The Mike Hosking Breakfast

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Fans AND Players/Car Love/Go Tech/Look Who's Coming

New Zealand has bought a second Covid-19 vaccine, but has tightened border controls again until vaccines are rolled out.
The news comes as a mandatory mask order kicks in today - with everyone on Auckland public transport and flights required to cover their face.
From today, around 250,000 commuters using Auckland buses, trains and ferries every day will be legally required to wear a face covering as they journey to and from work.
Science Minister Megan Woods says New Zealand has agreed in principle to buy up to 5 million doses of a vaccine being developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of global giant Johnson & Johnson.
Up to 2 million doses would be delivered from the third quarter of 2021, with an option to buy up to 3 million additional doses to be delivered in 2022.
This follows a deal announced last month to buy 1.5m doses of a vaccine being developed by US-based Pfizer and Germany's BioNtech, with delivery that "could be as early as the first quarter of 2021".
But at the same time, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced a tightening of controls on border workers including:
• Testing ship pilots and some other port workers who carry out work on affected ships weekly instead of fortnightly;
• Testing some workers who carry out work on aircraft that have arrived from outside of New Zealand weekly instead of fortnightly;
• Fortnightly testing for port workers not already covered;
• Fortnightly testing for airport airside and landside workers not already covered who interact with international arriving or transiting passengers; and
• Requiring employers to facilitate testing of their employees and to keep records of testing requirements and compliance.
An August public health order requiring regular testing of border workers is being amended to bring in the tighter rules from 11.59pm on November 25.
The new measures come as three new Covid cases were reported by the Ministry of Health yesterday, all in managed isolation - one who arrived from Britain via Dubai on Saturday and two others who came from Dubai on the same day.

Michael J Fox has opened up about his experience with Parkinson’s disease in his new book.
The actor remains beloved for his roles in Family Ties, Back to the Future and Spin City, but his opportunities were limited after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at just 29.
After stepping away from Hollywood in the late nineties, Fox has become an author – with his fourth book, No Time Like the Future, exploring his diagnosis in detail.
He told Mike Hosking that writing is one of the few creative outlets left open to him.
“I was an actor, I was a musician, I was a sketch artist, and those things aren’t available to me now. I don’t have the same facility. ”
Fox says that the diagnosis was a “real shock” when he received the prognosis in 1991.
“I had been feeling some symptoms – a twitch in my pinky, a soreness in my shoulder – I saw this neurologist and did some drunk driving test, and I couldn’t do any of that, so he pronounced me as having Parkinson’s disease.”
That doctor gave Fox just 10 years left to work – but while he has stepped away from leading roles, Fox continues to do voice acting and has been a regular guest star on numerous TV shows, including The Good Wife and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Fox says he tried to keep acting, but first had to relearn the “mechanics of walking” after having a tumour removed from his spine.
An offer came up for a cameo in a Spike Lee movie while he was recuperating, and Fox assured his family that he would be fine to do the performance.
“I woke up the next morning, walked into the kitchen, and fell and shattered my arm. I had a plate and 19 pins to restore my humerus bone – and as they say, I broke my humerus is no joke.”
Despite the struggles, Fox says that he has remained optimistic, as his problems are quite low on the misery index compared to many others.
As part of his perseverance, Fox launched The Michael J Fox Foundation, researching to find a cure. After 20 years, Fox says that they are making great progress and are working with organisations to find a similar cure.
“We’re making great progress and we’re opening it up to new areas of research people had never had before, and that was my goal.”
LISTEN TO THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW ABOVE

The over whelming feedback I got on the commerce commissions petrol industry inquiry was the hypocrisy of the government. Who, if they genuinely wanted to make a difference to the price of fuel, would have a look at their tax regime?
They didn’t, of course. Well apart from add to it, if you’re in Auckland.
so in the end we got an opaque sort of document that seemed  to suggest some sort of loosening of the whole sale market might help, and if petrol stations could stick some signs on the footpath advertising the different prices for different petrol, that would balance things up a bit.
The head of gull, I think it was, said there already advertised -it’s on the pump.
There are also apps, and if you want to take any level of self-responsibility, you can work all this out for yourself. But we appear to be in an age where self-responsibility is a rarity and governments wiping our bums are in favour.
And so, we head now to the supermarket, where the commerce commission will try and do the same trick again without anyone noticing they’ll come up with the same result as petrol: nothing.
Oh, they’ll spot something: distribution, whole sale ling, some towns with not enough shops, and too many Cameo Cremes in small markets. There has to be something otherwise it would look like they are wasting their time, which, of course, they are.
Like petrol, supermarkets are a multifaceted, highly complex series of operations that vary on a daily basis across so many aspects it makes your head spin.
The size of the town city or neighbourhood you’re in. the number of specials.  The lost leaders, the promotions ,the time of year; by the time you take all the products and all the deals and all the shops and mix it all up, it’s going to take a magician who can factually claim that fundamentally the industry is wanting and we are being fleeced.
Mixed in there is emotion - do you think things could be cheaper, well, what else are you going to say?
Is there enough competition, can you buy pineapple for less down the road, were chips a better deal last time you were on the gold coast?
We all think things are too expensive, but doesn’t mean they are. We are a small country with limited capacity, small towns have fewer players, and all the usual issues apply.
But the government promised we could save 30 cents a litre on petrol. Are we? No. Is it going to be any different with groceries? No.
Always remember: at all times, you are in charge. You choose to buy or not.  You choose to browse or not, you make comparisons or not.
Is it perfect? Of course, not anything is, but are supermarkets the scam of the age? Or is the age one of omnipresent authority looking to drum up trouble where there is little if any to be found?

Businesses are being urged to keep up with the changing face of marketing.
Latest research reveals almost 40 per cent of New Zealand's small businesses lack an online presence.
Online marketing company Yellow claims many businesses have told them they don't know where to start.
Yellow chief executive Darren Linton told Mike Hosking older businesses have relied on repeat customers and word of mouth.
"It’s served them well in the past - but now we're using digital products to find businesses more than ever.”
Linton says being easily accessible online was critical during lockdown.
He says it's particularly important new small businesses are online, as they seem to be worse hit.
LISTEN ABOVE

A push to target wealthier tourists and lessen the load on small communities once borders reopen is being welcomed by Queenstown’s mayor.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash, who will visit Queenstown today, delivered a blunt message to tourism operators yesterday.
He said there would be no return to a pre-Covid-19 business as usual, and proposed targeting wealthy tourists rather than freedom campers and backpackers.
Speaking at the Tourism Industry Association conference in Wellington, Mr Nash said the fact the conference was able to meet in person was testament to the effectiveness of and need for a strong border policy.
He said there would be no travel bubbles until they were deemed safe.
However, New Zealand was well-placed to capitalise on its reputation for handling Covid-19 once those border restrictions started easing and should take the opportunity to reset the tourism industry.
‘‘My ambition is that once global borders open, New Zealand is considered by the world’s most discerning travellers as one of the top three places in the world to visit.’’
It was the minister's belief that the New Zealand tourism sector should target high-spending tourists in the future -and charge them more so local communities were not footing the bill for infrastructure and environmental effects of tourism.
 
He had officials come up with some proposals to reduce the cost of tourism to the country.
‘‘This includes ensuring visitors pay for the privilege of participating in the New Zealand experience.
‘‘No longer will New Zealand communities tolerate the worst of our freedom camping visitors, and nor should they. Some, but not all, have abused our renowned hospitality.
‘‘I firmly believe that the lows pending but high-cost tourist is not the future of our tourism industry.’’
He said tourism had put extra costs on small communities struggling with infrastructure, and congestion in prime sites such as national parks.
‘‘New Zealanders should not be subsidising international visitors to the extent that we have done in the recent past.’’
That was music to the ears of Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult.
Before Covid-19 turned the international tourism tap off, his district had been struggling under the weight of over tourism, with infrastructure that was not equipped to cope.
This includes ensuring visitors pay for the privilege of participating in the New Zealand experience A visitor levy for the district had been expected to be introduced to Parliament as a Bill before the borders closed.
Mr Boult yesterday said when visitors did return, the sector would still need some time to stabilise and recover. But after that, he still wanted to see a levy introduced.
He would be discussing the issue with Mr Nash during a meeting today, and was looking forward to a ‘‘full and frank’’ discussion.
He described Mr Nash as ‘‘very proactive’’.
‘‘I sent him a letter the day his appointment was announced and within a day I got a reply saying, ‘Don’t come and see me, I’ll come and see you’.’’
Yesterday, Mr Nash said the Government would continue to work with the tourism sector to ensure it survived the Covid-19 border restrictions.
It had already offered up a $400 million tourism recovery package, and almost $2 billion of wage subsidy support had gone to tourism operators.
— The NZ Herald/Additional reporting Daisy Hudson

Stuart Nash predicts New Zealand will be a huge magnet for big-spending tourists, once they're freed from a Covid-19 lockdown.
The Tourism Minister has told industry leaders they should be targeting wealthy visitors - rather than the likes of freedom campers - as their priority for new tourism plans.
Nash told Mike Hosking Europe's high earners are looking enviously on our sports matches attended by thousands of spectators, and many natural attractions.
He says they'll want a piece of that,  and we must position ourselves for that pent-up demand.
Listen to the audio above as Stuart Nash and Mark Mitchell join Mike Hosking to discuss this, along with rising house prices and the Reserve Bank.

It's hard to imagine two more perfect actors to play feuding brothers in rural Australia than Sam Neill and Michael Caton.
The legendary actors play brothers Colin and Les, at odds with each other but united over their love for their prized sheep in remote Western Australia. It's a tale of loyalty, love for animals, and ultimately forgiveness. The film is adapted from an Icelandic movie released in 2015. The 2020 Aussie version is directed by Jeremy Sims and written by Jules Duncan.
Both actors have carved out decades-long acting careers. Rams draw on their talents. Talking to them both over the phone, their natural banter makes it easy to see why their on-screen sibling relationship works so well. Neill says he's held Caton in high regard for four decades and tells the Herald when the project arose, he jumped at the chance to work with Caton again.
"One of the first jobs when I left New Zealand and went to Australia, and I was on a much-loved series called The Sullivans, and this bloke Caton took me under his wing.
"Caton befriended me and was very kind. I've always liked him as an actor. But don't tell him that!" laughs 73-year-old Neill.
The stakes are high in Rams. When an infectious disease forces a mandatory culling of the sheep, it puts a strain on the entire community. Initially, it seems to all but deepen the estrangement between the brothers. Many New Zealanders in rural communities will identify with the no-nonsense attitudes of the characters and the fierce loyalty towards their stock.
And for Caton, 77, it was the chance to play a different kind of character than the roles he is famous for.
"It was a lovely break actually," Caton says, "I've always been the character you want to like.". His character Les is in an emotionally tough spot, bitter and suffering from an alcohol addiction. Colin is a bit more level headed, but makes his own rash decision to save a few sheep from being culled when he can't bear to part with them.
"I was pretty scared about all the drunk acting, and I would practice my drunken walk at home," Caton tells me. In the movie, there are several tough scenes showing the extent of his alcohol addiction and trauma. It's rarely the butt of the joke in the film, but they do manage to sneak in one hilarious scene where Colin scoops up a passed-out Les with a tractor.
"It breaks Les' heart to lose his animals, it's all he really cares about."
The sheep also steal the show, and made for a fun filming experience. "Whatever they say about Australia and New Zealand sheep, Australian sheep panic just as easily as New Zealand sheep," Neill says. "They were well behaved and one or two of them had actually been trained to act."
Ultimately, the movie heeds home the power of animals. Both actors agree there's something special about forming a bond with animals. Neill keeps a great number on his farm in Central Otago, and often posts about them on his social media account.
"What's delightful about say, taking a dog for a walk, is that every moment is right now, and you're not worried about tomorrow, or the past or anything that is out there right with you, in that very moment. And, as human beings, we're not terribly good at that."
What the movie shows, Neill says, is that it's never too late to forgive, even if it is the hardest thing of all.
• Rams is in cinemas now.

One person's trash is another person's treasure.
A recent TradeMe report has found, on average, every New Zealander has 18 unwanted items, which could sell for anywhere up to $1500.
It's also found 73 percent of us have bought something secondhand in the last month.
TradeMe head of marketplace Lisa Stewart told Mike Hosking many people are reluctant to sell their old junk because they don't feel it's worth anything.
"Some of those items going dusty in cupboards and garages could be worth a lot more than people expect."
Stewart says if you've got a bunch of old stuff lying around it's definitely worth it.
"It's easy to sell, and not many people would turn their nose up at $1500 dollars."
LISTEN ABOVE

Just days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced plans to reopen Australia's internal borders by Christmas, an exploding coronavirus cluster has plunged those plans in limbo.
Going from bad to worse, South Australia's cluster ballooned from three cases of Covid-19 yesterday to 17 cases by Monday morning.
The outbreak triggered warnings and closures across Adelaide, and is now sparking panic interstate.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan on Monday afternoon reintroduced a hard border closure for the neighbouring state, starting from 6pm except for "strict exemption" categories.
Queensland has announced they too will be closing off the border to parts of South Australia from midnight tonight.
South Australia Premier Steven Marshall on Monday afternoon said the state is facing its "biggest test to date" and the border arrangements for other jurisdictions are their decisions to make.
"We can and we must rise to this new challenge," he said.
"I want to assure all South Australians that we are working around the clock to stay ahead of this cluster. No effort will be spared to slow and stop the spread of the Parafield cluster.
"I said from day one that we will not hesitate to act on the expert help advice because keeping the people of South Australia safe and strong is our unequivocal priority.
"Time is now of the essence and we must act swiftly and decisively. We can't wait to see how bad this gets."
Marshall said the state has been the "recipient" of data from other health administrations around the country and is now "transmitting it".
He announced all inbound international flights to Adelaide have been suspended, at the state government's request, for the rest of the week.
"Our priority is ensuring we have enough capacity in medi-hotels to meet quarantine requirements," Marshall said.
The Premier introduced a raft of new restrictions for the next two weeks and also advised "against any unnecessary travel at the moment".
"We're not giving a direction that you can't go on any travel," he said, noting that if it is "spontaneous and can be avoid", the Government is saying to people "don't proceed with it".
Marshall said as of 2pm Australian Central Daylight Time, there remained 17 cases in the cluster and all are "stable".
South Australia's chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said after initial review, the origin of the cluster is "clearly from a medi-hotel" and they are awaiting genomic testing results from two security guards at the medi-hotel and one person working in "back of house".
Meanwhile, Morrison said he spoke to Marshall "first thing" on Monday morning and the state's contact tracing and testing will "now be put to the test"
He said there had been a " spectrum of responses" from other states and territories but he understood those in Tasmania and the Northern Territory would be "temporary responses".
"What's important is these don't get sort of locked in as part of another enduring disruption and as soon as South Australia is able to get on top of this I would be expecting states would keep on the path that we have set towards Christmas," Morrison told reporters in Melbourne.
Asked whether the outbreak "jeopardises" his chance of having borders opened by Christmas,Morrison replied: "Well, I hope not."
"We have all said that these are subject to the health conditions and what occurs, but I would hope not," he said.
"So far, it is an early good response, but we are certainly not going to get ahead of ourselves as to how we anticipate this will play out in the days ahead."
Speaking to media on Monday, Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the revised border closure would impact residents from Adelaide only, and not those coming in to the Sunshine state from regional South Australia.
"I have been recommended that all of Adelaide … and the local government...