The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A timeline of sorts for the new $15 million ASB Classic roof in Auckland.   2027 is the “dream date”, with a more realistic timeline being before the 2028 tournament begins.   Tennis Auckland CEO Rohan West told Mike Hosking the consenting and planning phase takes a while and the construction is logistically challenging.  He says the ASB Classic starts its temporary build in the first week of October, taking about three months to put everything in place.  This means they have to stop construction on a roof, or have it completed, before that, and while completing the project in seven months is possible, West says, it’s probably unlikely.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Retirement Commissioner is asking for a careful and considered approach for changing the retirement age. During his State of the Nation speech yesterday, the Prime Minister said increasing the retirement age was inevitable. Christopher Luxon says as life expectancy rises, the pension age of 65 is too low. Jane Wrightson told Mike Hosking it's good it is now on the political agenda, so the people can hear ideas from all parties. She says political parties will need to discuss what the next decade will look like, and they need to carefully look at how all people will be affected by any changes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some relief is being felt by Auckland's local boards as the Government looks to back-track on its housing requirements.   The Government has mandated intensification plans for the city to open the door to two million potential homes over the next 30 years.  But Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says feedback clearly shows change is needed.  Orākei Local Board Planning Portfolio Lead Troy Churton told Mike Hosking he'd like to see a slower, more considered approach.   He says the plan was made to accelerate housing change, but the scale and bluntness has undermined the system.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister's unfazed by a rise in sector vacancies, saying these aren't the right figures to be looking at.   Around 450 teaching and principal roles remain vacant – 12% more than this time last year.  Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking most of these aren't full time.   She says it doesn't mean there are 450 classrooms without teachers, and she expects a higher vacancy rate at this time of year.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions over why our largest bank has hiked its floating home loan rate.  ANZ's lifted its rate 10 basis points to 5.79%.  It says the move, which brings ANZ in line with most other banks, reflects changing global and local conditions.  But Squirrel Mortgage Brokers Chief Executive David Cunningham told Mike Hosking it's raising interest rates because it can.  He says its floating rate is much higher than its one-year fixed rate.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t think there’s a scriptwriter in Hollywood who could out-dramatize real life right now. It seems the show is back just in time for a year of… who knows what. Venezuela - was it illegal? Probably. But the key question is: who is going to do anything about it? And if you protest, you look like you’re backing a dictator and a thug. Greenland? I think a deal where NATO boosts resources should have been done years ago - remembering the thinking behind it: if America doesn’t plant a flag, China might. Cuba? Colombia? Also linked to the China obsession Trump has. But they’re small fry - they’ll ultimately get settled and sorted. Minnesota? Proof there’s angst locally as well as internationally. Trump is rewriting the world. Note that Rubio keeps using the term 'Western Hemisphere' - that’s deliberate. It goes back to President Monroe in the 1800s. All of this is fascinating - not necessarily good or bad, but gripping nonetheless. If you’re watching the new Night Manager season… the overthrow of a government - is it fiction or a documentary? You don’t know these days. Locally… apart from being bored witless as local media obsessed over endless weather warnings and crime, we actually have a lot to look forward to. In case you forgot - this country is actually on a bit of a roll. The pre Christmas GDP number - Q3, so July, August, September - was gangbusters. While so many moaned about our lot, we were in fact going and growing very nicely, thank you. And there’s no reason to believe Q4, when we get it, won’t be about as good. So that sets the year up - an election year, with a Government that has delivered. We haven’t even got to Iran, or the astonishing cock up Albanese managed to make of the Bondi tragedy. The Supreme Court and tariffs - speaking of which, our India FTA came too late for the good news coverage it deserved. Oh - and the Federal Reserve DOJ scandal that dragged our Reserve Bank Governor into the political world of Winston Peters. You can’t make a lot of this stuff up - and yet it’s all happening. It’s all changing. It’s all on. What a year it’s going to be - awesome.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 19th of January, the Prime Minister joins Mike in studio to talk the state of the economy, the coalition and when the election date will be announced.  We find out about the New Zealanders who are moving to Australia who are finding out the grass isn't always greener.  The Commentary Box talks Scott Robertson's depature as All Blacks coach and the Blackcaps historic ODI series win in India.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m a bit exercised about Scott Robertson, because I like him and I thought he was a good coach. His record at Canterbury spoke for itself. The trouble in this country is that we can’t have a sensible conversation about All Blacks coaches, because so many of us come to it with myopic, emotional views driven by idiocy like geography and personality expectations that have nothing to do with the actual job. Hansen had pro and anti camps, as did Foster, and now Robertson. It all wastes too much energy. Also, we might just be a bit too energised because we’re a small country with not a lot else to think about. In the NFL at the moment, there are nine head coach vacancies — after eight sackings and one resignation. Over a quarter of all jobs in the NFL are up for grabs, and that isn’t unusual. As for the EPL, there’s a sacking every second day. What I can’t quite work out is this: when David Kirk says we aren’t where we need to be at this point in the cycle, what does that even mean? Where specifically do we need to be? Once upon a time, when the All Blacks won every test as of right, we still didn’t win the World Cup. So presumably, when we won everything, we must have felt in a good place. Also, how is it that Robertson is banned from going elsewhere? Not good enough to coach us, but too dangerous to ply his trade offshore? Apart from paying him to not work… I wouldn’t have taken that deal. I also can’t quite work out how much of this is player driven — and of that player feedback, how much is personal versus professional. How much responsibility does a player have for what happens on the field, as opposed to the coach? Back to the NFL — a bloke called Vrabel was sacked from Tennessee because they weren’t winning. After he left, they still aren’t winning. But the team he went to, New England, were hopeless until this year… they might be in the Super Bowl. So was that him? Luck? Or other factors? Someone always seems to have to pay the price whenever someone decides things aren’t right. Which is the other weird bit: the All Blacks’ winning record, in an increasingly competitive world, wasn’t that bad. So why the panic? Loyalty, consistency, and longevity are all traits of value. But you have to recognise them. If you don’t, you tend to make mistakes by going around sacking people with no real, obvious next step in place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville join Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the weekend's sports. On the table today: Australian cricket legend Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from the sport in a moving address,  Darryl Mitchell continues to impress for the Black Caps, and the Australian Open: $40,000 just to get eliminated immediately? Is it worth it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says his State of the Nation speech will focus on his plan for setting up the country's future  Chris Luxon is set to make the address at the International Convention Centre in Auckland this afternoon.  Newstalk ZB understands he will try to draw attention away from turbulent affairs overseas - and to the Government's successes back home.  Luxon told Mike Hosking that he won't be announcing policy - but will reveal a framework for going forward.  He says the speech is a chance to lay out where we're at,  and what's going on.  Chris Luxon says he will announce an election day shortly. LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.