The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The crackdown on drug drivers is due to start today. Starting in Wellington first, saliva testing will be used to test the drivers for 4 drugs; cannabis, meth, MDMA and cocaine. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the drug tests being used are new to police, and a trial period is necessary before a national rollout.  "We will scale it up, but the police have to make sure. It's a new form of testing, so it's important to trial it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An anti-Semitic terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach has claimed the lives of 12 people.  Thousands were attending a Hanukkah celebration just before 9 last night our time - when two gunmen dressed in black opened fire on the crowd.  At least 29 people are injured - including two police officers.  Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the attack is the worst since the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 - which left 35 people dead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The principal of Auckland's Diocesan Girls, School for Girls is stepping down after more than 16 years in the job. Heather McRae is the retiring principal of one of Auckland's biggest schools, and she says she's optimistic about the school's future, and the education of children in New Zealand.  She said she likes the changes that Education Minister Erica Stanford has made to the curriculum, saying a focus on making the curriculum more specific is the right move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Friday the 12th of December, Primary Principals have turned down the latest pay offer from the Government, saying it doesn’t acknowledge their workload.   It’s been revealed that water infrastructure is going to cost $9 billion more than originally expected after every council submitted their plan for Local Water Done Well.  Tim Wilson and Kerre Woodham talked AI, Air NZ, and the Willis v Richardson debate as they Wrapped 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.

Time Magazine has just named its Person of the Year for 2025.  And it’s not a single person. It is "the architects" of AI.  The magazine says "no one" had as great an impact this year than the people “who imagined, designed, and built AI".  This was the year that we stopped talking about how clunky AI is and instead started sprinting to deploy it as fast as possible. And now the risk-averse are no longer in the driver's seat.  Which may be true, but the risk averse are still a really big proportion of us, aren't they?  I think there are broadly three categories of people when it comes to AI;  1) The ones using it,  2) The ones apathetic about it and waiting to be convinced that they need it,  3) The ones terrified of it.  It's the terrified ones that fascinate me.  They're the unions convinced AI will take jobs. They're the 47% of Kiwis who don’t trust companies to use AI ethically. They're the rule-lovers who want the Government to set up more rules for AI.  They're the artists and musicians who are pretending that they can stop AI learning from (they call it stealing) their ideas. They're the people complaining that AI photos and videos and songs are somehow evil and misleading.  Resisting AI is not a strategy. It's happening and it’s not going away.  Resisting it is like a repeat of the resistance towards the computer decades ago, which even Time magazine called a fad at the end.  The way to deal with AI is to accept it's going to fundamentally change everything and then figure out how to make that work for you.  A case in point is Disney today giving OpenAI permission to use its characters, like Star Wars characters, to make videos.  Like Mark Cuban said on the show yesterday, AI is going to be big, and we have no idea how big yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US has escalated tensions with Venezuela and seized a tanker off its coast, described by Donald Trump as the largest ever seized.   He's otherwise keeping tight lipped, saying it was done for 'a very good reason'.   CNN reports it intensifies Trump's pressure campaign aimed at forcing the leader Nicolas Maduro out of power.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Heather du Plessis-Allan that while US officials are saying the seizure does not signal a broad scale war, Trump doesn’t want to rule an American ground invasion in or out.  He says the US has now carried out 22 attacks on Venezuelan drug boats, Trump saying that every drug boat leads to the deaths of some 25,000 Americans, but it’s unknown where he pulled that figure from.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come and Heather du Plessis-Allan was joined by Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed Air New Zealand’s new safety video, the Willis v Richardson debate, the quote of the year, and artificial intelligence.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The capital is on track for a star-studded Saturday with the premiere of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.  Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, and Jemaine Clement are all set to hit the red carpet in Wellington.  The 13th and 14th are set to be a huge boost for the local economy, hospitality, and screen sectors, the City Council says – the franchise now bringing $1.1 billion into New Zealand’s economy.   NZ Film Commission’s Head of International Attraction and Marketing, Philippa Mossman told Heather du Plessis-Allan the premiere is a really important and exciting occasion for the country.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of water infrastructure projects have been rising as councils learn more details about what's required.  Every council has now submitted their plan under Local Water Done Well programme.  As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is now expected to reach almost $48 billion – about $9 billion more than first thought.  Local Government New Zealand Vice-President and Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Heather du Plessis Allan they've taken a more detailed look into costings over the whole ten years than they previously had.  She says we're comparing a ten-year plan which wasn't as in depth, to the current very detailed plan.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s relief as the Government loosens rules on growing hemp, despite law enforcement concerns.  Cabinet's agreed to remove licensing requirements for industrial growing and handling crops, although growers must now notify Police and MPI before starting up.  A Regulatory Impact Statement shows Customs and Police warned of risks from illegal cannabis growers.  Hemp Industries Association Chair Richard Barge told Heather du Plessis-Allan its good news for the growers and the people who will produce the raw materials.  He says the supply chain will be well enhanced, and the next step now is to get the value chain established.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.