New Zealand aren’t the only ones suffering from healthcare struggles. 

Italy released their 2025 draft Budget, and medical professionals in particular are unimpressed. 

Nurses and doctors went on a nationwide strike, drawing 85% of support according to trade unions. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that they’re saying not enough money has been allocated to healthcare, and they have insufficient resources to pay staff and keep the system functioning. 

She says the system is rather rundown, and waiting lists are a big problem in the public system, which a majority of the population uses. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

New Zealand aren’t the only ones suffering from healthcare struggles.&nbsp;
Italy released their 2025 draft Budget, and medical professionals in particular are unimpressed.&nbsp;
Nurses and doctors went on a nationwide strike, drawing 85% of support according to trade unions.&nbsp;
Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that they’re saying not enough money has been allocated to healthcare, and they have insufficient resources to pay staff and keep the system functioning.&nbsp;
She says the system is rather rundown, and waiting lists are a big problem in the public system, which a majority of the population uses.&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

Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on the nurses and doctors' responses to Italy's 2025 draft budget

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b3bbdb06-ce41-4ca9-9dc2-b22e01763e66/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. 

  

Basketball: 7/10 

The most popular school sport in the country. Who doesn’t love a pick-up game and a lay-up? 

 

The gang laws: 7/10 

Because they represent a turning of the tide, a restoration of some common sense and some realisation of just how shabby this place had become. 

 

World War III: 3/10 

Let's keep our powder dry, shall we? A missile does not an escalation make. You might remember we are still waiting for Iran to respond in the other war and that was an age ago. 

 

Dairy: 9/10 

If we hit $10, that's a record. What a year, and what a time to have a year. 

 

Glastonbury: 8/10 

Sold out in 35 minutes, costs $700 and you got no idea who's on stage. 

 

Taylor Swift: 3/10 

With an education system like ours in the state it's in, is it really wise to spruik a Taylor Swift course? Is that really your calling card? 

 

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;&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/mike-summerell-school-sport-nz-ceo-on-the-growing-popularity-of-basketball-and-the-lack-of-facilities/">Basketball: 7/10</a>&nbsp;
The most popular school sport in the country. Who doesn’t love a pick-up game and a lay-up?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/richard-chambers-new-police-commissioner-on-the-gang-patch-ban-coming-into-effect-overnigh/">The gang laws: 7/10</a>&nbsp;
Because they represent a turning of the tide, a restoration of some common sense and some realisation of just how shabby this place had become.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
World War III: 3/10&nbsp;
Let's keep our powder dry, shall we? A missile does not an escalation make. You might remember we are still waiting for Iran to respond in the other war and that was an age ago.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Dairy: 9/10&nbsp;
If we hit $10, that's a record. What a year, and what a time to have a year.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Glastonbury: 8/10&nbsp;
Sold out in 35 minutes, costs $700 and you got no idea who's on stage.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Taylor Swift: 3/10&nbsp;
With an education system like ours in the state it's in, is it really wise to spruik a Taylor Swift course? Is that really your calling card?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW&nbsp;

Mark the Week: The gang laws represent a turning of the tide

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/52c2de59-bce8-468f-9f4e-b22f017369e4/transcript

I am trying to work out which I like least – Elon Musk or Disney. 

Elon bought Twitter and turned it into 'X'. He paid $44 billion, and they say it's worth about $10 billion now, but he doesn’t care. 

It's worth $10 billion because a lot of corporates bailed because of its ugliness. 

He argues it's free speech, but it's free speech at the lowest level, so it's ugly. He still defends it, and it makes life for a libertarian like me hard because I like the idea of truly free speech and, as a result of that belief, I have nothing to do with 'X' because I have standards. 

But it's also apparent that as good a concept as free speech may be, when left to its own devices it's an ugly place and vulnerable people get hurt. 

So that’s Elon. 

Disney were one of those who bailed on 'X' because they didn’t like what they saw. But the Financial Times suggests they are heading back to 'X' now that Trump has won, and Trump likes Elon, and Elon might spend a lot of time at the White House, so Disney wants “in” on the action and the influence. 

If that’s true, and it's not just Disney but also a bunch of corporates, that makes them hypocrites of the worst sort. 

High and mighty – but only when it suits. 

Full of principal, as long as they end up on the right side, whatever the current right side is. 

They went hopelessly woke in their movies, until Bob Iger came back and said the reason he was back was because Disney was losing money, and they were losing money because they're woke. 

Once upon a time having principles was quite the thing. It was expected and it was common, until it wasn’t. 

These days corporates too often don’t know who they are so they end up in a moral blancmange. We saw it here during Covid – furious at the Government in private, pussy cats in public. 

You would hope there is a lesson there somewhere they might want to learn and do something about. 

Elon is at least reasonably consistent. You don’t have to like it, but he is true to his word. 

It's cost him $35 billion in 'X'. But then he found Donald and the balance has been more than rectified, so what does he care? 

Which I guess ultimately means, it's Disney. I like Disney less than I like Elon. 

And that's saying something. 

I am trying to work out which I like least – Elon Musk or Disney.&nbsp;
Elon bought Twitter and turned it into 'X'. He paid $44 billion, and they say it's worth about $10 billion now, but he doesn’t care.&nbsp;
It's worth $10 billion because a lot of corporates bailed because of its ugliness.&nbsp;
He argues it's free speech, but it's free speech at the lowest level, so it's ugly. He still defends it, and it makes life for a libertarian like me hard because I like the idea of truly free speech and, as a result of that belief, I have nothing to do with 'X' because I have standards.&nbsp;
But it's also apparent that as good a concept as free speech may be, when left to its own devices it's an ugly place and vulnerable people get hurt.&nbsp;
So that’s Elon.&nbsp;
Disney were one of those who bailed on 'X' because they didn’t like what they saw. But the Financial Times suggests they are heading back to 'X' now that Trump has won, and Trump likes Elon, and Elon might spend a lot of time at the White House, so Disney wants “in” on the action and the influence.&nbsp;
If that’s true, and it's not just Disney but also a bunch of corporates, that makes them hypocrites of the worst sort.&nbsp;
High and mighty – but only when it suits.&nbsp;
Full of principal, as long as they end up on the right side, whatever the current right side is.&nbsp;
They went hopelessly woke in their movies, until Bob Iger came back and said the reason he was back was because Disney was losing money, and they were losing money because they're woke.&nbsp;
Once upon a time having principles was quite the thing. It was expected and it was common, until it wasn’t.&nbsp;
These days corporates too often don’t know who they are so they end up in a moral blancmange. We saw it here during Covid – furious at the Government in private, pussy cats in public.&nbsp;
You would hope there is a lesson there somewhere they might want to learn and do something about.&nbsp;
Elon is at least reasonably consistent. You don’t have to like it, but he is true to his word.&nbsp;
It's cost him $35 billion in 'X'. But then he found Donald and the balance has been more than rectified, so what does he care?&nbsp;
Which I guess ultimately means, it's Disney. I like Disney less than I like Elon.&nbsp;
And that's saying something.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Who's worse – Elon Musk or Disney?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/41ce6a87-3a9c-48e0-8774-b22f016cdd26/transcript

New Zealanders can now make contactless payments entirely on iPhones. 

Any retailer with a supported iPhone can accept payments from cards or digital wallets. 

It's paid via an app from one of Apple's payments service partners including Stripe, Worldline, Windcave, and ANZ. 

Ben Hanna, Head of New Zealand at Stripe, told Mike Hosking that it cuts down on the costs of running a traditional Eftpos machine. 

He says it cuts down on hardware costs, deployment time, and administration. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

New Zealanders can now make contactless payments entirely on iPhones.&nbsp;
Any retailer with a supported iPhone can accept payments from cards or digital wallets.&nbsp;
It's paid via an app from one of Apple's payments service partners including Stripe, Worldline, Windcave, and ANZ.&nbsp;
Ben Hanna, Head of New Zealand at Stripe, told Mike Hosking that it cuts down on the costs of running a traditional Eftpos machine.&nbsp;
He says it cuts down on hardware costs, deployment time, and administration.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Ben Hanna: Stripe Head of New Zealand on Apple Pay introducing entirely contactless payments

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/940cbcb2-43ee-44b0-b864-b22f016b9523/transcript

Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on the nurses and doctors' responses to Italy's 2025 draft budget

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