The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists believes fewer people are receiving care than we're being told.  

Its new report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows about 20% of GP specialist referrals are being declined.  

Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Mike Hosking it's down to staff shortages across the public and private sectors. 

She says it shows Health New Zealand isn't managing unmet need, and criticises the fact our targets-focused system doesn't provide targets for the workforce. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists believes fewer people are receiving care than we're being told. &nbsp;
Its new report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows about 20% of GP specialist referrals are being declined. &nbsp;
Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Mike Hosking it's down to staff shortages across the public and private sectors.&nbsp;
She says it shows Health New Zealand isn't managing unmet need, and criticises the fact our targets-focused system doesn't provide targets for the workforce.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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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

Sarah Dalton: Association of Salaried Medical Experts Executive Director on the number of specialist referrals being declined

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/db1db5fc-5e16-4512-911d-b44e01479dc8/transcript

So we join the growing world chorus against social media/big tech and its pervasive algorithms and means of getting the young hooked. 

It was an impressive launch of the social media regulation; an audience, good speakers, impassioned politicians, and a particularly effective video featuring Erica Stanford and a group of teenagers who outlined their personal experience and concerns about social media and, with the exception of one, who said they would not let their siblings near it if they had a choice. 

A stat I hadn't heard was 40% of kids say they wish social media had never been invented. That gives pause, I would've thought. 

Although the audience was clearly stacked and the speakers all said essentially the same thing, I did wonder what it must be like to work at Meta or any one of the big tech players who, by and large, globally are seen these days as pariahs. 

They're constantly in court over any number of issues and almost permanently being fined for breaches. 

How many times do you reckon Zuckerberg gets hauled in front of a Senate committee in Washington before he pauses long enough to wonder about what he has made? 

Anyway, what we look to do is little different from anyone else, as far as I can tell. 

In Australia it is not a panacea. In France a court has blocked it for now. The best I think we can hope for is it at least allows parents to say to their kids, if they want to, that it's the law. So that helps a bit. 

For the purist, you can argue that it doesn’t actually work. It will never actually work. 

But for the purist, you should've seen the room yesterday. I think the purist is very much the minority. 

Big tech has Trump on its side, and they see it as anti-American, even though it's no such thing. 

But in totality it's almost a collective moment in time. No matter what country you are in broadly speaking big tech, social media and its algorithms have massively overplayed their hands and people are sick of it and sickened by it. 

It would be lovely to have free speech and to choose our course of our own free will. But the reality is the damage is too high. 

The lack of guardrails is too glaring. 

And so we join the growing number of what may well be a modern version of an historic line in the sand. 

And time will show we were on the right side of it. 

So we join the growing world chorus against social media/big tech and its pervasive algorithms and means of getting the young hooked.&nbsp;
It was an impressive launch of the social media regulation; an audience, good speakers, impassioned politicians, and a particularly effective video featuring Erica Stanford and a group of teenagers who outlined their personal experience and concerns about social media and, with the exception of one, who said they would not let their siblings near it if they had a choice.&nbsp;
A stat I hadn't heard was 40% of kids say they wish social media had never been invented. That gives pause, I would've thought.&nbsp;
Although the audience was clearly stacked and the speakers all said essentially the same thing, I did wonder what it must be like to work at Meta or any one of the big tech players who, by and large, globally are seen these days as pariahs.&nbsp;
They're constantly in court over any number of issues and almost permanently being fined for breaches.&nbsp;
How many times do you reckon Zuckerberg gets hauled in front of a Senate committee in Washington before he pauses long enough to wonder about what he has made?&nbsp;
Anyway, what we look to do is little different from anyone else, as far as I can tell.&nbsp;
In Australia it is not a panacea. In France a court has blocked it for now. The best I think we can hope for is it at least allows parents to say to their kids, if they want to, that it's the law. So that helps a bit.&nbsp;
For the purist, you can argue that it doesn’t actually work. It will never actually work.&nbsp;
But for the purist, you should've seen the room yesterday. I think the purist is very much the minority.&nbsp;
Big tech has Trump on its side, and they see it as anti-American, even though it's no such thing.&nbsp;
But in totality it's almost a collective moment in time. No matter what country you are in broadly speaking big tech, social media and its algorithms have massively overplayed their hands and people are sick of it and sickened by it.&nbsp;
It would be lovely to have free speech and to choose our course of our own free will. But the reality is the damage is too high.&nbsp;
The lack of guardrails is too glaring.&nbsp;
And so we join the growing number of what may well be a modern version of an historic line in the sand.&nbsp;
And time will show we were on the right side of it.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: The social media ban is a line in the sand

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8a12cc1b-58d0-4a4f-924a-b4b00176384f/transcript

Greg Johnson is celebrating his birthday in style. 

After 45 years of performing, the Kiwi musician is celebrating 60 years with a "career-spanning" tour in late October and early November. 

The tour will feature all his classics as well as some new music from his album 'Some Night, Somewhere,' releasing in October. 

Johnson has released over a dozen albums over the years and has yet to run out of inspiration, telling Mike Hosking the music comes with a moment. 

"I've never been a writer that sits down and says, now I must write," he explained. 

"I just like, I've got a guitar in my hand now, so you know, you never know, I might just start writing something." 

"I'm not really an interventionist God-type person, as Nick Cave puts it, but there's something definitely spiritual about the way music comes and what it does to people."  

LISTEN ABOVE  

Greg Johnson is celebrating his birthday in style.&nbsp;
After 45 years of performing, the Kiwi musician is celebrating 60 years with a "career-spanning" tour in late October and early November.&nbsp;
The tour will feature all his classics as well as some new music from his album 'Some Night, Somewhere,' releasing in October.&nbsp;
Johnson has released over a dozen albums over the years and has yet to run out of inspiration, telling Mike Hosking the music comes with a moment.&nbsp;
"I've never been a writer that sits down and says, now I must write," he explained.&nbsp;
"I just like, I've got a guitar in my hand now, so you know, you never know, I might just start writing something."&nbsp;
"I'm not really an interventionist God-type person, as Nick Cave puts it, but there's something definitely spiritual about the way music comes and what it does to people." &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Greg Johnson: Kiwi musician on his career-spanning 60th birthday tour, music making process

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ddf1251a-02d1-40de-a0b7-b4b0016b7480/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 25th of August, we explore whether the social media ban could actually be enforced successfully, and Erica Stanford answers whether she has the numbers. 

A new report on the India FTA says we're likely being conservative when it comes to how much it could lift exports. 

Kiwi musician Greg Johnson joins the show from LA to promote his 60th birthday tour, a new album, and give an exclusive performance of his new single.  

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 Tuesday 25th of August, we explore whether <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/craig-young-technology-users-association-ceo-on-nationals-proposed-social-media-ban-and-potential-loopholes/">the social media ban</a> could actually be enforced successfully, and <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/erica-stanford-education-minister-on-nationals-proposed-bill-to-ban-under-16s-from-social-media/">Erica Stanford</a> answers whether she has the numbers.&nbsp;
A <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/felicity-roxburgh-international-business-forum-executive-director-on-research-showing-benefits-of-the-india-fta-may-be-better-than-expected/">new report on the India FTA</a> says we're likely being conservative when it comes to how much it could lift exports.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/greg-johnson-kiwi-musician-on-his-career-spanning-60th-birthday-tour-music-making-process/">Kiwi musician Greg Johnson</a> joins the show from LA to promote his 60th birthday tour, a new album, and give an exclusive performance of his new single. &nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 25 August 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/22e88602-346f-46ac-99c5-b4b00165a363/transcript

Sarah Dalton: Association of Salaried Medical Experts Executive Director on the number of specialist referrals being declined

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