High hopes for today's Budget from health, infrastructure, education, and business leaders. 

College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking he's looking for some reallocation of health spending. 

He says we currently invest 6% of vote health in primary healthcare, compared to the OECD average of 14%.  

On the infrastructure side of things, Infrastructure NZ's Nick Leggett told Hosking he wants investment in new projects and maintenance of existing ones.  

He says we have to build some resilience into them so they don’t fail earlier, because that just ends up costing more money. 

Secondary Principals' Council Chair Steve McCracken told Mike Hosking he has three things on his wishlist. 

He’d like to see an increase in operational funding for schools, a significant injection into senior secondary curriculum areas to support the implementation of the new qualification, and increasing vocational training places and support for those on that path. 

And finally, Business New Zealand Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking she's focused on economic indicators. 

She says they’re going to be looking to see when the country returns to surplus and how the new expenditure contributes to economic growth. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

High hopes for today's Budget from health, infrastructure, education, and business leaders.&nbsp;
College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking he's looking for some reallocation of health spending.&nbsp;
He says we currently invest 6% of vote health in primary healthcare, compared to the OECD average of 14%. &nbsp;
On the infrastructure side of things, Infrastructure NZ's Nick Leggett told Hosking he wants investment in new projects and maintenance of existing ones. &nbsp;
He says we have to build some resilience into them so they don’t fail earlier, because that just ends up costing more money.&nbsp;
Secondary Principals' Council Chair Steve McCracken told Mike Hosking he has three things on his wishlist.&nbsp;
He’d like to see an increase in operational funding for schools, a significant injection into senior secondary curriculum areas to support the implementation of the new qualification, and increasing vocational training places and support for those on that path.&nbsp;
And finally, Business New Zealand Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking she's focused on economic indicators.&nbsp;
She says they’re going to be looking to see when the country returns to surplus and how the new expenditure contributes to economic growth.&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

Luke Bradford, Nick Leggett, Steve McCracken, and Katherine Rich: Industry Leaders' key hopes for Budget 2026

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b67002f4-8928-4e23-b7bb-b45701458690/transcript

The Government's being criticised for rushing homeschooling legislation. 

It's backed down on proposed changes that would've increased the oversight of those who teach children at home after pushback from families. 

NZ Initiative Education Research Fellow Michael Johnson told Mike Hosking the state has the right to reassess how education is delivered. 

But he says the homeschooling community has the right to be upset. 

Johnson says it exists because it's a bit different from mainstream education, and you can't be too heavy handed with it.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Government's being criticised for rushing homeschooling legislation.&nbsp;
It's backed down on proposed changes that would've increased the oversight of those who teach children at home after pushback from families.&nbsp;
NZ Initiative Education Research Fellow Michael Johnson told Mike Hosking the state has the right to reassess how education is delivered.&nbsp;
But he says the homeschooling community has the right to be upset.&nbsp;
Johnson says it exists because it's a bit different from mainstream education, and you can't be too heavy handed with it. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Michael Johnston: NZ Initiative Education Research Fellow on the Government backing down on proposed homeschooling changes

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e4d9d333-7143-4a38-b707-b4570151341a/transcript

The Reserve Bank Governor is feeling good about her captain's call to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25%. 

Anna Breman made the final decision after the six-member Monetary Policy Committee she chairs was evenly split on whether to hike the rate. 

Breman says she understands the argument for hiking but told Mike Hosking she doesn't think now's the right time. 

She says financial markets have already tightened quite a lot, and the economy is slowing down, which will reduce pressure on inflation over the medium term. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Reserve Bank Governor is feeling good about her captain's call to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25%.&nbsp;
Anna Breman made the final decision after the six-member Monetary Policy Committee she chairs was evenly split on whether to hike the rate.&nbsp;
Breman says she understands the argument for hiking but told Mike Hosking she doesn't think now's the right time.&nbsp;
She says financial markets have already tightened quite a lot, and the economy is slowing down, which will reduce pressure on inflation over the medium term.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Anna Breman: Reserve Bank Governor unpacks the decision to hold the Official Cash Rate at 2.25%

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d21af37d-8e38-4fb5-9063-b457014c7caf/transcript

Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right. 

Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here. 

The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet. 

If the idea was such a sensational one, someone actually using their own money would have thought of it and further put it into practice. 

But the idea wasn't a sensational one. It was an artificial one propped up with other people's money. 

The most immediate alarm bells should be ringing in the NRL with their PNG venture. 

Having been handed millions by the Australian Government, players will live in a compound because it's too unsafe not to, and their pay will be artificially jacked up by tax treatment. Otherwise, if it wasn't, no one would want to play in PNG. 

Gosh I wonder why. 

The fact this harebrained idea has got as far as it has actually defies what is going on elsewhere in the sport, which is good. And what else it defies is belief. 

But back to Moana Pasifika, it was taxpayers’ money through a series of very, very loosely connected organisations to sport i.e. a medical group who, if you join some dots, you can argue if you run around you might be a bit fitter and then not end up dying young. That sort of logic. Anyway, a medical group who ended up in charge of a professional sports team who didn't really attract a crowd and didn't really turn out to be that good. 

Which is one of the great ironies – young Pacific kids were supposed to see their heroes and be inspired to be fit and play sport. You know what inspires kids? Winners. You’ve got to win. 

And those kids could see their heroes anyway in the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and the Blues. 

No one ever watched Lomu or Jones and wondered aloud to themselves, "wouldn't it be cool if they had their own, local team?" 

So it ends in liquidation, a bad idea, with easy money, not properly executed and ending in the poor house. 

In a world where successful sport is all around us, why would you try and gerrymander it in such an amateurish fashion? 

Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right.&nbsp;
Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here.&nbsp;
The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet.&nbsp;
If the idea was such a sensational one, someone actually using their own money would have thought of it and further put it into practice.&nbsp;
But the idea wasn't a sensational one. It was an artificial one propped up with other people's money.&nbsp;
The most immediate alarm bells should be ringing in the NRL with their PNG venture.&nbsp;
Having been handed millions by the Australian Government, players will live in a compound because it's too unsafe not to, and their pay will be artificially jacked up by tax treatment. Otherwise, if it wasn't, no one would want to play in PNG.&nbsp;
Gosh I wonder why.&nbsp;
The fact this harebrained idea has got as far as it has actually defies what is going on elsewhere in the sport, which is good. And what else it defies is belief.&nbsp;
But back to Moana Pasifika, it was taxpayers’ money through a series of very, very loosely connected organisations to sport i.e. a medical group who, if you join some dots, you can argue if you run around you might be a bit fitter and then not end up dying young. That sort of logic. Anyway, a medical group who ended up in charge of a professional sports team who didn't really attract a crowd and didn't really turn out to be that good.&nbsp;
Which is one of the great ironies – young Pacific kids were supposed to see their heroes and be inspired to be fit and play sport. You know what inspires kids? Winners. You’ve got to win.&nbsp;
And those kids could see their heroes anyway in the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and the Blues.&nbsp;
No one ever watched Lomu or Jones and wondered aloud to themselves, "wouldn't it be cool if they had their own, local team?"&nbsp;
So it ends in liquidation, a bad idea, with easy money, not properly executed and ending in the poor house.&nbsp;
In a world where successful sport is all around us, why would you try and gerrymander it in such an amateurish fashion?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Moana Pasifika showed the market was right

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a64086b6-fa95-4a32-8bdf-b456016fb396/transcript

Luke Bradford, Nick Leggett, Steve McCracken, and Katherine Rich: Industry Leaders' key hopes for Budget 2026

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