One of New Zealand’s most influential music groups is back after five years out of the game. 

Fly My Pretties was first formed in 2004, and brought together musicians from a lot of well-known Kiwi bands to record live albums.  

The cast includes musicians from the Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Phoenix Foundation, and The Phoenix Foundation, among others, and was founded by Barnaby Weir and Mikee Tucker. 

Tomorrow marks their first release in five years, with their seventh album ‘Elemental’. 

Weir told Mike Hosking the project has turned out different to how he would have imagined it, but the core concept is still there. 

“I hope that there’s still a lot of, y’know, more leads in it,” he said. 

“This new album is really strong, and y’know, in the future, I might not be on the stage, I might be just more of a mental kind of character involved with it, but the concept can just, y’know, continue.” 

And, as a special treat, Weir gave an exclusive, acoustic performance.  

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North Auckland oyster farmers have been hit with a wave of uncertainty. 

Norovirus has been found in the Mahurangi River where the shellfish are grown, resulting in contaminated product and closures until further notice.  

They're blaming Watercare and Auckland Council, claiming they let sewage flows get out of control before infrastructure could catch up. 

Watercare says a new pipeline should be completed in 2028. 

Matakana Oysters co-owner Tom Walters told Mike Hosking it’s too little too late for many of the businesses, who have been begging for measures to be introduced for years. 

He says there’s been no accountability from Watercare or the council, or compensation after the growth and development of the area cost them their farms and livelihoods.  

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 22nd of May, we talk to the major sectors to hear their wish lists for today's Budget.   

145 years of Smith & Caughey's has officially come to an end, and Mike is ropeable. 

Fly My Pretties co-founder Barnaby Weir is on to talk their first album in five years, plus, gives us an exclusive look at a new song. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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KiwiSaver's a hot topic in today's budget announcement.  

Low and middle income earners could be getting tax back on their contributions into the fund.  

Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker told Mike Hosking it's a recommendation made by the tax working group.  

She says that will make a difference to people's savings. 

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All quarters of the health service need funding, not just lip service.  

That's the message from the Nurses Society ahead of the Government's budget announcement today.  

National Director David Wills says our health system's been historically underfunded.  

Wills told Mike Hosking services can't be delivered without adequate funding.  

He says despite claiming to deliver increases, in real terms there was under funding in the last budget. 

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A promise today's budget will deliver real growth for the economy. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hours away from unveiling her 'No BS Budget', claiming there'll be no frills or excess.  

The Government's been slowly teasing figures, concentrating on balancing the books through cuts and reprioritisation in spending. 

Business NZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking the government knows its role in business recovery. 

She says they're the first government in a long time that's methodically looked through what can be done to make things easier. 

It’s also been teasing changes to the KiwiSaver scheme, with more to be revealed. 

It's expected to increase KiwiSaver's default contribution rate from the current 3% as well as means-testing its own annual contribution, up to $521 dollars. 

Rich told Hosking they'll be keeping a close eye on things. 

She says it depends on how it's phased in over time, so businesses can factor it into wage negotiations and salaries. 

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There's a belief New Zealand's entering the early stages of an export-led recovery.  

Stats NZ data reveals it's at $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit last year. 

The dairy sector's been the big winner, up $601 million to $2.2 billion.  

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking it's promising on the back of a tough three years in the sector.  

He says domestically people aren't spending a lot, so imports aren't coming in, but fortunately the world is buying more from us which is a great point in the cycle.  

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Smith and Caughey's closure indicates what needs to change in Auckland's CBD 

The city's most iconic department store is closing its doors after 145-years, with the loss of almost 100 jobs. 

The closure comes down to increased competition, economic hardship, and the state of the central city.  

Heart of the City Chief Executive, Viv Beck told Mike Hosking it's a sign of fundamental flaws in the management of Auckland's CBD, especially in transport.  

She says the system needs more functionality and common sense to meet Auckland's realistic transport needs. 

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Zespri’s largest-ever crop has topped $5 billion in global sales  

After some challenging seasons, the kiwifruit company has exceeded their long-term goals by $500 million. 

The record season saw the sale of close to 221 million trays of Kiwifruit, compared to 164 million the previous year. 

Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake told Mike Hosking it comes after a decade of investing heavily in the brand. 

He says they've been able to give good returns back to growers after some challenging years.  

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Billions in spending has already been announced, and more to come for today's budget. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hours away from unveiling her second budget, and is promising no frills or excess.  

The Government's been slowly teasing figures, including a $600 million infrastructure investment into the country's rail network.  

Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Michelle McCormick told Mike Hosking they're trying to make some progress. 

She says it's good to see they're continuing to build on the fundamentals. 

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