Kerre Woodham: Who's got it right when it comes to work ethics?

Work ethics – where do we stand on those? Is it a generational thing? Do you continue to soldier on despite Covid changing the way we see coming to work while sick? Do you still soldier on? Do you pause and take a break if you can feel a sniffle coming on because you want to A) ensure you don't infect your colleagues and B) ensure that you've got the best possible chance of getting better by staying home? Is it a generational thing or just an individual thing?

Bob Edlin: Hooton shows his editing skills on Page 2 of The Post...

Hooton shows his editing skills on Page 2 of The Post – and the words “NZ Herald” are among the excisions

PoO is wondering about the fate that might befall the Stuff website staffer who posted news of two editorial appointments at The Post. Whoever it was might have provided readers with more information than presumably was intended by newly appointed editor-in-chief Matthew Hooton.

Both The Post print version (on Page 2) and website (here) have recorded the appointments of Henry Cooke as The Post’s political editor and Amelia Wade as Auckland editor.

David Farrar: Meet the Greens – Agriculture

The second Greens policy I am looking at is Agriculture. They key aspects are:

Dr Don Brash: Your career or your opinions — New Zealand is making you choose

The following extract is written in Don's capacity as Hobson's Pledge trustee

For years, Hobson's Pledge has been raising the alarm about professional regulators being weaponised against people who simply express differing opinions.

It is not illegal, for example, to call for the Waitangi Tribunal to be wrapped up or Māori electorates to be abolished, but posting such opinions could currently get one in trouble with their profession’s regulator.

Lindsay Mitchell: Sound decision from Becroft

In August last year, on the issue of banned gang patches, I wrote:

In what appears to be a first, District court judge Lance Rowe has decided to return a patch to its convicted wearer.

He came to the decision using the concept of tikanga or kinship. The court reporter detailing this decision says it "may yet be appealed by the police."

In a sound judgement High court justice Andrew Becroft has decided that gang patches cannot be returned.

Stuff reports this morning:

Mike's Minute: We've got to be more positive

Consumer confidence is in the doldrums again.

We are a flakey old society. They’ve seen something similar in America. Take a single confidence reading and you’d believe it’s the end of the world.

But the metrics on jobs and spending defy the mood.

Friday June 19, 2026 

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Ian Bradford: What is the UK Energy Secretary Thinking? Will UK Citizens Accept these Legally Binding Climate Polices?

UK Energy Secretary Ed Milliband has signed up to a legally binding goal to cut the UK’s carbon (meaning carbon dioxide), emissions by 87% by 2040. To meet this goal, households will need to replace boilers with heat pumps, shift to electric cars and eat 25% less meat and a fifth less dairy.

The climate target, recommended by the Government advisors the Climate Change Committee (CCC), is one of the world’s most ambitious – probably the most ambitious.

Andrew Dickens: Why has National had a fiscal crack at Labour so early

We’ve come to the end of a fascinating week in politics.

But what week in politics isn’t.

It kicked off last Sunday with Nicola Willis alleging a massive hidden bill in Labour’s policies.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Another Labour health policy where the numbers don't add up

So, we’ve had yet another Labour health policy announced - and, once again, it has problems with its numbers.

This one is a revival of the free prescriptions idea. You’ll remember Labour introduced this in 2023 when it was in Government. It scrapped the $5 fee you pay when you pick up a prescription.

Pee Kay: Are we not living in the most privileged time?

I am well and truly stepping out of my“wheelhouse” with this article I found when trawling through some of the many websites I access each day.

I couldn’t help but think there are certain parallels with a section, probably a growing section, of New Zealand society that have similar thoughts to those the author is debunking. Does our youth think they are “hard done by” rather than see the advantages of our country and the modern world?

Ashley Church: Was there an ancient Palestinian nation?

Separating fact from fiction

Ask any pro-‘Palestinian’ protestor what they’re marching for (or against) and most of them wouldn’t have a clue other than that they want all Jews eliminated. But amongst the few that actually have a broader opinion they’ll tell you that they want the Palestinian homeland returned to its rightful owners (‘from the river to the sea’) based on a belief that the original Arab inhabitants come from a land that was displaced by Britain and then stolen by Israel.

That belief is powerful. But is it true?

Dr Benno Blaschke: Finance Freedom

New Zealand cannot build enough houses because councils cannot afford the pipes and roads that new suburbs need. That is the conclusion of a new report by The New Zealand Initiative.

In Finance Freedom, Research Fellow Dr Benno Blaschke explains how council finances drive the housing crisis and how to fix it.

Kerre Woodham: A fantastic blueprint for the future

I'm going to start with good news today. Now, I know we don't normally, but it is such good news I have to comment, and it's also a topic dear to all our respective talkback hearts. And that is that almost all of Parliament is backing the 30 year infrastructure plan. You'll have heard it in our news, the Coalition Government comprising National, ACT, and New Zealand First, as well as Labour and the Greens, have committed to the Infrastructure Commission's blueprint for major works in this country, and bloody well done to them, I say. To get this sort of rare across the house support, the Commission must have done an excellent job of prioritising works, justifying the order of works, outlining what needs to happen for these works to be done. Chief Executive of the Infrastructure Commission, Geoff Cooper, is absolutely delighted, as he should be.

Mike's Minute: Labour have no idea

For those of you who were super keen to hear from the Labour Party in an election year as to what they might have in mind for policy, my question to you is: now that they have started handing out the ideas, does the size of the cock-up make you wish they hadn’t?

Or can you believe the incompetence of past years hasn’t been addressed?

Bob Edlin: Bishop aims to trim outdated laws from the statute books....

Bishop aims to trim outdated laws from the statute books – but won’t this permit sales of watery stuff as “milk”?

This rates among the more bemusing headlines to attract the attention of the PoO team this week:

David Farrar: Makes the Munich agreement look strong and visionary

A (alleged) copy of the agreement between Trump and Iran has leaked, and it is hard to overstate how bad it is. Some details:

David Farrar: Heads must roll

The Post reports:

Immigration officials stand accused by their own minister of misleading her and her predecessors for seven years, engaging in creative accounting to dodge scrutiny and removing people from a $33 million IT project when they raised questions.

And ultimately, they achieved nothing. The entire project is now being written off with nothing to show for it.

Thursday June 18, 2026 

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Owen Jennings: Giovani is Unhappy

Giovani Riveri makes ‘healthy’ sandwiches and ‘coffee to die for’ in the centre of New York, right under the tallest skyscrapers. Giovani is not happy. Some of his best customers and biggest tippers have disappeared. Income is down again. Giovani knows why, too.

“It’s Mamdani. It’s his freakin’ taxes.” He nods up at the glass offices towering above his little bar. “Dey all going to Texas, man. Mamdani is driving the wealthy outa ere”.