The Mike Hosking Breakfast

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

  1. 7 hr ago

    Heather du Plessis-Allan: Hegseth's comments shouldn't upset New Zealand

    I don't think anyone should be offended by Pete Hegseth saying that New Zealand is freeloading off the American military.   This is not a controversial thing at all to say. The Australians have been privately complaining about us sponging off them for decades – they've urged us to lift our spend to 2% of GDP for decades.   We have kept our spending at only 1%, or thereabouts, for decades.   Wayne Mapp, the former Defence Minister, probably said the quiet bit out loud when he said yesterday that we don't need to lift our spending any higher than it is because we have so much water between us and everyone else that it makes us basically the safest nation on Earth. Which is A, probably what most of us think anyway about why we don't need to spend more, and B, an unbelievably short-sighted thing to say.   We know the world is heating up out there, right? From Ukraine to Iran to Taiwan. We know Xi wants to take Taiwan. Some reckon it's going to happen in months, not years, worst case scenario. We also know that we don't know what that sets off in our part of the world.   Now Mapp is right in what he's implying. An invasion of New Zealand is not really a concern, but shipping routes are, aren't they? Just look at what's going on with the Strait of Hormuz – imagine that's us trying to get our food out and our fuel in.   We would not be able to keep a shipping route open by ourselves. We would need Australia or the States, and they are not going to help us if we're not prepared to help as well. Our gear is getting old, our frigates need replacing, they're old tech anyway. A billion dollar frigate can be sunk by a $300 drone nowadays, so we're going to need drones and we're going to need lots of them.   We can't look around the world in 2026, as our only ally, Australia, spends more on defence, and as NATO lifts its spending, and see China making inroads into the Pacific and think we don't need to up our dollars as well. Of course we do.   Say what you like about the shortcomings and the errors of the Trump administration, and there are plenty, but there is one thing they have been right about and have actually managed to start fixing, and that is that Western countries need to spend more on defence, and that includes us.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2 min

  2. 8 hr ago

    Rod Liddle: UK Correspondent on the latest batch of Mandelson files, rifts in the Labour Party

    The latest batch of files relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment to be released is reflecting poorly on the UK’s Labour Party.   More than 1,500 pages of messages, emails, and other correspondence was released, and among them was criticism of Sir Keir Starmer by both Mandelson and other ministers.  In May 2025, Mandelson told Minister Pat McFadden that Starmer “lacks verve”, and the same month, cabinet minister Pat McFadden criticised government policy on public spending and welfare, saying “every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others."  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the files are uniquely embarrassing to the Labour Party.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  3. 8 hr ago

    Commentary Box: Jason Pine and Andrew Saville discuss the Warriors v Panthers, Super Rugby Pacific, Tim Payne

    Returning after the long weekend, Jason Pine and Andrew Saville joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to recap this weekend's sporting events. On today's agenda:  The Warriors fell short against the Panthers, the game ending with a tight 20-18 score in favour of the Australian team. Is it a good idea to rest your star players? The decision saw the Hurricanes lose to the Crusaders, but the Chiefs still claimed victory over the Blues. NZ Rugby is denying claims they're blocking Fehi Fineanganofo's move to the UK to instead have him join Dave Rennie's All Blacks squad. And Tim Payne has overtaken the All Blacks in terms of Instagram followers after an endorsement from an Argentine influencer saw his fame skyrocket. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 min
  4. Full Show Podcast: 02 June 2026

    8 hr ago

    Full Show Podcast: 02 June 2026

    On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 2nd of June with Heather du Plessis-Allan, the number of times school staff are having to physically restrain students has risen.  The Prime Minister joins on a Tuesday to respond to Pete Hegseth's "freeloading" comments and discusses what they're going to do with superannuation in this year's election.  Jason Pine and Andrew Saville take us through the long weekend of sport, including the game of the NRL season so far between the Warriors and Panthers.  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.

    1hr 31min

  5. 9 hr ago

    Luci Ellis: Westpac Group Chief Economist compares economic outlooks, unpacks whether NZ will become Australia's tax haven

    The chief economist of one of the largest banks across the Tasman is quashing talk of New Zealand becoming Australia's tax haven.  A recent Australian newspaper declared the country's recent capital gains tax changes had lifted our appeal to local property investors due to our lack of capital gains, stamp duty, or land tax.   Westpac Group's Luci Ellis told Heather du Plessis-Allan there won't be as many concessions for new purchases of existing homes for rent, but negative gearing is still an option on new builds.   She says while some Aussies might find a New Zealand property attractive, if what they're motivated by is the tax concessions, they can still buy a new build in Australia.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    5 min

  6. 9 hr ago

    Anhar Khanbhai: Wise's Travel Spending Expert on the number of Kiwis going over-budget when overseas

    A reminder to watch our spending while overseas.  A survey by money transfer company Wise has found almost half of respondents say they spend in the moment and worry later, and a similar number say money doesn’t feel ‘real’ overseas.  More than four in ten say they go over-budget.  Wise's travel spending expert Anhar Khanbhai told Heather du Plessis-Allan that over-spending becomes really easy as a result of the complexities of managing money overseas and the use of bank-issued cards.  She says those cards are really expensive, having both a foreign transaction fee and using inflated exchanged rates. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  7. 9 hr ago

    Lisa Woods: Amnesty International NZ Movement Building & Advocacy Director on the cross-sector call for digital accountability from platforms like Facebook and TikTok

    Amnesty International says it's entirely possible for New Zealand to take on big tech.  Several media companies, industry groups and other organisations have signed an Amnesty open letter, calling for a stronger crack down on digital platforms like TikTok and Facebook.  They're calling for an independent regulator to manage risks like fraud, extremist content, and misinformation.  Amnesty International NZ Movement Building & Advocacy Director Lisa Woods told Heather du Plessis-Allan we already hold other big companies to account.  She says they want big tech platforms to face requirements such as a duty of care, to identify and reduce risks, and explain how their systems work.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2 min

  8. 10 hr ago

    Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister on accusations NZ's freeloading off the US military, Budget 2026,

    “We choose our defence spending and no one else,” the Prime Minister says as the United States continues to pressure other nations, including New Zealand, to increase military spending. Speaking with Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast, Christoper Luxon has backed New Zealand’s defence spending. Luxon denied New Zealand is “freeloading” off America after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired comments at New Zealand over the weekend. “We choose our defence spending and no one else,” Luxon said. “I’m damn proud we’re doubling [the budget] it’s been run down over 30 years and it’s a big job building it back.” He said spending 2.5% of the country’s GDP on defence was “a start and a good place for us to get to” in wake of recent conflict. Luxon confirmed New Zealand is going to maintain its nuclear-free position. “It’s [nuclear-free] one of the best things we’ve done. “I’m very proud and it isn’t changing while I’m prime minister. Period.” Over the long weekend, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue defence and security conference that New Zealand was “freeloading” off the US military. The claim came in response to a question from Kiwi journalist Anna Fifield, after Hegseth said allies that “refuse to stand up and carry their weight for our collective defence will face a clear shift in how we do business”. At the Singapore conference, Hegseth said he expected allied governments to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence. Last week’s Budget outlined how New Zealand will boost defence spending to just over 2% of GDP over eight years. Fifield asked Hegseth if that meant New Zealand was considered a “free rider”. Hegseth said 2% of GDP was not enough, so “2% is freeloading” – though he also said New Zealand and the US’ relationship had been “a very fruitful one for a very long time”. Allies couldn’t just say: “‘Oh, we’ve been friends for a long time, so let’s work together’,” Hegseth said. “It’s: ‘We’ve been friends for a long time so you better have the same visibility as we do, because if we don’t, our alliance is meaningless’.” Hegseth also said he didn’t have anything against New Zealand and was looking forward to working with New Zealand’s Defence Minister and ”enhancing capabilities". Defence Minister Chris Penk was in the audience. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 min
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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

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