The Mike Hosking Breakfast

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Starting with the Levels/Mark the Week/Another Reason Keep Fit/Lim Love/It IS Rocket Science

The problem with no numbers is you don’t know what you’re dealing with, especially when it comes to immigration.
Maybe it was deliberate on Kris Faafoi’s part: set the tone, avoid the numbers
He has said when the borders open - wouldn’t that be a dream come true - immigration is not going back to what it was.
This mainly is a mistake.
Not completely. Some immigration was a shade ropey, there were a few visas about the place where you wondered how much of it was legit for genuinely skilled migrants offering us much needed talent vs what it looked like dog-cheap labour.
But here is what we have learned because of Covid, and this is why I am so surprised that Faafoi hasn’t seen it.
There are a couple of sorts of immigration: seriously skilled, genuinely skilled, and grafters.
The skilled side of it has held us back. The specialist machine operators we can’t get and yet are crying out for, which has led to the absurd battle between projects and a bidding war for talent.
The skills brought in for things like film work and its connection to much needed foreign capital and income.
The construction sector that is constrained because of lack of labour and no amount of the government claiming apprentices will fill the gap will fix it
And then there is the fieldwork: the fruit the veggies, the stuff that rightly or wrongly not enough new Zealanders will front up and tackle.
Not to mention the value of the money earned by RSE workers and sent back to pacific island families.
There was a reason so many arrived pre Covid. One, it’s a great place to live, two, we are genuinely short of skills, and three, there is work we can’t be bothered doing.
We haven’t got to the education sector either, a multibillion-dollar industry hammered but when open attached to some study and work visas.
The fear here is the combination of ideological blindness from the government, despite all the evidence they still think locals can cover all gaps, and xenophobia. Sadly, there are New Zealanders who like borders closed and those nasty foreigners locked out: they blame migrants for every social and economic ill.
So, let’s see the actual numbers, but Faafoi’s world view is too small, too introspective, ironically too Donald Trump.
It is the last thing this country needs when we come out the other side of this mess and look to gear up, grow, and get on with it - or have we changed our mind on that as well?

Fonterra is considering lifting its Farmgate Milk Price, following the latest surge in global dairy prices.
Prices rose 15-percent at yesterday's global dairy trade auction, with the all-important whole milk powder price up a staggering 21-percent.
Fonterra won't announce any changes to its farmgate price until next week.
But chief executive Miles Hurrell told Mike Hosking the result is positive, and there's no sign of one-off stockpiling.
"I'm confident of underlying demand from China. It's Chinese New Year, so they will be stocking their supplies chain as well. "
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The South Island has its first Master of Wine.
Owner of Blenheim's Blank Canvas Wines Sophie Parker Thomson has just become one of only 417 in the world with the elite qualification.
It's regarded as one of the highest standards of professional knowledge.
She told Mike Hosking her skill sets are both art and science.
Parker Thomson says you can't have one without the other, a core principle of the wine company she runs with her husband.
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Britain’s treasury chief has announced an additional 65 billion pounds ($91 billion) of support for an economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, extending job support programs and temporary tax cuts to help workers and businesses in his annual budget.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons that it is too soon for the government to rein in spending, saying that his plans would “protect the jobs and livelihoods of the British people” through September as the government slowly lifts lockdown restrictions that have shut businesses across the U.K.
At the same time, he said Britain must be prepared to cut the deficit, announcing plans to increase the tax on corporate profits and boost revenue from personal income taxes in 2023.
“An important moment is upon us,” Sunak told the House of Commons. “A moment of challenge and of change. Of difficulties, yes, but of possibilities, too. This is a budget that meets that moment.”
U.K. public borrowing has risen to levels not seen since World War II as the government seeks to cushion the fallout from COVID-19, which has reduced gross domestic product by 10% and cost more than 700,000 people their jobs. Projections released Wednesday by the Office for Budget Responsibility show that the economy will still be 3% smaller five years from now than it would have been without the pandemic.
Sunak said government support programs have succeeded in mitigating the impact. The unemployment rate is now expected to peak at about 6.5%, rather than the 11.9% forecast last July, he said, citing estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility. The economy is forecast to grow 4% this year and 7.3% in 2022.
On Wednesday, Sunak announced plans to extend those support programs for six months. They include a furlough program, under which the government pays 80% of the wages for private employees unable to work during the pandemic, as well as grants for self-employed workers, a temporary increase in welfare payments and tax relief for businesses.
Sunak cheered business leaders by offering a tax credit of up to 130% of the money companies invest in expanding and improving their operations. Sunak said the credit is expected to increase investment by 10% or 25 billion pounds over the next two years, creating jobs and boosting economic growth.
Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, described the policy as bold.
“Manufacturers have strong intentions to invest in capital equipment as well as digital and green technologies which are crucial for our long-term recovery,'' he said. “Today’s announcement should help turbocharge investment to ensure that those plans turn into reality in the short-term.''
Looking to the future, Sunak said the government will in 2023 increase corporation tax to 25%, from the current rate of 19%, and freeze personal income tax thresholds, which will increase revenue as inflation boosts incomes.
But opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of failing to address deep-seated economic problems and banking on a “consumer spending blitz” to bail out the economy.
Starmer said the budget fails millions of key workers who are having their pay frozen, businesses swamped by debt, and families paying higher local property taxes.
“The central problem in our economy is a deep-rooted insecurity and inequality, and this budget isn’t the answer to that,” Starmer said. “So rather than the big, transformative budget that we needed, this budget simply papers over the cracks.”
Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s leader in Parliament, criticized Sunak for continuing a strategy of temporary support that leaves businesses and consumers unsure of the future.
The budget leaves Scottish voters with a clear choice as the SNP campaigns to hold a second referendum on independence from the U.K., Blackford said.
“For the people of Scotland, this budget comes at a critical moment of choice,” he...

Luna Rossa ace Jimmy Spithill believes conditions will play a huge part in dictating the America's Cup outcome.
Spithill has downplayed the significance of reports about Team New Zealand reaching extreme speeds in Te Rehutai, saying past experience told him reconnaissance was often unreliable.
And in an interview with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, Spithill has also paid TNZ skipper Peter Burling the ultimate compliment, describing him as the "best in the world".
"I think it could come down to conditions from what we saw in the Christmas Cup," Spithill said.
"They had a pretty powerful package from the mid-range up. We've seen from the round robin and [Prada Cup] final series that our boat has been going pretty well at the bottom end of the conditions.
"We've both been working hard at where we are vulnerable.
"It will be really interesting to see who has bridged the gap and got a little bit more crossover from where they were potentially weaker against the other team."
Spithill said Auckland's lockdown had changed little around the base, but there was a big difference on the harbour which had been emptied of boats.
"We really do have the whole harbour to ourselves," he said.
"The only boat we do see is a big red boat with a big red sail.
"My experience in past campaigns is it is really difficult to get an accurate judge on performance from reconnaissance.
"They have guys following us, and we have guys following them. You can see the sails, photograph the sails and foils when the boat is going in and out.
"But knowing exactly what the wind angle is, wind speed, boat speed … it is very, very difficult, almost impossible.
"So you've got to take it with a grain of salt. In past campaigns I've been told 100 per cent this is happening, and when you go out there it is the complete opposite.
"But we have had the Christmas Cup and official practice days so we do have a read off them."
Spithill said advantages were shared, with the defenders limited to practice while Luna Rossa raced in the Prada Cup.
"They would have more data on us just from watching the broadcasts … you can hear what is happening on board so they have that up their sleeve," Spithill said.
"But we've had real racing, that's the difference. It's a double-edged sword.
"We've had sudden death, real pressure … they've had to train on their own."
There were changes the teams could make to things such as sails and software, but the big hardware items were locked in. Unlike past campaigns, appendages such as rudders and foils could not be changed. The teams were concentrating heavily on their boat handling.
And when asked about reported comments from co-helmsman Francesco Bruni, to the effect that Burling lacked match racing experience, Spithill lavished praise on a range of TNZ members and said New Zealand journalists could miss some Italian language nuances.
"Burling is the best in the world, without a doubt," he said.
"I've got a huge amount of respect for them … they are good mates of mine, an incredible team.
"We are going up against the world's best but that's what we live for. If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.
"Both teams are fully set to go - it really can't come soon enough."
Heart rates
Spithill told Hosking that the twin-helmsman system used by Luna Rossa probably helped keep his heart rate down.
Spithill's monitor shows his BPM reading stays in the 60 and low 70s.
"This is the first time where I'm sitting down the entire time - most of the boats I've sailed in the past involved me swapping sides or jumping around," he said.
"The only guy on our boat who swaps sides is the mainsail trimmer Pietro Sibello. Francesco and I lock in for the entire race - we don't move.
"Genetically my dad has a pretty low heart rate as well, but I take my training pretty seriously and have taken another step in terms of diet....

An assurance Wellingtonians will start seeing action, now its transport plan is under the microscope.
An improvement plan has been introduced following a scathing review of the $6.4 billion Let's Get Wellington Moving.
It includes an independent chair being appointed to the board, three new leadership positions, and a commitment to getting spades in the ground this year.
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster told Mike Hosking it's a start, after countless issues were uncovered.
He says they included large numbers of positions filled with temporary contractors.
The Minister of Transport wants some parts of Let's Get Wellington Moving shovel-ready by the end of the year.
It follows the minister Michael Wood meeting with the project's leadership yesterday to get a plan ready for what's needed going forward.
They agreed to shake up the governance of the project and a focus on walking, cycling and bus improvements over the next three years.
Michael Wood says it's now time to move forward with the delivery of these projects.
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Australia's Attorney-General Christian Porter has said he will not step down from his position after categorically denying historical rape accusations against him.
On Wednesday, Porter revealed himself as the minister at the centre of a rape allegation involving a 16-year-old girl in Sydney in 1988. He chose to waive his anonymity in order to publicly deny the allegations, which have been circulating since last week.
The Attorney-General has never been charged and police confirmed there was "insufficient evidence" to proceed with an investigation, labelling the matter "closed".
The woman who made the claim died in June 2020 after taking her own life.
Speaking at a press conference, Porter began by addressing the parents of the woman involved in the accusations.
"The things that have been claimed to happen did not happen. I do not mean to impose anything more upon your grief.
"I hope that you will also understand that, because what is being alleged did not happen, I must say so publicly."
The allegations against Porter were circulated last week in an anonymous letter which was sent to police and political leaders including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
The woman who made the allegations claimed she met Porter when she represented South Australia on a state debating team when she was 16 and he was 17.
In an unsworn statement she claimed the alleged rape happened in 1988 after a night of drinking and dancing in Kings Cross.
"I did not sleep with the [alleged] victim. We didn't have anything of that nature happen between us," Porter said.
"I remember the person as an intelligent, bright, happy person."
He confirmed that he would not be standing down as Attorney-General, claiming if he was made to do so then there would be "rule of law left" in Australia.
"If I stand down from my position as Attorney-General because of an allegation about something that simply did not happen, then any person in Australia can lose their career, their job, their life's work based on nothing more than an accusation that appears in print," Porter said.
"If that happens, anyone in public life is able to be removed simply by the printing of an allegation. Every child we raise can have their lives destroyed by online reporting of accusations alone."
Porter said if he were step down it would set a bad precedence for people who find themselves in a similar situation.
"My guess is if I were to resign and that set a new standard there wouldn't be much need for an Attorney-General anyway because there would be in rule of law left to protect in this country.
"So I will not be part of letting that happen while I am Attorney-General and I am sure you will ask and I will state to you, I am not standing down or aside."
While Porter will not be resigning as Attorney-General, he will be taking a period of mental health leave.
"I am going to take a short period of leave to assess and hopefully improve my own mental health," he said.
"All of my life I have just pushed through, but for the many caring family and friends who have asked me that question over the course of the last week, 'Are you OK?' I have got to say my … answer is I really don't know. I am not ashamed to say that I am going to seek some professional assessment and assistance on answering that question over the next few weeks."
On Tuesday, NSW police confirmed they will not proceed with an investigation.
"NSW Police have since sought legal advice in relation to these matters,'' a spokesman said.
"Based on information provided to NSW Police, there is insufficient admissible evidence to proceed.
"As such, NSW Police Force has determined the matter is now closed."
Earlier this week, Mr Morrison revealed he had spoken to the minister at the centre of the claims, saying he "vigorously" denied...

A bunch of years ago we were in Melbourne and the Dr. Seuss exhibition was on. It's run by the family.
Limited edition and some original work was on show, and some for sale. We decided to buy some. It wasn’t cheap, but it wasn't Warhol. Besides, we didn’t buy it for return.
It's the thing I've found over the years when it comes to putting your money into stuff. Put your money where you don't care about the investment and don't become attached to it.
I've ended up with wine worth a fortune, but I wouldn’t dare sell it. I love it too much. Art is the same, it's too beautiful, and mostly it's got a time and place connection.
Anyway, we have three Dr. Seuss'. A couple have a before and after part, the before is the original drawing, and the after is a print of what it turned out like in the book.
Turns out, sadly, as of this week we'll need to be taking them off the wall and burning them because Dr. Seuss has been cancelled by the hand-wringers. He was targeted in American Book Week, schools wouldn’t touch him, and as of yesterday six of his actual books will no longer be published.
He is accused of the usual sort of nonsense, characterising people and race in a way we no longer find acceptable. Dr. Seuss is just this week's fascination, this has been going on for over a year now.
Some of the statue destroyers in Britain were in court this week. And I note the British Cultural Secretary, Oliver Dowden is having to hand out warnings to British museums not to allow themselves to be pushed around by the zeitgeist of the day.
My fear is some of those inside the museums are part of the zeitgeist. They can't stick enough stuff away in a cupboard to appease their fellow luvvies.
This really is an historically dangerous time. Evolving belief is one thing, but you don't learn by banning. You don’t empower yourself by cancelling. It assumes that today's conclusion is the only conclusion one can come to. And it assumes that today is the day we collectively decided we are 100 percent right. What an arrogant way of viewing the world that is.
Everyone in any age thinks they're right, until they're not. What saddens and worries me most is right now, we most obviously are not right. What this most obviously is, is a bandwagon leapt on by naval gazers, the insecure, the easily led, and the intellectually fragile.
In the coming years today's cancel culture will be a period of embarrassment. It's just the “here today, gone tomorrow" brigade who can't, or won't, think past a latest fad.
It's social media thinking, it's bright and shiny, and it's why our Dr. Seuss paintings will be going nowhere.

Auckland has gone another day, with no more community cases of Covid 19.
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says he hasn't been advised of any further cases overnight -- beyond those confirmed on Sunday night.
Auckland is now on day five of its Level Three lockdown, while the rest of the country remains at Level Two.
Covid-19 data modelling expert Shaun Hendy told Mike Hosking it was an excellent sign that none of the tests taken in the community had come back positive this week.
He said if there were no new community cases today and tomorrow, the Government would more than likely reduce alert levels.
New Zealand had proven to be "lucky" this time round.
He said there was a sting in the tail of the initial outbreak, which a three-day lockdown not enough to close. This lastest seven-day lockdown was the Government making absolutely sure to shut it down with confidence.
He said the UK variant was challenging to curtail but it appeared shorter, sharper lockdowns to control outbreaks were worth it in the long run.
"It was a good sign yesterday that none of the very large number of tests processed on Tuesday came back positive. That's an excellent sign and we'll be hoping we see the same thing today."
There were a number of potential exposures to a positive case last week and so far it appeared there had been no infections as a result.
"The one thing we know with this B.1.1.7 vairant, you really don't want to let it get out of control. It spreads more rapidly and does take a lot of work to control."
He said it was a super-spreading virus so although four out of five infected people would only affect household or very close contacts, the fifth person would spread it far and wide.
He hoped the student who attended classes and went to the gym while infectious for up to a week was not that fifth person.
Hendy said one of the major lessons from this outbreak centred on the difficulties of contact tracing in a school community.
"It's very different to a workplace, for example, or even a retail environment. You've got a lot of casual encounters, you've got kids changing places and classrooms. I think that actually presents a really big challenge.
"If we have a situation like this at a school or a university in future we're just going to have to be that much better at our game."