The direct line between Wellington and Washington will see material results on tackling crime in New Zealand.

The FBI has set up a Wellington based office - meaning it now has an office in each of the capitals of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

It will work on combating terrorism, organised crime, and foreign intelligence threats.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mike Pannett told Mike Hosking the FBI has specialist capabilities and having a NZ presence is a testament to a longstanding partnership.

LISTEN ABOVE

The direct line between Wellington and Washington will see material results on tackling crime in New Zealand.
The FBI has set up a Wellington based office - meaning it now has an office in each of the capitals of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
It will work on combating terrorism, organised crime, and foreign intelligence threats.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mike Pannett told Mike Hosking the FBI has specialist capabilities and having a NZ presence is a testament to a longstanding partnership.
LISTEN ABOVE

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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

Mike Pannett: Assistant Police Commissioner discusses the controversial FBI office in Wellington

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/3d0eeb79-f6db-42bd-a5fa-b32e0144a793/transcript

David Seymour joined Mike Hosking as acting Prime Minister while Christopher Luxon is in Singapore.

They discussed the big topics coming into this week including the war in Iran and the USA's call for support, and ACT's new immigration policy. 

On the potential of NZ involvement in Iran Seymour told Hosking, "We're not going into a conflict zone, but if there was genuine, cross-partisan support for us to join a coalition of like-minded nations to ensure that trades on the seas can continue, that is in New Zealand's interest.

"We're a trading nation. We need freedom of navigation."

LISTEN ABOVE 

David Seymour joined Mike Hosking as acting Prime Minister while Christopher Luxon is in Singapore.
They discussed the big topics coming into this week including the war in Iran and the USA's call for support, and ACT's new immigration policy.&nbsp;
On the potential of NZ involvement in Iran Seymour told Hosking, "We're not going into a conflict zone, but if there was genuine, cross-partisan support for us to join a coalition of like-minded nations to ensure that trades on the seas can continue, that is in New Zealand's interest.
"We're a trading nation.&nbsp;We need freedom of navigation."
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

David Seymour: Acting Prime Minister on US call for aid and immigration policy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/31c9c642-a7e7-451e-a58f-b43f014ffc9e/transcript

Well the war seems live now, doesn’t it.

The Americans officially want our help.

Which brings us back to the original question - if this encounter ends up ridding Iran of the ability to produce nuclear weaponry, has it been worth it?

No, they didn’t see the Strait of Hormuz being the mess it is. You can debate that forever if you want, but ultimately there is no question Iran is done for and it's just a matter of time before they fold.

The price is high, inflation is up, the supply chains for a lot of stuff like fertiliser and plastics and ceramics and oil doesn't look good.

The economic damage is virtually everywhere. Is that the price we are prepared to pay to see Iran neutralised?

Here is the tricky question; given no one asked us, why would we help now?

The great diplomatic cock-up from the Trump administration is they didn’t get buy-in. Unlike other conflicts no coalition was built.

What made it worse was when he realised he was in trouble, Trump started whining about the lack of help. NATO and Britain got a good going over.

Can you unilaterally start a war with global economic implications and then whine that we aren't too thrilled about lending a hand?

In other words, does the so-called "favour" he has done us by finishing off Iran allow us enough positivity towards him to come to his aid?

Also at play is the cold, hard reality of geopolitics. We are kind of obliged to help. We are in the American camp and if push came to shove they would help us.

So we sort of have to assist when asked. And the fact we are tiny doesn’t help our cause because we need all the help we can get.

As the Prime Minister told us the other day when I asked, almost in a way that he knew this was brewing. He offered the idea that our Boeing P-8A Poseidon could do some patrolling.

We have sort of answered the question before it even needed to be asked, haven't we?

Are we in? What choice do we have?

LISTEN ABOVE

Well the war seems live now, doesn’t it.
The Americans officially want our help.
Which brings us back to the original question - if this encounter ends up ridding Iran of the ability to produce nuclear weaponry, has it been worth it?
No, they didn’t see the Strait of Hormuz being the mess it is. You can debate that forever if you want, but ultimately there is no question Iran is done for and it's just a matter of time before they fold.
The price is high, inflation is up, the supply chains for a lot of stuff like fertiliser and plastics and ceramics and oil doesn't look good.
The economic damage is virtually everywhere. Is that the price we are prepared to pay to see Iran neutralised?
Here is the tricky question; given no one asked us, why would we help now?
The great diplomatic cock-up from the Trump administration is they didn’t get buy-in. Unlike other conflicts no coalition was built.
What made it worse was when he realised he was in trouble, Trump started whining about the lack of help. NATO and Britain got a good going over.
Can you unilaterally start a war with global economic implications and then whine that we aren't too thrilled about lending a hand?
In other words, does the so-called "favour" he has done us by finishing off Iran allow us enough positivity towards him to come to his aid?
Also at play is the cold, hard reality of geopolitics. We are kind of obliged to help. We are in the American camp and if push came to shove they would help us.
So we sort of have to assist when asked. And the fact we are tiny doesn’t help our cause because we need all the help we can get.
As the Prime Minister told us the other day when I asked, almost in a way that he knew this was brewing. He offered the idea that our Boeing P-8A Poseidon could do some patrolling.
We have sort of answered the question before it even needed to be asked, haven't we?
Are we in? What choice do we have?
LISTEN ABOVE

Mike's Minute: Do we have any choice but to help out the US?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ed3ed949-42b6-4478-ac67-b43f01494113/transcript

The Primary Production Select Committee is going to have a look into, well, primary production. Namely, the Hawke’s Bay scenario of Heinz and McCain's, both of whom have announced closures and job losses. 

A briefing is different to an inquiry, just in case you are thinking the committee is going to come up with something tangible. 

This is the sort of sad handwringing we get into around bad news. 

The simple truth is some industries are undercut by consumer choice. In this case, the consumer likes cheap, and the cheaper the better. 

And part of the problem in first world countries is we like to pay people decent wages and that tends to add to the price. 

Supermarkets invent home brands and those brands undercut brands like McCain. Peaches from China outsell peaches from Hawke’s Bay. 

But here is the issue for the committee – I assume they know all this. I know all this because it's not hard to know. 

So once they find all this out, they will also look at the impact on communities. I think I can help them here as well: it's not good. 

People losing jobs do one of several things; 

1) Stop working, 

2) Find a new job, 

3) Move out of town. 

I note the two local mayors in Hawke’s Bay have welcomed the briefing. Brilliant, but my question is, how does that help? 

No one likes any of this. We would all like Heinz and McCain to be thriving, but they are not. 

I bet Americans would like farmers to buy more cows and raise more beef, but they aren't doing that either. So they buy our beef at ever-increasing prices. 

Quality is a good game to be in, if you can sell it. It turns out in wine and beef and lamb, and maybe merino, we can. In peaches we can't. 

So the places that host the factories, that grow the fruit or the trees, and the places that put them into things like cans, flounder or struggle until they fail. 

Looking into a story told many times over, often in rural or provincial New Zealand, is not going to change a thing. 

One of the mayors said this should get to the bottom of why this is happening. I think I just told you that and what can be done differently. 

On that last part I wish them all the luck in the world.   

The Primary Production Select Committee is going to have a look into, well, primary production. Namely, the Hawke’s Bay scenario of Heinz and McCain's, both of whom have announced closures and job losses.&nbsp;
A briefing is different to an inquiry, just in case you are thinking the committee is going to come up with something tangible.&nbsp;
This is the sort of sad handwringing we get into around bad news.&nbsp;
The simple truth is some industries are undercut by consumer choice. In this case, the consumer likes cheap, and the cheaper the better.&nbsp;
And part of the problem in first world countries is we like to pay people decent wages and that tends to add to the price.&nbsp;
Supermarkets invent home brands and those brands undercut brands like McCain. Peaches from China outsell peaches from Hawke’s Bay.&nbsp;
But here is the issue for the committee – I assume they know all this. I know all this because it's not hard to know.&nbsp;
So once they find all this out, they will also look at the impact on communities. I think I can help them here as well: it's not good.&nbsp;
People losing jobs do one of several things;&nbsp;
1) Stop working,&nbsp;
2) Find a new job,&nbsp;
3) Move out of town.&nbsp;
I note the two local mayors in Hawke’s Bay have welcomed the briefing. Brilliant, but my question is, how does that help?&nbsp;
No one likes any of this. We would all like Heinz and McCain to be thriving, but they are not.&nbsp;
I bet Americans would like farmers to buy more cows and raise more beef, but they aren't doing that either. So they buy our beef at ever-increasing prices.&nbsp;
Quality is a good game to be in, if you can sell it. It turns out in wine and beef and lamb, and maybe merino, we can. In peaches we can't.&nbsp;
So the places that host the factories, that grow the fruit or the trees, and the places that put them into things like cans, flounder or struggle until they fail.&nbsp;
Looking into a story told many times over, often in rural or provincial New Zealand, is not going to change a thing.&nbsp;
One of the mayors said this should get to the bottom of why this is happening. I think I just told you that and what can be done differently.&nbsp;
On that last part I wish them all the luck in the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Here's what the Parliamentary briefing on food plant closures will show

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/911acaa7-2035-4eb7-afd6-b43d0173fd83/transcript

Mike Pannett: Assistant Police Commissioner discusses the controversial FBI office in Wellington

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