The Mike Hosking Breakfast

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for financier Jeffrey Epstein.
An indictment made public on Thursday said Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent travel companion on trips around the world, facilitated Epstein's crimes by "helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse " girls as young as 14. It also said she participated in the sexual abuse.
Epstein, 66, killed himself in a federal detention center in New York last summer while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell has, for years, been accused by many women of recruiting them to give Epstein massages, during which they were pressured into sex. Those accusations, until now, never resulted in criminal charges.
Maxwell, 58, was arrested in New Hampshire, where the FBI said it had been keeping tabs on her.
"More recently we learned she had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims live with the trauma inflicted upon them years ago," William Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York office, said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The indictment included counts of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of perjury.
"Maxwell lied because the truth, as alleged, was almost unspeakable," Audrey Strauss, the acting US attorney in Manhattan, said at the press conference.
She called the charges against Maxwell a "prequel" to the charges prosecutors brought last summer against Epstein.
Messages were sent on Thursday to several of Maxwell's attorneys seeking comment. She has previously repeatedly denied wrongdoing and called some of the claims against her "absolute rubbish."

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in June 1991. The FBI says Maxwell, who was accused by many women of helping convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested. Photo / AP
Among the most sensational accusations was a claim by one Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, that Maxwell arranged for her to have sex with Britain's Prince Andrew at her London townhouse. Giuffre bolstered her allegations with a picture of her, Andrew and Maxwell that she said was taken at the time.
Andrew denied her story and Maxwell said in one deposition that Giuffre was "totally lying".
He was not mentioned by name in the indictment, and the charges covered Maxwell's dealings with Epstein only in the period from 1994 through 1997, a period well before Prince Andrew's alleged encounters with Giuffre in 2001.
Strauss said she would "welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us," but did not answer further questions pertaining to these charges and Andrew.
Brad Edwards, an attorney who represents Giuffre and several other Epstein victims said his clients were relieved by the charges. "Today is a very good day," he said.
The indictment focused on Epstein's alleged abuse of three specific girls at his Manhattan mansion and other residences in Palm Beach, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico and London. Their names were not revealed in court filings.
The indictment mirrored many of the claims previously made in civil lawsuits against Maxwell, saying she would "entice and groom" minor girls by asking them about their lives, their schools and their families.
"Through this process, Maxwell and Epstein enticed victims to engage in sexual activity with Epstein. In some instances, Maxwell was present for and participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims," the indictment said.
The indictment said Maxwell repeatedly lied when questioned about her...

There are some serious questions for the Government over the long-term viability of our border closure.
Helen Clark, Rob Fyfe and Sir Peter Gluckman are joining forces to call for a public discussion on New Zealand's strategy for re-opening the border.
Sir Peter - John Key's former chief science advisor says a vaccine could be two years away, and may not be very effective.
He told Mike Hosking New Zealand needs to a plan to reopen before then.
Are we going to go through the whole of next year with no overseas students coming to our universities?
"Are we not going to be able to engage in business relationships?"
LISTEN ABOVE

There's a lot of uncertainty facing the country's shovel-ready projects.
It's been revealed the 12 infrastructure projects, costing $240 million of the Government's latest three billion dollar post-Covid infrastructure spend, won't start till next year.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones told Mike Hosking they're doing all they can to ensure these projects are successful.
“If these projects aren't underway in 12 months, they will either need to be reassessed or disappear."
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At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.
David Clark.
4/10.
"Only gets four because he got there in the end, even if his leader yet again wouldn't see it.
If only Jacinda Ardern could look at the dictionary and get her head around the term, accountability."
Paula Bennett.
8/10.
"Tough way to go, but she's excited, and she'll do well.
But some colour leaves the political game, and in a world of hand-wringing grey, that’s a shame."
Judith Collins.
7/10.
"The book is worth a read.
It’s a good insight into what separates out the survivors from the pretenders."
Auckland's Water.
8/10.
"Thank you, Waikato.
I know it wasn’t your problem, and yes Phil Goff and Co are clowns, and no the government shouldn’t have had to get involved.
But water is sort of important, so it's appreciated."
July 1.
7/10.
"More paid parental leave, and more tax at the pump.
And a bunch of other stuff, on balance, that's probably more good than not."
Foreign Students.
3/10.
"This is a worrying theme. The idea was Queenstown to have them arrive and revive a five billion dollar industry.
That apparently is going nowhere.  
Why? Why aren't we more "can do?" Why aren't we desperate for stuff that we can make happen as opposed to the mindset of stuff we can't or won't?"
Tesla.
8/10.
"10 years since floating, and shares up 4000 percent. Now the most valuable car manufacturer in the world.  
I still wouldn't buy one, but you cant argue with that sort of success."
School Holidays.
8/10.
"Is literally everyone going to Queenstown?"
LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW

A tale of two leaders. It's Todd Muller one, Jacinda Ardern zero.
Having lamented the often sad and unfortunate end to too many political careers, this week's being Paula Bennett, what a reassurance it is to see Simon Bridges.
I sighted Dame Jenny Shipley's demise as well. Just because they vote you out as leader or deputy leader, it doesn’t make you a political zero, it doesn’t mean the talent and experience vanishes, and yet that is too often the outcome. The person leaves aggrieved, and the party misses their talent.
Muller to his credit has worked this out, and that’s why Bridges gets Foreign Affairs in the reshuffle. No, he wasn’t the greatest leader but he was and is regarded as a good MP, and an experienced player at the top level. He has a contribution, and that now stays within the party.
Contrast that to Ardern who has set the bar so low in terms of performance, that for the second time this term we have seen a resignation from a Minister as a result of the incompetence and ineptitude being so glaring, even they can see how hopeless their cause is, while their ever blinkered leader soldiers with fingers in ears going "la, la, la. Nothing to see here."
Just over a week ago I asked Ardern, why, given the emergency was over, and that was the only reason she claimed Clark wasn’t sacked, was he now not being sacked? She, almost gobsmackingly, bewilderingly, defended him. He'd done a good job and he was safe, she said to my amazement.
And yet poor old David Clark. Even he could see how bad he was, so like Clare Curran before him, he did the right thing, even when his leader wouldn't.
And that’s the trouble with the word, isn't it? Leader, it's a title. But it's also a state of mind, and the Ardern approach to leadership is so wet, so weak, that anything goes. It doesn’t matter what a waster you are, under her direction you're safe.
And the ones with the gall and arrogance, Phil you know everyone's looking at you Twyford, tough it out. Pretending the room doesn’t laugh under their breath when you walk in. So Clark, at least, exits having done the decent thing.
Further complicating matters is Chris Hipkins. In yet another reminder that if your name isn't Woods or Robertson, there clearly isn't a talent in the bunch to be promoted.
Health and education, are you serious? The whole government is essentially run by about four people.
That is, to be fair to Ardern, a leadership skill. Being able to recognise, in a room full of MPs there are next to none you would actually give a big job to.

COMMENT
No matter which way they try to spin it, only one thing happened yesterday – the electioneering began in proper.
Sacking David Clark, which is what this is - though sugar coated as "he resigned" which no one's buying - was all about doing the popular thing. Which is what this Government is obsessed with: Being popular.
If something gets away on them on social media, then look out. They'll move.
And two things happened recently on social media. One, the backlash against Clark for throwing Saint Ashley under the bus. Nobody puts director general of health Ashley Bloomfield in the corner, New Zealanders have deified him and he's untouchable.
The other thing was anger that Clark kept his job.
And while sacking people is not her bag, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed yesterday she had had "an open discussion" with the Health Minister, which is code for – we very politely suggested he may like to resign, if it wouldn't be too much bother.
Why? Because this Government wants desperately to be back in power in September, and having people angry for not sacking Clark was just not cutting it.
Word is, it wasn't Ardern herself who asked him to go - in fact she was still backing him up until a few days ago and saying he was going nowhere. It was Chris Hipkins and other senior Labour MP's who apparently leaned on him to do the right thing. After all, Ardern is not a sackings person. MPs in hot water usually have to sack themselves, a la Clare Curran. The PM is not that interested in accountability.
Here's the rub though – in getting rid of Clark they've revealed their other Achilles heel – lack of talent.
Who takes over health? Hipkins. Why? Because there are very few ministers in that Cabinet capable of doing anything – far less a big job like health, so the guy holding education now holds health too. Two of the biggest portfolios in government - held by one person.
As National pointed out, during a global pandemic, health really needs to be someone's fulltime job.
But while we're talking portfolios, it would be remiss of me not to mention Todd Muller – who I'm pleased to see took my advice and promoted Simon Bridges to foreign affairs yesterday. Okay, he probably wasn't taking my advice but, still, he did the right thing.
Foreign affairs is what Bridges wanted all along. Wresting that off Gerry Brownlee must have been interesting, but in doing that Muller, despite his obvious personal issues with Bridges, may have been trying to tidy up a messy, fractured caucus.
Let's hope that works.
Sadly his big move didn't quite get the coverage he may have hoped for, given the rug got firmly pulled by Clark's dramatic announcement yesterday.
So what can we glean from all this drama and flurry of action? The gloves are off, the election campaign is on – hold on to your hats from here.

Are we about to start seeing paperboard wine bottles at our liquor stores?
A company in the UK called Frugalpac has designed a 94% recycled paperboard bottle - the frugal bottle.
It has a food grade liner to hold the wine and apparently keeps it cooler for longer as well.
The CEO of Frugalpac Malcolm Waugh joined Mike Hosking to talk about the unique bottle.
LISTEN ABOVE

1000 au pairs: can’t find them.
Fruit to be picked: can’t get hands on deck.
Plenty of work on the farm: no one wants it.
Jobs paying up to $40 an hour go unfilled.
And so here we go again.
It beggars belief to believe we are even here, but remarkably already the stories are piling up of jobs that can’t be filled because New Zealanders – New Zealanders freshly laid off due to the economic crisis this country is now wading through – don’t seem to really want to work.
It was of course a massive issue pre-Covid. At 4 per cent unemployment, most people who wanted work had it. And there was a creeping suspicion this government, who are soft on work and big on welfare, were letting too many people off the hook.
The job seeker benefit prior to Christmas was growing at 14,000 a year for the past two years. How was that possible when there was an abundance of work?
The answer was because the pressure wasn’t on from the department involved. The same way they changed the rules around social housing as your circumstances changed and you didn’t need a tax payer supported cheap rent any more – you could still stay in the house – and they wondered why the housing queue blew out to record levels.
The great hope was, of course, with tens of thousands laid off, the demand for work would be such finding hands would be easy. Sadly not. And given the government’s attitude, they are in for serious trouble going forward
The whole premise of the so called recovery is based around people retraining. Free apprenticeships, billions in infrastructure building, all good ideas, but not if the jobless like being jobless.
At what point do the government wake up to this and adjust the attitude? How long can 1000 au pair jobs go unfilled before someone realises this is insane?
It plays out a cold hard and tragic truth. It is why we brought so many people to the country: there are a group of New Zealanders who simply can’t be bothered, and, making it worse, this government has boosted welfare, making it easier to get and more generous when you get it.
There is no rebuild, no recovery, when huge swathes of New Zealanders want it done for them by others from the comfort of their welfare supported beds.

It's time to catch up with one of the country's top music stars.
You might remember we had Kaylee Bell in the studio last year talking her time with Keith Urban and the song dedicated to it.
Well she's back with new music, and her new Single Home is out tomorrow.
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE ABOVE

Italian police have seized 14 tons of amphetamines, allegedly produced in Syria by the Islamic State group to fund extremist activities and destined for the European illegal drug market.

Customs police unloading amphetamines that were seized at Salerno. Photo / AP
Colonel Domenico Napolitano of Italy's Customs Police on Wednesday called the discovery of three shipping containers crammed with around 85 million pills, in the southern port of Salerno, the biggest amphetamine seizure ever made worldwide.
Napolitano said on Italian state radio that investigators believe the drug's production provides IS with vital revenue for its militant activities. Investigators hypothesise that amphetamine production in Europe was hampered by the pandemic lockdown, and so drug traffickers might have turned to Syria-based producers to fill the market.
The amphetamines were labelled captagon, the street name for a drug whose chemical base is fenethylline.
It's thought IS fighters take the pills before committing atrocities.

Customs inspect the haul. Photo / AP
Police say they're investigating if Naples-based Camorra organised crime clans might have ordered the huge shipment for international sale, because two weeks earlier, a much smaller shipment of the drug was also seized in Salerno's port in a shipment of clothing.
Salerno is about 50km south of Naples in the Campania region, the historic base of the Camorra. Drug trafficking is one of the syndicate's revenue-makers.
Customs police in a statement noted that captagon is reputed to be used by IS combatants to "inhibit fear and pain".
The 14 tons of amphetamines would have raked in about 1 billion euros ($1.15b) in street sales had they ultimately made it to consumers, customs police said.
Police used electric saws to cut through two-metre-high cylinders, made thick enough to try to elude customs' scanning devices, to remove the pills in the hollow centers.