The Mike Hosking Breakfast

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 20th of November, Minister for Rail Winston Peters discusses the new ferry deal and whether the timeline will be stuck to.   The phone ban in schools is working, according to a new ERO report, but we need teachers to be enforcing it more.  Kiwi singer Paige has gone from strength to strength since she last joined the show in 2021, so she came back on for a song and a chat with the release of her new EP.  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.

Doctors in Health New Zealand's emergency departments could soon be saving precious time with the roll out of a helpful AI tool.  AI technology Heidi creates a written transcript of doctors' consultations and makes a medical note.  Country-wide trials show clinicians could see an extra patient per shift, while bringing down average documentation time from around 17 minutes to just over four per patient.  Heidi New Zealand Clinical Director Ben Condon told Mike Hosking the AI not only creates a written transcript, but can also use templates to create medical notes, discharge summaries, and referral letters, among other things.   He says doctors will still be responsible for reviewing the notes and letters for accuracy, but time will be saved by having them ready to review in real time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Schools need more support from parents to get the most out a student phone ban.  A "phones away for the day" policy's been in place since Term Two last year.  An Education Review Office report shows two thirds of teachers saw a rise in student achievement, but only half of students are following the rules.  Head of ERO Education Evaluation Centre Ruth Shinoda told Mike Hosking the number one reason students contravene the ban is to contact family.  She says parents should phone the school office instead of their child, and shouldn't answer if their child calls.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s encouraging evidence that the "cool" component of vaping among young people is shifting.   The 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey shows smoking prevalence is at 6.8% – a slight decline on last year, with 12% of adult Kiwis vaping daily.  Associate Health Minister Casey Costello told Mike Hosking the Government's cracked down on enforcement for vaping that wasn't in place before.  She says the last two years have seen youth vaping coming down and the drive to keep under 18s out of the vaping environment is paying dividends.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minister for Rail Winston Peters believes the binned iRex ferry plan would have meant major infrastructure issues that are no longer a worry.  He's announced the two new Interislander ferries are expected to come in on time and under budget, for less than $2 billion.  Peters told Mike Hosking Tasmania is struggling with two new ferries and no infrastructure and he doesn't want to see the same problems here.  He said he got a really hard-nosed, tough, experienced team to sort out the ferry plan, and they’ve done a marvellous job.  “In less than 11 months they have put together a solution at all ends.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A registered GP has concerns about the issue of puberty blockers being handled by politicians. No child or young person experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence will be able to start taking gonadotropin-releasing hormones from December 19.  Health Minister Simeon Brown says Cabinet has agreed to new settings until the outcomes of a major clinical trial in the UK – expected in 2031.    Dr John Cameron told Mike Hosking he commends the move but is unsure about the motivations.   He believes it has been made on health grounds, but still thinks it needs to leave the political arena.   Cameron says the safety of puberty blockers has been a topic of discussion in medical circles for a long time.   He told Hosking, if they weren't safe, they would be banned across the board.   But he says there is uncertainty on their long-term safety and effectiveness.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 19th of November, BusinessNZ is calling for cross-party vision and a solid plan to strengthen New Zealand by 2050 in order to avoid a dire economic future.   It’s been revealed that the Ministry of Social Development has handed out $38 million in business start up grants for seemingly very little return. Welfare expert Phil O’Reilly discusses the situation.   Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the Hutt Bridge scandal, the Greens wanting to repeal the mining plans, and Hipkins' engagement on Politics Wednesday.  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.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mike Hosking was joined by Labour’s Ginny Andersen and National’s Mark Mitchell to delve into the biggest political stories of the week thus far.   They discussed the Hutt Bridge situation, whether Labour backs the Green Party’s mining policy, and the anniversary of the Pike River tragedy.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big turnaround for fisheries company Sanford with the reveal of their latest profits.   They’ve reported an after-tax profit of $63.7 million – a 224% increase for the year to September.   Cash flow was also up 85%, helping cut debt by nearly half to $93.4 million.  Sanford Managing Director David Mair told Mike Hosking that by focusing on customers, they’re turning the business around.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New game-changing headgear has been developed to protect junior rugby players.  After more than a decade of study into the causes and consequences of head collisions by rugby players, Canterbury University researchers have developed new soft shell protective headgear for juniors.  It could be on sale early next year.    Professor Nick Draper told Mike Hosking that all the money they generate from sales will be reinvested into research.  He says their focus is on how they can make the game safer for young people.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.