The Mike Hosking Breakfast

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 12th of November, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers responds to the damning IPCA report into the handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming.  Did we get anything out of the Arms Act announcement?  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen give their thoughts on the police and their culture and how much damage has been done to their reputation 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.

It seemed like a thing, until it wasn’t.  Guns are like fluoride and the MSM – they get people angsty.  Out of the Christchurch mosque attack came the idea that gun law needed amending. The amending got another look when ACT came to power because they are libertarians and people with, broadly speaking, a common-sense view of the world.  The idea that the more you restrict weaponry the less likely you are to have a massacre is, of course, nonsense.  Like so many things the Ardern and Hipkins era was responsible for, real world policy for real world behaviour wasn’t one of them.  Nutters get guns. The fact Brenton Tarrant got his legally didn't change the equation, and that’s before you get to the bit that this is not a country of hot-head crazies with a long list of violent massacres.  It's true that we have a lot of guns per head of population. But that reflects our outdoors and rural lifestyles, as opposed to an American-type view of defending yourself.  Anyway, Nicole McKee, straight from the gun side of the equation, was going to have a look and from that came the expectation that some sort of major liberalisation was coming.  But it was not to be. Yesterday was more dabble than revolution.  The fact McKee and ACT have invoked the agree to disagree is either a sign of political maturity, seething anger, or possibly both.  If you listened to Mark Mitchell around the Police's role and the Firearm Safety Authority, National were never budging.  There is some stuff there about 3D printing, which makes sense. But overall, it puts this whole exercise into the category of a review, not an overhaul.  I personally never thought a loosening of access to these so-called "mass weapons" was a major, but I get a lot of people would have.  In a way it’s a good example of the disconnect between the country and city. The city would be aghast because the city doesn’t use guns or get it.  Most gun owners are regular people, burdened by the irregular thinking of the Arderns, who wouldn't know one end of a gun from the other.  McKee was from the other side of the argument but ultimately lost.  So carry on then. The angst was wasted. Nothing to see here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Division within Democrats as US Senators approve the final version of a Bill that could end the weeks-long Government shutdown.   The deal from a group of Democrats and GOP leaders will go to the House of Representatives, then will need signing into law by the President.   Under the deal, the Government will reopen in exchange for a future vote on extending Affordable Care subsidies.  Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley told CNN it's unlikely that vote will go anywhere, because Republicans have vastly different healthcare ideals.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the Democrats who flipped say that they’ve at least set the table for the debate in the midterm elections.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transporting New Zealand warns increases in Auckland port fees will be passed on to consumers.   Fees per container at peak times will increase from $130 to $180 in January 2026.   They'll then jump to $350 in January 2027.   Transporting New Zealand CEO Dom Kalasih told Mike Hosking that it would be one thing if the port was seeing productivity gains from the increases, but they’re not.  He says there comes a point in time where you have to wonder if this is just a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The implementation of roadside drug testing is being hailed as a huge step in the right direction.  From December, Police across Wellington can do random roadside saliva tests – screening for cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine.   They'll spread to cover the whole country by mid-next year.  Drivers testing positive will need to do a second test that checks for 25 substances.  Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Mike Hosking data shows 30% of all road deaths now involve an impairing drug.  He says it’s not going to be a game changer, but it is a massive move in the right direction.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A damning report into the handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming reveals interference and cover-ups during the "Commissioner-appointment" process.   The former Deputy Police Commissioner is awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to having child sexual exploitation and bestiality material on his work devices.  A watchdog report finds some of the nation's highest ranking officers ignored a young woman's anonymous complaints against McSkimming and prosecuted her for harassment.  Gagging orders were put in place to ostensibly protect the reputation of McSkimming - who was a top candidate to replace outgoing Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.  It has been revealed that emails regarding the subject were also sent to the office of Police Minister Mark Mitchell, but he was blocked from seeing them.  “They put a protocol in place whereby I was not to have visibility on it, or any of my political staff, and they were going to be handled by PNHQ,” he told Mike Hosking.  “So I had no visibility on any emails that I received, you know, that came through my office.”   When asked who is the bigger criminal in this case, McSkimming for his behaviour or Costa for covering it up, Mitchell told Hosking they’re as bad as each other.   "It’s atrocious behaviour,” he said.  “They have put the rest of our outstanding police officers in an awful position – who turn up every day and quite simply do outstanding work.”   The concern for Labour’s Ginny Andersen is the impact this situation will have on public trust and confidence in the Police.  “New Zealanders should have every confidence that if they take a complaint to the Police, that it is investigated fully,” she told Hosking.  “It does erode public trust and confidence that taking a complaint forward will be taken seriously and investigated.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland businesses are gearing up for a busy Wednesday next week - as hotel occupancy reaches 100%.  Forty thousand are expected from Metallica fans alone, with the rock band set to perform at Eden Park.  Meanwhile, nearly 3,800 international delegates are gathering at Aotea Centre for New Zealand's largest ever academic conference, celebrating Indigenous education over five days.  Auckland Unlimited Destination Director Annie Dundas told Mike Hosking the city will probably average 80-85% occupancy over the summer.  She says these nice big event spikes lift them up for certain parts of the year, giving the accommodation and hospitality sectors a boost.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief New Zealanders are no safer than they were before changes to the gun laws.  A rewrite of the Arms Act simplifies rules for licensed owners for storage, repairs and visitor use, and adds harsher penalties.  Gang members also won't be able to own a gun and semi-automatics will stay banned.   Council of Licensed Firearms Owners spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack told Mike Hosking they were promised overwhelming reform but have only got a re-tweak of the existing law.  He says the things that are mentioned are pretty good, but it’s what is absent that is going to annoy a lot of licenced firearms owners who were expecting more.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Commissioner says he only became aware of an investigation into Jevon McSkimming two days before taking up the top job.  The former Deputy Police Commissioner is awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to having child sexual exploitation and bestiality material on his work devices.  A watchdog report finds some of the nation's highest ranking officers ignored a young woman's anonymous complaints against McSkimming.   They then went after her for digital harassment.  The Government has installed an Inspector-General of Police to ensure there is stronger oversight than the IPCA alone.  Commissioner Richard Chambers told Mike Hosking the report points out about five top cops who are at fault.   He says most of them have departed the organisation, but he is also launching employment investigations for other members.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm trying to work out what the ratio would be.  How much squeaky clean, beyond doubt, rock solid truth would the BBC need to deliver to offset the one gargantuan cock up that has seen the Director General and Head of News quit?  Or in this day and age, where doubt and mistrust is so high, is it a futile exercise and the damage is permanent?  Like all these stories you can dilute its seriousness – the Panorama programme wasn’t actually made by the BBC, it was a contract company, so was the bias external not internal? Obviously I am clutching at straws.  Does a resignation mean the organisation is no longer biased, or perceived as biased? I would have thought not.  How do you prove inherent bias? Which is an ongoing charge not just at the BBC but a number of public broadcasters all over the world.  I cited the Radio New Zealand example yesterday, out of the boot camp report, their headline read the conclusion was of a ‘rushed’ exercise.  That wasn’t the conclusion. It was an observation, not a conclusion. But even if you argued the observation was a conclusion, that would mean there were many conclusions. Why pick that one when there were positive ones to choose from as well? And is that inherent bias or just a busy journo looking to publish a story?  Are we the punter inherently biased and therefore whatever we see and we don’t like must be biased?  The BBC bit is of course indisputable. It's not about inference or emphasis, it is about making something seem real which factually wasn’t – they made it up.  Why would you do that unless you had an agenda? Why would the BBC not spot it? Too busy or too biased?  The Culture Secretary said now more than ever the need for trusted news is essential to our cultural and democratic life. Which is what they say when they have carnage to deal with using taxpayers' money.   The BBC were already booked in this week, ironically, for a parliamentary inquiry into their coverage of trans rights and Gaza, cementing in many people's minds what they already suspected.  My summation is basically: it's over. The jury is in, the verdict is guilty, and the people are always right. Whatever the media might once have had by way of respect and trust is largely, if not completely, gone.   And two resignations cemented any remaining doubt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC's chairman has denied claims the BBC is trying to bury accusations of bias as Donald Trump threatens to sue the company.  A leaked BBC memo suggests the Panorama programme edited Trump’s speech to imply he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021.  The US President is demanding a full retraction and is threatening to sue for nearly NZ$1.8 billion in damages.  BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness have both stepped down.  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Chairman Samir Shah said he doesn’t believe the BBC is institutionally biased, but Liddle isn’t sure he believes that.  Liddle believes Shah said it as he feels the need to hold the BBC together in the wake of its two most damaging resignations, Davie and Turness.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi is at the helm of the latest movie in an iconic franchise.  The first Predator film was released in 1987, and four films —and two Alien vs Predator films— and 38 years later, Kiwi-born Dimitrius Koloamatangi holds a starring role in ‘Predator: Badlands’.   Auditioning for the role of Dek was a bit of a funny process, Koloamatangi revealed to Mike Hosking.  “My character is obviously an alien, so he doesn’t really speak English,”  “So I had to do a take in just like, a made-up language.”   While the audition process had Koloamatangi integrating elements of Samoan and Tongan into his own language, for the actual film, he had to learn something entirely new.  “When I jumped on, I had thought I could just freestyle and do my own thing, which I was like, ‘oh this is gonna be fantastic, no lines.’”  “But then they were like, oh we’re gonna set you up with the Zoom call with this guy named Britton who constructed the whole language,” Koloamatangi told Hosking.  “I was like, bro, I have to learn a whole made up language? Like, I struggle Samoan somewhat fluently, now I have to learn this? But it was fun.”  The Predator franchise is iconic, boasting a massive fanbase, including Koloamatangi’s father.  “My dad’s a massive fan of the first one – we used to watch that one a lot growing up,” he said.  “It’s pretty surreal to be honest,”  “The franchise has such a massive fan base, like you said, spans like 20 years, you know, and, yeah, it’s kind of crazy to think that I’m now a part of it.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 11th of November, the mess with Te Pāti Māori has resulted in the expulsion of two of its MPs and a communication breakdown is being blamed for the situation.  ANZ CEO Antonia Watson is on to talk their massive record profit and bank margins amidst the RBNZ capital review.  Dimitrius Koloamatangi is the Kiwi star of the new 'Predator: Badlands' film, and joined for a chat about his role in a major Hollywood franchise.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything is looking up for one of the biggest days on Christchurch's social calendar.  New Zealand's Cup Day is kicking off, with around 13 thousand punters expected to watch horse racing, fashion shows, and live music at Addington Raceway.   Despite the early morning rain, Addington Raceway Chief Executive Brian Thompson told Mike Hosking he’s confident about how the day will turn out.   He says once the gates open, it never rains on Cup Day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business NZ believes further action is still needed to address compliance costs for small businesses.  It says the Government's making good on its promise to cut red tape, but its new progress report shows several compliance burdens across sectors, including construction.  The Ministry for Regulation’s engaging with businesses, councils, and industry bodies to begin removing inconsistent regulations.  Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking some areas, including hairdressing, are showing positive progress, but wants to see a similar approach applied across all sectors.  She says 97% of all businesses are small, and the red tape they face can be significant.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firearm owners are waiting to see what changes to the gun laws are on the way.  Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee is expected to announce her rewriting of the Arms Act this morning.  Deerstalkers Association Chief Executive Gwyn Thurlow told Mike Hosking any details have been kept quiet so far.  He says they believe that's been to stop people on both sides of the argument from getting upset before they've read the whole Act.  Thurlow says there's a lot of trust in McKee.  He says she's seen as someone who can walk the fine line between balancing public safety and lawful use of firearms.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of our largest bank says its latest rise in profit doesn't tell the full story.  ANZ New Zealand's annual profit has reached a new record high of $2.53 billion – up 21% on last year.  That compares to a 13% rise for Westpac and no major change for BNZ and ASB.  But Chief Executive Antonia Watson told Mike Hosking when you exclude the bank's hedging investments, cash profit isn't rising nearly as fast.  She says that headline growth in a cost of living crisis is very uncomfortable, but underlying profit is only up 4%.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iwi Chairs Forum says a breakdown in communication is to blame for tensions boiling over within Te Pāti Māori.   MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Takuta Ferris have been expelled from the party.  They're both remaining defiant and have labelled the process illegitimate.  Iwi Chairs Forum spokesperson Bayden Barber says he was trying to set up a meeting between the two factions for tomorrow, but that's not going ahead.  He told Mike Hosking the two sides haven't talked in a month.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns housing developers are paying little attention to design and/or comfort.  Christchurch building company, KR Construction, and the Green Building Council are questioning whether townhouses are fit for purpose.  They claim many new builds are getting far too hot and have moisture issues.  KR Construction Director Dan Richardson told Mike Hosking townhouses are a particularly new type of build.  He says standalone houses have been built for about 150 years, while townhouses have only been hitting the market more in the last 10.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle of the bank BS is back. BNZ, who announced their profit last week, talked of the strong competition out there. But I note their margin went up, up, 6 points to 2.43%. So if there is so much competition, how come the margin is up? Then came the claim from the Reserve Bank among others that the big banks are being tardy when it comes to passing on the Reserve Bank cuts to us punters. Smaller banks are sharper. SBS claims they have hoovered up almost 6000 new customers as changing banks has become easier. Remember SBS last week put out their 3.99% money, limited to certain people, but a market leader nevertheless. Now tied into all of this is the retail bank's long held argument that the margin is higher because they need the cushion, because the Reserve Bank makes them store away too much money for troubled times. But, those rules are changing and changing in the retail bank's favour. In other words;  less money required therefore, in theory, it should mean smaller margins. You can also put in there the simple truth that has always been in play - there is nothing stopping us shopping around. We have a good number of retail banks and they do do deals. I know because I've done deals. Some banks will shave decent margins to get your business. The trouble is a lot of us are too lazy to try and moaning is easier than hustling. So who is right? Are the retail banks tardy? Is it a major issue? Is Nicola Willis right when she says things, and by "things" we mean rules, need to change? I of course have long argued that Willis is too much hype and it's not all that bad. But I'm increasingly moving towards accepting I'm wrong. As the Reserve Bank points out as wholesale rates drop the margins have risen, and on latest numbers, keep rising. Maybe, God forbid, Adrian Orr was right when he used to come on this programme and lambaste the banks for making too many excuses. What I do know is the conditions are increasingly right, either through wholesale rates or the changes to reserve rules, for us to see the margins fall and for the cuts to be passed through in full, and faster. And the longer that takes to happen the more we need to see the big banks as a problem and bad actors in the economy.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.