The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Virginia Hanlon Grohl is the mother of rock superstar and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

She's published a new book featuring tales from a number of rock star moms entitled From Cradle to the Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH MIKE HOSKING ABOVE

The Government is rejecting calls to ban smoking in cars when kids are around.

The Health Select Committee agreed with a petition presented last year calling for the ban.

But the Government isn't keen, saying it would be impossible to enforce and anti-smoking initiatives are already making an impact.

Cancer Society's Auckland chief executive John Loof told Mike Hosking he's hugely disappointed.

"We're really calling on the Government to re-think this. This is organisations like the Cancer Society, Plunket, Asthma Foundation, there's huge public support for this move, and really want the Government to reconsider."

Loof said this is a move designed to protect children.

"The research and the evidence is all over this and is there for everyone to see. There's significant health risk to our kids. According to the Government's own figures, over 90 percent public support for this move."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JOHN LOOF SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

A judge will be weighing up personal circumstances and the violence in an assault when deciding the sentence for a man who bashed his stepdaughter's rapist. 

At the Wellington District Court yesterday, a jury of 11 women and one man found the man guilty of assault with intention to injure Jason Haward.

Judge Peter Butler told the court it's unlikely he will send him to prison, but it depends on a pre-sentence report.

Criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Mike Hosking this is a man who was subject to considerable emotional distress.

"We all as civilised persons know that type of person will make a decision that the rest of us wouldn't necessarily make, and then assess the totality of his life in all other respects and think actually we understand and sympathise."

Cullen said it's in society's interest that violent offenders get locked up. But he also said it's important to put a humane aspect to that assessment.

LISTEN ABOVE AS CRIMINAL LAWYER STEVE CULLEN SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

AUT Criminal Law Professor Warren Brookbanks said there are a lot of factors the sentencing judge will have to take into account, including that he may have acted impulsively under some sense of provocation.

"There's a lot of different types of community based sentences that the court could impose, including supervision or community service or something of that nature."

Professor Brookbanks said he frankly wasn't surprised by the verdict, he understands all the emotions involved and has some sympathy for the man, but says it sounded like a reasonably serious assault.

He said whatever the motive was the seriousness of the assault was obviously of concern to the jury.

Rivals for the French presidency are throwing themselves into the last week of campaigning.

France will choose between far right hopeful Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron on Sunday. Both have been holding their own rallies.

Le Pen denounced her rival as a candidate of "the system".

France correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking it's getting tense.

"They say in the first round you vote with your heart, you vote for the person you really want to win, and the second round you vote against the person you don't want to win," Field said.

"It's Macron's to lose, but certainly the rally he had in Paris it looked and sounded like he's finally woken up and realised he is a candidate to be President of France."

The result should be known on Monday.

LISTEN ABOVE AS CATHERINE FIELD SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKI

The Labour leader is keen to move on from the commotion caused by Willie Jackson.

The former broadcaster flew to Wellington yesterday to re-negotiate his spot on the party list, delaying the full list announcement.

Mr Jackson was unsuccessful, and remains at number 21.

Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's unavoidable that some people will be unhappy with their place.

"You point out to people nobody gets what they want and be braced for disappointment, but people are human. So people raise their issues, you deal with it because that's the right thing to do."

Little said they dealt with the complaint, and are ready to move on.

"It's one day in hundreds of days. In the end, what people want to know is are we a party that can attract good talent, good people, and we can and we do and we have."

When called this morning, Willie Jackson told Newstalk ZB he will speak to media at a pre-arranged news conference with Andrew Little later this morning.

Labour advised of the 9am news conference last night, saying it will be with Mr Little and party president Nigel Haworth.

LISTEN ABOVE AS LABOUR LEADER ANDREW LITTLE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Life after politics is getting busy for former Prime Minister John Key as he will join the board of Air New Zealand in September.

Mr Key said he is taking on advisory board roles and working on specific projects in Australasia and the northern hemisphere.

The airline has been courting Mr Key since he resigned last year saying they wanted someone with international experience.

Mr Key told Mike Hosking Air New Zealand was an easy decision to make.

"They're probably one of the few companies that have approached me. There's been a ton of offers both internationally and locally and obviously because I don't want to work 300 days a year I've got to be quite selective. Air New Zealand is a great company.

"What is remarkable, really, is how people from $200 billion plus corporations reach out and get hold of you. That's the thing that surprised me. I'm not so much surprised about New Zealand companies as obviously they know who I am."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JOHN KEY SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Auckland's tourism agency says the World Masters Games will continue giving to the sector.

The games closed with a bang last night, and the event torch has been formally passed on to the Kansai region of Japan.

ATEED chief executive Brett O'Riley told Mike Hosking athletes are making the most of the tourist spots, and not just in Auckland.

"It's really been a great windfall, and I also think we'll get a lot of repeat visitation, because for many people it was the first time they've been to Auckland or New Zealand, and that'll start to make them come back again."

LISTEN ABOVE AS BRETT O'RILEY SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Legalities are standing in the way of the Pike River families in the debate over whether the remains of the 29 men should be recovered.

It comes after leaked footage shows two men wearing breathing gear entering the mine's drift just four months after the fatal explosion.

The video was taken using a robot, which gets more than 1500 metres down the drift before its way is blocked.

Dean Dunbar lost his 17-year-old son, Joseph, in the disaster. He told Mike Hosking there was an opportunity in the very beginning to enter the mine.

"They had five days to let mines rescue go in, to rescue and recover."

Dunbar said the footage shows the integrity of the drift is sound.

Mike Hosking suggested no one can enter the mine without breaking the law, but the grieving father disagrees.

"It's not against the law to send in a 17-year-old child and drop him off at the coal face in an explosive coal mine, but it is against the law to send in mines rescue to go and get him."

LISTEN ABOVE AS DEAN DUBAR SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

The Prime Minister says the Pike River Mine video footage doesn't change anything.

There is leaked footage of a robot and two workers inside the Pike River mine, four months after the 2010 explosion.

That has angered Pike River families who have been fighting for access to where their 29 loved ones died, for six years.

Bill English told Mike Hosking he can understand the families' reaction, particularly with the way it was presented.

"It doesn't really change the safety assessment about whether it is okay to go for manned entry, and it doesn't change what we're doing on unmanned entry."

Mr English insisted there has been no cover-up of the Pike River disaster.

"It's absolutely understandable that the families would want to get in there if they possibly could, that's why the process has been so thorough.

"I think some of this discussion about a cover-up and so on doesn't really help much at all."

LISTEN ABOVE AS PM BILL ENGLISH SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Tourism has pushed out dairy as our biggest earner, with more than $12 billion flowing into the country last year.

More than 3.5 million tourists came here in 2016, a million more than six years ago.

SEE ALSO: Squeeze on the Govt to ease tourism pressure

But tourism providers are warning our infrastructure is creaking under the strain.

Tourism Holdings Chairman Rob Campbell told Mike Hosking through general tax revenue, the Government can assist local authorities to ease the pressure points.

"Which are, in some cases, as big as roading and transport facilities, and other places it's as simple as adequate toilet facilities. But local authorities struggled in many instances to meet those demands."

LISTEN ABOVE AS ROB CAMPBELL SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING