On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Friday 19th of December, we cover off the better-than-expected Q3 GDP number, which is signalling some hope for next year.

Jennie Wyllie has resigned as the CEO of Netball NZ, but does it need to go further than that?

And for the final time for the year Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson joined Heather to Wrap the Week and discuss their Christmas plans.

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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It’s that time of the year where we pick our politician of the year.

For me, it's the same person as last year.

Political commentators, myself included at times, have an unfortunate tendency to sometimes choose politicians because they’re good at playing the political game.

And if you’re into that, you might pick Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for collecting her Time magazine award.

Or Chris Hipkins for resurrecting his party’s fortunes from a horror 2023 election result.

Or Labour’s Arena Williams for giving good speeches, or Shane Jones for getting attention.

But at a time when we all acknowledge our country is in a bit of a polycrisis, slipping further behind the pack, I think the most important measure is not whether a politician is good at politics, it's whether a politician is making a difference.

And no other politician is making as big a difference as quickly, in an area as important, as Erica Stanford.

Already kids are learning more than they have been for years. The results from her phonics changes a couple of months ago were so dramatic a staff member in her office burst into tears.

She’s doing this despite increased resistance from teachers' unions.

Parents are raving and teachers themselves are noticing the difference.

Nothing is more important than our kids and educating them properly.

And on the politics, she can play politics as well as anyone. You watch closely as her opponents learn that lesson.

Just ask Willow-Jean Prime.

So, Erica Stanford it is.

Because nothing beats having a good idea, being brave enough to execute it and helping to turn this country around.

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For the final time this year, Heather du Plessis-Allan was joined by Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson to Wrap the Week that Was.

They discussed the Vanity Fair photoshoot of the Trump Administration, festive clothing, and their plans for the Christmas holidays.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.