The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Well another veil of secrecy shrouds the government’s intentions on Ihumatao. But it increasingly looks like a sure bet, the Crown cheque book has been opened, to buy the land off Fletchers.
What a travesty.
And why are we being deliberately left in the dark, with the Prime Minister refusing to even confirm whether the matter was on Cabinet’s agenda yesterday – let alone one of their favourite phrases, next steps. The furtiveness fuels the dismay.
Fletchers acted in good faith when they this bought this private land for housing. Over four hundred houses. The council and government of the day fully supported designating it a Special Housing Area. A deal’s a deal.
And now we have a weak-kneed government subjugating themselves to a disgruntled bunch of protestors. Some of them have been occupying this land for four years. This is not the rule of law in action.
And by acceding to their demands, on private land, what wayward, divisive and revisionist forces is this gross capitulation going to usher in?
Is any and all private land potentially now at risk, at the whim of militant occupiers who decide they want it back and will squat on it until the Crown blinks first and squanders your money on a buy-up.
How does any of this respect the integrity and the parameters of the legally binding Treaty Settlement process?
Caving in on Ihumatao raises the stakes of unleashing a whole new arm of the grievance industry – private land. And the undermining of private property rights. This is a breach of public faith.
What a hornet’s nest the benevolent one could be unleashing with this intervention. This meddling.
If I was a squatter, digging in for the long-haul at Shelley Bay, I would be feeling very emboldened.
But back to Ihumatao. If the iwi really want this land back so badly, the Kingitanga and the Waikato-Tainui should have the good grace to offer a fair market price to purchase it. Why should we be the mugs that have to end up carrying the can?

London and its surrounding areas will be placed under Britain's highest level of coronavirus restrictions beginning Wednesday as infections rise rapidly in the capital, the health secretary said Monday, adding that a new variant of the virus may be to blame for the spread.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government must take swift action after seeing “very sharp, exponential rises” in Greater London and nearby Kent and Essex. He said in some areas cases are doubling every seven days.
The surge of COVID-19 cases in southern England may be associated with a new variant of coronavirus, Hancock told lawmakers. He said officials are assessing the new strand, but stressed there was nothing to suggest it was more likely to cause serious disease, or that it wouldn’t respond to a vaccine.
“We’ve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the south of England, although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas,” he said. Initial analysis suggests that the new variant is growing faster than existing variants, he added.
“The medical advice that we have is that it is highly unlikely that this new variant will impinge the vaccine and the impact of the vaccine,” he said.
Britain started vaccinating people over age 80 and health care workers on Dec. 8 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and its regulators are also evaluating other vaccines, including one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Thousands have been vaccinated so far, but they must return in 21 days for a second shot. The National Health Service said hundreds of medical clinics across England were getting vaccine deliveries on Monday and would be offering shots by Tuesday.
Under Tier 3 restrictions, the toughest level in England’s three-tier system, people can't socialize indoors, and bars, pubs and restaurants must close except for takeout. People are told to minimize traveling within or to the area, and Hancock said people shouldn't take trips into central London to do Christmas shopping.
London is currently in Tier 2, or high alert, which applies to most of England.
In November, the capital was among the areas with the lowest regional infection rates in England but some areas in and around London have now become virus hot spots.
Dr. Michael Ryan, the chief of emergencies for the World Health Organization, said the U.N. health agency was aware of the new strain reported in the U.K. and was working with British and other health authorities to assess if the reported mutations might change how the virus is behaving.
“This kind of evolution and mutations like this are quite common,” Ryan told reporters on Monday, adding there was “no information that suggests” this virus variant is more deadly or spreads more easily between people.
Viruses like COVID-19 mutate constantly as they spread between people and scientists say most mutations have little impact on human disease.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, said the agency had “no evidence this variant behaves differently” and that it was similar to a variant initially reported among mink in Europe. She said scientists would further study the new variant to see if there might be any difference in how it prompted an immune response in people.
Local officials in some of London's boroughs had already advised schools to close and move to online learning as coronavirus cases spiked. On Sunday, officials in southeast London's Greenwich said the borough was experiencing “exponential growth” in cases, with infection rates now at their highest since March.
London Mayor Sadiq Kahn has suggested that the Conservative government ask all secondary schools and colleges in London to shut down early before Christmas because of outbreaks among students from 10 to 19 years old.
The tougher restrictions will be a further blow to restaurants, pubs and the West End's famous theaters,...

New Zealanders will be free to travel across the ditch quarantine-free early next year, barring any significant Covid-19 roadblocks and if Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gives the plan the all-clear.
"I think New Zealanders desperately need a break," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after making the announcement this afternoon.
Before taking questions, she announced that the Cabinet had agreed, in principle, to establish a travel bubble with Australia in the first quarter of 2021.
That was, however, pending confirmation from the Australian Cabinet and is also contingent on there being no significant changes in the Covid-19 circumstances of either country.
On the former point, the Australian Government is already sounding optimistic.
Its Minister of Health Greg Hunt told media his Government was ready to implement a bubble "as soon as New Zealand is ready".
"We consciously opened up Australia to people coming from New Zealand because their case numbers were negligible," he said.
"It's good for the economy, good for our airlines and it's good for both countries – it's the first step towards restoring international normality."
But just when within the first quarter the bubble will officially open is not yet known – Ardern said she would make an announcement on this in the New Year.
Last week, however, the Herald reported that the transtasman travel bubble is unlikely to be implemented before February – meaning March is the only option.
Ardern would not be drawn on questions around timing, as she said that could lead to the premature booking of flights or the cancelling of MIQ bookings.
In the meantime, there are still a number of issues the Government needs to sort out.For example, arrangements need to be made with airlines about crew management for transtasman flights.
The Minister responsible for Covid-19, Chris Hipkins, is meeting with Air New Zealand's leadership tomorrow to hammer out some of the details.
Ardern also said the Government needed to work out contingency plans in the event of another outbreak in Australia.
"We would need to make arrangements to have potentially thousands of New Zealand is brought back to New Zealand and numbers that we wouldn't be able to necessarily facilitate and managed isolation."
She said the Government would outline more details of the Government's resurgence plan later this week.
"New Zealanders, by and large, will appreciate the approach of the Government to ensure that we are not taking on unnecessary risk as we're going into summer in a much-needed summer break for New Zealanders."
Meanwhile, National say New Zealand is "dragging the chain" when it comes to the travel bubble with Australia.
The party's Covid-19 response spokesman Chris Bishop pointed out New Zealanders have been able to travel to Australia without quarantining since October 16.
But the same won't happen in New Zealand until well into next year – this has cost businesses and their staff dearly, he said.
"The news gives the glimmer of progress without any real substance to it. Businesses are still none the wiser on when we will see Australians able to enter New Zealand without quarantining."
Today's Australian travel bubble news follows confirmation that New Zealanders will be able to travel to the Cook Islands without having to quarantine for two weeks in the country – or on their return home.
"The arrangement… will allow people to travel more easily between our two countries while acknowledging that the priority remains to protect our populations from Covid-19," Ardern said over the weekend.

The All Blacks have been drawn with hosts France for Rugby World Cup 2023.
The three-time World Cup winners will also play Italy and two yet-to-be-determined qualifiers Americas 1 and Africa 1, likely USA and Namibia, in Pool A.
In other groups, Pool B pits world champions South Africa against Six Nations sides Ireland and Scotland while Australia, Wales and Fiji will share the same group just like they did at the 2019 World Cup.
The final group, Pool D has 2019 finalists England up against Japan and Argentina.
A New Zealand-France game evokes so many memories — the 1987 and 2011 finals, both won by the All Blacks; the dramatic 1999 semifinal and 2007 quarterfinal matches, both won by Les Tricolores.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster said playing the hosts will be a "huge challenge".
"You can just see that France are really building a team at the moment of great depth. You can see that all their planning in around 2023. We'll be expecting a vibrant French team in a country that love their rugby. We know they'll have massive support behind them.
"But that's what makes World Cups so special, those sort of games. And they're games that we thrive on. That we look forward to. We know that if you're not at your best, you're going to struggle."
"To play France in France at their World Cup is something we can look forward to greatly over the next two or three years," Foster added.
Inside the Palais Brongniart in Paris, there were gasps when they were paired again at the draw.
The exact match schedule will only be finalized in February, following consultation with French team officials, but France coach Fabien Galthie wants his team to meet New Zealand in the first game.
"Why not?" Galthie said. "They're a beautiful team. Everyone in rugby loves New Zealand, the All Blacks. It would be so exciting."
The All Blacks and France have been grouped just once, at the 2011 tournament, when New Zealand were the hosts and both teams later met again in the final.
The All Blacks have played France seven times at the tournament, the most of any country, and Italy five times, with the 2019 fixture cancelled.
The Americas 1 winner will come from a play off series between the 2021 Rugby Americas North champion and 2021 Sudamerica Rugby champion. Africa 1 will be the winner of the 2022 Rugby Africa Cup.
USA are the highest ranked American side in the world and qualified as Americas 1 winner for the last World Cup.
Namibia have held the Africa 1 qualification spot since 1999 and were in the same pool as the All Blacks at last year's event in Japan.
As with previous Rugby World Cups, the tournament will feature 20 teams divided into four pools of five teams.
Twelve teams have already qualified – the top three teams from each of the four pools at the 2019 World Cup – and were seeded into three bands based on their position in the World Rugby rankings at the start of this year.
The knockout structure has yet to be revealed but if it follows the 2019 tournament then the winner of Pool A would face the runner up of Pool B in the quarter-finals - setting up a potential clash between the All Blacks and Ireland, South Africa or Scotland in the first stage of knockout.
The full 2023 Rugby World Cup Pools are as follows:
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Italy, Americas 1 and Africa 1.Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Asia / Pacific 1 and Europe 2.Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Europe 1 and Final Qualifier Winner.Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Oceania 1 and Americas 2.
- With AP

Presidential electors coast to coast were casting the votes that will affirm Joe Biden as the nation's next president, a formality that took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump's refusal to concede he lost his race for reelection.
Heightened security was in place in some states as electors in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — the six battleground states that Biden won and Trump contested — gave Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their votes Monday in low-key proceedings. Nevada’s electors met via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday was the day set by law for the meeting of the Electoral College. Electors were casting paper ballots in gatherings that were taking place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with masks, social distancing and other virus precautions were the order of the day. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a Jan. 6 joint session of Congress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside.
When all the votes are in, Biden is expected to have 306 electoral votes to 232 for Trump. It takes 270 to be elected. In the popular vote count, Biden topped Trump by more than 7 million votes nationwide.
Former Maryland state Sen. Gloria Lawlah, in a state Biden won easily, said the votes for the Democratic ticket were “a repudiation of hate, a repudiation of divisiveness. It’s an affirmation of benevolence, an affirmation of unity.”
But not all Republicans were willing to say the election was over, even with the casting of electoral votes. Trump has refused to concede and continues to make unsupported allegations of fraud.
There have been concerns about safety for the electors, virtually unheard of in previous years. In Michigan, lawmakers from both parties reported receiving threats.
Legislative offices there were closed Monday over threats of violence. The 16 electors were to meet in the Senate chamber in a ceremony headed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Biden won the state by 154,000 votes, or 2.8 percentage points, over Trump.
Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, said the closures were made on recommendations from law enforcement “based on credible threats of violence.”
Georgia state police were out in force at the state Capitol in Atlanta before Democratic electors pledged to Biden met. There were no protesters to be seen less than a hour ahead of the meeting.
Even with the Electoral College's confirmation of Biden’s victory, some Republicans continued to refuse to acknowledge that reality. Yet their opposition to Biden had no practical effect on the electoral process, with the Democrat to be sworn in on Jan. 20.
Despite Biden’s wins in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Republicans who would have been Trump electors met anyway. Pennsylvania Republicans said they cast a “procedural vote” for Trump and Pence in case courts that have repeatedly rejected challenges to Biden’s victory were to somehow still determine that Trump had won.
In North Carolina, Utah and other states across the country where Trump won, his electors turned out to duly cast their ballots for him. Electors in North Carolina had their temperatures checked before being allowed to enter the Capitol to vote.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated four years ago, were among New York's 29 electors for Biden and Harris.
In New Hampshire, before the state’s four electors voted for Biden at the State House in Concord, 13-year-old Brayden Harrington led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. He had delivered a moving speech at the Democratic National Convention in August about the struggle with stuttering he shares with Biden.
Vermont’s electors were the first in the nation to vote Monday and they chose Biden and Harris.
Biden is to address the...

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There's a possibility the International Airfreight Capacity scheme will be further extended.
With passenger flights all but stopped the scheme allows critical freight and exports to continue to flow along key routes.
The Government's just renewed funding the scheme through to March - with a forecast spend of $196 million.
Transport Minister Michael Wood told Mike Yardley they're still assessing if it'll be needed beyond then.
He says the international outlook remains somewhat uncertain heading into 2022.
Wood says over the next month or two they'll be assessing what ongoing support is needed from March onwards.
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There are calls for a national database of self-contained freedom campers.
Outgoing Tourism New Zealand head Stephen England-Hall has warned the country shouldn't lump all freedom campers together, saying not all are poorly behaved and many are valuable to the economy.
Motor Caravan Association's Bruce Lochore told Mike Yardley all self-contained camping vehicles should be officially certified, and a national database set up.
He says enforcement officers could then check if each camper is registered in the database, and enforce action against those that aren't.
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Dangerous weather and “relentless” rain is expected to continue up until at least Tuesday as residents are being warned to brace for damaging winds, flash flooding, heavy rainfall, “abnormally” high tides and disappearing beaches.
This morning a severe weather warning has been issued for a 500km stretch of the Queensland coast from Coolangatta to Hervey Bay and a number of areas in NSW’s Northern Rivers mid-north coast regions, including the Tweed Coast and Byron Bay and experts say the rain bomb isn’t going any where any time soon.
The warnings state there will be heavy rainfall, damaging winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf.
“Rainfall rates could be locally enhanced in the far north with thunderstorms, leading to the possibility of very heavy rainfall and dangerous flash flooding,” the NSW BOM warning reads.
“At this stage, the widespread heavy rainfall is expected to ease late Tuesday or early Wednesday, though thunderstorms may still produce localised heavy falls that may lead to flash flooding during Wednesday.”
It also warns of 90km/h winds along the coastal fringe north from about Yamba, possibly extending south to about Crescent Head on the Mid North Coast during the day.
There will also be waves exceeding 5m extending south to Port Macquarie during the day, possibly leading to significant beach erosion.
Abnormally high tides are expected along the coast north from about Ballina during this morning’s high tide, which may lead to localised coastal inundation.
South East Queensland is also being hit by the cyclone-like conditions, which worsened overnight with damaging winds and heavy rains battering the region.
Motorists have been warned to stay off the roads if possible with emergency services warning of flash flooding.
Locations which may be affected include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Moreton Island, North Stradbroke Island, Sunshine Coast and adjacent hinterland areas, Fraser Island, Caboolture, Cleveland, Redcliffe, Jimboomba, Beaudesert and Springbrook.
Monday will be the “critical time” for the affected areas as the trough moves further south and saturated rivers rise even further and the SES prepares for the worst in the first major La Nina event of the summer.
By Tuesday, three day totals of 300-600 ml are predicted to fall across the region.
Authorities are urging caution and to prepare for local flooding as a trough deepens and moves away from southeast Queensland in the coming days.
“The community should prepare for minor to major flooding so please check for warnings and updates over the coming days,” BOM meteorologist Jonathan How said.
“This is the most significant rainfall event since February and floods will pose a risk to many people.”
Overnight, there were over 700 SES call-outs, with the busiest areas being the Mid North Coast and northern New South Wales regions. RFS and Fire and Rescue crews were on standby as winds averaging 60-70 km/h and gusts exceeding 90 km/h were predicted along the coastal fringe north from the beachside town of Yamba overnight, and possibly extending south to about Crescent Head on the Mid North Coast Monday.

Frustration for the tourism industry over the government's failure to lock in a date for the Cook Islands travel bubble.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says officials are working to arrange two-way travel in the first quarter of next year.
But Travel Industry Suppliers Group chair, Robyn Galloway, told Mike Yardley that's too vague and they've had their hopes raised before.
“The PM said in August it was looking like travel would be open for Christmas, and business now aren't sure whether to get ready for March.”
Galloway says it can take months for hotels to hire staff and order supplies from overseas, and the lack of a clear timeline is causing problems.
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