The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Kids are hooked on the internet but they could be learning online habits from their parents.

Global research shows one in six 15-year-olds in New Zealand are "extreme" internet users spending six hours a day online - while most spend around three hours day.

It makes New Zealand's youth the seventh-highest internet consumers in the OECD.

Internet safety and risk assessment consultant John Parsons said children need to balance computer time with exercise.

"If you've got a teenager spending six hours a day on technology but not moving, not interacting with face-to-face conversations, not perhaps playing sport, then I think you have an issue."

But he told Mike Hosking adults are also part of the problem.

"Why don't the researchers look at adults? We think of it as a youth issue. I'm affected by technology just as much as young people. I love using it, I'm always connected and I'm always on it."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JOHN PARSONS SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

One school principal has come up with a novel approach on how to deal with drugs in schools after some students were caught with drugs on school grounds. 

Tararua College Principal Jon Ward posted an open letter to parents on Facebook telling parents to talk to their kids about drugs.

Mr Ward told Mike Hosking trying to shut the drug problem down isn't going to fix it, it will simply be a temporary fix. 

He believes talking to kids about drugs is the best way to deal with it.

"I don't believe that simply excluding students and punishing them is necessarily going to achieve our goal, which is to stamp out drugs. We've had a lot of feedback saying that they respect the fact that we're trying to have an open discussion about it."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JON WARD SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

The Government is being urged to get more skilled migrants into provincial centres, as part of changes to visa rules.

Changes to New Zealand's immigration settings will be announced later today, including tighter criteria for some immigration categories.

Prime Minister Bill English said they want to have better control over the type of migrants coming in, to make sure they have the skills we need.

This comes a day after the Australian government announced it will replace one of its foreign worker visas, with a much tougher one.

Association of Migration and Investment chairwoman June Ranson told Mike Hosking many migrants will welcome a change.

"They're in this country providing good skills, and they've had no pathway to get residence because of the great emphasis on qualifications."

Ranson said our Government needs to focus on getting skills where they're needed.

"We've got businesses that are downsizing and also some of them looking at closing, especially down in the South Island. New Zealand doesn't revolve around Auckland."

LISTEN ABOVE AS JUNE RANSON SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

High political drama in the UK.

Theresa May has called a snap election three years early.

The Prime Minister said it's all about getting the backing of political parties for her Brexit plan.

LISTEN: Political turmoil as May announces early election

CNN's Nina Dos Santos said there is an element of voter fatigue in the UK.

She told Mike Hosking they held general elections less than two years ago and then there were two referenda, one on Scotland's independence the other on Brexit.

"A lot of concern here that turnout might be low, but given her ratings in the polls, that probably won't concern her too much," she said.

LISTEN ABOVE AS CNN'S NINA DOS SANTOS SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

How ethical is our fashion industry when it comes to worker exploitation in their supply chains?

Tearfund has released its assessment of more than 200 clothing brands here in New Zealand.

New Zealand-owned fashion labels rank better than international brands when it comes to addressing worker exploitation in their supply chains.

Though it turns out no company publicly discloses who their suppliers are, a fact that would indicate if workers were being exploited.

Fashion designer and owner of ethical fashion brand Taylor Boutique, Vicki Taylor, told Mike Hosking deep down we all care about the conditions of workers who make our clothes. "At the end of the day consumerism is driven by the dollar. Nobody feels better than when they can get a bargain and unfortunately it is those bargains that come at what costs, and that's what drives prices down."

Though the breakdown of how much it costs to make clothing from a New Zealand fashion designer is eye opening.

Ms Taylor said if you buy a $20 T shirt, it generally has a 100 percent mark up, plus GST added to it.

She said the basic $20 cost is accounted for by $6 on raw materials, $6 on labour and $8 on overheads. "So now you take that $6 worth of labour, divide it by five people. There's a cutter, machinist, a finisher who puts the buttons on and things like that, a presser and then there's a person who labels it and sends it out. Can that $6 cover that?"

LISTEN ABOVE AS VICKI TAYLOR SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Twelve New Zealand companies scored a median grade of B-, above the international average of C+.

Kowtow and Liminal Apparel are the top New Zealand performers, both scoring As.

Farmers rank lowest with an F, because it hasn’t engaged with the report and has no publicly available information on its supply chain.

Karen Walker is most improved scoring a B+, up from a C last year.

Tearfund said there are three key areas of change across the board from previous years - traceability, transparency and the provision of a living wage.

The cost of the successful 'pay equity' claim has been described as a win-win situation.

The Government has unveiled a $2 billion pay package providing increased wages to around 55,000 aged care, home support and disability care workers. That will be phased in over five years.

Off the back of that First Union is working on a 'pay equity' claim for 300,000 retail workers.

Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue told Mike Hosking whether it's the Government or private sector paying for successful claims, it's worth it.

"It's going to be an economic stimulant. Rather than having a low-paid workforce with a high turnover, you're going to have a more settled workforce, you'll have greater productivity."

Dr Jackie Blue said authorities are looking into how future 'pay equity' claims can be made in other industries.

She said that includes occupations where women are low paid but don't necessarily dominate the work force.

LISTEN ABOVE AS DR JACKIE BLUE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

A major breakthrough for gender pay in the public sector could set a major precedent for the private sector as well.

Around 55,000 aged care, home support and disability care workers - mostly women - are set to receive a lift in pay to $27 an hour.

The historic pay equity settlement is likely to be the first of many - if it's signed off by Cabinet.

EY employment law leader Christie Hall told Mike Hosking it could also set a precedent for some private sector industries.

"It gives people a mechanism by which they can say 'I think my pay has been unfairly calculated due to gender and I want a pay increase because of that'."

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE

The Prime Minister says cabinet will factor in the concerns of the private sector when it considers a historic pay equity settlement.

Around 55,000 aged care, home support and disability care workers, mostly women, are set to receive a lift in pay to $27 an hour.

Cabinet has yet to sign off on the settlement, which will cost the Government an extra $500 million a year.

Bill English told Mike Hosking they're considering how businesses will be affected by the settlement."There's always concern about government pay negotiations and the flow into the private sector and we're taking that into account."More details about the historical equity pay rise and its wider impact would be revealed by the government later today, he said.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE

The Red Cross says it's well prepared, should Edgecumbe and surrounding areas get hit by flooding again.

LISTEN ABOVE: Mike Hosking talks to Red Cross operations manager, Dave Russell, about the support they're providing for Whakatane residents.

Operations manager Dave Russell is in Whakatane.

He told Mike Hosking they're ready for the unknown.

"We've got twelve people on the ground and a lot of vehicles who have been supporting operations at the Edgecumbe cordon to just deliver first aid and help out."

Former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig says he'll go back to court, if it comes to that.

The Judge in his defamation case brought by Jordan Williams from the lobby group Taxpayers Union has ruled the damages awarded against him of $1.27 million would be a miscarriage of justice.

It's raised the possibility of a retrial, if the two sides can't settle outside of court.

And Craig told Mike Hosking he's happy to go head to head with Jordan Williams there again.

"If he wants to go back to court, it's his call," he said. "I am of course very confident on the basis of what we now know that he won't have a chance."

LISTEN TO MIKE HOSKING'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH COLIN CRAIG, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAMS' LAWYER JOHN LANGFORD