The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Was Stuart Nash misleading us yesterday when he said the reason we don’t have a two-way bubble with Australia is because of the Australian government?
Scott Morrison was asked about National's position raised on the show yesterday with Judith Collins who told us the bubble needed to be up and running now. 72-hour negative test, jump on a plane, land here, and get on with your holiday.
Morrison said the only reason Australians weren't on holiday right here, right now was on our government. As we suspected.
The early BS from the government about talks, talks, more talks and logistics had an element of sense about them. No, you don’t just throw open the borders.
But as the border, one way, did open, and we jumped on planes, and went to stay in Sydney or Melbourne, it became increasingly evident there was really only one side holding this whole thing up.
It was and is us.
How many New Zealanders using the bubble have gone to Australia and infected Australians with Covid? None.
This is just the latest is the slow but sure unravelling of this government's Covid handling. The single act one year ago, the act of closing the border, was their party piece. They've dined out on it ever since, got re-elected on it, and us bankrupt on it.
But now, as the world moves on, as the vaccinations get sorted, we are left bereft at the bottom of the world, with a vaccine programme that still isn't rolled out, and won't be until the latter part of this year. At best, starting for most of us in July, four long months away.
You can do a lot in four months. In that time, Britain has injected 22 million. Israel has jabbed five million. We are still making announcements. The government has said it's not when you start, it's when you finish. Correct, and we will be finishing way too late.
The bubble was a scam. With the mindset we have it was never opening.  
Last week Scott Morrison expanded a migrant worker programme to help their labour shortage, he expanded MIQ to get more Aussies home, he's producing a million doses a week of AstraZeneca vaccine.
They're a mile ahead of us, not remotely in lockstep. They opened their end of the bubble deal last October. They are putting us to shame, and the endless excuses rolled out by this government are each and every day being exposed for the duplicitous crap they always were.
Each owner, operator, worker, or former worker in our tourism industry is in a level of pain they don’t need to be, because Australians should be here. The only reason they're not, according to Morrison, is because our government can't get out of its own way.

Piers Morgan has lashed Meghan Markle outside his London home and offered no apology or regret over his resignation, laughing and defiant while labelling her "contemptible".
Since the 55-year-old's controversial exit from Good Morning Britain, Morgan broke his silence in a scathing speech towards Meghan, saying he was willing to "fall on his sword" after "agreeing to disagree" with ITV over apologising for the rant.
Experts and commentators are divided on this issue, with some describing it a "melodrama" while others, like Sharon Osbourne, tweeting: "I am with you. I stand by you."

Piers Morgan, the British TV presenter who has just lost his high-profile breakfast show job over attacks on Meghan, said he still did not believe what she had said during her Oprah Winfrey interview https://t.co/5mYkOYIGDy pic.twitter.com/nx5PSl5I0t— Reuters (@Reuters) March 10, 2021

Questioned as he walked his young daughter, Elise, to school on the first day after his departure, he claimed people were trying to cancel him and boldly confirmed he would "re-emerge".
"I believe in freedom of speech, I believe in the right to be allowed to have an opinion. If people want to believe Meghan Markle, that's entirely their right.
"I don't believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible.
"If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it."
His controversial views have been met with mixed response and he claims he is only in "temporary hibernation".
"I think it's fair to say, although the woke crowd will think that they've cancelled me, I think they will be rather disappointed when I re-emerge."
He said of his future that he is "always in talks with people".

Ahead of the America's Cup Match, there was plenty of talk about how much faster Team New Zealand's AC75 was compared to that of Luna Rossa, and not if but when the defender would retain the Auld Mug.
It took just two races for that to be laid to rest.
Luna Rossa, who have sailed the most races and have been improving their performance at every stage, matched their counterparts for boat speed on the opening day of racing as the sides finished the day 1-1.
For many, the competitive racing seemed to come as a surprise, with even the broadcast team acknowledging that those doubting Luna Rossa were being made to eat their words.
When asked by a local reporter about if he had a message to those who wrote Luna Rossa off before racing even started, co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill responded: "You mean people like you? You guys never get it wrong, do you?"
In the opening race of the best-of-13 series, Team New Zealand's average upwind and downwind speeds were about 1kt faster than Luna Rossa, however the Italians' maximum speed of 48.01kts was faster than that of the Kiwi outfit (46.90kts).
In the second race, Team New Zealand were again the faster boat – this time by less than a knot on both the upwind and downwind legs. In that race, Team New Zealand reached a top speed of 51.11kts to Luna Rossa's top speed of 49.78kts.
Luna Rossa co-helmsman Francesco Bruni said they were yet to see Team NZ's supposed speed advantages.
"There was a lot of talk about Team New Zealand being five, eight, 10 knots faster. That was clearly not the case," Bruni said.
"We're glad that we can just race and try to win this."
As Luna Rossa have shown, making the boat faster via off-water development is key to a successful America's Cup campaign and, as the schedule is set out, the teams may now have just one more day to find the best version of their boat.
The crews will have a day off racing on Thursday, before returning to action on Friday, and every day following until a winner is found.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Spithill said Thursday could prove to be vital.
"The team that's able to [keep developing and get faster] will win, and both teams now really only have the opportunity for a full day.
"It's very, very important how we use that. We've got to go through all the data and have to go through all the footage, but we've got a few things planned and we're looking forward to it – the boys have already started ripping into it in the sheds."

An Australian tourism boss says the time is now for New Zealand to open up to a trans-Tasman bubble.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the New Zealand Government can allow two-way quarantine free travel whenever it sees fit.
New Zealanders can head across the ditch on quarantine free flights, but anyone arriving here must go into quarantine.
South Australian Tourism Commission chief executive Rodney Harrex told Mike Hosking tourism is an important part of their economy and drives employment.
He says it's now time to reconnect, and start travelling again.
“New Zealanders and Australians are an important part of each others' economies.
“Australia would love to welcome Kiwis back, after a particularly challenging year.”
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THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Travel Truth Comes Out/Don't Forget the Real Cost/Life Imitates Rake/Driving Difficulties/Russian Twitter Trouble

Act leader David Seymour is calling on the Government to create a business travel bubble with a number of Covid-free countries, such as Australia and Singapore.
He also wants to relaunch the Epidemic Response Committee and bolster its use of technology to fight Covid-19.
His party today delivered, what he has called, the Covid-19 Response Plan 2.0 – a plan which sets out what New Zealand's next steps to responding to Covid-19 should be.
It pulls together a number of issues Act has been talking about for a number of weeks, such as introducing daily saliva tests and making using the Covid-19 tracer app compulsory.


The plan also has some new ideas, such as a business travel network – whereby business people could travel freely to Covid-free countries.
This is a system that is already in place in Taiwan, where people can enter the country for business purposes under strict conditions.
"The Act Party has done what the Government hasn't but the business community and others have been crying out for – develop a plan for the immediate next steps of New Zealand's response to Covid-19," Seymour said.
He has been critical for a number of weeks about, what he said has been, a lack of leadership from the Government over its longterm Covid-19 plan.
Speaking to media this afternoon, Seymour called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to adopt Act's recommendations.
"We're confident following this strategy will make New Zealanders safer, more prosperous and eventually more connected in the Covid environment."
Among the 15 policy recommendations Act has laid out, four of them should be adopted "immediately," Seymour said.
These include:
• Compulsory Covid-app use including Bluetooth functionality to improve contact tracing.
• Introduce daily saliva testing and the use of Datamine's ëlarm technology to the border and MIQ workforce to alert them to early signs of infection.
• Begin establishing an Epidemic Response Unit modelled off Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre to replace Covid-19 response leadership by the Ministry of Health.
• Reactivate Parliament's Epidemic Response Committee.
"Act's position all along has been to propose sound policy solutions to the challenges we face while holding the Government to account," Seymour said.
"Act just wants to make the boat go faster."

The creative sector says now is the perfect time to rethink and expand it's reach and activity for our economy.
Currently, the sector adds $17.5 billion to our GDP, and supports 131,000 jobs, but it is still apparently only in it's infancy.
A new paper this morning, Unleashing New Zealand's Creative Economy, has been launched by Yoobee College.
Yoobee's CEO Ana Maria Rivera joins Mike Hosking to talk about the potential for this part of our economy.
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A closed down flight school in Hamilton is being looked at as a potential quarantine facility for international students.
Hamilton City Council is looking at what needs to be done to upgrade the facility to the level that is needed if and when the number of students drastically increases.
Economic Development Chair for the Council Ryan Hamilton told Mike Hosking there have been conversations with Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins but no approval as yet.
"We're just trying to work proactively so if and when restrictions ease up, we're ready to go.
"The value of international education is huge not just for our region but for New Zealand."
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Kiwi mums suffering postnatal depression are taking their own lives because they have no one to turn to. First-time mums have described being left alone after traumatic births during lockdown. A powerful public movement in Parliament today aims to bring decades of maternal failures to light. Emma Russell reports.
Gemma McCaw has shared a heartbreaking story of a solo mum dumped at temporary housing with no support after a traumatic birth at the same hospital where the star hockey player welcomed her first child.
McCaw spoke this morning at Parliament as part of a powerful public movement against the "shaming" treatment of mums before and after giving birth in New Zealand.
"My experience is not something everyone is lucky enough to have," McCaw said.
"In stark contrast to my incredibly privileged and well-supported postnatal experience, I was told a story of a woman who last month welcomed a baby at the same hospital as Charlotte was born," she said.
McCaw said the woman lived no more than 15 minutes from her doorstep in temporary accommodation.
"She had escaped a violent family with literally no one there to support her.
"She was entirely alone."
McCaw said after being in hospital for two days with not one visitor her neighbour was then dropped back to the temporary accommodation on her own with her baby.
"I can't even begin to imagine the loneliness by that lack of support, especially after a c-section.
"We had vastly different experiences and based on statistics our outcomes will be different too."
McCaw wanted to encourage New Zealanders to "walk a mile in someone else's footsteps before you judge them" as part of a powerful public movement against maternal suicide.
"My nana had two weeks in hospital after giving birth, my mum had one week. Now, women are being kicked out just hours after giving birth.
"We are less connected than we have ever been."
McCaw's speech comes after decades of failed promises by Government to address New Zealand's "appalling" maternal suicide rates, which are five times worse per capita than the United Kingdom.
New Zealanders speaking at today's Parliament campaign today include science adviser Sir Peter Gluckman, wellness advocate Gemma McCaw, paediatrician Dr Johan Morreau, mum and advocate Joanne Rama, midwife Tish Tahia and founder of advocacy group Mothers Matter Chloe Wright.
Policy change
During the last election, National campaigned for a First 1000 Days policy, which was praised by advocates, including Wright, but after National failed to get into power the policy appeared to have been swept under the rug.
It included all expecting mums being entitled to at least $3000 to support their child's first 1000 days of development, with more funding available to those with high-needs.
It also included a ring-fenced DHB fund to ensure all new mums are given the option of a three-day stay at a postnatal facility after giving birth.
National MP Louise Upston, who led the proposed policy change, said it was under review but the party remained committed to pushing for the mandatory three-day postnatal stay.
Upston said once the proposed policy has been revised it would go in the Members' Bill ballot which could be drawn in a matter of days or 10 years.
"It's luck of the draw or we will consider going to Labour or the Greens for cross-party support," she said.
About maternal suicide in New Zealand:

Every year at least 10 women are lost to maternal suicide in New Zealand - and experts say that's the "tip of the iceberg" as many go unreported. Māori and Pacifika are far less likely to report post-natal depression.
One in seven new mums suffer postnatal depression.
The reported rate of maternal suicide in New Zealand is five times higher per capita than that of the UK, with Māori women overrepresented.
On average a child dies every five weeks as a result of...

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been moved to a specialist trauma centre at The Alfred hospital after a “nasty fall” down wet and slippery steps left him with broken ribs and damaged vertabrae.
The Premier, who fell on his back at a holiday rental on Tuesday morning, was being treated at the Peninsula Private Hospital in Langwarrin. But on Tuesday night, following an MRI, specialists decided to move him to The Alfred.
“This is a precautionary measure to ensure he has the most appropriate care available given the nature of his injuries,” a spokesperson for the Premier said.
Earlier, Mr Andrews’ office issued a statement giving details of the accident and his condition.
“Early this morning, I was admitted to hospital after slipping and falling on wet and slippery stairs,” Mr Andrews said.
“A CT scan has revealed several broken ribs and vertebrae damage, and subsequent medical advice has recommended I remain in intensive care for the next few days.”
Mr Andrews said he, his wife Catherine and his children were “extremely grateful to the Ambulance Victoria paramedics who showed such care and kindness to our family this morning, as we are to the clinicians who have taken care of me today”.
“Our warm and sincere thanks go to the many family members, friends, colleagues and Victorians who have sent messages of love and support throughout the day. Thank you,” he said.
“I hope to be able to provide another update later this week. James Merlino will serve as Acting Premier while I recover over the next few days. For now, we’d like to ask that our family’s privacy is respected.”
Earlier, Mr Andrews’ office confirmed he was taken to hospital after falling over while getting ready for work.
His office had described the fall as “concerning” but provided no further details on his condition until the afternoon statement from the Premier.
Mr Andrews was forced to back out of an Indigenous Affairs press conference scheduled for this morning.
Deputy Premier James Merlino spoke in his place, telling reporters “only a trip to the hospital” would have stopped Mr Andrews being present.
Mr Merlino started the press conference by addressing Mr Andrews’ hospitalisation.
“He took a fall this morning as he was preparing for work,” Mr Merlino said.
“He is fine and will be back on his feet very shortly.”
State Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien extended his support on Twitter.
“Hope it’s not serious,” he wrote. “Wishing Daniel a speedy recovery.”
Mr Andrews had been on leave for several days and was returning to work today.
His scheduled press conference was to launch an Australian-first inquiry to investigate the ongoing effects of colonisation on the state’s Indigenous community, The Age reported earlier.
The “Truth and Justice Commission”, similar to post-apartheid South Africa, will help guide Victoria’s treaty negotiations and potentially explore reparations, according to the newspaper.
It will have the same power to compel witnesses and make recommendations as a royal commission.
Mr Andrews signed off on the inquiry’s terms of reference with his Cabinet last week and was due to announce them at this morning’s press event.
“I know around the Cabinet table and speaking to Dan privately how passionate he is about this day and about this announcement,” Mr Merlino said.
“It would only have been a trip to the hospital that would have kept him away.”
Mr Merlino said the work for the inquiry would begin in the coming months.
“From today, we’ll have expression of interest for five commissioners that will run,” he said.
“This will be an independent commission. It will be at arm’s length from government and in line with the calls from the First Peoples assembly, again it will have the powers of a royal commission.”
The Deputy Premier described it as “long overdue”.
“It’s an acknowledgement that the pain in our...