On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 5th of February, Finance Minister Nicola Willis tries to put a spin on a headline unemployment number that doesn't help the Government in an election year. 

There’s a sewage disaster in Wellington, so Mayor Andrew Little joined to discuss the situation.  

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss jobs, and Mike can't believe that money is now the gift of choice for a wedding on Wrapping the Week.  

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 5th of February, <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-economic-growth-minister-on-the-unemployment-rate-rising-to-54/">Finance Minister Nicola Willis</a> tries to put a spin on a headline unemployment number that doesn't help the Government in an election year.&nbsp;
There’s a sewage disaster in Wellington, so <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/andrew-little-wellington-mayor-on-raw-sewage-leaking-into-tarakena-bay-due-to-failure-at-the-moa-point-treatment-plant/">Mayor Andrew Little</a> joined to discuss the situation. &nbsp;
Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss jobs, and Mike can't believe that money is now the gift of choice for a wedding on Wrapping the Week. &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 February 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b1c81553-b51a-466a-961e-b3e7014c9be7/transcript

I asked yesterday whether Chris Hipkins thought we were stupid. 

And as luck would have it, he answered our question – yes, he does. 

First you have the Future Fund, a cornerstone policy, revelation that they aren't telling us who's money goes in and what sort of job creation they are expecting because they got bogged down in the Treaty issues, so we will need to wait until after the election. 

That's a massive problem given they only have one policy and that policy looks to be a huge waste of our money. 

Policy number two is a secret. But according to Chris, who appears to literally be melting in front of our eyes as the election year blowtorch gets pointed his way, he says on our behalf we "don't really care about the detail". 

That’s what he said. Did he ask you? He didn’t ask me. But he seems confident to suggest we don't really care about the detail. 

The breathtaking thing about that is I think he actually believes it. 

I think he has shown a side of the limousine left. They genuinely think we are a bit thick, that they are intellectually superior, and the complicated stuff really should be left to those who know what they're doing or think they know what they're doing. 

Can you name me any other party that takes their cornerstone policy and tells you that you don’t need to know the detail? And further, to go on to suggest you're not really interested anyway. 

This would be bad enough if these guys hadn't been running the place for a while. But they ran the place three years ago and that very same "you're dumb, we know what we're doing" sunk them. 

Hipkins in Auckland last week says everyone is over lockdown except the Newstalk ZB audience. 

Hipkins this week says no one is interested in policy detail. 

So one policy on tax, one policy that’s secret, and two observations that show the guy is literally either having a breakdown, or he is setting out to destroy his party in real time. 

If you're remotely connected to Labour and want to help, get to him fast and hose him down. 

Because he is the Government's greatest gift. 

I asked yesterday whether Chris Hipkins thought we were stupid.&nbsp;
And as luck would have it, he answered our question – yes, he does.&nbsp;
First you have the Future Fund, a cornerstone policy, revelation that they aren't telling us who's money goes in and what sort of job creation they are expecting because they got bogged down in the Treaty issues, so we will need to wait until after the election.&nbsp;
That's a massive problem given they only have one policy and that policy looks to be a huge waste of our money.&nbsp;
Policy number two is a secret. But according to Chris, who appears to literally be melting in front of our eyes as the election year blowtorch gets pointed his way, he says on our behalf we "don't really care about the detail".&nbsp;
That’s what he said. Did he ask you? He didn’t ask me. But he seems confident to suggest we don't really care about the detail.&nbsp;
The breathtaking thing about that is I think he actually believes it.&nbsp;
I think he has shown a side of the limousine left. They genuinely think we are a bit thick, that they are intellectually superior, and the complicated stuff really should be left to those who know what they're doing or think they know what they're doing.&nbsp;
Can you name me any other party that takes their cornerstone policy and tells you that you don’t need to know the detail? And further, to go on to suggest you're not really interested anyway.&nbsp;
This would be bad enough if these guys hadn't been running the place for a while. But they ran the place three years ago and that very same "you're dumb, we know what we're doing" sunk them.&nbsp;
Hipkins in Auckland last week says everyone is over lockdown except the Newstalk ZB audience.&nbsp;
Hipkins this week says no one is interested in policy detail.&nbsp;
So one policy on tax, one policy that’s secret, and two observations that show the guy is literally either having a breakdown, or he is setting out to destroy his party in real time.&nbsp;
If you're remotely connected to Labour and want to help, get to him fast and hose him down.&nbsp;
Because he is the Government's greatest gift.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: So yes, Chris Hipkins does think you're stupid

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e6c65762-f2d8-4fd3-90d6-b45001811d58/transcript

Last month saw Russian aircrafts “repeatedly and dangerously” intercept British surveillance aircrafts over the Black Sea. 

According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, a Russian Su-35 fighter approached the Royal Airforce Plane, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems and disable its autopilot. 

On another occasion, a Su-27 jet carried out six passes in front of the plane’s nose, at a distance of six meters.  

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Russia has become increasingly cheeky over the last four or five years. 

He says that things are ratcheting up every so often, and even if it’s only by half an inch, it’s something the UK should worry about.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

Last month saw Russian aircrafts “repeatedly and dangerously” intercept British surveillance aircrafts over the Black Sea.&nbsp;
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, a Russian Su-35 fighter approached the Royal Airforce Plane, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems and disable its autopilot.&nbsp;
On another occasion, a Su-27 jet carried out six passes in front of the plane’s nose, at a distance of six meters. &nbsp;
UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Russia has become increasingly cheeky over the last four or five years.&nbsp;
He says that things are ratcheting up every so often, and even if it’s only by half an inch, it’s something the UK should worry about. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Rod Liddle: UK Correspondent on the Russian jets intercepting UK surveillance planes over the Black Sea

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6b8b182e-57e9-4aad-940a-b450017e7532/transcript

Grant Baker is one of the country’s best success stories. 

The Kiwi serial entrepreneur has had his hand in a number of pies but is best known for two companies – 42 Below and Turners.  

It’s a career that’s spanned decades, and that’s before you get to his philanthropic efforts and work in co-founding the Gut Cancer Foundation in 2008. 

He’s unravelling his career in his new book ‘No Pit Stops: The Business Of Going All In’, sharing stories of successes, setbacks, and lessons he’s learned.  

While Baker has always had a bit of entrepreneurial spirit, it wasn’t until he was in his thirties that things really kicked off. 

“My wife and I invested in property and those sorts of things, y’know, traditional Kiwi way, but we never got much traction,” he told Mike Hosking  

Baker's true journey began with an offer from Eric Watson to join him in building a “$100 million company” in the Blue Star Group. 

“When he laid out the opportunity, I just thought, well I’ve got to do something, I was in my mid-thirties at the time and thought if I don’t pull the trigger now, I never will.”  

And the rest, as they say, is history. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Grant Baker is one of the country’s best success stories.&nbsp;
The Kiwi serial entrepreneur has had his hand in a number of pies but is best known for two companies – 42 Below and Turners. &nbsp;
It’s a career that’s spanned decades, and that’s before you get to his philanthropic efforts and work in co-founding the Gut Cancer Foundation in 2008.&nbsp;
He’s unravelling his career in his new book ‘No Pit Stops: The Business Of Going All In’, sharing stories of successes, setbacks, and lessons he’s learned. &nbsp;
While Baker has always had a bit of entrepreneurial spirit, it wasn’t until he was in his thirties that things really kicked off.&nbsp;
“My wife and I invested in property and those sorts of things, y’know, traditional Kiwi way, but we never got much traction,” he told Mike Hosking &nbsp;
Baker's true journey began with an offer from Eric Watson to join him in building a “$100 million company” in the Blue Star Group.&nbsp;
“When he laid out the opportunity, I just thought, well I’ve got to do something, I was in my mid-thirties at the time and thought if I don’t pull the trigger now, I never will.” &nbsp;
And the rest, as they say, is history.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Grant Baker: NZ Businessman and Entrepreneur on his decades of success and failures, new book 'No Pit Stops: The Business Of Going All In'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4f248ae0-1387-4ed9-a075-b45001735462/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 05 February 2026

In 1 playlist(s)

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips