The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Reserve Bank isn't expected to change its course, despite inflation remaining higher for longer.  Stats NZ is providing its latest CPI update at 10.45am.  Economists expect the inflation rate to remain about 3% – the very upper end of the Reserve Bank's target range.  That's higher than forecast, reflecting a higher-than-expected rise in travel costs.  ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking it’s a little too soon to be thinking about hikes to the OCR, which is likely to be conditional on inflation.  He says the Reserve Bank likely feels that there’s still a bit of spare capacity in the economy, and that should be sufficient to push down domestic inflation, which should contribute to overall inflation going closer to 2%.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACC believes it's already seeing results from a new plan to dig itself out of a fiscal hole.  The plan's been released after a critical report that found its deficit would balloon to $26 billion by 2030.   It focuses on getting people back to work more quickly and significantly increasing the number of clients who have their own case manager as a single point of contact. ACC Chief Executive Megan Main told Mike Hosking it comes down to everyone playing their part.  She says ACC is having early conversations with people to manage cases that may be getting off track.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McDonald’s finally has the green light to build its golden arches in Wanaka, more than two years after first floating the idea.  The fast-food giant’s secured consent for a new restaurant in the town’s Three Parks commercial area.  It's almost a year after an earlier proposal was knocked back amid widespread public opposition.  Queenstown Lakes Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith told Mike Hosking the bid might’ve gone through first time if McDonald’s had aimed for a commercial zone from the start.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Destruction and tragedy have come in the wake of slips caused by record rainfall in the upper North Island.  Police have confirmed two bodies have been found following an early morning landslide on Pāpāmoa's Welcome Bay Road.  As well, a man is still missing after being swept away by the Mahurangi River north of Warkworth on Wednesday.  Hundreds of homes remain without power and there's widespread closures on the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne District on State Highways 2, 25 and 35.  Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking unfortunately tragedies like this happen with the amount of rain we received.  He says the ground loses its ability to soak up any more water, which is why slips have been so widespread across the eastern seaboard.  Rescuers at the base of Mount Maunganui have been working through the night and into the morning to find campers buried by a landslide.   A source has told the Herald there could be up to nine people unaccounted for —including children— after the hill gave way and smashed through a popular campsite and hot pools.   Mitchell told Hosking there's no timeline for how rescue efforts will unfold.   He says a lot of earth has come down and destroyed buildings, campervans, and caravans.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nod to Dunedin.  The place of my birth and a bunch of fairly happy years in the early part of my radio career.  We were back last month for the graduation of a daughter, now plying her trade in the medical profession.  Everything about it was awesome. It is what every city in this country should aspire to.  Christchurch has, rightly, got a lot of headlines for doing things well. And Dunedin is not Christchurch.  It has not been rebuilt or re-imagined and many bits of it are the same as when I worked there 30 years ago.  But a lot of bits are better.  The Ebb hotel is brilliant. It's perfectly placed and you walk everywhere.  Perhaps most importantly, everywhere we went, and I mean everywhere, people were friendly.  Not just friendly, but inquiring and helpful.  Not a shop was entered where we got anything but help and interest and advice and service. It was like New Zealand used to be, or that’s the way it seemed when you live in Auckland.  From restaurants to cafes, to an art gallery, to hotels and bars and rental car operators, every single interaction delivered. I honestly cannot remember the last time that happened.  I asked my daughter whether she would miss it. She said six years was plenty, so maybe living and visiting is different.  Mind you, the lady at Michael Hill said she had moved from Auckland and would never be back.  The airport is still too far from town. They built it with a vision, ironically, that the city would spread across the Taieri. It didn’t, well not enough, and I think we can conclude it never will.  It was sunny that weekend and 23 degrees and everyone told us how unusual all that was.  So maybe we got lucky – good weather, nice hotel, we bought three paintings, plane arrived and took off on time, daughter won some prizes so we were full of pride, food was good and service was professional and friendly.  So maybe we were lucky. Or just maybe, Dunedin rocks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an appetite for live comedy in New Zealand at the moment.   Major international players such as Jimmy Carr and Matt Rife have had their success, and now attention is shifting to local acts.  And Jeremy Corbett is a big part of that – headlining the upcoming ‘Weekend Laughs’ comedy showcase, is the star act for a show in Matakana next month, and is the host of our longest running comedy show ‘7 Days’, which is setting up for its 18th season.   He’s been doing comedy for over thirty years, telling Mike Hosking the real success is sticking around.   When ‘7 Days’ first went to air in 2009, Corbett had much lower expectations for its longevity.   "If you’d asked me, I would have gone, I reckon we could get five years,” he explained.  "Someone said to me, how, y’know, what’s the success?”   “And I think just sticking around, much like yourself Mike, if you stick around long enough, they can’t get rid of you.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 22nd of January, we go to Davos to react to Trump's speech on Greenland at the World Economic Forum.  We get the word from Tony Brown as to whether he is still interested in the All Blacks coaching job, and if he'd leave his South Africa contract early for it.  Comedian Jeremy Corbett talks the 18th season of 7 Days and headlining a couple of upcoming comedy shows.  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.

Despite record hydro inflows, the average Kiwi is unlikely to see any savings on their energy bills.   Inflows into the lakes hit 123% of the historical average in December – marking the second highest July-December period on record.  Generation volumes are also up 13% on the same time last year, pushing wholesale prices down.   Meridian Energy CEO Mike Roan told Mike Hosking the country’s energy stores are in better shape than they were in 2024, and compared to that period, we might even have the lowest wholesale electricity prices in the OECD.  However, while wholesale customers will see some savings, he says residential customers will see increases in their bills driven by Commerce Commission approved increases to the lines, and distribution and transmission charges that will flow through in the next few years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump may have turned down the heat by pledging no force will be used to take over Greenland, but he remains determined to control it.  The US President told a large audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos he wants immediate negotiations for acquiring the Danish territory – at one point calling it 'our territory.'  Nine News Europe correspondent Mimi Becker told Mike Hosking he's still sending a strong and pointed message to Europe.  She says Trump says they have a choice – saying yes and the US will be appreciative, or saying no and the US will remember.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Brown has admitted to frustrations around the vacant All Blacks coaching role.  The former first-five has confirmed he intends to honour his contract as an assistant with South Africa, rather than make himself available for inclusion in any New Zealand group.  Brown was a part of Jamie Joseph's pitch for the job in 2023, which lost out to Scott Robertson.  Brown revealed to Mike Hosking that Robertson sounded him out about joining the All Blacks a couple of months ago.  But he says his commitment to South Africa was four years and he’s always wanted to honour that.  “I’m just so frustrated that no one talked to me two years ago.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.