The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The mother of one of the Kiwis missing from the cattle export ship that sunk off the coast of Japan, has revealed the struggles she is experiencing in getting information about her son.
Scott Harris is one of two New Zealanders as well as 41 other crew members who were on the boat that capsized.
Harris' mother Karen Adrian told Mike Hosking very little is coming from the Government or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
"MFAT have been the agency tasked with that. We know bugger all to be honest, asked them the questions and they just say they don't know.
"We got in touch with the man who employed the four Kiwis and Australians, and he's in the dark. He's sitting in Victoria in total lockdown, he can't move, he can't do anything.
"We are just in a void out here."

The latest California bush fires left a host of holiday goers running for their lives.
A blaze erupted at a lake near Mammoth Pool campground, forcing 200-plus people to ditch their boats and picnics and seek out safety.
The fire cut off the only road in and out of the area. Local fire officials issued warnings for people to jump in the lake if needed.
Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking helicopters came in and were able to rescue many people.
"Some 20 people have been taken off to hospital, six are in the burn unit right now. Needless to say these folks are very, very, very lucky."
Meanwhile a heat record is set to be broken in the Californian desert, which is expected to top 50 degrees Celsius as a heat wave makes its way through the state.

COMMENT:
Credit where credit is due, National can't be accused of not taking this election seriously with policy.
Name me Labour's latest policy and when it was announced. Given you can't, at least National are pumping it out. And put aside wether you agree with it or not, at least it's out there, at least there is choice, at least there are ideas.
From the $3000 for babies, to the $31 billion for infrastructure, most days there has been an announcement.
We have border policy, a plan for Tiwai, and something for small business. That, by the way, with its 90-day trials is the first real example we have seen that involves businesses actually being given an opportunity to grow without the endless welfare chequebook being brought out.
We have law and order covered, and there was a car insurance policy around third-party cover that would hardly change the world but once again, a good example of simple practical stuff that shows signs of thought, research, and a gap in the status quo. There has been health money, policy for schools both in infrastructure and future planning.
It's all there if you want it. The question, I guess, is, do we? Are we open to ideas? Do we want a debate? Is there an alternative? How engaged are we?
The read sadness would be, if this was all about Covid, we as a country are in deep trouble. Covid, of course, is omnipresent of course, but for some we seem to have been swamped by it.
Certainly, you can see it in the Prime Minister in that interview a couple of weeks ago where she knew nothing of council issues and a port proposal. It showed she knows about Covid and little more. Even last week when we asked about social housing and the department paying $3000 a week for houses worth $550, she knew nothing.
Add to that the lack of policy from the government, like tax. Are they cutting or putting it up? Short of telling us from the podium of truth what their latest thinking around levels is, just what is it they're doing? What's their plan? What's next? Do they have anything at all?
Their calling card, the plight of children was shockingly exposed last week by UNICEF.
They seemed to have closed down, the place is run by Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson, and Woods. And their fingers are crossed no one will notice.
So, kudos to National for, potentially at least, making this election a contest of ideas.

A buy now pay later business co-founded by Gary Rohloff will today go public on the Australian share market.
Rohloff, a former retailing stalwart who has managed well-known brands Number One Shoes, Warehouse Stationery and Ezibuy, began the business in 2017, coming up with the idea around the kitchen table with family of a safe alternative to credit cards to buy a pair of jeans 
Mr Rohloff told Mike Hosking three years ago, they didn't expect an Initial Public Offering [IPO] to surface.
"We had a dream of creating a ubiquitous global brand, but not an IPO."
Mr Rohloff says there has been great support for the IPO.
He adds that they were concerned given how uncertain the current financial landscape is amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Yes we were [worried], we had originally intended to IPO in June.
"We put things on hold."

The North versus South derby delivered a spectacle of exciting rugby, beyond what many may have though.
The South prevailed 38-35 in the derby's first installation since 2012, courtesy of a Will Jordan try right on full-time.
All Blacks captain Sam Cane told Mike Hosking it was impressive considering how little time the teams had together.
Cane says like Super Rugby Aotearoa, it was fiery contest.
"Always surprises me how physical and fast it is.
"I think the fuel level was pretty impressive too, some impressive tries out there."
All Blacks matches being played in 2020 is still up in the air, buy Cane is confident something will be organised amid the global pandemic.
"We're planning for a Rugby Championship at this stage, and we should know for sure by the end of the week whether that's going to take place or not. If it doesn't then we expect there to be some tests against Australia," he says.
"Little hard not playing and not knowing."

Local councils are bidding to have our electoral term extended to four years.
Local Government NZ and councils from around New Zealand have teamed up to push the idea, asking for the Government to hold a referendum.
They claim they have 87 per cent support from councils around the country. 
Local Government president Stuart Crosby told Mike Hosking three years - with major interruptions for campaigning - essentially leaves just over a year for planning, projects and delivery.
"New people come in they want to review things, they want to change things. So you lose momentum and I think that's a major problem in this country."
Mr Crosby says the current three year cycle sees too much time wasted on electioneering.
He says councils and central government really only have about 15 months to get things done - and this would give them a whole extra year.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Monday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Too Cautious/Sweden Again/Still No Policy/The Shape of Recovery

Jacinda Ardern has confirmed Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was pushing for more frequent use of masks in New Zealand as early as March - but has defended the Government's approach to those and the use of the military.
Peters last week broke ranks from his Coalition partner, revealing publicly that he had pushed for the army to be called in, masks to be worn and independent oversight of the Covid response, two days before New Zealand's first lockdown in March.
Ardern told Mike Hosking Peters had been a "constant advocate on masks".
She said he had argued for a "long time" for masks on transport such as planes. "We were also in lockdown in March so there were things that were different about the time and place when those suggestions were made.
"On things like military use, there was never any disagreement over that - you can see that in our response. We have used the military.
"In that statement there's an assumption they could have been used more broadly. My view is we used the capacity we have within the military - we have really stretched our use particularly in managed isolation."
More importantly, Ardern told Hosking, "it's election time".
"Even though we have parties who are members of the Government who are members of Cabinet, this is a period where we are going to see those parties drawing distinctions."

The story of Mulan – a girl who single-handedly repels a Mongol invasion after taking her father's place in the Chinese army – was a huge hit for Disney in 1998.
However, the Waitaki District Council is more ambivalent towards a potential army of visitors. After being chosen as the filming location for Disney's live-action remake of Mulan, they were aware the film might bring huge numbers of tourists to the Whitestone geopark.
The area is used to visiting film crews. It appears as a backdrop in the Narnia and the Lord of the Rings film franchises. However, early indications showed that the Disney-backed blockbuster had the potential to "blow the Lord of the Rings out of the water".
So said Fergus Power, chief executive of Waitaki District Council.
The film was expecting to be a huge hit, particularly in Chinese markets where the film had been mentioned 5.87 billion times on the social media network Weibo. By January the trailer for the film was shared 2.5 billion times.
"Mulan is more than your average story. It's taught in schools, in China," said Power.
"If you compare that interest to the rest of the world you still end up with the potential of a very high interest in these film locations."
Aware that the film starring Liu Yifei had the makings of a huge hit, the district council was "aggressive" in pursuing the project and in helping the movie get made, said Power.
"We rolled out the Waitaki green carpet for them."
However, as with any cinematic epic, the story isn't quite as straight forward.
Covid-19 has disrupted both international travel and the film industry. Mulan was originally slated for theatrical release on March 9 this year, three days before the WHO declared coronavirus a pandemic, 10 days before New Zealand closed its borders to inbound tourists.
As cinemas around the world were emptied and New Zealand's borders were closed to holidaymakers, the future of the film and its translation into inbound travel was thrown into uncertainty.
While Disney has said that Mulan will still be getting a theatrical release in China, there is no firm release date. Elsewhere Mulan will be available to watch from next week, online only.

Could Waitaki's roads handle the tourists? The Lindis Pass cuts through the Ahuriri river valley. Photo / File
However Waitaki is still optimistic that this will translate into future visits.
"If anything Covid-19 has provided some breathing space but expectations are that Mulan will bring interest and with that interest will come employment opportunities," said Powers.
The council is still working with the Department of Conservation and central government to create management plans for an increased number of visitors to the delicate natural beauty spot.
Margaret Munro, the general manager for Tourism Waitaki, said it's up to the area to look after its unspoiled landscapes, how ever many tourists arrive.
"Like all epic films they wanted landscapes that are void of any materials or power lines, that sort of thing," said Munro.
"They liked the raw landscapes of the area."
However if the tourism demand is not properly anticipated or managed, the area risks ruining its appeal for both visitors and future film scouts.
"The Ahuriri Valley hasn't really appeared in many films. Particularly of this size," said Munro.
The Whitestone geopark is currently being evaluated for Unesco world heritage status. With that status comes specific demands on conservation and management.
There are already some tourism ventures in the area, which is popular with hikers and trout fishermen. Places like the spectacular looking Lindis luxury lodge which, on the banks of the Ahuriri, depends on the appeal of the area's pristine remoteness.
However while borders are still closed to international tourists, the attention might at least still inspire New Zealanders to visit.
As we discovered with...

Every Friday morning, Mike Hosking is joined by Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby to wrap the week in news.
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