On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 5th of August, we preview the latest unemployment figures and discuss the now-halted prison massage plan.  

Sarah Kennedy from Calocurb gives us the lowdown on the price of the GLP-1s in this country, access, and how far behind we are the rest of the world. 

And Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell spar on the social media bill, the prison massage plan, and Luxon's business comments on Politics Wednesday. 

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 Wednesday 5th of August, we preview the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/sharon-zollner-anz-chief-economist-on-the-expectation-the-unemployment-rate-will-increase-to-55/">latest unemployment figures</a> and discuss the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/todd-stephenson-act-spokesperson-on-the-corrections-minister-halting-the-plan-to-roll-out-rongoa-m%C4%81ori-health-services-for-prisons-including-massages/">now-halted prison massage plan</a>. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/sarah-kennedy-calocurb-ceo-on-the-cost-of-weight-loss-drugs-in-the-us-versus-nz-long-term-use/">Sarah Kennedy from Calocurb</a> gives us the lowdown on the price of the GLP-1s in this country, access, and how far behind we are the rest of the world.&nbsp;
And <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-nationals-mark-mitchell-and-labours-ginny-andersen-on-the-social-media-ban-bill-prison-massage-plan-luxons-business-comments/">Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell</a> spar on the social media bill, the prison massage plan, and Luxon's business comments on Politics Wednesday.&nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&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

Full Show Podcast: 05 August 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4c108f41-57a9-419d-8bfb-b49c016194aa/transcript

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. 

 

The campaign: 4/10 

Is it just me or has the mental stuff with ice cream and dumb questions started so early that we will be suicidal by November? 

 

PREFU: 7/10 

Confirmed widely held suspicions that our economy is on the way back in a material way. 

 

Labour: 4/10 

Bad first week. Got busted on equity and the CGT promise appears problematic now that housing isn't growing. 

 

The EU FTA climate mess: 1/10 

It's one thing for a bunch of Dutch losers to whine, but to be backed by Kiwis, even if they are radicals, is treasonous. 

 

The Opportunity Party: 2/10 

Shot themselves in the foot with bottom lines. They may as well have named their favourite colours. 

 

LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW 

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.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The campaign: 4/10&nbsp;
Is it just me or has the mental stuff with ice cream and dumb questions started so early that we will be suicidal by November?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
PREFU: 7/10&nbsp;
Confirmed widely held suspicions that our economy is on the way back in a material way.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Labour: 4/10&nbsp;
Bad first week. Got busted on equity and the CGT promise appears problematic now that housing isn't growing.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The EU FTA climate mess: 1/10&nbsp;
It's one thing for a bunch of Dutch losers to whine, but to be backed by Kiwis, even if they are radicals, is treasonous.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Opportunity Party: 2/10&nbsp;
Shot themselves in the foot with bottom lines. They may as well have named their favourite colours.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW&nbsp;

Mark the Week: The Opportunity Party shot themselves in the foot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c64ec536-09da-4ee8-bd64-b4d60163a7d6/transcript

Given Westpac played what I would loosely call a dumb game this week with numbers, let me return serve. 

Their numbers involved a bunch of what they call "necessities" and their prices over the past ten years. 

White bread is up 120% and butter up 157%. Chicken though is only up 2%. So, if you ate a lot of chicken, not only would you be protein rich, you would have saved a fortune. 

The CPI is up in that period 38%. 

Their argument is that this is why we are miserable; everything appears so expensive. 

Not everything is, but if you eat a lot of white bread and butter, obviously without the chicken, you are arguing it’s a cost-of-living crisis. 

By the way, here are my numbers: while the CPI is 38%, hourly wages are up 53%. 

Now that dovetails into what we saw just last week with the food price inflation for the year at 1.9%. Our wages have in fact gone up more than that, so in other words, food is getting more affordable. 

It's a statistical fact – food is more affordable this year than last year. 

If you spread it out over 10 years at 53% versus 38%, things are way more affordable. We are actually getting ahead. 

See what you can do with numbers? 

Which has been my argument throughout this cluster of numbers, and misery, and point scoring, and finger pointing. 

If you want to be miserable and find something that is wrong, or broken, or too expensive, you can. 

But equally —glass half-full— if you want to find gain, or benefit, or advancement, you can as well. That choice is yours. 

For dairy and meat, we can explain the price gains: they are international. For olive oil, it’s a Spanish drought, for coffee it’s a disease, for your council rates its half-wits with no clue. 

But if you aren't prepared to avoid things that appear too much, then that’s on you. 

After all, what really is a necessity at the supermarket? What is a "must have" versus a "nice to have"? 

Is white bread really so good that it's worth getting exercised over? 

Given Westpac played what I would loosely call a dumb game this week with numbers, let me return serve.&nbsp;
Their numbers involved a bunch of what they call "necessities" and their prices over the past ten years.&nbsp;
White bread is up 120% and butter up 157%. Chicken though is only up 2%. So, if you ate a lot of chicken, not only would you be protein rich, you would have saved a fortune.&nbsp;
The CPI is up in that period 38%.&nbsp;
Their argument is that this is why we are miserable; everything appears so expensive.&nbsp;
Not everything is, but if you eat a lot of white bread and butter, obviously without the chicken, you are arguing it’s a cost-of-living crisis.&nbsp;
By the way, here are my numbers: while the CPI is 38%, hourly wages are up 53%.&nbsp;
Now that dovetails into what we saw just last week with the food price inflation for the year at 1.9%. Our wages have in fact gone up more than that, so in other words, food is getting more affordable.&nbsp;
It's a statistical fact – food is more affordable this year than last year.&nbsp;
If you spread it out over 10 years at 53% versus 38%, things are way more affordable. We are actually getting ahead.&nbsp;
See what you can do with numbers?&nbsp;
Which has been my argument throughout this cluster of numbers, and misery, and point scoring, and finger pointing.&nbsp;
If you want to be miserable and find something that is wrong, or broken, or too expensive, you can.&nbsp;
But equally —glass half-full— if you want to find gain, or benefit, or advancement, you can as well. That choice is yours.&nbsp;
For dairy and meat, we can explain the price gains: they are international. For olive oil, it’s a Spanish drought, for coffee it’s a disease, for your council rates its half-wits with no clue.&nbsp;
But if you aren't prepared to avoid things that appear too much, then that’s on you.&nbsp;
After all, what really is a necessity at the supermarket? What is a "must have" versus a "nice to have"?&nbsp;
Is white bread really so good that it's worth getting exercised over?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: The power of statistics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d28b90ab-79fa-419f-bd0b-b4d6015e6f60/transcript

The Moa Point saga is now wading into the courts. 

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed charges against water company Tiaki Wai and the City Council after a catastrophic failure in February saw more than 14 billion litres of untreated sewage pumped into the sea.   

The regional council says the prosecution follows detailed investigation of the events, the roles of involved parties, and the environmental consequences. 

Both organisations could face fines of up to $100 million each. 

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's highly unlikely there will be a fine at that level. 

He says there will be talks by lawyers on all sides, and if anything goes before a judge, there'll be a bit of teasing out about where responsibility actually lies, as that's still a bit of an open question. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Moa Point saga is now wading into the courts.&nbsp;
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed charges against water company Tiaki Wai and the City Council after a catastrophic failure in February saw more than 14 billion litres of untreated sewage pumped into the sea. &nbsp;&nbsp;
The regional council says the prosecution follows detailed investigation of the events, the roles of involved parties, and the environmental consequences.&nbsp;
Both organisations could face fines of up to $100 million each.&nbsp;
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's highly unlikely there will be a fine at that level.&nbsp;
He says there will be talks by lawyers on all sides, and if anything goes before a judge, there'll be a bit of teasing out about where responsibility actually lies, as that's still a bit of an open question.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Andrew Little: Wellington Mayor on Greater Wellington Regional Council filing charges for the failures at Moa Point

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5791b606-1da7-4188-8690-b4d6015b80f9/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 05 August 2026

In 1 playlist(s)

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips