Keeping the Marsden Point refinery open would not have helped the current fuel supply situation, as the crude oil it refined would have come from the same choke points as overseas refineries, a senior economic advisor says. 

It follows Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones’ statement yesterday that the closure of Marsden Point under Labour had “fatally wounded” New Zealand’s fuel security. 

But according to a 2025 fuel security study for the Government, keeping the privately-owned Marsden Point open would have been the mostly costly resilience option, and would only have bought a little more resilience, Heuser Whittington partner Andreas Heuser told Mike Hosking this morning. 

“There are much better resilience options such as increasing the tankage in New Zealand, and our transition to EVs will also help us.” 

Heuser was confident New Zealand currently had the right settings in place, although it may need to look at updating the minimum stockholding requirements for diesel. 

However, if the situation became more serious and led to rationing, the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act 1981 may need updating to reflect that New Zealand no longer had a domestic refinery. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Keeping the Marsden Point refinery open would not have helped the current fuel supply situation, as the crude oil it refined would have come from the same choke points as overseas refineries, a senior economic advisor says.&nbsp;
It follows Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones’ statement yesterday that the closure of Marsden Point under Labour had “fatally wounded” New Zealand’s fuel security.&nbsp;
But according to a 2025 fuel security study for the Government, keeping the privately-owned Marsden Point open would have been the mostly costly resilience option, and would only have bought a little more resilience, Heuser Whittington partner Andreas Heuser told Mike Hosking this morning.&nbsp;
“There are much better resilience options such as increasing the tankage in New Zealand, and our transition to EVs will also help us.”&nbsp;
Heuser was confident New Zealand currently had the right settings in place, although it may need to look at updating the minimum stockholding requirements for diesel.&nbsp;
However, if the situation became more serious and led to rationing, the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act 1981 may need updating to reflect that New Zealand no longer had a domestic refinery.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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.

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.

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,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Andreas Heuser: Heuser Whittington Partner on New Zealand's fuel security with the conflict in the Middle East, South Korea

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4a0b5985-2390-43ec-8a09-b40a0146cd74/transcript

Question six, the House of Parliament Question Time.  

Winston Peters to Simeon Brown. The mandate for 12 to 17 year olds and the double dose of the vaccine – seek it out, it’s a fascinating exchange. 

Tuesday, Chris Hipkins and Ayesha Verral denied the concerns raised by the Ministry of Health ever reached their desks. 

Peters presented evidence it did, and even after it did it took a very long time for anything to be done about it. 

So a couple of issues out of that. Firstly, it is potentially a misleading of the House – a very serious issue. More importantly, a misleading of us. 

There is little more egregious for a number of New Zealanders out of the Covid experience than the vaccine issue. 

Sadly, a lot of the noise around it was tin hat material driven by Ouija board thinking, but some of it, not much, but some of it was real. 

The risks became a lightning rod. All vaccines carry risk, but concerns were raised about rushed development. And then making that risk higher, mandating of that rushed development into the arms of New Zealanders. 

Also making this complicated is the line between politics and health, politics and expertise. 

The government has a right to ignore advice – they do it all the time. But can you ignore health advice – an area you are not expert in? 

Part of what Peters raised, that may well be a longer term issue, is legal. Is there a case to be heard, whereby a government knew of a problem around a vaccine and yet did nothing with that knowledge until later. Meantime any number of young people were exposed to a risk they didn’t have to be. 

Associated with the stance is the broader, but not legal aspect of this. If that is the sort of approach a government can take, then how does that dovetail with the overarching view that governments want vaccine rates in the high 90s – in other words, they want public trust. 

A lot of the Covid response and report is about interpretation and ideology. This appears much more specific, worrying, and potentially dishonest. Watch this space. 

Question six, the House of Parliament Question Time. &nbsp;
Winston Peters to Simeon Brown. The mandate for 12 to 17 year olds and the double dose of the vaccine – seek it out, it’s a fascinating exchange.&nbsp;
Tuesday, Chris Hipkins and Ayesha Verral denied the concerns raised by the Ministry of Health ever reached their desks.&nbsp;
Peters presented evidence it did, and even after it did it took a very long time for anything to be done about it.&nbsp;
So a couple of issues out of that. Firstly, it is potentially a misleading of the House – a very serious issue. More importantly, a misleading of us.&nbsp;
There is little more egregious for a number of New Zealanders out of the Covid experience than the vaccine issue.&nbsp;
Sadly, a lot of the noise around it was tin hat material driven by Ouija board thinking, but some of it, not much, but some of it was real.&nbsp;
The risks became a lightning rod. All vaccines carry risk, but concerns were raised about rushed development. And then making that risk higher, mandating of that rushed development into the arms of New Zealanders.&nbsp;
Also making this complicated is the line between politics and health, politics and expertise.&nbsp;
The government has a right to ignore advice – they do it all the time. But can you ignore health advice – an area you are not expert in?&nbsp;
Part of what Peters raised, that may well be a longer term issue, is legal. Is there a case to be heard, whereby a government knew of a problem around a vaccine and yet did nothing with that knowledge until later. Meantime any number of young people were exposed to a risk they didn’t have to be.&nbsp;
Associated with the stance is the broader, but not legal aspect of this. If that is the sort of approach a government can take, then how does that dovetail with the overarching view that governments want vaccine rates in the high 90s – in other words, they want public trust.&nbsp;
A lot of the Covid response and report is about interpretation and ideology. This appears much more specific, worrying, and potentially dishonest. Watch this space.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Is there a legal case to be heard on the vaccine advice?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0b2debab-db1c-4520-8bec-b40a015f89ab/transcript

Italy’s Prime Minister has joined other EU leaders in criticising the US-Israeli war on Iran. 

They’ve reportedly bombed nearly ten thousand civilian sites, killing well over a thousand in Iran and hundreds more in Lebanon. 

Giorgia Meloni described the conflict as part of a growing and dangerous trend of interventions that fall “outside the scope of international law”. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking Meloni is walking a tightrope between not wanting to be too openly critical of Donald Trump, but also being mindful of the polls. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Italy’s Prime Minister has joined other EU leaders in criticising the US-Israeli war on Iran.&nbsp;
They’ve reportedly bombed nearly ten thousand civilian sites, killing well over a thousand in Iran and hundreds more in Lebanon.&nbsp;
Giorgia Meloni described the conflict as part of a growing and dangerous trend of interventions that fall “outside the scope of international law”.&nbsp;
Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking Meloni is walking a tightrope between not wanting to be too openly critical of Donald Trump, but also being mindful of the polls.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on Giorgia Meloni's criticism of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/700f99ff-cc36-441b-a4d2-b40a015c54ee/transcript

After a successful summer circuit in New Zealand, Kiwi shot-putter Tom Walsh is gearing up for a year of international competitions. 

The Diamond League is only a few weeks away and the Commonwealth Games are set for July through to August in Glasgow. 

But Walsh told Mike Hosking that despite performing well over the summer, his results weren’t quite what he wanted them to be, distance-wise. 

“This is kind of the part where you’ve really got to trust what you’re doing,” Walsh said. 

“Sometimes you’ve kind of got to, y’know, take a few hits early season to help you line up later in the season when, when things really count.” 

“The Commonwealth Games is what we’re really working towards, and sometimes you’ve got to step back, and remind yourself of that.”  

LISTEN ABOVE 

After a successful summer circuit in New Zealand, Kiwi shot-putter Tom Walsh is gearing up for a year of international competitions.&nbsp;
The Diamond League is only a few weeks away and the Commonwealth Games are set for July through to August in Glasgow.&nbsp;
But Walsh told Mike Hosking that despite performing well over the summer, his results weren’t quite what he wanted them to be, distance-wise.&nbsp;
“This is kind of the part where you’ve really got to trust what you’re doing,” Walsh said.&nbsp;
“Sometimes you’ve kind of got to, y’know, take a few hits early season to help you line up later in the season when, when things really count.”&nbsp;
“The Commonwealth Games is what we’re really working towards, and sometimes you’ve got to step back, and remind yourself of that.” &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Tom Walsh: Kiwi Shot-putter on the summer circuit, upcoming international events

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ffe99915-4b09-44c9-bbe2-b40a015989ac/transcript

Andreas Heuser: Heuser Whittington Partner on New Zealand's fuel security with the conflict in the Middle East, South Korea

In 1 playlist(s)

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips