The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Chase TV star, the 'Dark Destroyer' is defending his name against the 'PC brigade'.
Australia has dropped the word 'dark' from the star's nickname, and the UK network ITV is under pressure to follow suit.
Chase star Shaun Wallace told Mike Hosking he's proud to be black and wants the name to stay put.
"Because of the current climate around Black Lives Matter, everyone is being is far too PC."
Wallace says he's asked the UK network ITV to keep the name as is.
"To be honest, there is no need to change. I'm not offended at all. The way which I use the name The Dark Destroyer is because I'm black, my intellect and I will destroy you."
TVNZ screens the show's UK version, which still uses the name 'Dark Destroyer'.
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We are starting to see the clash between politics and reality, elections and the economy, ideology and our future.
Even the World Health Organisation seems to realise what our government doesn’t, our border can't stayed closed the way it is forever.
We got praise at the W.H.O for our health efforts, along with places like Rwanda, Vietnam, Thailand, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean Islands.
To be fair, they were praising us because we had followed their advice which is hand washing and social distancing, so it behooves them to pump up their own tyres.
But Mike Ryan who is the WHO's Director of Health Emergencies and seemingly much more amenable and likeable than Dr Tedros who comes with, as far as I can work out some interesting baggage with his perceived links to China.
Anyway Ryan says the borders simply can't stay shut. This appears to be where we are stuck at.
We've locked ourselves up, which isn't hard, given all the water around us. And we seem content to stay locked despite the growing frustration around the simple, cold, stark truth that we can't afford to be and even the W.H.O sees it.
The universities are furious at the lack of access to students, the lack of government desire to get students back ,the inability for business to do business, and the seeming refusal of the government to do anything other than pretend we still have a pandemic and hand out money in welfare form from a revenue stream long ago exhausted.
No one pretends this isn't hard work and answers aren't tricky, but they do claim to have answers, plans, and ideas. But the government doesn’t seem remotely interested.
The bet, and this is where the election comes in, is they’ve got enough people with Stockholm Syndrome who think that doing nothing, going no where, and paying for it with a big printer is just fine and they'll give you three more years for a job well done.
They're stalling. They seem to think a good health outcome is the whole story, the only story, and the economic carnage can't be helped. They'll claim everyone's in trouble, so we will be in trouble but with low health numbers, so therefore we look good compared to others. It's a ploy, it's subterfuge, and the polls would seem to suggest enough are falling for it.
How long have they talked about a Cook Island's bubble? What about Taiwan? What about Vietnam? What's the excuse when there is minimal risk? When the universities have an answer and want to own the problem, why the reluctance? Because it suits them politically.
There is a massive window for National here. This isn't the only way, we are not all captives, and the health obsession and emergency is over.  The W.H.O see it, and they're not even paying the price.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he cannot forecast if New Zealand will face repercussions from China after we suspended our extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
The suspension was announced yesterday following recent law changes were Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said was not consistent with "New Zealand's principles".
When asked about repercussions, Peters told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning: "The ball is in their court.
"There are 1.4 billion people in China who are desperate for our supplies... There is every reason for the regime to be mindful of that."
Peters said if there were to be repercussions from China then New Zealand would maintain its belief in the will of law for democracy.
"We have acted purely independently. In the last year there have been circumstances where we have gone first and the others [countries] have gone later on.
"This decision was made when Foreign Affairs was asked to look at every ramification that might arise from what's happening in Hong Kong."
Peters said what he would say to China was that "you have made a commitment, you've told us this, we believe you and we are going to go on believing you until you tell us, for example, you have no desire to keep the commitment you have made".
Yesterday, Peters announced the suspension.
Ardern said the new national security legislation in Hong Kong did not sit well with New Zealand's principles.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Ardern said those principles were "basic freedom of association and the right to take a political view".
When asked if New Zealand should expect repercussions from China, Ardern said the two countries have a "mature" relationship.
Peters yesterday said New Zealand could no longer trust that Hong Kong's criminal justice system was independent from China.
"China's passage of its new national security legislation has eroded rule-of-law principles, undermined the 'one country, two systems' framework that underpins Hong Kong's unique status, and gone against commitments China made to the international community," he said.
New Zealand's move follows similar moves by Five Eyes partners, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom against the former British colony which was handed back to China in 1997 on the basis it remains autonomous for 50 years – the one country, two systems principle.

The Government appears to have reached an agreement about charging Kiwis who opt to travel overseas then go through managed isolation upon their return.
The announcement on the new legislation - which would need to be passed in the final two weeks of Parliament - could be as early as this afternoon.
The Government has been working through Crown legal advice about how to charge returnees with border facilities costing half a billion dollars by the end of the year without impeding the inalienable right to return home.
But any charge for returnees would require a law change.
Government ministers yesterday kept details of the legislation close to their chest but it appeared the governing parties had reached a consensus on charging New Zealanders choosing to leave for a short trip.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was confident yesterday afternoon she would not have to reach across the House for National's support for the bill.
Ardern said "it was quite different" if someone chose to leave the safety of New Zealand "for something discretionary" than if a citizen or resident already overseas needed to come back.
"I think most Kiwis would agree with this, when you're already here in New Zealand and you're making a deliberate decision to go overseas - that's something quite different to someone overseas returning to New Zealand and there are different considerations there.
"I think there is some sympathy for New Zealanders who have lived and worked overseas who have found themselves caught up in this pandemic and through no fault of their own are now having to find themselves returning."
Ardern said there would be an announcement on the issue "very soon".
Cabinet Minister Megan Woods and Air Commodore Darryn Webb, who is in charge of operations at the facilities, have a press conference scheduled this afternoon.



The Greens are opposed to a blanket charge of all returnees but yesterday co-leader James Shaw said they were "open to" a co-payment for Kiwis opting to leave New Zealand for a short trip.
"There is a huge expat community - many of whom are stuck in a situation now where they're trying to get home and their visas are running out and we don't think that's fair."
It's widely estimated there could be up to a million Kiwis living overseas who all have the right to return at any time.
National leader Judith Collins said they also weren't opposed to charging returnees but wanted to see the legislation before giving it the tick.
National has previously announced it would charge people $3000 for a managed isolation room and an extra $1000 for an additional person and $500 for each child aged over 16.
"We do think it is important there are compassionate ground and medical grounds."
Meanwhile there was one new case of Covid-19 in managed isolation yesterday, meaning it's been 88 days since the last evidence of community transmission.
The Health Ministry was scrambling to contact-trace people who could have come in contact with a person who tested positive in South Korea after travelling there from New Zealand.
But because the person is a citizen of South Korea, health officials here have been unable to contact them but have been working with their counterparts to get more information.
Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said there was no evidence the person caught Covid-19 here but they were working on a "worst case" scenario as a precaution.
The person, who was asymptomatic, tested positive after a rapid test which are not as reliable as the method used here and a second test has been ordered.
The person lived with five people in Auckland and all are self-isolating while they wait for their test results.
And contact-tracers are asking people who were two rows in front of and behind the traveller on flight NZ555 from Auckland to Christchurch on July 20 to self-isolate and get a test as a...

National Party leader Judith Collins has revealed Kiwis wanting to start a business will be able to access up to $20,000 from KiwiSaver under its small-business policy.
She told Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB this morning that the money belonged to people yet they couldn't access it.
"The rainy day is here now but they need to have that start. It's their money so why can't they use it?"
The policy is intended to involve measures to make it easier for people who have lost jobs through the Covid-19 economic downturn to start a business.
Collins explained the National policy was about creating a way for cash-strapped people who had lost their job in the wake of the Covid lockdown to get businesses going with their retirement funds.
"Many of us, including myself, have set up and run successful businesses and sold them off at a profit over the years and we know how to do this and we know what's needed," said Collins. "Sometimes you need a bit of capital and if it's your money why can't you use it?"
She said an announcement would take place this morning outlining the rules around accessing KiwiSaver funds for new businesses.
"The main thing is it's already your money because it's in your KiwiSaver account. I've been told by so many people I've got all this money stuck away and I can't access it, I'm losing my job, I know how I could make a living but the problem is I can't access my money."
"Even to buy a ute or something, something to get your business going."
Collins is due to reveal more details about the policy at a press conference at 9.30am.
It is the first new policy she has announced since being elected leader on July 14 that has not involved infrastructure or transport.
Former National leader Simon Bridges unveiled a policy in May to refund GST for businesses badly affected by Covid19.
If the business could demonstrate that its revenue had fallen by more than 50 per cent across two successive months, it would be able to claim back the GST it had paid between July 2019 and January 2020, up to a maximum of $100,000.
The next leader, Todd Muller, unveiled the Job Start policy that would give businesses $10,000 for every new employee they took on after November - $5000 at the time of hire and another $5000 after 90 days.
Collins announced earlier this month that, if elected, it would spend $31 billion over 10 years to fix Auckland's congestion crisis and transform the Upper North Island into the most dynamic region in Australasia.
She described it as "the biggest infrastructure programme in New Zealand's history".
"It's time for boldness and a long-term vision," she said, adding that Aucklanders have been waiting for such a plan for "generations".
More than half of the $31b, some $17b, would be spent on projects in the upper North Island, including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Whangārei.
But the focus of the package is Auckland – a city that Collins said is currently a "collection of disconnected villages".
The other $14b, which has yet to be allocated to specific projects, will be spent on transport and infrastructure projects across the country.
Charging returnees
Collins also said she wanted to charge those returning from overseas.
"New Zealanders shouldn't have to pay half a billion dollars for people wanting to come back because they feel like it. New Zealanders can't afford this. They're losing jobs."
It comes after the Herald revealed the Government appears to have reached an agreement about charging Kiwis who opt to travel overseas then go through managed isolation upon their return.
The announcement on the new legislation - which would needed to be passed in the final two weeks of Parliament - could be as early as this afternoon.
William Wood
Collins also put her weight behind beleaguered teen Palmerston North candidate William Wood who after a four-year-old photo surfaced of him...

The French Government is warning its people against a second wave of Covid-19 cases.
The country is recording numbers similar to those seen in May, hovering around 1,000 new cases daily.
Europe correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking for a while, France looked to be in a good position.
"It looked as though France had got away successfully with doing that complete end to the lockdown, no signs of the second wave. But it seems now the virus is affecting young people. Summer is here, people are moving around particularly young people."
Ms Field says numbers are growing in Belgium as well, ranging around 270 new cases a day - a massive rise from what they were seeing in early July at roughly 80 per day.
Ms Field adds officials are cracking down on mask wearing.

Coronation Street is back!
Production of the iconic British show had to be stopped due to Covid-19.
But filming resumed last month, and now the virus itself is entering the storyline.
So what's it like on set? And will it ever return to normal?
Colson Smith plays Craig Tinker on the show.
He joined Mike Hosking to talk about the show returning, filming with social distancing and Covid-19 entering the storyline.
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Fiordland is facing up to 40 per cent unemployment, with many tourism businesses saying they're unsure about their future.
This year the region has been hit by severe flooding that cut access to Milford Sound during peak season, before losing the Chinese tourist market, then all visitors due to Covid-19.
Traditionally about three-quarters of Fiordland's visitors are from overseas.
Kiwi Country owner John Greaney has lost about 90 per cent of his income in the wake of the floods and Covid-19.
He didn't notice much of a difference over the school holidays in Te Anau.
"I was in Queenstown, you couldn't move. It was absolutely insane - cafes, shops, everything, streets full of people. Came back to Te Anau, none. They just didn't come here," Greaney said.
He was trying to stay positive and protect his staff while facing some harsh realities.
"I could lose everything, 45 years of business. I could have the banks come and sell me up. That's what I'm looking at."
Fiordland Jet co-owner Chris Adams said the school holidays were hit and miss in the region.
"We want to keep it going, we will try to keep it going the best way we can. But it is whether we can keep all our staff on, keep the jobs security. They've got families in Te Anau.
"If we haven't got people coming through our doors, the restaurants aren't getting people, the hotels, the motels, the flow-on effect, the shops won't stay open. We don't want a ghost town when people turn back up," Adams said.
He was tired of hearing about big operators like AJ Hackett Bungy receiving large funding boosts, saying the money would be better spent by spreading it in a region like Fiordland and across smaller businesses.
"We genuinely have no idea. Once the wage subsidy's gone off, I don't know how places like Te Anau can survive. We've all done well, we've kept our staff on wherever we can.
"We don't know who's coming, we don't think the bubble's going to open any day soon. Probably definitely not this year. So it's going to be a matter of just dipping into our own pockets to keep our staff going and we haven't been supported by the Government in Te Anau and Fiordland. We've been let down."

Trips and Tramps co-owner Steve Norris said June and July had been good for visitors, but now they were preparing for fewer visitors and the loss of the wage subsidy.
The subsidy has been a saving grace for many businesses, but the Government isn't planning to extend it again and most in Te Anau would see it run out next month.
"A town like Te Anau is used to being quiet in the winter so the real reality is going to hit October onwards. You know like 90 to 95 per cent of our business is international in the summer months, and whilst there is definitely going to be some more Kiwis around, travelling particularly in December/January, the school holidays ... it's not going to be 90 per cent. A good result's going to be maybe 15 to 20 per cent," Norris said.
He was optimistic they would remain open but said lots of businesses would look to close their doors if the situation didn't improve over the next 12 months.
"The summer ahead, it would be great if some borders open. But in a year's time, if there have been no borders and no signs of any borders opening in the six to nine months ahead, that's when it's gonna turn to tears."
Destination Fiordland was expecting the region would have similar visitor numbers over the school holidays as previous years.
Its manager Madeleine Peacock said they were preparing for a tough slog with fewer visitors and some residents leaving the region.
"So the figures that have come out would suggest that we would be looking at - without intervention from Government - up to 40 per cent unemployment, which is high. Since those figures have come out there have been interventions announced by central government and so we would hope that those figures would be lower," she...

Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, has said in a video posted to his official Twitter account that he was "way overweight" when he was admitted to intensive care earlier this year after becoming infected with Covid-19.
"I've always wanted to lose weight for ages and ages," he said in the clip posted Monday. "I think many people, I struggle with my weight."
Johnson says in the video that since recovering from the virus, he starts each day by going for a run with his dog, Dilyn, and talks effusively about the personal benefits of losing weight as well as the societal benefits of protecting the UK's National Health Service (NHS).
The video has been released alongside the launch of the UK government's strategy to lower obesity rates in the country. According to government figures, 63% of adults are above what would be considered a healthy weight, with around half of those people being obese.
Equally alarming is the fact that one in five children aged 10-11 are living with obesity, with children living in deprived areas twice as likely to be obese.
The government policy paper, released Monday, makes a point of linking the risk of being overweight during the current pandemic. "In the last few months we have seen that being overweight or living with obesity puts you at risk of dying from Covid-19," singling out the impact that "excess fat tissue has on vital organs like the heart, lungs and liver."
The government hopes this campaign will encourage those currently overweight to lose 2.5kg, claiming it "could save the NHS £105 million [$135m] over the next 5 years." The campaign comprises wide-ranging measures, from making restaurants put calorie numbers on menus to banning the advertising and promotion of unhealthy food on television and in shops.
Johnson claims that these measures will help people across the country lose weight, "not in an excessively bossy or nannying way, I hope." However, Johnson himself has in the past opposed attempts by previous governments to take similar action.
In 2007, Johnson wrote in a newspaper column that the incumbent Labour government's proposal to put calories on bottles of wine was "loony" and that the "nannying and bullying" plan could lead to a legal challenge. In 2004, when the same Labour government was planning a smoking ban, Johnson wrote: "It's the dogooders I can't stand, and this Labour Government is riddled with people who long to stop other people doing things of which they disapprove."

Mortgage holders could get a wake up call if the banks don't extend the payment holiday.
The Reserve Bank and retail banks announced a six-month principal and interest payment holiday, which expires on September 24th.
The real estate sector is urging banks to follow Australia's lead and extend the scheme, so home owners aren't hit hard when the extended wage subsidy ends.
Harcourts managing director Bryan Thomson told Mike Hosking it's a win-win for banks to support their customers so they can continue paying off their homes.
He says people will have to sell before they're ready, and then the banks will just be loaning the money to someone else.
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