The Mike Hosking Breakfast Newstalk ZB

The European Parliament Election kicks off today, the first since Brexit. 

The Parliament acts as a co-legislator for the European Union, the body directly elected by EU voters every five years. 

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seen as a frontrunner for the Parliament. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that they’re looking to young people to really make the difference when it comes to voting. 

She said that there are indicators that younger people are shifting to the right, which could work in Meloni’s favour. 

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It was a fiery debate in the UK ahead of the election.  

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour party challenger Keir Starmer have gone head-to-head in the first face to face.  

Starmer's questioned the Conservative's leader's belief his economic plan's working.  

He says Sunak knows inflation's going up and energy prices are going up in the autumn, and if he'd thought the plan was working, why's the election being called now.  

Sunak says that's ironic, because Starmer's called for an election since he got the job.  

He says the plan is working, people are only starting to feel the benefits now, but inflation is normal, wages are growing, and taxes are being cut. 

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Sunak won easily and convincingly. He said that his win wasn’t enough to reverse the polls, but it’s maybe enough to shove 2-3%. 

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Local body politics is having a bit of a week in the sun. 

They have formed a group, as we told you Tuesday, to look at ways of pumping up voter turnout and the possibility of a four-year term. 

The Government's change of rules around Māori wards has also seen the local authorities front up and have their say at a select committee. 

On that specifically they are bogged down, and they don’t even seem to know it, by something that never had to be as problematic as it has turned out to be. 

The old rule was if councils decided to introduce Māori seats or wards, the locals who hadn't been consulted got to run a vote if they got 5% of the ratepayers backing one. 

When they did hold the vote, it was a landslide win telling the councils Māori wards weren't wanted. 

Labour changed that rule without consultation. You weren't allowed to vote anymore. Councils could do whatever they wanted with no checks and balances. 

This Government wants to flip the law. 

Mistake number one as argued this week, is that it's central Government overreach. They forget they are the same councils who cry poor to Government's over everything from infrastructure to storm damage to GST collection. You can't have it both ways with central for the money and local for the power. 

The second mistake is that the answer has been in front of them all along. It's called democracy. 

Before they started gerrymandering the system anyone could stand, and still can. If they got enough votes they were elected. 

Because not many Māori stood some bright spark argued race-based policy was an answer. Stack the rules, Māori get a different deal and it's been downhill ever since. 

When the rule is that anyone can stand, there are no barriers and you have no problems. The freedom to stand, the freedom to debate and the freedom to contest the vote is a good, clean, clear system and, most importantly, a level playing field. It's fair. 

When you mess with it you strike trouble and here, we are years later trying to untie the mess that race-based bias creates. 

Keep it simple. Listen to the people. Value democracy. 

You might find more people actually turn up to vote. 
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It’s been an intense year politically in the United States, with both the presidential election and Donald Trump’s trial and conviction. 

His sentencing is next month, but before that is the first debate between Trump and Joe Biden, taking place June 27th. 

Nick Bryant, a former US Correspondent and author, has written a book about the hate and decisiveness in the States and the role it plays in its history.  

The book is titled ‘The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself’. 

Bryant told Mike Hosking that the past reflects the current times, and Donald Trump is as much a product of American history as Nixon, JFK, or Ronald Reagan. 

He said that a lot of presidents have had surprisingly authoritarian tendencies, and the American people like this kind of president, the strong man type. 

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A review of Early Childhood regulations is said to be long overdue. 

Regulation Minister David Seymour says the sector needs a closer look, to better affordability, access and regulation for the sector. 

Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube said that the system they have is just not fit for purpose. 

He told Mike Hosking that it’s so complex, and some of the regulations are conflicting with each other. 

Regulations get applied inconsistently, Laube said, and one minor infraction could mean the loss of their licence. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 6th of June, the man representing the whistleblowers in the Te Pāti Māori Census and vaccine allegation scandal joined to discuss the details. 

The Government is looking to change the rules around leave, so both the employers and the union gave us their thoughts. 

Famed former American correspondent Nick Bryant was back on the show to talk his new book, Trump's conviction, and the upcoming first debate. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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