The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell is skipping today's National Party caucus retreat in Christchurch to deal with the unfolding weather situation in the upper North Island.  Watches and warnings are in place for several parts of the country.  Heavy rain is now battering Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula causing flooding in many places and completely cutting off Whitianga from both the north and the south.  Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking he'll be based in Auckland, so he can travel to where he needs to go.  He says he and the Prime Minister have agreed it's best if he stays there, as most of the severe weather is expected to hit the North Island's eastern seaboard.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought New Zealand is lagging behind international trends in university education.  Ministry of Education data shows 39% of adults aged 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or above in 2024 – up from 17% 20 years ago.  Universities NZ Chief Executive Chris Whelan told Mike Hosking compared with 65% in Canada and 54% in the UK and Australia, we’re trailing.  He says the New Zealand economy hasn't developed perhaps as quickly as others, but almost two-thirds of jobs now require at least two years of post-school training.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lawyer says documentary evidence will be considered in the inquiry of Tom Phillips' disappearance.   Him and his children were missing for four years when the saga ended with a shootout in September, killing the fugitive.   An inquiry into how agencies handled the case will begin hearing evidence today.   Lawyer and former police officer Matthew Hague told Mike Hosking he doesn't think there is obvious fault on the part of the police.   He says there will be things they could've done better, but it was a very complex situation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes our services sector is finally starting to turn a corner.  The latest BNZ – Business NZ Performance of Services Index shows the sector's growing after almost two years of contraction.  The sector accounts for more than two thirds of businesses, employing almost three quarters of Kiwis.  Business NZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking while this isn't a trend, it is a positive sign.  She says what was good about the result was the positive change came from indicators that mattered, particularly a rise in new orders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of all the nutty stuff Trump is up to, the most egregious is the DOJ-Jerome Powell investigation.  Powell —I have not one shadow of doubt— makes, along with his board members, decisions based on traditional economic or monetary thinking.  Trump does not.  Of course you can debate, as we have in this country, whether a governor or chair of a central bank is doing the right thing or a good thing. But what you don’t do is weaponize the law to hunt him down.  A central bank’s independence is the cornerstone of how a lot of the world’s economy works. It matters.  Which is why so many central bank chiefs came out in defence of Powell — one of which was our newly minted Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Anna Breman.  She is now, it seems, in trouble for doing so. Winston Peters I didn’t take that seriously, but Nicola Willis I do. And together I most certainly do. Both have now spoken out against her move. Willis says she should have taken advice.  Breman says she didn’t want to wake Willis at 3 in the morning. That worries me. I have woken the boss here at 3 in the morning because my computer password didn’t work. I would have no hesitation ringing Willis at a similar time. I worry about her weakness.  But more importantly — advice on what? Breman is independent. The irony is that the entire debate around Powell is about independence and the defence of it. Can Breman now only be independent if the government says so? And if that’s the case, how far removed from the Trump view of the world are Peters and Willis?  Are Willis and Peters scared of America and the White House? Would the advice have been: “Look, obviously you are independent, but please keep in mind we are scared witless of the nut job in Washington, so anything you can do to stop things getting messy would be appreciated”?  Or —if we are universally agreed Breman should have taken advice— is she in fact a loose unit? Have we hired the wrong person? A person who has put her foot in it having only been in the job 15 minutes?  So which is it? She is independent, and good on her? Or she is a puppet of government and she’s trouble waiting to happen?  Answers please. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conservative MPs are continuing to jump ship to Reform UK.  Andrew Rosindell is the second MP to defect in the span of a week, following on from Robert Jenrick, who was sacked as shadow justice secretary last week.   UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking it’s unlikely to stop until Reform starts showing signs of sagging in the polls.  He says there has been some resistance within the Party to the influx of Tories, as they don’t want it to become the Tory Party Mark 2.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe is split on how to handle Donald Trump's escalating attempts to take control of Greenland.   The US President's said he will impose tariffs on eight European countries unless he can buy the Danish territory.   Newstalk ZB's Paris Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking the bull is in the china shop, and leaders can't agree on next steps.   She says for example, the Germans want a combative approach behind closed doors while appearing conciliatory in public.  Field says on the other hand, the French President wants to use what they're calling the bazooka, which would see the US hit with $190-billion worth of tariffs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People can’t get enough of Sail GP.  There was an average of 18 million dedicated broadcast views per event in 2025, with both social media and the events themselves continuing to grow.   Black Foils co-CEO Blair Tuke told Mike Hosking the model’s proven itself.   Tuke attributes the sport’s growth to the fact that it’s a race that hasn’t been seen before, and it was built for the fans from the outset.   Because of that, he says, the league and teams have been able to pivot and adjust to follow what the fans and commercial partners want, which has helped with the trajectory.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 20th of January, Education Minister Erica Stanford downplays the number of teacher vacancies at our schools.  Mike finds out more about the new oil and gas exploration being proposed for some parts of the country.  Outgoing Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson talks the Prime Minister's comment the superannuation age will inevitably rise.  And Black Foils Co-CEO Blair Tuke joins Mike for an extended chat about the success of Sail GP and to look forward to the Auckland regatta.  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.

A couple of green shoots beginning to emerge in the energy sector.   US owned oil and gas company JETEX has applied for a permit to extract coal seam gas near Huntly, and Australia-based EnZed Energy has lodged an application for an offshore petroleum permit in Taranaki.   Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Mike Hosking this is what the restart of an industry looks like.  He says we’re seeing a rebuilding of a pipeline of prospects for the future, which means new entrants, new work programmes, and new possibilities.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.