The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Signs of a turnaround in the retail sector as sales rise.  Stats NZ data shows sales jumped by $239 million in December, compared to the September quarter – up nearly one percent.  The growth was driven by pharmaceuticals and other store-based retailers, as well as electronic goods and hardware supplies.  First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mike Hosking some of this is discretionary spending which is a great sign.  He says potential interest rate rises could have an impact in future, but they're hoping the momentum will continue.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns using vaping as a tool to quit smoking contradicts the rest of the world. Health New Zealand's free vape programme has given out more than seven thousand devices to smokers, despite Newstalk ZB revealing last year's trial had a success rate of less than half. Now, a half-million-dollar contract has been signed to provide the devices through New Zealand-owned company, Alt. Auckland University vaping researcher Kelly Burrowes told Mike Hosking it isn't recommended as a quitting tool, due to the risk associated. She says that's why other countries aren't doing this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of February, Trade Minister Todd McClay responds to Trump's latest tariff threat and whether it's real and can be enforced. The Prime Minister comments on the tariffs, the surcharges bill and the public sector vs what the Government want to achieve. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville cover off the sport and concerts over the weekend. 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.

It's taken a while but we got there at last. Move-on orders. Clear lines of responsibility and delineation for police to actually fix a problem that has existed for too long in our central city areas. As the debate bounces back and forward this week have a look at those who ask "where do they go?" They ask that because it’s the easy question to ask. It’s the point-scoring question to ask. It’s the question you ask when you don’t actually have to deal with the problem. The previous Government, who will be one of the people asking that very question, stuck them in motels and ruined entire towns like Rotorua. They stuck them in social housing and ruined entire neighbourhoods, as the agency responsible evicted exactly zero people despite antisocial, and often criminal, behaviour. In other words they gave greater priority to troubled menaces than they did to wider society that simply wanted to get on with life. Downtowns, whether Wellington, Christchurch or Auckland, need help and have needed help for years. We were at lunch a couple of weeks ago in the central city for a birthday. The drugged-out woman screaming her head off on the bench outside was doing her best to ruin everyone's Saturday. The music in the restaurant had to be turned up to a level that you could no longer hear each other talk. But what was the proprietor supposed to do? What is any business supposed to do when you have to step over the down and out, the drugged out and the violent, simply to unlock your door? The apologists paint these people as harmless. They are not. They paint them as lost and wayward. They are not. They are law breakers who cause a disproportionate amount of trouble to people who don't deserve it. As a result of an apologist mentality no one has known what to do, like retail crime and Yaris' through windows a few years back. Toughen up the laws and you'll be amazed how quickly the problem gets solved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was drama on and off the pitch for Wellington Phoenix this weekend. Following a 5-0 loss to Auckland FC, coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned from his role as coach. The team still faces eight games before the playoffs, with the team currently placed 10th in the A-League.  Former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert told Mike Hosking that time will tell if this is the right decision.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says visitors should be able to enjoy new investments in our city-centres - without feeling intimidated. The Government's introducing "move-on" orders - allowing Police to order people begging and sleeping rough,  to leave a public space for up to 24 hours.  They'll be slapped with a $2000 fine or up to three months’ imprisonment if they refuse. Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that in Auckland alone, the City Rail Link will be up and running later this year - and the International Convention Centre's already bringing in visitors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association has concerns around newly announced "move-on" orders - to deal with disorderly behaviour and homelessness. The Government is moving to give Police the power, to order someone sleeping rough, or begging, to leave a public space for up to 24 hours.  They could face fines of up to two thousand dollars or spend three months in jail if they refuse. President Steve Watt told Mike Hosking that they know there's a problem there - but Police will have a lot of other call-outs. He says they don't have the staff to deal with this issue - as this is yet another job they'll have to do with already stretched resources. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's relentless push for tariffs has thrown yet another spanner in the works of global trade - but New Zealand exporters might fare okay.  The President's introducing temporary 15% tariffs to replace those enacted last year, after the Supreme Court outlawed them.  It's unclear if the mechanism he's using to justify the new levies stacks up, as it applies when the US faces a balance of payments deficit. Trade Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking that we were facing mostly 15% tariffs already, so not much has changed for our exporters.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business appears to be booming in most parts of the country. ABC's quarterly market report shows business sales are up 28 percent on this time last year, with average prices up three percent. It finds 507 completed sales over a 12 month period - a new historical high. ABS Business Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking that there's a link between sales and the current state of the economy across the country. He says in line with the economy, the South Island is up 70 percent year on year in business sales, while Wellington is down 10 percent.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2500 job applications. That’s got clickbait written all over it, doesn’t it?  One job supposedly had 2500 applications. One headline added that the company boss was shocked.  Oppo is your company and in the story of their job they are looking to fill is some good news. Mainly, that the job is here and not long ago it wasn’t.  It’s a call centre job and the call centre has been relocated back to New Zealand, which is one of those weird job things.  I thought we went through this years ago when it was broadly accepted that call centres offshore did save you money, but language and actual help on the phone generally was so bad they gave up.  Anyway, they must have advertised the job globally through international sites because only 44% of the applicants were actually from New Zealand, so 2500 becomes a pretty misleading number.  44% is still a lot of applicants. But here is the other thing you will have learned in this tight job market of late.  A lot of people apply for literally everything, whether they want it, can do it, or not, they apply. They waste people's time, are not genuine applicants and are a nightmare for HR.    Just for the record, this is not to say jobs aren't tight because we all know they are.  But the inference in these stories is that times are desperate, and they are not. Jobs are available if you're determined.  Which is the next point – those who have dealt with call centres, and that is most of us, don’t get what you would loosely call a world class experience.  Like a lot of jobs that are front facing, they are filled with —how do we put it nicely— gormless people, people who have bad attitudes, don’t want to help, don’t know how to help, don’t know what you're asking, don’t have answers and are not empowered to basically do anything.  A lot of useless people have work. It’s a frightening fact. Are all the people without work better than the useless ones with work? Or are they even worse?  Also, tragically, that many applications for a low skill job tells you the decay of our economy; too many people with too little to offer.  Answering a phone is not a career path.  So 2500 people and shock. Like too many stories, it's not the real story.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.