StraightTalk – 20 July 2026

In this episode of StraightTalk, Simon hosts along with panellists Rodney Hide, Dr Ate Moala, Nathan Seiuli, and Suzy Miller.They discuss how Jacinda Ardern can continue to travel the world talking compassion and value driven leadership after all that happened in New Zealand.The panel also compares the varying media coverage of new ACT and New Zealand First candidates, Paul Henry vs. Michael Laws. The discussion then goes wider as to why so many former, particularly Labour and National MPs, are joining New Zealand First and also TOP.The panel then turns it’s attention to a US-led conference on far-left violence that New Zealand is attending, asking is such a conference necessary?To round out the show, the panel ends with a discussion on the new names of the Cook Strait ferries – Kupe and Cook.