the cold reality of elite sport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.