An economist says the Government did the best it could in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The Treasury's latest report calculates the total cost of the Covid-19 pandemic at $66 billion.  

The Government ignored official advice at the time to ease spending.  

New Zealand Initiative Chief Economist Eric Crampton told Mike Hosking it is hard to fault anyone up until late 2020.  

He says, afterwards, the Government failed to come up with solutions outside lockdowns and wage subsidies.  

Treasury is now suggesting the Government establish an independent fiscal institution for better scrutiny.  

Crampton says Treasury isn't in a position where it can effectively challenge the Finance Minister's decisions.  

He says the public currently can't rely on Treasury for clear warnings when things are going wrong, which is needed for democratic accountability. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

An economist says the Government did the best it could in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. &nbsp;
The Treasury's latest report calculates the total cost of the Covid-19 pandemic at $66 billion. &nbsp;
The Government ignored official advice at the time to ease spending. &nbsp;
New Zealand Initiative Chief Economist Eric Crampton told Mike Hosking it is hard to fault anyone up until late 2020. &nbsp;
He says, afterwards, the Government failed to come up with solutions outside lockdowns and wage subsidies. &nbsp;
Treasury is now suggesting the Government establish an independent fiscal institution for better scrutiny. &nbsp;
Crampton says Treasury isn't in a position where it can effectively challenge the Finance Minister's decisions. &nbsp;
He says the public currently can't rely on Treasury for clear warnings when things are going wrong, which is needed for democratic accountability.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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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

Eric Crampton: NZ Initiative Chief Economist on the Treasury report revealing the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic to be $66 billion

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/22c04377-3f7b-4b26-bcf4-b332015237d3/transcript

So the battle of the supermarket beat-down unfolded for us lucky voters. 

Labour and National have gone head-to-head over how much head kicking they can do to, mainly, supermarkets. But seemingly in Labour's case it could be the financial sector i.e. banks, or air travel i.e. Air NZ, as well. 

Both party's ideas, let the record state, are fanciful. 

National are probably the worst offenders given: 

1) They have been in office virtually a full term and they have only now got to the business of putting out an actual policy. 

2) The trouble with the policy is it's merely a review by the Commerce Commission and because of that may never happen. 

3) No one has jawboned groceries like Nicola Willis, so her hot air outpaces any action. 

That’s before you get to the bit where it's entirely possible our perceived high prices at supermarkets is a result of a five million person market, not a lack of competition. 

The exact same grievances are aired almost daily in Australia. Their prices are "too high" and "rising", there "aren't enough supermarkets" etc, etc. 

As was pointed out to me the other day, Auckland actually has a lot of competition. Independents have a third of the market and it's not like the food price complaints are only coming from out of Auckland. 

As for Labour they say they'll look at large companies. They didn’t define "large". 

They said they'll look at excessive profits. They don’t define it other than to say the Commerce Commission has a formula. 

The Commerce Commission came up with the famous "$1 million a day" excess profit line for supermarkets, which may or may not actually be a thing. 

On air travel, when you ping Air NZ for excess prices from Nelson to Invercargill, that will affect the bottom line, increase their losses, and push them closer to insolvency. That’s a cool policy. 

Large company with excess prices, but losing money. What's the plan? Bankrupt them? 

So National look like a side that panicked because they talked a big game and delivered little. 

Labour is, once again, in the realm of theory and whiteboarding, with clickbait one-liners and no real-world workings of how any of this actually works or doesn’t. 

They both look like amateurs. 

They are both disappointing, which might explain why the third-party vote has increased so much. 

So the battle of the supermarket beat-down unfolded for us lucky voters.&nbsp;
Labour and National have gone head-to-head over how much head kicking they can do to, mainly, supermarkets. But seemingly in Labour's case it could be the financial sector i.e. banks, or air travel i.e. Air NZ, as well.&nbsp;
Both party's ideas, let the record state, are fanciful.&nbsp;
National are probably the worst offenders given:&nbsp;
1) They have been in office virtually a full term and they have only now got to the business of putting out an actual policy.&nbsp;
2) The trouble with the policy is it's merely a review by the Commerce Commission and because of that may never happen.&nbsp;
3) No one has jawboned groceries like Nicola Willis, so her hot air outpaces any action.&nbsp;
That’s before you get to the bit where it's entirely possible our perceived high prices at supermarkets is a result of a five million person market, not a lack of competition.&nbsp;
The exact same grievances are aired almost daily in Australia. Their prices are "too high" and "rising", there "aren't enough supermarkets" etc, etc.&nbsp;
As was pointed out to me the other day, Auckland actually has a lot of competition. Independents have a third of the market and it's not like the food price complaints are only coming from out of Auckland.&nbsp;
As for Labour they say they'll look at large companies. They didn’t define "large".&nbsp;
They said they'll look at excessive profits. They don’t define it other than to say the Commerce Commission has a formula.&nbsp;
The Commerce Commission came up with the famous "$1 million a day" excess profit line for supermarkets, which may or may not actually be a thing.&nbsp;
On air travel, when you ping Air NZ for excess prices from Nelson to Invercargill, that will affect the bottom line, increase their losses, and push them closer to insolvency. That’s a cool policy.&nbsp;
Large company with excess prices, but losing money. What's the plan? Bankrupt them?&nbsp;
So National look like a side that panicked because they talked a big game and delivered little.&nbsp;
Labour is, once again, in the realm of theory and whiteboarding, with clickbait one-liners and no real-world workings of how any of this actually works or doesn’t.&nbsp;
They both look like amateurs.&nbsp;
They are both disappointing, which might explain why the third-party vote has increased so much.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Supermarket and price gouging policies are fanciful

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/91a61b90-f802-4b58-b378-b4c7016e8ae7/transcript

An experienced captain is steering the NZ Breakers' ship for the next two years. 

Gordon Herbert coached the German national basketball team to their first ever FIBA World Cup title in 2023, and his teams have won championships across a wide range of leagues. 

Now he's taking over as Breakers coach, replacing Petteri Koponen in the role, although he has remained in charge of, and will continue to coach Canada's national men's team. 

Herbert told Mike Hosking it's been somewhat of a difficult pre-season, as he's been jetting all around the world, from New Zealand to Canada, to Australia, and then back to New Zealand. 

"It's been somewhat of a short preseason with our team, but it is what it is, we gotta move forward." 

The mark he wants to make on the Breakers is one of a team mentality – saying although there is an 'I' in win and individuals are needed, a team mentality is needed first. 

And it's that mentality that will hopefully allow the Breakers to achieve this season's goal: to be a top 4 team in the league. 

"We've had some injury problems in the pre-season, but to a certain extent, we can control our own destiny, the way we practice, the way we prepare."  

Herbert told Hosking he's not sure how long he'll be in this role, but he's taking it one day at a time. 

"I'm trying to get this team to play really good basketball, and we're, you know, not only do we represent the community, and the town, and the city, but we represent the whole country, which is pretty neat." 

"We want to have a really good product on the floor for our country." 

LISTEN ABOVE  

An experienced captain is steering the NZ Breakers' ship for the next two years.&nbsp;
Gordon Herbert coached the German national basketball team to their first ever FIBA World Cup title in 2023, and his teams have won championships across a wide range of leagues.&nbsp;
Now he's taking over as Breakers coach, replacing Petteri Koponen in the role, although he has remained in charge of, and will continue to coach Canada's national men's team.&nbsp;
Herbert told Mike Hosking it's been somewhat of a difficult pre-season, as he's been jetting all around the world, from New Zealand to Canada, to Australia, and then back to New Zealand.&nbsp;
"It's been somewhat of a short preseason with our team, but it is what it is, we gotta move forward."&nbsp;
The mark he wants to make on the Breakers is one of a team mentality – saying although there is an 'I' in win and individuals are needed, a team mentality is needed first.&nbsp;
And it's that mentality that will hopefully allow the Breakers to achieve this season's goal: to be a top 4 team in the league.&nbsp;
"We've had some injury problems in the pre-season, but to a certain extent, we can control our own destiny, the way we practice, the way we prepare." &nbsp;
Herbert told Hosking he's not sure how long he'll be in this role, but he's taking it one day at a time.&nbsp;
"I'm trying to get this team to play really good basketball, and we're, you know, not only do we represent the community, and the town, and the city, but we represent the whole country, which is pretty neat."&nbsp;
"We want to have a really good product on the floor for our country."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Gordon Herbert: New Breakers Coach on signing on with the team for the next two years

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4b957483-27e5-45e2-a3f5-b4c70169f637/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of September, National has announced a surprising plan to drive supermarket competition by splitting up Foodstuffs. We got an explanation from Nicola Willis and the reaction from the corporation itself. 

It seems we can't get enough of the sporting merchandise in this country. Dynasty Sport's Tyler Rakich discusses the jump in sales. 

New Breakers coach Gordon Herbert describes how he plans to handle the new gig alongside his main job of coaching the Canadian national team. 

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 Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of September, National has announced a surprising plan to drive supermarket competition by splitting up Foodstuffs. We got an explanation from <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-nationals-finance-spokesperson-on-their-proposal-to-split-foodstuffs-in-two-to-drive-supermarket-competition/">Nicola Willis</a> and the reaction from <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/dean-waddell-foodstuffs-north-island-chair-on-nationals-plan-to-split-up-supermarkets/">the corporation itself.</a>&nbsp;
It seems we can't get enough of the sporting merchandise in this country. <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/tyler-rakich-dynasty-sport-co-founder-on-surge-in-kiwis-buying-sports-merchandise/">Dynasty Sport's Tyler Rakich</a> discusses the jump in sales.&nbsp;
New Breakers coach Gordon Herbert describes how he plans to handle the new gig alongside his main job of coaching the Canadian national team.&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: 17 September 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/122df185-5847-4133-a5b5-b4c7015d6940/transcript

Eric Crampton: NZ Initiative Chief Economist on the Treasury report revealing the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic to be $66 billion

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