The Mike Hosking Breakfast

It's quite possible the Prime Minister might look back on yesterday's caucus meeting as a moment that defined his leadership.
He read the riot act, they had a vote, and he won.
He was always going to win, but in making his statement afterwards he hopefully, once and for all, sent a message to the media that the sort of drama they live for is over.
He should have done this sooner of course. He is 100% right when he says most of us have no interest in the minutiae and gossip that envelops the beltway.
This is a country with a myriad of issues facing us and every moment you spend on frippery is a moment wasted on real problems.
Yes, you can blame Uffindell and Bishop and his mates for talking and leaking. But in totality when you look at what led to yesterday —five idiots and a bloke from the Hutt who sort of fancied himself— what a mountain out of a mole hill.
In a caucus of 50-ish, a handful of nobodies got a bit spooked and caused too much damage, but got aided by the media who don’t like the Government and certainly don't like Luxon so leapt into it with alacrity.
Luxon deserves a lot better. No, he is not one of this nation's greats. But mind you they said that about John Howard for many years, until they realised they were wrong.
But what Luxon is, is a hard-working, successful operator, managing a three-way deal to run a country, mired in debt, in a world at war and when we are not at war, finding any number of problems to provide no end of challenges, for a small country at the bottom of the planet.
You can't fault his ambition, and you can't fault his work ethic. If you don’t like National, fine, don’t vote for them.
But the point is he is in it, and always has been, for the right reasons and that is to be respected.
The bit that would have got me was upon arrival he tidied his party up. The leaking and backstabbing was stopped and his reward was the gormless and self-absorbed fools then went and let him down.
They should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves.
But hopefully Luxon emerges from this stronger. Every now and then you see a flash of it, like Monday post-Cabinet when he spoke with passion about immigration. Yesterday was the same but about gossip and wasting time.
He needs to be himself more. He doesn’t like the beltway and who can blame him?
Hopefully yesterday he put a line in that sand.
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Cross-lease owners are being warned a Court of Appeal ruling may curb current veto powers.
A decision made last week could make it harder for a neighbour of a cross-lease property to withhold consent to proposed alterations.
It shifts the old power balance, with 215,000 cross-leases owned nationwide.
Pidgeon Judd Law Director Joanna Pidgeon told Mike Hosking changes can't be vetoed by neighbours unless deemed reasonable.
She says parties need to reflect on what both people want and what a reasonable person would decide.
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Politicians are unimpressed with Shane Jones’ suggestion the India Free Trade Agreement would lead to a "butter chicken tsunami" of Indian migrants coming to New Zealand.
Christopher Luxon says the New Zealand First deputy leader's comments were "alarmist" and "scaremongering".
Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking the Prime Minister should go further and call the comments out as racist.
National's Mark Mitchell says Jones does have a unique way of communicating, but he should clearly choose his words more carefully.
He told Hosking Jones got this one wrong, and needs to be more careful in the future.
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Donald Trump says Iran either needs to agree to negotiate or prepare for bombing to begin again.
Iran still hasn't decided whether to take part in the next round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan and says it will only start negotiations when the US is ready to end its port blockade.
The US President has told CNBC he's prepared to relaunch military action if the talks don't proceed.
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking we rarely see war and peace negotiations play out in public this way, and it’s chaotic.
He says there are mixed messages coming from Trump and some Iranians are suggesting some of his statements are causing delays.
Trump has since extended the ceasefire deal, hours before it was due to expire, and it will remain in place until Iran submits a proposal for discussion.
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of April, the inflation rate for Q1 has held steady at 3.1%. Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses what that means going forward, and touches on the National Party leadership vote.
Gilbert Enoka has returned as the All Blacks’ mental skills coach under Dave Rennie and joined Mike to discuss his appointment.
And Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the India Free Trade Agreement, Shane Jones’ ‘butter chicken tsunami’ comment, and the National Party leadership saga on Politics Wednesday.
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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