The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I was a bit deflated a couple of Fridays ago when the news of the passing of Bill Birch came through.
His life contribution and story barely got a mention.
But I felt better this last Friday when at least his funeral got much better coverage.
I haven't really been able to work out whether today's treatment of the passing of some of our more influential figures has changed because of a lack of resource in the media, or because those left in the media lack an institutional knowledge and therefore most people didn’t have a clue who Birch was?
That last bit is a particularly weak aspect of modern journalism. The "I wasn’t born when that happened” excuse has become some sort of acceptable reason for knowing nothing that didn’t pop up on your Facebook feed.
It remains as important as it ever has to recognise contribution.Sam Neill got his fair share the other day.
But Bill Birch left this country with a real legacy, the largest bit of which is the Clyde Dam.
Clyde Dam was part of 'think big', which ultimately was a futile exercise given we couldn’t. Not properly.
But the irony was not lost on me that in the days of saving Golden Bay Cement and using bits of Marsden Point we seem to have arrived at a new view on self reliance, which was what 'think big' was also about.
Birch might have been if not “the” most impactful MP never to be in the top job, certainly in the top handful.
Decades in Parliament, at very senior level, making decisions that can still be seen and felt to this day.
There is value in understanding how this country was run and who ran it. Just because you weren't around, doesn’t make it less so.
In fact Birch came to Parliament when I was about six or seven-years-old. But given his length of tenure I ended up dealing with him numerous times over the years.
Not being unkind - he wasn’t what you'd call a "hot talent" on air. But the influence and string pulling behind the scenes meant he needed to be talked to regularly.
He perhaps also represented an increasingly rare breed in the workaholic. Forget the politics; you could never fault his dedication to the task.
He was exactly the sort of person you wanted in the nation's Parliament. He was there for the right reasons and determined not to die wondering.
Thankfully he got at least someway towards what he deserved by way of our respect on Friday.
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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 27th of July, Nicola Willis speaks on the new policy to extend paid parental leave.
The Prime Minister speaks on monthly inflation reporting, the new tariff levied on us and the Golden Bay Cement decision.
Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk Hamish Kerr pulling out of the Comm Games, the Warriors bad loss, F1 and the All Blacks naming.
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Andrew Saville and Jason Pine join Mike Hosking to review the weekend's sport.
On the table today: Olympic champion Hamish Kerr has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games.
Basketball legend Lebron James has said he wants to play for the 76ers, while living in New York.
And Tottenham have beaten Auckland FC 2-0 at Eden Park.
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An infrastructure advocate says the introduction of new AI data centres requires careful consideration.
The Green Party wants a one-year pause on new centres, while rules for the industry are developed.
It says the already consented facility in Southland is expected to use about 6% of the country's total electricity supply.
Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking that the benefit to New Zealanders must have weight in any new consents.
He says the door to data centres should be open - but with adequate checks and balances.
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The Prime Minister has responded to the US hitting New Zealand with 12.5% tariffs.
Despite the tariffs already facing scrutiny from US courts, Kiwi exporters are preparing to bare the brunt of the raised tariff.
Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that, "it's purely a play to find another avenue to open up the 12.5% tariffs when the Supreme Court came back with a negative ruling"
Donald Trump used accusations of 'forced labour' to justify the tariffs, which Chris Luxon strongly denies.
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