The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Warriors are back home after adding another tally to their scoreboard.  They emerged victorious from their clash against the Newcastle Knights, which followed on from their wins over the Roosters and Raiders.  Tonight will see them face off against the Wests Tigers at Go Media Stadium, with Luke Metcalf returning to the side after an injury.  Former captain Tohu Harris told Mike Hosking it’s been good to see how happy the players are and how that relates to their performance.   He says they’ve got some great senior players leading the way, and a raft of younger guys who got some valuable experience last year and are getting better and better.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strong growth in university enrolment numbers is bringing challenges for the tertiary sector.  Seven of our eight universities are up on last year in some form, with Auckland recording its biggest-ever Semester One intake.  Universities New Zealand Chief Executive Chris Whelan says the growth is in line with their forecasts, but it’s unfortunately above where Government projections had been and where funding is.  He told Mike Hosking two thirds of all jobs in the economy now require you to have at least two years of post-school education.  Whelan says higher education needs funding, so that people are able to get the necessary qualifications, and the skills and knowledge that comes with them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years of waiting are nearly over for Christchurch, with the city’s new stadium on the brink of opening.  Ministers and city leaders will attend this morning’s official launch of One NZ Stadium ahead of its first major event – Super Rugby’s Super Round on Anzac weekend.  Venues Ōtautahi Chief Executive Caroline Harvie-Teare told Mike Hosking residents have put up with a compromised stadium for years.  She says the focus is now on locking in top-tier events and securing long-term partnerships.  Harvie-Teare told Hosking they're lucky to already have partnerships with the Crusaders as well as the Warriors.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister isn't worried about possible shortages of key medical supplies as a result of the war.  Health officials are closely monitoring how the Middle East conflict could affect access to crucial health supplies.  Minister Simeon Brown has been seeking advice, particularly around the supply of helium, which is needed for MRI machines, often used in cancer diagnoses.  He told Mike Hosking suppliers primarily source stock from the US, and stocks seem to be healthy and on the way to New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes Auckland's new cruise terminal will re-attract people to our biggest city.  The new precinct will allow visitors to walk directly into the CBD, with the facility able to process up to 1,500 passengers an hour.   It includes the new Bledisloe North wharf, which will be able to take very large cruise ships.  Port of Auckland Chief Executive Roger Gray told Mike Hosking cruise operators now have certainty they can bring ships into Auckland, with facilities that are up to standard.  He says the facility comes with niche hull cleaning capabilities, and they've addressed other issues operators were worried about just a few years ago.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I note the whinging has started from EV owners as their fixed price deals for recharging their Nissan Leafs at home come to an end.  Some claim the new deals will be 50% higher. How can you possibly be surprised?  Did you think you would get away with it forever?  For a while the more deluded lauded the road tax loophole, until it got closed as well.  The power companies see EV owners as a new revenue source.  As petrol may or may not become a commodity not worth bothering about, at least for cars, car dealers will be licking their lips that a product three and a half short weeks ago they couldn’t shift for love nor money, may have a wait time as the desperados clamber in for something that unshackles them from the tyranny of oil.  But equally if it becomes a “thing”, and it's way too early to say whether it is or not, but if it does, power companies will not believe their luck.  An almost entirely new revenue stream, not just a whole new series of customers, but old customers paying way more now that they are hooked in.  We must remember power prices are rising because of renewable investment and basic line maintenance.  The Commerce Commission has allowed big increases for you and me to upgrade infrastructure so maybe the way to see an EV is not about the cost, although it is still cheaper.  But it's more about the convenience and despite the doom merchants, we are no longer running out of power.  In fact, in one of the countries more upbeat stories is we have seemingly transitioned, or will, pretty well in terms of base load and meeting ongoing, if not growing, demand.  It's why Sri Lanka has turned the neon signs off and told office workers to kill the air conditioning – they don't have Clyde or the Taupo geothermal. They need oil.  This won't be a moment for public transport. They've blown that. It's too unreliable. The current burst of patronage will vanish as quickly as it arrived.  But EVs might be having their moment. Once you are in one you may not go back.  That critical tipping point might have been provided by a war.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suffered her first major setback with a bruising referendum result.  Voters emphatically rejected the judicial reform, which proposed separating the careers of judges and public prosecutors, and splitting the magistrates’ self-governing body into two sections.   Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking the reforms were a bit muddy, and looked like a grab for power by the Meloni Government.  She says many Italians didn’t want the constitution to be touched in the first place, and on top of that, there’s a lot of disillusionment about Meloni’s close relationship with Donald Trump, particularly among young people.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jenni Smith is entering a brand-new era with the release of her long-awaited debut album.  The Kiwi pop country musician has been a part of the New Zealand country music scene since she was 12 – her first single, ‘T-Shirt’ hitting #3 on the official NZ Singles Chart.   Since then, she’s taken home the Songwriter of the Year Award at the 2018 NZ Country Music Awards and had a couple more charting singles, including her most recent, ‘Mirror’, which currently sits at #1.  “They tagged me on Instagram, and it just blew my mind,” Smith told Mike Hosking.   ‘Mirror’ is the first single of her debut album ‘Girl Next Door, a collection of diary-style songs three years in the making.   “I’ve been working on it for three years, so exciting is like, a lesser word for it,”  While there are artists out there who create rapidly, making and recording artists in very short periods of time, Smith told Hosking her timeframe didn’t come from overthinking, but rather from necessity.  “I’m an independent artist,” she said.  “So I have to find the time to record, but also fund it myself.”  Smith has been honing her craft over the years, graduating a few years ago with a degree in songwriting from the University of Auckland.   “I definitely learned a lot in my time studying songwriting,”  “I think it made me think a little more in depth about what I’m writing – it arguably made my songwriting process slower, because I go back and tweak things multiple times, but I think it paid off.”   ‘Girl Next Door’ is releasing tomorrow, and as part of the launch, Smith will be performing some intimate shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new review by the Financial Markets Authority found most Kiwis aren’t getting the financial advice they need.  Just 28% of Kiwis sought advice in the last 12 months, despite rising debt and inflation pressures.  As a result, many people are making KiwiSaver, insurance, and retirement decisions without any guidance.  Financial Advice NZ CEO Nick Hakes told Mike Hosking people do want financial advice, but they don’t know how to access it or potentially, what it is.   He says as a culture, we’re not very good at talking about money no matter what our situation is, despite the fact that it’s often the biggest cause of stress.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 26th of March, the fuel issues continue. Jetstar has started cancelling flights to New Zealand, but Channel Infrastructure is looking at storing more fuel at Marsden Point.   The Ministry of Education is considering remote learning options as fuel costs increase, but Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the shift will only happen if we face severe disruptions.   Kiwi singer Jenni Smith has a new single and a debut album set to release tomorrow, so she joined us in studio for a song and a chat.  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.