It’s a slightly odd message from Labour over the Māori Party as they try and work out how to deal with them.

The truth is they will need them to form a government if they get their own numbers to a point of victory.

There is no way the Greens and Labour alone will come close to crossing the line first.

Small reiteration, in case you missed it a month or so back; none of this matters because the current Government will be re-elected on what I'm calling November 7th, 2026. Election day.

But for argument's sake, the Hipkins comments that they are going to campaign vigorously in Māori seats, with no concern of wiping the Māori Party out, rings awfully hollow, given I watched them campaign vigorously the other day in the Auckland Māori seat and two things happened.

1) No one turned up.

2) Those that did, voted for the Māori Party.

It was the most shockingly inept display of modern campaigning, or lack of it, seen in many a long year.

My guess is what is happening to the Māori Party will not affect the vote for the Māori Party.

Waititi and Co. are clearly liked in their seats, and there is no reason to believe they won't get back.

Further, most of the Labour candidates will be on the list anyway, so why not get two for one?

Which brings us back to this week's so-called announcement: it's a sham.

Talk tough, get a headline, and hope it flies.

The big, big issue for Labour, apart from the fact they are still poisoned by their last stab at power, is the fact their so-called partners are nuts and most of us know it.

Vote for Labour all you want if you can stomach the incompetence. But having done that, stand by for the circus that comes with the Greens and the Māori Party. It's calamitous, with a capital 'C'.

At some point Hipkins will have to face the fact we need some detail. Who's in, who's out, what are the bottom lines? That's where the real rubber hits the road for a voter.

This week's hot air exercise is seen for what it is.

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At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.

NZ Inc: 7/10

A pretty good week. This Wednesday Auckland hotels will be at 100% and yesterday the visitor arrivals showed yet another upward movement. Slowly but surely, there is more and more that is positive to embrace.

Winston: 6/10

"We" and asset sales. You see how he operates one year out? The stirring has begun.

The politics of firearms: 4/10

What you thought was coming and what actually arrived had a price and Nicole McKee had to swallow at least a small-ish rat.

Kim: 7/10

As in Kardashian and SKIMS. One of the biggest capital raises for apparel this year and a market cap now of $5 billion. Laugh all you want at that family, but it's an industry.

The BBC: 1/10

Game, set and match on the argument over balance and impartiality.

LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW

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Once again we find ourselves in the midst of an excellent economic week.

It's excellent, if you wish to see it that way.

100% of hotels will be full this coming Wednesday in Auckland. Broadly speaking, you can't get a room.

Auckland hasn’t been full in years.

Along with the broad-based cruise season and the warmer summer travel period, we have a large conference and a major concert.

This can only get better when the convention centre is open and Eden Park can actually open its gates under proper first-world rules.

So, a record for hotel rooms.

A record also for first home buyers – never have there been more young people getting into their first home. This is the real celebration.

Despite many people's best efforts to steer money elsewhere, nothing beats real estate. It’s a multi-generational obsession in this country and nothing will ever shift it.

The owner of a home. A place to call home. The ability to adjust and mould it to your life and aspirations is not to be underestimated and people will bleed for the pleasure.

Money is cheap-ish. Money is readily available and people are buying. Good on them.

What drives all this is a few simple economic truths – if you get the basics right you can't lose.

This country must be a destination. It must be open, and it must be welcoming, hence the importance of sorting our downtown's out with the homeless and trouble.

The fundamentals must also be right. If you get inflation under control, you earn your way instead of forever borrowing and you set the economic table for the country to be able to spend and take risk and believe that they have a chance and a future.

There is still plenty to do. Jobs needs to come right, but the ads are up.

The media could play their part and drop the misery obsession. News can be neutral and positive, as well as negative.

And the funk brigade could try, just try, to accept that actually there is a decent shaft of light at the end of that tunnel.

Business confidence in the SME sector also had a good week.

Oh, and the All Blacks won and will win again this weekend, if that stuff moves your needle.

In simple terms, this country is going places.

I'm bullish on 2026. This week has been a good building block.

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