Mike Hosking reminded of 'editorial obligations' after MP's complaint

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Newstalk ZB has apologised to a National MP accused on live radio of leaking to the media against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Radio host Mike Hosking named Joseph Mooney, along with four other National MPs, during a broadcast on his breakfast show as being “the leakers in the National Party”. It came amid pressure on Luxon, with reports he could face a leadership challenge. The prime minister subsequently called a vote of confidence on his own leadership, which he won.

In the April broadcast, Hosking said: “First of all, I am not a journalist. Second of all, I don’t have sources. Somebody told me this and I know that they know … they didn’t say off the record. I said, ‘who are they?’ and they went ‘bing, bing, bing, bing and bing.’”

Hosking named the MPs as Tim van de Molen, Sam Uffindell, Barbara Kuriger, Andrew Bayly and Mooney.

“I don’t know how widely these names are known because I don’t care and I haven’t inquired but I have impeccable sources,” Hosking said.

All five denied the allegations, with Uffindell describing the comments as “completely false” and Mooney saying they were “a complete load of nonsense”.

Mooney then lodged a complaint with Newstalk ZB.

In a post on social media on Tuesday evening, Mooney shared the response from ZB.

“Having reviewed your matter, we acknowledge that the allegation that you were one of the five National Party ‘leakers’ should have been put to you for comment prior to the broadcast,” the response read.

“Accordingly, Newstalk ZB has upheld your complaint internally. We have also spoken to the team and reminded them of their editorial obligations.”

Bayly, another of the MPs accused of leaking, also said he had asked NZME for a retraction and a formal apology regarding the remarks. Bayly has been asked by The Post if he received a response.

“I utterly refute claims in the media that I was the source of a leak to media regarding the Prime Minister’s leadership,” Bayly wrote on social media at the time.

“I was not contacted prior to [the] Mike Hosking Breakfast Show and was given no opportunity to respond, deny, or provide context before my name was put to air.”

Mooney said he hoped the apology would lead to “more robust adherence to good fundamental journalistic standards going forward” but did not intend to take his complaint any further.

While the coalition government has announced plans to disestablish the Broadcasting Standards Authority, that would be the next place Mooney’s complaint could be taken.

A spokesperson for NZME, owners of Newstalk ZB, said the company’s response to Mooney spoke for itself. “We don’t have anything to add.”