The Mike Hosking Breakfast
Mike's Minute: We are becoming, again, the magnet that we should be
21 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What recent trends are encouraging New Zealand's attractiveness?
The most uplifting part of the weekend, apart from the Warriors of course, was the stuff story quoting the head of an Australian investment firm confirming what is clearly already underway. Either New Zealanders are now returning to New Zealand or Australians seeing our country as a better option than theirs.
What's particularly uplifting, according to this bloke who's called Ed Carlson, he runs Truebridge Capital, the people coming here are bright and they are go-getters. It cannot be overstated. It is. It is. if they want to look and learn, a salutary lesson for the New Zealand Labour Party. Taxing success is a direct pathway to political ruin. It's an age-old lesson.
Capital and brainpower moves where it's best treated.
Chapter 2: How does Australia's recent budget impact its citizens' decisions?
And the reason it does is because it can. Most of us don't mind paying our fair share, of course, but all of us have a subliminal line. where when the unfairness encroaches, we do something about it. Some might adjust their tax position, some move countries. And do not underestimate the narrative behind all of this.
Chapter 3: How are New Zealand's economic prospects changing post-COVID?
I mean, how uplifting is it to contemplate the idea that we are actually starting to outperform Australia in terms of attractiveness?
Can I also be a little bit blunt and suggest that no small number of Kiwis that left for Australia in that mad post-COVID flight out might well have been at the less useful end of the spectrum and may well be languishing these days in places like Queensland, wondering why the large S of the state isn't quite what they thought it might be.
If they come from Australia and they bring money and ideas and entrepreneurialism, we are off to the races. A country that is a magnet is a country going places. Last week's GDP showed us the tide has turned.
Chapter 4: What lessons can New Zealand learn from Australia's tax policies?
This current war period, of course, is going to hurt. But for the rest of the year, I think we're good to go. And clearly, according to Ed, I'm not the only one who sees it.