The war in the Middle East escalated over the weekend, with Iran launching an attack on Israel. 

US, UK and Jordanian forces helped Israel to take down incoming drones and missiles.

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Affairs analyst with Think Tank Defence Priorities Daniel L Davis tells Mike Hosking that “everything depends on what Israel does next”.

LISTEN ABOVE

The war in the Middle East escalated over the weekend, with Iran launching an attack on Israel.  
US, UK and Jordanian forces helped Israel to take down incoming drones and missiles. 
Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Affairs analyst with Think Tank Defence Priorities Daniel L Davis tells Mike Hosking that “everything depends on what Israel does next”. 
LISTEN ABOVE

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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

Daniel L Davis: Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Affairs analyst with Think Tank Defence Priorities on Iran launching missile attacks on Israel

Surely that judge throwing out the election result in Auckland has started the clock ticking on postal voting. 

This case may not seem a big deal given that it involves just 79 votes, in just one subdivision, in just one relatively small local board election in Auckland. 

But the 79 may just be the tip of the iceberg. It may be that hundreds of ballot papers in that subdivision were stolen from letterboxes, filled in and sent in as legit votes. 

Now Ken Turner from the Waitakere's is also considering legal options because he reckons something funny happened with 212 votes in his election too. 

None of this is a surprise to me because years ago when friends of mine were flatting, as happens, mail turned up for previous tenants. 

Some of that mail was voting papers. So my friends filled the papers in and sent them all back in as legitimate votes and no one ever got in trouble for it. 

We all know the mail voting system is ripe for being gamed. 

But perhaps in our naivety we hadn’t imagined it would go from a bunch of silly flatties to what seems like may have been an orchestrated rigging of an election. 

Postal voting should go the way of the horse and cart. It's not the only reason so many of us can’t be bothered with council elections, but it is a significant part of it. 

You get the mail, pop it on the counter, forget about it, find it after election day is well past, or find it too hard to remember where to find a post box. 

Not only does it make it harder to vote, it also makes it harder to trust the election outcome. 

Surely that judge throwing out the election result in Auckland has started the clock ticking on postal voting.&nbsp;
This case may not seem a big deal given that it involves just 79 votes, in just one subdivision, in just one relatively small local board election in Auckland.&nbsp;
But the 79 may just be the tip of the iceberg. It may be that hundreds of ballot papers in that subdivision were stolen from letterboxes, filled in and sent in as legit votes.&nbsp;
Now Ken Turner from the Waitakere's is also considering legal options because he reckons something funny happened with 212 votes in his election too.&nbsp;
None of this is a surprise to me because years ago when friends of mine were flatting, as happens, mail turned up for previous tenants.&nbsp;
Some of that mail was voting papers. So my friends filled the papers in and sent them all back in as legitimate votes and no one ever got in trouble for it.&nbsp;
We all know the mail voting system is ripe for being gamed.&nbsp;
But perhaps in our naivety we hadn’t imagined it would go from a bunch of silly flatties to what seems like may have been an orchestrated rigging of an election.&nbsp;
Postal voting should go the way of the horse and cart. It's not the only reason so many of us can’t be bothered with council elections, but it is a significant part of it.&nbsp;
You get the mail, pop it on the counter, forget about it, find it after election day is well past, or find it too hard to remember where to find a post box.&nbsp;
Not only does it make it harder to vote, it also makes it harder to trust the election outcome.&nbsp;

Heather du Plessis-Allan: This is why postal voting needs to go

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a39d3e75-ce74-4e0d-8091-b3b6015f571a/transcript

It’s not a Kiwi summer without Six60, and the county’s highest selling live band is rolling on.  

They’ve dropped their latest single, ‘We Made It’, coming in the wake of their bestselling Australian performance at the Sydney Opera House. 

They’ll also have the honour of being the first live act to perform at the new One NZ Stadium in Christchurch and are curating a new country and roots music festival, taking place this summer in Matakana.  

Lead singer Matiu Walters told Heather du Plessis-Allan it’s just a one-day festival at the moment, but they have plans to grow. 

“It’s definitely a tough time for the arts, music, and for everyone really, to be fair,” he said. 

“We didn’t, we never want to kind of just, to like, rest on our laurels.”  

Over the years they’ve been performing, Six60 has smashed records, being labelled as the country’s first-ever Chart Icon at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, and Walters says their drive stems from their desire to do “cool stuff”. 

“Our goal was, was always just to write and perform music, and my purpose is to sing and play guitar, and all these things that kind of happened around us,” he told du Plessis-Allan. 

“We’re aspirational dudes.” 

LISTEN ABOVE 

It’s not a Kiwi summer without Six60, and the county’s highest selling live band is rolling on. &nbsp;
They’ve dropped their latest single, ‘We Made It’, coming in the wake of their bestselling Australian performance at the Sydney Opera House.&nbsp;
They’ll also have the honour of being the first live act to perform at the new One NZ Stadium in Christchurch and are curating a new country and roots music festival, taking place this summer in Matakana. &nbsp;
Lead singer Matiu Walters told Heather du Plessis-Allan it’s just a one-day festival at the moment, but they have plans to grow.&nbsp;
“It’s definitely a tough time for the arts, music, and for everyone really, to be fair,” he said.&nbsp;
“We didn’t, we never want to kind of just, to like, rest on our laurels.” &nbsp;
Over the years they’ve been performing, Six60 has smashed records, being labelled as the country’s first-ever Chart Icon at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, and Walters says their drive stems from their desire to do “cool stuff”.&nbsp;
“Our goal was, was always just to write and perform music, and my purpose is to sing and play guitar, and all these things that kind of happened around us,” he told du Plessis-Allan.&nbsp;
“We’re aspirational dudes.”&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Matiu Walters: Six60 Lead Singer discusses the band's drive, festival, new single

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/928e3a29-3e43-4c98-a527-b3b60157df54/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of December, we speak to the new Deputy Police Commissioner and preview the Q3 GDP number. 

The Government is saying the road cone hotline's performed as desired, so they’re shutting it down – six months early.  

Six60 lead singer Matiu Walters stops by for a chat and performs their new single 'We Made It'. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of December, we speak to the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/mike-pannett-new-deputy-police-commissioner-on-his-appointment-to-the-role-following-the-mcskimming-fallout/">new Deputy Police Commissioner</a> and preview the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/sharon-zollner-anz-chief-economist-ahead-of-the-final-gdp-announcement/">Q3 GDP number</a>.&nbsp;
The Government is saying the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/brooke-van-velden-workplace-relations-minister-on-early-end-to-the-road-cone-tipline-its-findings/">road cone hotline's performed as desired,</a> so they’re shutting it down – six months early. &nbsp;
Six60 lead singer Matiu Walters stops by for a chat and performs their new single 'We Made It'.&nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 18 December 2025 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/de0ec8e3-cad1-44ea-872d-b3b6014c8e66/transcript

Daniel L Davis: Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Foreign Affairs analyst with Think Tank Defence Priorities on Iran launching missile attacks on Israel

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