Latest news with #Hosking
The Advertiser
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Novocastrian dreaming of shot at NRL glory he missed out on at Penrith
Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win." Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final. The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night. It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double. After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final. But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final. "Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider. "It really hurt that year. "I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully." The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games. With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990. If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth. No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995. "It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights. "We're a different side to what we were last year. "Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win. "Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job. "Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference." A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane. He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital. Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall. This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries. "I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said. "After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week." Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player. "I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]." Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender. When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this. "We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time. "We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
Herald Sun
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Victoria's worst roads: Potholes are killing country drivers, warning
Victorian lives are being put at risk because of crumbling roads that are littered with potholes. It comes as it's revealed people in rural and regional areas are twice as likely to die in crashes on the state's roads. Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said roads in rural areas crumbled over time because of droughts and floods, and needed to be regularly maintained for the safety of the country families who travelled them. An alarming 15,000 potholes were reported on Victorian roads last year — averaging more than 120 per day — as new road craters continue to emerge. The dangerous roads were now making regional Victorians scared to drive, Mr Hosking said. 'From surface issues to shoulder drop-offs and potholes, they are making the road conditions dangerous. We are seeing the deaths already, and no doubt it's going to get worse, and it really needs to be fixed,' he said. While it was dismissed as a major factor by authorities, Mr Hosking said he firmly believed bad surfaces were contributing to an uptick in deaths on rural Victorian roads. His warning comes after a rise in reported road accidents and vehicle damage due to potholes and people complaining of tarmac on major high-speed roads being riddled with defects. The latest road death statistics show 82 people have died on rural roads for the year to date, compared to 55 in metro areas. This is 15 more deaths than the same period the previous year. In March, the state coroner ruled that poor road conditions and wet weather led to the death of an elderly Belmont man on a notorious stretch of a Geelong highway. Frank Baker, 77, died when a truck travelling on the Bellarine Highway in Wallington lost control, crossed the median strip, and slammed into his silver van on 3 May 2023. The coroner raised road safety as a major concern, stating: 'In the interest of public safety, to prevent further death and injuries, I recommend that the Secretary Department of Transport and Planning immediately prioritise the resurfacing of the westbound lanes of Bellarine Highway in Wallington (between Curlewis Road and Fenwick Street), Victoria'. The Department of Transport confirmed to the Herald Sun that works had been fast-tracked and were finally completed last month — almost two years after the deadly accident. Just last week, a Lindenow farming family narrowly escaped a near-tragedy after the road they were travelling on crumbled beneath their vehicle. Learner driver Layla Bartlett, 16, was behind the wheel with her mother Terese in the passenger seat on Buchan Rd in East Gippsland on June 2 when 'the bitumen crumbled underneath our tyre,' Terese said. The car was flung into the path of oncoming traffic which included a cattle truck and rolled several times leaving it a wreck. Luckily the family walked away with minor injuries. RACV Head of Policy, James Williams, has warned that maintenance of roads has been falling short 'for the last three years'. 'If they want to keep patching potholes, by all means keep patching that is fine in the short-term, but in the longer term they need to get back on top of their road maintenance or you've just got more work and more cost coming,' he said. The biggest hotspot for potholes according to Snap Send Solve app data is the Mornington Peninsula, which topped the list with 1,720 reports lodged. This was followed by Gippsland, which had 1,563 reports. Despite reports of worsening road conditions, police and the Victorian Transport Accident Commission still report that speed, drugs and alcohol, as well as fatigue, are the biggest risk factors. 'There is no data or evidence to suggest that road conditions are a major factor contributing to trauma on our roads,' commission chief Tracey Slatter told the Herald Sun. 'Speeding, fatigue, distractions, not wearing seat belts and impairment continue to be major contributing factors to regional road trauma. 'We can all play our part in helping prevent road trauma every time we get behind the wheel – slow down, obey road rules and signs, don't drink or drug drive, wear a seatbelt, and avoid distractions and driving tired.' Join the Herald Sun's Fix Victorian Roads movement by using the hashtag #FixVicRoads on social media.
7NEWS
29-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
AFLW veteran Jess Hosking puts career on hold for personal reasons: ‘Difficult decision'
AFLW veteran Jess Hosking has stepped away from the game, two weeks after it emerged she did not return for pre-season training because of a personal issue. West Coast confirmed the development on Thursday night, two and a half months before the season opener, and asked for privacy. 'I would like to thank the West Coast Eagles for providing me with the opportunity to continue my AFLW career last season,' Hosking said. 'While this has been a difficult decision it is the right time for me to take a break from football for personal reasons. 'I wish Daisy (Pearce, senior coach) and the girls the best of luck for the season ahead.' Hosking moved to the Eagles ahead of the 2024 campaign after spending time at Carlton and Richmond, and was locked into a new contract for 2025. But her time at West Coast is now over and her future in football is uncertain. 'The club accepts Jess's decision to take time away from the game,' women's football boss Michelle Cowan said. 'We acknowledge Jess's significant contribution and wish her all the best with her future endeavours.' West Coast had reportedly been 'working through the details' of the off-field issue that kept her away from the start of pre-season training earlier this month. Hosking made headlines in 2022 when she wore X-rated shoulder strapping for a final against North Melbourne. The 'Kill B******' comment on her right shoulder drew the ire of the AFL and she received a 'please explain' from the league, but escaped punishment for the 'offensive language'. Not long after that, she was again in trouble after driving a jet-ski drunk while on a holiday with teammates. She blew an alcohol reading of 0.137 and told police at the time that she had consumed 'a few UDL cans'. About a year later she was delisted by Richmond and then picked up West Coast for the 2024 season. The 29-year-old received a one-year contract extension from West Coast after an impressive season in the west, but it is now unclear if she will play again. Hosking is the twin sister of Sarah, who also plays at Richmond, and together they share a high profile in the AFLW world. After the strapping saga, the AFL said Hosking was 'extremely remorseful and deeply disappointed in her actions'. The AFL accepted a letter of apology from her and issued her with an official warning regarding the offensive language.
NZ Herald
22-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Mike Hosking, Newstalk ZB rule the airwaves as radio industry celebrates weekly jump in listeners
After ZB, MediaWorks music stations fill out the top five - The Breeze, The Rock, More FM, Magic. 'We are so proud to once again have the two biggest breakfast shows in the country with Hosking on ZB and Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley on ZM,' said NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley. 'Newstalk ZB has been the country's number one commercial radio station for 17 years – a phenomenal achievement.' The radio industry is celebrating an overall increase in listenership. Total weekly reach increased 2% to 3.5 million listeners. 'What a cracking way to start the year,' said The Radio Bureau chief executive Alistair Jamison. 'The first survey of 2025 shows growth in weekly listeners, growth in daily listeners, growth in time spent listening and growth in average audience. More people listening, more often and for longer has to be great for advertisers.' NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said: 'What we're witnessing in audio audience growth across many global markets is mirrored here in New Zealand. 'When great content reaches listeners on their terms, across any device they choose, it creates a powerful connection which is compelling for advertisers. 'These results are a testament to audio's enduring and evolving relevance in people's lives.' MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer said: 'Three-quarters of NZ continue to listen to commercial radio each week and this is in-part due to the continued growth in accessibility of our content. Device-based listening has grown 7.7% since last year, with over 900,000 Kiwis listening on a device each week.'
The Spinoff
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
From tikanga to ‘protocol': Luxon's war on the Māorification of Aotearoa
The prime minister insists his government is clamping down on the spread of Māori language and culture in the public sector. But beneath the tough talk, what's really changing – and who is he trying to win over? Our government is halting the Māorification of Aotearoa. This isn't an opinion, but rather a proud declaration made by Christopher Luxon in his usual Monday morning interview with Newstalk ZB broadcaster Mike Hosking earlier this week. 'How do senior bureaucrats not understand that they're working for a government that have spoken very clearly on the Māorification of this county?' asked Hosking. 'Where we see it, we call it out,' Luxon gloated in response. The duo were talking about a job advertised in March by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat), searching for a tikanga lead. At around the same time, the minister of foreign affairs and trade (Winston Peters) was trumpeting his party's bill to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion targets from the public sector – with the backing of Luxon. The tikanga lead role quickly became the example, sort of. The fix for Peters' concerns was seemingly simple – replace any mention of 'tikanga' with 'protocol'. 'The minister's opposition to the politically loaded and inaccurate use of the term 'tikanga' is well known. However, protocol has always been important,' a New Zealand First party spokesperson said following the change in terminology. Following the furore, several requests were made under the Official Information Act in an attempt to unveil what was happening within the ministry during the kerfuffle. Evidently, it appeared top officials within Mfat were caught off guard by Peters' criticism of the role. Understandably, the likes of Hosking were dumbfounded as to how the country's top bureaucrats could have missed the agenda clearly set out by this government. Nevertheless, Luxon is quick to point out that his government is laser-focused on stopping the 'Māorification' of the country. His most recent example? The removal of traffic control stop-go signs in te reo Māori in Te Matau a Māui. 'We need the stop-go signs to be very unambiguous,' Luxon said. Hosking went on to say that the production of Māori road signs is 'taking the piss', drawing a chuckle from Luxon as he reiterated his coalition government's intent on 'running things differently'. 'We want everybody in the public service focused on delivery, focused on results, and not lots of resources tied up in things that isn't core business,' Luxon said. 'Where it comes out and they get it wrong, we're very quick to clamp down on it.' This is strong, authoritative language from Luxon. It shows a switch in his political demeanour from a centrist to a more explicitly right wing politician, at least on this issue. The shift towards 'a tough guy approach', as Willie Jackson called it during the Labour caucus run on Tuesday morning, appears to be an attempt to pull voters from its more right wing coalition partners, draining them of their overall influence on the make up of government. It's the dog trying to take back control of its tail – but this approach also has its risks. The thing with the authoritative approach from Luxon is that you must walk your talk if you want to appear authentic in your belief – lest those you are trying to win over see through the charade. With the case of the Mfat job, it appears that all that was changed was the use of the word 'tikanga' in the job title. Everything else stayed the same and presumably, someone was still hired for the role and is currently employed at the ministry, providing expert advice and support to ensure Māori cultural 'protocols' are understood, upheld, and appropriately applied across the ministry's work and foreign policy priorities. So what was really achieved and is it enough to convince the voters you are trying to win over? Similarly, te reo Māori road signs aren't really an important issue to everyday New Zealanders. Most people would understand that green means go and red means stop. 'This isn't about rules – it's about racism,' said Ngāti Kahungungu chair Bayden Barber. The language being used on a road sign is likely not something that shifts a swing voter. But seeing your prime minister getting giddy about Fonterra's ambient cream being sold in Korea, yet livid about the inclusion of te reo Māori in roadworks signage? That might be a deterrent for someone sitting in the middle. The more you take the hard line approach, the more you risk alienating the always-important centre bloc voters who may feel uncomfortable with such an attitude on diversity, equity, inclusion and race relations. Luxon risks sending National further to the right and competing for a share of the same culture war voter base that New Zealand First and Act already tussle over while leaving voters abandoned in the middle. I won't venture into how te reo Māori is an official language of this country, or how the likes of Wales and Ireland have effortlessly adopted dual-language signage across their roading networks, aiding the revitalisation of their indigenous languages. However, what's clear from all of this is that if it isn't a part of the government's 'core business' of turning a profit, then it's not a priority. The issue around the use of te reo Māori is like the latest haka debacle – Māori culture is great, but only on certain terms and when it suits the wider agenda. We love to parade the culture overseas as being our point of difference, our unique selling-point. Why? Because it helps turn a profit. That is the government's core business. But when it comes to the normalisation of te ao Māori in its rightful home, we are quick to condemn. Not right. Not core business. Not helping us make money. The window dressing and pandering to casual racists will only get National so far. With a turn right coming at a time of already fragile race relations in Aotearoa, the coalition government appears to be throwing caution to the wind. Luxon will be keeping an eye on how his latest gamble plays out with voters. If it goes well, we may be in for a fight for the right in 2026, with Labour left alone in the centre.
