The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Smarter technology is helping save lives on our roads, but dangerous driving behaviours remain a major concern. 

New Zealand recorded a record-low road toll in 2025, with 270 deaths – the lowest annual figure in more than a century. 

Chief Executive of fleet safety organisation Autosense, Charles Dawson told Mike Hosking they've set up thousands of cameras, which monitor when people fall asleep. 

He says they pick up 84 people falling asleep at the wheel every day, and the system can prevent a serious accident from happening. 

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National Party leader Christopher Luxon is reiterating his stance there's "no need" for strategic or split voting strategies. 

The strategy, promoted by some on the right, calls for voters to give their candidate vote to National and their party vote to ACT or NZ First to create an overhang and give the right bloc more seats to form a potential coalition. 

Division has emerged on the right over newspaper ads promoting the strategy, with revelations that ACT and New Zealand First approved them. 

It later emerged that the National Party filed a formal complaint with the Electoral Commission against the campaign. 

Asked about the campaign on the Mike Hosking Leaders Breakfast, Luxon said that in his option, people shouldn't complicate it. 

"If you like the National Party policies and you want them around the cabinet table rather than other people, and if you want a National-led government, vote for us." 

"I do think it's confusing, I think the messages are quite confusing for the public, it's unhelpful in a tight election," Luxon said. 

He told Hosking that at the end of the day, they have a really good policy programme, and a good team of ministers that has been built over the last three years. 

"Understand what you're doing." 

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Former Prime Minister Sir John Key is repeating a call not to engage in strategic voting, saying it's "not a smart idea" to split the vote. 

He told Mike Hosking the centre-right political party, the biggest party in the parliament, needs to have a strong core.  

"If you eat away at that and you say, 'okay, well, I'll give my party vote somewhere else', then then you put Labour right in the box seat to be the first party that can form a government." 

Sir John released a video earlier this morning urging people to vote and told Hosking he wasn't worried, but it was a very tight race. 

"If people don't vote, you know, I would worry that they would wake up on November the 8th and have buyer's remorse," he said. 

Sir John suggested voters were lethargic as the campaign had lacked "drama" compared to some elections he had been involved in. 

"People just go, 'oh, I'm bored with all this, I just won't vote'. But the consequences of a change of government are very, very significant." 

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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. 

The campaign: 4/10 

When Chlöe and Winston agree it's bad, you've got to listen.  

Polls: 4/10 

There has to be some sort of reckoning around this stuff. The RNZ Reid Research poll was rogue, clearly, the spread is absurd and the methodology is ropey as all you-know-what. Who is actually paying for this nonsense?  

The Reserve Bank: 8/10 

What a move! What a vote, and the Governor might be the Government's best appointment of the past three years.  

Apple: 2/10 

How is it in 2026 we are still putting phones into the market, charging thousands, and they break upon opening?  

Christchurch stadium: 1/10 

It's the Apple question – why in 2026 are we still building stuff that doesn’t work the way it should?  

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So, the winner in week... what is it, five or six? 

The winner in week five of the election campaign was the polls. Not the pollsters. The polls. 

They were far from winners. The spread, the margin of error in some, is now so absurd they're writing articles about it. 

Ironically, I listened to an interview on Radio NZ as they tried to explain it. Small clue: they couldn't. They couldn't explain why their polls didn't bear any real resemblance to any of the other polls. 

There was a debate a number of years ago that polls should be banned a few weeks out from a vote. Given the variance in methodology these days, I reckon that's probably not a bad idea. 

But the polls I mean are the polling booths. 

I have voted. I voted on day one. And, as it turns out, a lot of people did. And that is a good sign. 

In part, it's a sign that a lot of us knew what we were voting for and had done for a while. In essence, the campaign makes zero difference. 

And the irony of course, is that once you can vote, and you do, the campaign is chasing ever-diminishing returns. 

And that is sort of what it feels like. This is a small-policy election. With the exception of the Greens, of course. But it's a rats-and-mice election. 

Labour have contained themselves, so they don't look radical. ACT are the personification of contained. NZ First do a bit of Māorification stuff and talk about trains. 

But given the state of the books, no one in their right mind has gone out with a cheque book and gone to town, for very obvious reasons. 

Except the Greens, of course, who will see none of their big-ticket policies ever see the light of day. 

Oh, and we aren't buying the BNZ. 

The most controversial policy, if feedback is anything to go by, has been Labour's rent-to-buy scheme. The state gives you money in your state house, then takes taxpayers' money and puts it aside and one day calls it a deposit so you can buy it. 

Meanwhile, someone in the same circumstances doesn't get a house, or a deposit, or anything. 

Cool policy. 

You didn't like it. 

So, good week for most. No one blew it. The gang fiasco faded. 

And I'm still picking Opportunity not to make it. 

One week to go. 

Thank the good Lord. 

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The short week has come to a close, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to help Mike Hosking Wrap the Week that Was. 

They unpack how the election campaign has gone with just one more week until the big day and discuss the new programme the Ministry of Education is rolling out for gifted kids before Mike starts telling slanderous lies about his producer. 

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Supercross is back in New Zealand for the first time since 2019. 

Auckland's North Harbour Stadium is hosting the second round of the AUSX Australian Championship this weekend, with 5,500 tonnes of dirt used to build the track. 

After winning both the American Supercross and Motocross 250 titles this year, Kiwi motocross star Cole Davies is competing in this weekend's event. 

He told Mike Hosking he's stoked his hard work has paid off this year. 

Davies says he's achieving the goals and dreams he's had since he was a little kid. 

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There are hopes a new approach to gifted education will help students reach their full potential. 

The Ministry of Education's rolling out a new national programme from January, aiming to better support their curriculum and social-emotional needs. 

A review of past support found approaches were inconsistent across the country. 

Gifted Education Researcher at Massey University, Professor Tracy Riley told Mike Hosking they're not yet sure what the ministry is planning on doing under the programme, but generally they try to enrich the curriculum and match it to where the kids are at. 

She says a lot of gifted kids spend a lot of time waiting – waiting for others to catch up, waiting for the next thing to happen. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 30th of October, Sir John Key gives his thoughts on the second to last week of the election campaign. 

Kiwi motocross champ Cole Davies is excited to compete competitively in NZ for the first time since 2019. 

And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the campaign and gifted kids as they Wrap the Week, before Mike starts telling slanderous lies about his producer! 

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

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Some solid earnings growth for Freightways, despite pressure from high fuel prices. 

The transport and logistics company's first-quarter revenue for the 2027 financial year rose 17.6% to $408.3 million, with net profit up 12% to $26 million.  

E-commerce volumes jumped 24%, while retail volumes fell 1% and health volumes dropped 3%. 

CEO Mark Troughear told Mike Hosking it reflects signs of growth in New Zealand's economy, and for the first time, we seem to be ahead of Australia. 

He says Australia has performed and performed for a very long time, but they're starting to see a bit of pessimism over there and a bit less spending. 

Troughear says New Zealand's in a pretty good place as long as we can get through the fuel piece. 

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