On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of December, Nicola Willis responds to the surplus being pushed out another year, the third blowout in her two years as the Finance Minister. 

Indycar champ Scott Dixon is on to talk his career and the launch of a new world class karting facility in Auckland. 

And Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen cover all the highs and lows of 2025 on the final Politics Wednesday for the year.   

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 Wednesday 17th of December, <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/nicola-willis-finance-minister-on-the-government-pushing-out-surplus-expectations/">Nicola Willis responds to the surplus being pushed out another year</a>, the third blowout in her two years as the Finance Minister.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/scott-dixon-indycar-champion-on-the-opening-of-the-sir-colin-giltrap-raceway-in-auckland/">Indycar champ Scott Dixon</a> is on to talk his career and the launch of a new world class karting facility in Auckland.&nbsp;
And <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/pollies-mark-mitchell-and-ginny-andersen-on-retail-crime-highs-and-lows-of-2025-governments-books/">Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen</a> cover all the highs and lows of 2025 on the final Politics Wednesday for the year. &nbsp;&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: 17 December 2025 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b7a4984d-9ce7-4b83-90b8-b3b5015483fa/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. 

 

Trump: 6/10 

An infuriating mix of effective and insane. It's rare for a single person to dominate news everyday all week, but there you go. 

 

Iceland: 2/10 

Was Iceland his Biden moment and no one called it out? Can you threaten to invade a place who's name you can't even remember? 

 

Tony Brown: 8/10 

Appeared on the show this week and set the cat amongst the pigeons. 

 

The rugby union: 2/10 

When you look at Razor and listen to Tony, where do you reckon the real issues are? 

 

Anna Breman: 6/10 

The Dr vs Winston vs Nicola. I side with Anna. She is either independent or she isn't. 

 

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;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-arnold-us-correspondent-on-donald-trumps-continued-demands-to-acquire-greenland/">Trump: 6/10</a>&nbsp;
An infuriating mix of effective and insane. It's rare for a single person to dominate news everyday all week, but there you go.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Iceland: 2/10&nbsp;
Was Iceland his Biden moment and no one called it out? Can you threaten to invade a place who's name you can't even remember?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/tony-brown-springboks-assistant-coach-on-the-all-blacks-coaching-saga-scott-robertsons-departure/">Tony Brown: 8/10</a>&nbsp;
Appeared on the show this week and set the cat amongst the pigeons.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The rugby union: 2/10&nbsp;
When you look at Razor and listen to Tony, where do you reckon the real issues are?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-should-anna-breman-be-in-trouble/">Anna Breman: 6/10</a>&nbsp;
The Dr vs Winston vs Nicola. I side with Anna. She is either independent or she isn't.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW&nbsp;

Mark the Week: Trump's an infuriating mix of effective and insane

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7f912d28-6450-4ff2-aeb4-b3da0162cd2c/transcript

ACC is in crisis. 

I'm not sure if that’s news to you or not. 

They are sinking in a sea of debt. They are forecast in four short years to be in the hole to the tune of $26 billion. 

Now there are side issues like court cases, which make decisions that envelop the organisation into a fiscal level of responsibility they can't calculate, and in that I feel sorry for them. 

But their turnaround plan, which has just been launched, involves them getting back to black in four years. 

That, if done, will be well worth applauding. Now, I have no doubt it can be done, mainly because the problem is one of will and determination. 

But it does involve tough decisions, a bit of backbone and a whole new attitude. 

A couple of key figures give the story away. 

Figure 1: The number of people in the past decade who are on long term payments. It's gone from 12,000 to 24,000. In other words, it's doubled. 

Has the population doubled in that time? No. 

Have we fallen over a lot more? Not necessarily. 

Have we milked a system able to be milked? Of course. 

Figure 2: The cost of rehab. In the same period, it's gone from $2 billion to $4 billion, so it's doubled. 

Has inflation doubled? No. 

Have people seen ACC coming and adjusted their costs accordingly? Yes. 

The whole thing is not a lot short of a scam. 

It's an industry in which if you take your eye off the ball, make the rules convoluted and look to scrimp and save in the wrong areas, is ripe for the sort of calamitous outcome that has clearly eventuated. 

Literally half the country claims ACC each year. It's astonishing. 

It's not normal. 

Recently a family member was a recipient of ACC. Without boring you with the details, at times ACC seemed determined this person should not return to work. 

There was a rigid inflexibility in their approach. Rules were rules. Ironically this family member was desperate to get back to work, but, said any number of doctors and specialists, not before just a bit more treatment. 

Do that two million times over and you're $26 billion in the hole. 

The good news is there is no reason it can't be fixed. The question is, do they have the gonads and the wherewithal to do it? 

ACC is in crisis.&nbsp;
I'm not sure if that’s news to you or not.&nbsp;
They are sinking in a sea of debt. They are forecast in four short years to be in the hole to the tune of $26 billion.&nbsp;
Now there are side issues like court cases, which make decisions that envelop the organisation into a fiscal level of responsibility they can't calculate, and in that I feel sorry for them.&nbsp;
But their turnaround plan, which has just been launched, involves them getting back to black in four years.&nbsp;
That, if done, will be well worth applauding. Now, I have no doubt it can be done, mainly because the problem is one of will and determination.&nbsp;
But it does involve tough decisions, a bit of backbone and a whole new attitude.&nbsp;
A couple of key figures give the story away.&nbsp;
Figure 1: The number of people in the past decade who are on long term payments. It's gone from 12,000 to 24,000. In other words, it's doubled.&nbsp;
Has the population doubled in that time? No.&nbsp;
Have we fallen over a lot more? Not necessarily.&nbsp;
Have we milked a system able to be milked? Of course.&nbsp;
Figure 2: The cost of rehab. In the same period, it's gone from $2 billion to $4 billion, so it's doubled.&nbsp;
Has inflation doubled? No.&nbsp;
Have people seen ACC coming and adjusted their costs accordingly? Yes.&nbsp;
The whole thing is not a lot short of a scam.&nbsp;
It's an industry in which if you take your eye off the ball, make the rules convoluted and look to scrimp and save in the wrong areas, is ripe for the sort of calamitous outcome that has clearly eventuated.&nbsp;
Literally half the country claims ACC each year. It's astonishing.&nbsp;
It's not normal.&nbsp;
Recently a family member was a recipient of ACC. Without boring you with the details, at times ACC seemed determined this person should not return to work.&nbsp;
There was a rigid inflexibility in their approach. Rules were rules. Ironically this family member was desperate to get back to work, but, said any number of doctors and specialists, not before just a bit more treatment.&nbsp;
Do that two million times over and you're $26 billion in the hole.&nbsp;
The good news is there is no reason it can't be fixed. The question is, do they have the gonads and the wherewithal to do it?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: ACC is being scammed, but it can be fixed

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b2650049-6c50-4629-a2e0-b3da016149e7/transcript

Greenland's been kept in the dark over discussions between Donald Trump and NATO about its future. 

The US President claims he’s laid the groundwork for a potential deal involving the Arctic island, while also backing down on proposed tariffs on NATO countries. 

Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen says nothing can proceed without Greenland’s clear support. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Denmark is open to Greenland being used as part of the Golden Dome anti-missile system and an extension of US-controlled military bases. 

However, he says, the US has had basing rights in Greenland under an agreement reached in 1951, so there’s a question of if this is anything other than the status quo. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Greenland's been kept in the dark over discussions between Donald Trump and NATO about its future.&nbsp;
The US President claims he’s laid the groundwork for a potential deal involving the Arctic island, while also backing down on proposed tariffs on NATO countries.&nbsp;
Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen says nothing can proceed without Greenland’s clear support.&nbsp;
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Denmark is open to Greenland being used as part of the Golden Dome anti-missile system and an extension of US-controlled military bases.&nbsp;
However, he says, the US has had basing rights in Greenland under an agreement reached in 1951, so there’s a question of if this is anything other than the status quo.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on the latest developments around Trump and Greenland

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c0b3d352-3110-47f5-b15e-b3da015e3827/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 17 December 2025

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