The Mike Hosking Breakfast

We're still losing people to Australia, but not as badly as we were.
Stats out yesterday tell the story.
If I could pick a country right now, I would go with New Zealand and by some margin. I haven't always said that.
Of course, most people go because they are going to go. If you want reasons to stay or go, and justify it to yourself, you can always find them.
The same way, overall, the number of people moving to or from Australia will always be in their favour because they're a bigger country. They have more options. That's not about quality, it's about size.
At the margins though, the point is it's slowing because the tide has turned. If you accept most western nations are right now in a quagmire of sorts, we, little old New Zealand, are doing quite well thank you.
We are safe and isolated, we are robust and resilient, we are increasingly in favour by expats looking to return.
As part of the overall migration numbers released yesterday, we still don’t have enough people. Our net gain is meagre, bordering on worrying.
As too many countries, including Australia, scrap over migration numbers and being flooded with new arrivals we, in a way, have the opposite problem.
A country needs to grow to offset the lack of births. A lot of countries, including ours, face the same issue.
The trick is getting the right people and the right numbers. We seem to have settled on a pretty solid skills formula for visas, but the numbers are not where they need to be. Our net gain at the moment is 20,000, at the peak it was 130,000. If 130,000 was too much, 20,000 ain't enough.
Employers still can't get talent, and the unemployment rate and talent are two different things.
But this country is growing: 2.6 %. Look up the IMF forecasts out this week and see who else is growing at that rate or more – there aren't many and those who are, are either massive, i.e. India, or chip related, i.e. Taiwan. Australia certainly isn't.
When you line up inflation, work, tax, debt, angst, immigration, and housing, Australia is not a patch on us. The cycle has turned, the numbers have turned, we are right where we want to be: on the up.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Johnson is headed back to New Zealand after the release of his new album, ready to take his music around the country.
With 'Some Night, Somewhere' now out in the world, he's celebrating his 60th birthday in style with a career spanning tour that takes him right up the country.
Johnson's tour takes him to a unique series of venues, ranging from intimate music venues like Nelson's Room Twenty5 to places like the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland.
"It's one of those rare moments left in life now where people can actually sit and enjoy an experience together," Johnson told Mike Hosking.
"So it's a range, you know, big, bigger theatres for the bigger cities. I'm not a huge theatre fan as much as I am clubs, but you can't always do clubs."
"It's an experience."
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 15th of October, we've put all the "best bits" of the leader's debate into a package for you, plus we have good news re: police recruitment.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins discusses the debate, how his candidates are going in the Māori electorates, and the Greens and Te Pāti Māori's meeting with the Mongrel Mob.
Kiwi musician Greg Johnson sings us a song ahead of his NZ tour.
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.

Former Kiwis captain Richie Barnett has rolled out the red carpet for the 17th edition of rugby league's World Cup starting tonight in Sydney.
The 10-team men's tournament begins with defending champions Australia hosting New Zealand in Group A.
Barnett told Mike Hosking the emergence of Samoa and Tonga as genuine contenders has been a coup for the international game.
He says based on what they're seeing on paper, those two teams are incredible, as are the Kiwis, so he's very optimistic.
He says it's going to be the best and most competitive World Cup he's ever seen.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says the legal test wasn't passed for safeguards for the aluminium sector amidst a flood of cheaper imports from China.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer declined a request for the measures to protect them.
The sector says thousands of jobs are at risk, warning local production has slowed down 40%.
Brewer told Mike Hosking there's been MBIE investigators looking into this.
He says they spent 85 days pulling this report together, but found it didn't meet the threshold for him to sign it off.
The Minister also says it's not imported products alone causing the heartache.
Brewer told Hosking there's a range of factors including lower construction activity, rising production costs, and waning business and consumer confidence.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.