The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Auckland Airport is forecasting a flat year ahead following its annual meeting. 

It maintained its underlying earnings forecast of between $290 million and $330 million for the 2027 financial year. 

It's despite positive signs for international travel, including a 35% boost in Argentinian visitors thanks to a new China-South America flight route. 

CEO Carrie Hurihanganui told Mike Hosking the positive growth in the international space is offset by the continued demand challenges in the domestic environment.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Formula 1 journalist believes it would take a perfect storm for Kimi Antonelli to secure his first Championship win. 

The 20 year old Mercedes racer holds a 102 point lead over teammate George Russell heading into this weekend's US Grand Prix in Austin. 

If he successful, he'd become the sport's youngest World Champion. 

Chris Medland told Mike Hosking even if Antonelli does win the race, he'd need Russell to finish no higher than ninth, and Lewis Hamilton to finish no higher than fifth to secure the title. 

He says the racer needs a lot of things to go his way, so it's more likely to happen next weekend in Mexico, or the week after in Brazil.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 23rd of October, ACT wants a charter school in every major town and Airbnb is changing some of its rules. 

Nicola Willis discusses the inflation number and how it might affect an election campaign. 

And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the election, long weekends, and what makes a business successful as they Wrap the Week that Was. 

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

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT wants charter schools in every major town. 

The Party's pledging if elected to lift enrolments to 10,000 by 2029 and increase conversions from state schools. 

The current 20 schools have about 2000 students. 

Leader David Seymour told Mike Hosking when it comes to demand for the schools, they've been overwhelmed. 

He says that each time they do a round, there will be 60 or 70 applicants who have prepared submissions, have their community on board, have novel ideas, and have people ready to go. 

"This is an idea whose time has come." 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airbnb guests may soon be spared the cleaning chores that come with some stays. 

The platform's updated its rules for hosts, saying any checkout tasks must be reasonable and shouldn't require significant time or effort. 

That includes tasks typically done by a cleaner, such as washing dishes, stripping beds or taking out rubbish. 

Airbnb Superhost Ambassador Julie Wilson told Mike Hosking it's about simplifying rules and rephrasing some tasks as requests. 

She says some listings read like War and Peace, and no one wants to end their holiday with a working bee. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National and Labour are offering quite different solutions to persistently high inflation. 

Headline inflation's eased back to 3.7%, but some economists say it could reach as high as 4.7% by the end of the year. 

Labour's Barbara Edmonds says freezing the fuel tax would address the single biggest factor – surging fuel prices.  

But National's Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking National would address the other two major factors – rates and electricity. 

She says they will push ahead with rates caps and continue consenting new energy projects. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation appears to have become more embedded in the economy. 

Latest Stats NZ figures show the annual inflation rate's eased to 3.7%, down from 4.1% three months ago. 

The quarterly inflation rate's eased to 0.7%, but domestically-driven non-tradable inflation has risen due to the annual increase in council rates. 

Business NZ Chief Economist John Pask told Mike Hosking price rises are becoming more widespread. 

He says the Reserve Bank will be concerned to see inflation is no longer just about fuel and is becoming more generalised. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We now have a poll in all seven of the Māori seats, which gives us a chance to at least make some sort of observation. 

It's more than fair to suggest these polls are even ropier than the major polls, which have been all over the place at the best of times. 

They are smaller, have greater margins of error, and involve a group that at first blush doesn’t automatically represent the demography of the area polled. It has a "whoever answered the phone" vibe about it. 

Be that as it may, they give us really the only insight into what might happen. 

And what might happen is important because you could see multiple things: 

1) The exit of a party from Parliament, 

2) An overhang that shapes the next Government, 

3) A party that once dominated the Māori landscape reduced through their own implosion to an insignificant rump. 

In seven polls we seem to have Labour well ahead in a couple, the Māori Party well ahead in a couple, and three that are too close to call. In one of the “too close to calls”, a Green candidate leads, which could be history.   

The most obvious outworking is if this doesn’t go well for the Māori Party, there may be no real overhang. For example, if they only win two seats and get about 2% of the party vote there will be no overhang, as opposed to getting 2% of the party vote and winning five seats. 

The risk Labour took was twofold: 

1) Winning seats that would make no difference to their overall result given the party vote will drive final numbers, 

2) In doing so wrecking the prospects of a fellow coalition member. 

And I suppose you could also argue: 

3) Damaging their reputation as a once proud dominator of the Māori seats. 

The same recipe applies to the Greens. If they won one then good on them, but it would make no difference in the House. So really the only net gain recipient in any of this is the Māori Party, who have put it all on the line by campaigning for the seat alone. 

If it goes badly, and winning only two out of seven would be bad, they of course have no one to blame but themselves. They imploded through hubris. 

At that point, if anyone wants to learn, the collapse of various versions of a Māori Party would then be getting to be quite the story. But maybe that’s for November 8th. 

For now, the polls show it could make all the difference on the night. Or none at all. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Praise for Liam Lawson from one of Formula 1's most charismatic characters. 

Guenther Steiner is a former Team Principal for Haas, as well as the Former Managing Director and Technical Operations Director for what became Red Bull Racing. 

"When [Lawson] came in in the beginning ... he was very good straightaway, and then obviously he was moved to the big team, but, and then I wouldn't even say he struggled," Steiner told Mike Hosking. 

"He wasn't given a chance in my opinion," 

"I think nobody deserves anything, you have to work for it, and he worked for it, and he was successful." 

"So that's why he should be there."  

Steiner is on our shores this December for his live stage show, 'No Team Orders'. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 22nd of October, we preview today's inflation rate, which will likely be either good or okay news for the Government. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins goes through the debate fact check with Mike and discusses how the Māori seats will affect their prospects. 

Former F1 team manager for Haas, Guenther Steiner is on his way to country in December and joined us to give us the lowdown of what his show will involve. 

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

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.