The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Tell me how Broadcasting Minister Paul Goldsmith is going to sort the unsortable? The Broadcasting Standards Authority has, deliberately or not, opened a box of whoopee that is playing out all over the world in various forms. In simple terms regulators are trying to work out how to control tech. The problem with regulators is their jurisdiction is limited. The problem with tech is there is no border. The same way a Government isn't going to charge a tech company for nicking news and putting it on their websites, a broadcasting watchdog is not going to control Joe Rogan. The Prime Minister has already worked this out and said so Monday. But then the Broadcasting Minister, in that ponderous sort of surprise-ladened fashion that is unique to Goldsmith, started wondering out loud why the Herald NOW stream wasn’t regulated while breakfast television was. That of course is the simple version of the problem. You are only dealing with the difference in transmission mode - terrestrial vs the internet. Next issue - if you are regulating the internet, what internet? Where does it stop and start? Local streaming? What is local streaming? If you are protecting an audience, surely you have to protect them universally? And yet you can't. Even if Goldsmith argues the line that things that look like radio or look like TV are captured, what if the radio consumed in New Zealand originates in London? Next problem - if you regulate the internet, where does that stop and start? Does a podcast look like radio? What about short form vs long form? What about local content on TikTok and, if so, why not all content on TikTok. Answer: because you can't. And if you can't, how is it fair to regulate my TikTok but not Piers Morgan's? Talk about a horse and bolting. Governments look old world. They look “AM” in an "FM" world. They look like they are trying to save letters from the internet. They look like control freaks who don’t know how to save their powers. Rightly or wrongly making me adhere to rules while every half-baked weirdo on the net gets to say whatever they like is the cold, hard reality of the here and now. Save yourself the time and the headache and give it up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a group that normally seems to nail ideas and present them well, the New Zealand Initiative this week went off-piste with their "MMP After 30 Years" report.   Smaller cabinet - good idea. Get rid of the overhang - good idea! But more MP's? What on Earth are they thinking? The main point they make is that it has provided a fairer, more representative Parliament and I think, even for those of us that didn’t vote for MMP, we pretty much would all need to conceed that. The question I would have is, is that what we actually want? The base level argument over representation is, do some of the lesser lights represent a sector of lesser lights in the wider community? If the community has got its collection of halfwits and buffoons, do we want a slice of that in the nation's Parliament because that is a version of representation? I would argue no. I would argue that I'd far rather have a selection of highly qualified, dedicated, hard-working professionals. But if a cross section is what we voted for, then a cross section is what we have received. The great fraud of MMP has been the oft-used line by people like the Green's Rod Donald that the tail would not wag the dog. The tail has most certainly wagged the dog, many times over. If the circumstances are right, and they have been more than once, a very small percentage of the vote can wield an astonishing and destructive amount of power. Then of course if we are marking 30 years, we can also relitigate the issue of knowledge at the time. MMP won not because it was better, or the best, but because MMP had the best run anti-FPP campaign and too many New Zealanders couldn’t be bothered educating themselves about the alternatives. So MMP had the biggest headlines and enough people were fed up with Muldoon and Lange and scraps and bulldozing Governments so they threw out the current, in the hope the new was better. We will not change the system again. Those days are gone and I doubt we will ever even tinker with it. But if we do, more MP's will not be top of our wishlist.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Friday, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.   They discussed the difficulties of men's white shirts being uncomfortably revealing, and producer Glenn celebrates 30 years with the company. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday the 31st of October, Fonterra Chair Miles Hurrell on the sale of their consumer business. All Black Ethan de Groot joins ahead of the Sunday morning game against Ireland in Chicago. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson make fun of Mike - and celebrate Technical Producer Glenn Hart's 30th anniversary on Newstalk ZB. 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.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Bill Gates: 8/10 When a disciple of the cause hits pause because he has worked out the hysteria outweighs the reality, he is to be congratulated. Chris Hipkins: 2/10 Sell a tax if you want. But the attack on the Prime Minister and houses is what these guys are really all about - they hate success. The All Blacks: 7/10 Ironically the biggest test is the first. I'm saying 4 from 4 and Merry Christmas. Fonterra: 8/10 A great week to be a dairy farmer and a great week to be a country with dairy farmers. Noeline Taurua: 8/10 The right call got made eventually, but... The Noeline saga: 1/10 We still don’t understand what happened, why it's happened and why it got handled the way it did. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a big weekend ahead on the motorsport front at Hampton Downs. It's the second edition of the 'Nextgen' NZ championship - designed to reinvent the national racing calendar. The series features race categories that have previously showcased the likes of Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, Matt Payne and Liam Lawson. Founder of National Racing Group Promotions Tony Quinn says that this championship is something he is fully engrossed in.  'I don't get to see the impact of the change, because I see the change happening week to week.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data has been released on 'farm sales' across the country. The real estate institute highlighted confidence in the primary sector - with buyers focusing on 'infrastructure and productivity.' Waikato topped dairy sales for the year ending in September - up 18% to a total of 59% - followed by Southland, up 110% with 40 sales.  REINZ Director and Rural Spokesperson Shane O'Brien told Mike Hosking that although dairy is front-and-centre of kiwi farming, other sectors are benefiting as well. 'we're seeing some good activity and rebound in the market and the horticultural sector.'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final charter for the Kiwifruit season has set sail.  This is Zespri's 60th vessel for the year to 50 different markets.  This season's crop has broken records, with 215 million trays weighing in at 770,000 tonnes. There's also been a significant growth in US and European markets.  Chief Executive of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Colin Bond says that, 'those growers are going to receive more value per trade than they ever have before.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an assurance that Trump won't follow through with his nuclear weapon testing comments. The US President posted on social media saying he has no choice but to restart testing, because of other countries' testing programs. It follows him denouncing Russia for testing a nuclear-powered missile, which the Kremlin denies. Centre for European Policy Analysis Security Analyst Edward Lucas says if Trump followed through, it would be hugely destabilising.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Fonterra is relieved to see so many farmers back the Lactalis sale. Almost 90-percent of votes backed the 4.2 billion dollar deal, that will see the French dairy giant take over iconic Kiwi brands like Anchor and Mainland. Miles Hurrell says some farmers were unsure about the plan when it was first announced. The chief executive told Mike Hosking that they've been working hard to change minds. Hurrell says there was a few questions out there from farmer-shareholders, which isn't surprising given they have a lot invested in the company. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 30th of October, it's voting day for Fonterra as to whether they will sell the company's consumer arm. Are we all on board for some cars moving from yearly WOF's to biennial WOF's? Voice actor Nolan North on the boom of the gaming industry and his many and varied roles. 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.

I think the biggest test for those who fell over backwards when Bill Gates said what he did, is not that he said it. It's whether the people he talks about can possibly begin to accept that they might be wrong, that they might be on the wrong side of the whole equation and that as a result of the Gates' revelation, they may need to readjust some of the obsessive behaviour they have shown these past years as climate change has become the maniacal calling card for too many. Not that climate change, as Bill points out, isn't an issue, because it is, and some good work has been done. But where Gates is so right and deserves so much respect is that he has worked out that there has been an astonishing amount of waste in the area. Lord-knows-what amount of time, energy and money has been spent on too many things going nowhere. Climate change, he concludes, will not wipe us out. There are more pressing areas. His new passion is hunger. USAID has been smashed to pieces and people are dying as a result. In other words he is prioritising. He is pragmatic. He is to be thanked. Of course for many of us this isn't news. Gates is but one of a growing group, whether driven by the right reasons or not, who have come to the conclusion that the climate obsession has gone too far and is now damaging, rather than fixing. The difference here and the importance of this is that Gates is one of them. He's one of the disciples, one of the believers, until of course he isn't. He is the best sort of sceptic - a well-reasoned, highly studied, impartial observer brought to the conclusion by the work. He is not a bandwagoner and he is not an obsessive. He is an observer. He's used his wealth from his success to investigate the planet's big issues and he has decided climate change can go down the pecking order. God bless him for that. The important bit though is can those immersed get what he is saying? Can they dare to believe it may all need a bit of reining in? Or in their eyes is Gates merely a deluded traitor? And if they can't, but we do, how much further is the obsessive's reputation damaged as more and more of the world side with Gates and not the nutters? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a strong push for the Ministry of Social Development to do more to help employers hire Kiwis ahead of internationals. Immigration Minster Erica Stanford says employers will be stripped of the chance to recruit migrants,  if they're not trying to hire unemployed New Zealanders first.  Association for Migration and Investment Board Director Tobias Tohill told Mike Hosking that this is a problematic approach.  He says mistakes are easily made, so it seems unfair on employers.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes that Christchurch will become the city that never stops, as momentum continues. Provisional Stats NZ figures for the year to June show Canterbury's population has risen most, up 1.1 percent - more than anywhere else in New Zealand.  Christchurch NZ Chief Executive Ali Adams told Mike Hosking that things are going well for the city on all fronts.  She says although managing growth comes with problems, there are more opportunities  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian company 'Yinson Renewables' is set to invest in a new pipeline of projects totalling one gigawatt of wind energy - almost doubling New Zealand's current capacity.  The $3billion investment would generate enough electricity to power 750,000 homes - exceeding Huntly's current output.  Head of Foreign Director Investment for Invest New Zealand Simon Ansley told Mike Hosking that the company has already been operating under the radar in New Zealand, and is now ready to make a major impact.  'They've been supporting them through navigating New Zealand, regulatory environment, OAO, etc.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a possibility for a shake-up to the Warrant of Fitness system. The government's opened consultation on a new proposal - with the first WOF for new light vehicles lasting 4 years.  Cars between 4 and 10 years old would only need a check every 2 years, while those over 10 would remain on annual inspection.  CEO of MTA Lee Marshall told Mike Hosking that there has been mixed feedback so far.  'As for the recommendations made; mixed views. But, we'll ultimately rely on what members tell us.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fonterra Shareholders Council says farmers are taking a long-term view when deciding whether to sell off brands like Anchor and Mainland. Voting closes today, on a proposal to sell Fonterra's consumer arm to French company Lactalis for 4.2 billion dollars. Fonterra's targeting a capital return of about 400-thousand dollars to the average farmer. But Council Chair John Stevenson told Mike Hosking that farmers are thinking well beyond short-term benefits. He says farmers are also thinking about their long-term livelihoods, as they'll be continuing to supply milk well after any capital return. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is clamping down on arriving travellers at the border. It's making several biosecurity law changes including doubling the fine for people who don't declare fresh fruit and meat, to 800 dollars. There'll be new penalties and fines up to half a million dollars for breaches of controlled area notices. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard told Mike Hosking that they want to deter behaviour that puts New Zealand at risk. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday the 29th of October, Education Minister Erica Stanford discusses the new curriculum and the ACC CEO finally seems to have found 8,000 people who can immediately come off full taxpayer support. Sir Peter Beck celebrates 20 years of Rocketlab and we get an exclusive radio chat with our space genius. Ginny Andersen comes into the studio with gifts and Mark Mitchell joins from Christchurch for Politics Wednesday. 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.

The Silver Ferns face Australia tonight in game four of the Constellation Cup.  The series currently sits at 2-1 to Australia, but a win from the Ferns tonight could force an extra game to decide the series.  Silver Ferns Head Coach Yvette McCausland-Durie told Mike Hosking that, 'it's gonna be hard work, but really confident, based on the way they played the other night, they've got the potential there.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.