The cruise-ship season success is being celebrated, but there's concern next season could hit an iceberg.  Ships have brought in 350,000 visitors with an estimated value of $540 million.  However, a 20% decline in port visits is projected for next season as rising costs bite the market.  Cruise Association Chief Executive Jacqui Lloyd told Andrew Dickens that there are multiple issues at play.  She says geopolitical reasons don't help, with issues in the Red Sea and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine all contributing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An appeal of the High Court's decision to overturn the Waitangi Tribunal summons of the Children's Minister has been lodged.   It ruled Karen Chhour could not be compelled to appear before the Tribunal over her plans to repeal part of the Oranga Tamariki Act.  Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis told Andrew Dickens that the Waitangi Tribunal does have the power to summon a minister.   He says the court said on this occasion, the reasons why the minister was being summoned and evidence she could provide wasn't enough to justify using that power.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s politicians are facing off against billionaire Elon Musk.  The federal government's renewing its focus on social media misinformation and harm after two violent stabbing attacks in Sydney.  But X-owner, Musk is fighting an order to remove graphic footage of the attacks from the platform.  Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking that Musk ridiculed the suggestion that the eSafety Commissioner has any power over the internet, him, and X.  He said that while he agrees that most would argue that this kind of content shouldn’t be available online, if Musk acquiesces to Albanese, who else does he have to acquiesce to?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A chunk of businesses aren’t sure they'll survive this year.  A Retail NZ survey has found retailers aren't confident heading into winter and a third think they might need to close this year.  About two thirds didn't meet their first quarter sales targets.  Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that the reality of where the economy is at is taking hold.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hydrogen refuelling network across the North Island is the first of its kind in Australasia.  Hamilton, Auckland, and New Plymouth will host the Hiringa Energy stations, with Tauranga to join later this year.  The network will allow hydrogen trucks to travel within the 'golden triangle' covering 95% of heavy freight routes in the North Island.  Hiringa Energy CEO Andrew Clennett told Mike Hosking this is only the start.  He says by the end of the decade, hydrogen will be competitive with diesel.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the mysteries of our time is why so many businesses, and big businesses, spend so much money on social media platforms, given what's on those platforms.  Hyundai are the latest to pause their advertising on 'X' after anti-Semitic posts were highlighted and the car company's ads were right next door.  In Australia they are busy sorting out legislation to penalise these platforms for material that should not be anywhere near the public and yet is, especially after their knife attacks that, at least in one instance, involved a young man allegedly driven by religious hate.  Australia is far from the first, and in general the social media platforms roll out, at least on the surface, a not unreasonable response. "It's not acceptable, we don’t condone it, we monitor, we try to stay on top of it" and so it goes.  Yet it keeps happening and certainly keeps happening to the point where authorities all over the world are sick of it and are trying to work out what will bring them into line.  It sort of dovetails into the media levy debate that has raged here of late, whereby many of the same platforms steal news content, put it on their service and wrap advertising around it  So, while various Governments grapple with the issue of both the levy and the posting of shocking material, why is it that companies advertise in these spaces, given the very clear and obvious risk they run?  The answer is simple. Eyeballs. You need to be where the people are.  But we can increasingly ask as to whether that can be a good enough justification.  Politicians are no better. Joe Biden wants to ban TikTok and yet campaigns on it.  I assume politicians here abhor the sentiment pedalled on many of these platforms and yet they post relentlessly, knowing there is an audience to be connected with.  Advertisers need to ask themselves some questions. They appear affected by the whim of the day, the 'me too' movement, the pride movement and the green movement for example. They sway with their advertising dollars in the winds of social change.  Yet some of the worst material you will ever see is on social media and on a regular basis. We know this to be true. And yet they still hand the money over to people who claim to want to clean their operations up and yet never quite achieve it.  Explain that logic to me.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 24th of April, we finally have some common sense being brought to the RMA. Federated Farmers' Mark Hooper gave some insight on the response from farmers. An interesting new study says that if we don't change our ways in the medical industry and continue to force overseas doctors to conform to our cultural standards, we risk losing them. Lead author Doctor Mariska Mannes joined to unpack the findings. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell were back for Politics Wednesday, digging into the Select Committee on gang patches, the wasted money spent during Covid, and when we'll get tough on crime. 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.

National MP Mark Mitchell says there's absolutely no plan to cut a fund used for recovery after extreme weather events.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has received advice on disestablishing the National Resilience Plan; a $6 billion scheme set up after Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods.  When asked if it's being cut, National MP Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking absolutely not.  He says there's no money being cut in terms of resilience, but they will be doing things a lot more efficiently.  Labour’s Ginny Andersen said that when you ask for a report titled ‘How to cut a $6 billion Emergency Management Fund’, it’s not just going to have a picture of the Queen on it.  Whether or not the Government scraps it, will probably be known by Budget Day, May 30.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're being told helping international doctors adjust is about more than just medical competence.   An Otago university study has found New Zealand is at risk of losing its international doctors if cultural integration practices don't improve. Lead author Doctor Mariska Mannes says many want to be here but feel there's no support in helping them figure out how things work. She says most of them say if there were some adjustment tools, it would make life a lot easier. Mannes says that every year the Medical Council measures how many doctors leave, but not why.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Courtenay Place bar owner says it's critical Wellington City Council has a plan for the area.  It's walked away from a $32 million deal to renovate Reading Cinema, which has been closed since an earthquake risk was discovered in 2019.  The council says it's working on other projects to help revitalise the city's entertainment district.  But Dakota Bar's Jose Ubiaga told Mike Hosking that the area has been on the decline for years and is getting worse.  He says the council doesn't seem to have any clear vision for Courtenay Place, and even the Golden Mile is all over the place.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch City Councillor says their lifeline to the A&P Association isn't a grant.   The board canned this year's A&P Show, saying it would be unwise under its current finances and business model.  The association's now breaking the 100-year lease on its Wigram Road site, with the council paying about a million dollars a hectare to buy the remaining 95 years.   Christchurch City Councillor Sam MacDonald told Mike Hosking the council is putting money into a capital protected fund.  He says the association won't have to come back for handouts due to the interest, adding it's a win-win as council can also use the land.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Universities across America are bracing for more Gaza protests.  Campus closures and arrests have followed increasing Pro-Palestinian and Pro- Israel demonstrations this week.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the epicentre of the protests, New York's Columbia University, is now offering online classes for the rest of the term.  He says scores of pro-Palestine protesters camped out at the university refusing to budge for police.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers see RMA reform as common sense returning to the farm gate.  Changes across farming, water, and mining will be introduced to Parliament next month.    Federated Farmers RMA spokesperson Mark Hooper says farmers already have good systems in place.   He told Mike Hosking they have farm environment plans which show where the risk factors are and a winter grazing plan, which tells them actions to take, in the case of adverse events.  Hooper says having an additional piece of paper doesn't add any value in terms of environmental outcomes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tense standoff between a London police officer and an antisemitism campaigner has sparked outrage.  Gideon Falter, CEO of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was blocked by an officer from crossing a road near to a pro-Palestine march.  Falter was wearing a yarmulke and according to the officer looked ‘openly Jewish’, and by crossing the road in that area was ‘provoking’ the protestors and risking his safety.  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that this incident goes against the Police’s word that the marches are peaceable.   Well, if they’re peaceable, he said, there wouldn’t be a problem with a bloke in a yarmulke crossing the road, would there?   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news for the Italian Prime Minister.  Giorgia Meloni and her allies have kept control of the southern region of Basilicata in the regional election, defeating their centre-left opponents by a wide margin.  Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that turnout was low, and that seems to have favoured the incumbent.  She said that this is the second regional win for Meloni, and she’ll be drawing confidence going into the European elections.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new TV3 show is aiming to highlight New Zealand’s food waste.  Chefs are coming together in ‘Food Rescue Kitchen’ to challenge viewers’ perceptions of waste and what can be done with ingredients they otherwise might not consider.  Peter Gordon, one of the country's most iconic chefs, is taking part and told Mike Hosking that he had a really good time on the show and enjoyed the challenge.  He said that while most will be picturing rotted or expired food when food waste is talked about, that’s only some of it.   Gordon said that a lot of waste is created when stores or supermarkets have to make room for the next delivery, and that’s often the point it’s at its prime.  “For my particular challenge, I had some of the most amazing stone fruit,” he told Hosking.  “I thought I’d never bought it like that from a shop before.”  'Food Rescue Kitchen' premieres on Three and ThreeNow at 7PM Saturday April 27th. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surely we didn’t miss the irony on climate change?  On the day it's announced we have reduced our emissions now for three years in a row, so good on us, the very next day Transpower, the people who get the electricity into your lounge, tell us yet again that this Winter has issues and peak load and demand might be problematic.  Part one of the emissions reduction bit is increasingly about us feeling good because, as we also found out a bit over a week ago, huge chunks of the world are not reducing their emissions and not even close.  Which then leads to a lot of people arguing that we shouldn’t bother because what we do makes no difference.  I come down on the other side of that. If we can, we should.  Let's be honest - in doing what we have so far, have we reached a point where we are massively inconvenienced? I wouldn’t have thought so until, well, until Transpower tell us what they have.  Here is a simple rule of thumb; to not have enough power in 2024 is simply not good enough and it should be seen as an abdication of responsibility.  The reason we don’t have enough is quite openly admitted. It's because the renewables are not voluminous enough and not reliable enough to cover the growing demand.  The transition hasn’t transitioned to the point where we can largely leave fossils behind.  So, here's the line for me. Save the planet all you want, even if it is futile given China and India aren't as interested. But don’t get so hell bent about it that the heater isn't on in July when its -3 degrees. That’s not a first world country and it's not a first world approach.  Making it even more ridiculous is that the transition involves technological advances like EV's. If we don’t have enough power now, how do we power EV's? How do we power generative AI, the so-called future? It's a future that requires 10x more power than a Google search.  Talk about cart before the horse.  When we still struggle Winter in, Winter out to do the basics we have allowed ideology to hijack reality.  That is not the future, of the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resident doctors are set to take to the streets, protesting a recent pay offer.  The Resident Doctors' Association say while some workers were offered up to 25% pay-rises, others were offered pay cuts in negotiations.  As a result, they'll strike for 25 hours on May 7.   National Secretary Deborah Powell told Mike Hosking that Health New Zealand's offer was uneven and unfair.  She said it's robbing Peter to pay Paul.  Powell said the strikes are a last resort as they’re going to mediation next week and remain hopeful.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 23rd April, the Government is bringing back the Three Strikes law. The public seems to be on the board, but lawyers and judges aren't. We got an expert’s thoughts.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike in studio to talk his recent overseas trip, the Waitangi Tribunal stoush, and criticisms against his fast-track bill.  Fantastic Kiwi chef Peter Gordon talked a new TV show he is part of: Food Rescue Kitchen, where chefs make luxury meals from rescued food.  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.

Employers have more choice with competition for work heating up.   Recruitment companies are warning of thousands joining the unemployment queue and more people signing up for jobseeker benefits.  The latest SEEK data shows job ads falling by 0.4% in March.   Talent ID Recruitment's Holly Oppers told Mike Hosking that there's been a change of tide.  She says a lot more skilled candidates are coming through, meaning there's movement in the market; which she says isn't a bad thing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.