Good morning, New Zealand. 

Let's start the show this morning by asking you a simple question: how fragile is our economy right now, really?  

Because just when it feels like we might finally be seeing those green shoots growing, a bit of momentum, a bit of optimism creeping back into the country — along comes another debate that feels like it could shut things down yet again. 

Yes, petrol prices are climbing, pushed higher by the conflict involving Iran, and there are already calls for people — particularly public servants — to start working from home again to save fuel.  

The Public Service Association says the Government should actively encourage working from home if people can, urging it would reduce fuel use and save workers money. 

But the Government, so far, is pushing back. 

Public Service Minister Judith Collins says working from home is not an entitlement, and that agencies should manage arrangements in a way that supports a high-performing public service. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she’s not about to start telling New Zealanders how to live their lives — whether that means working from home or driving slower to save fuel.  

And Acting Prime Minister David Seymour says the Government wants to see how the private sector reacts first, because businesses out there are managing their own money. 

And honestly — I think that’s the right instinct. 

Because here’s the bigger issue for me. 

We are only just starting to feel like the country might be turning a corner.  

Businesses are cautiously optimistic.  

Hospitality is starting to breathe again.  

Retailers are seeing people come back through the door.  

The economy finally feels like it might be finding its feet. And the last thing we need right now is another policy that slows productivity down. 

We cannot control a war on the other side of the world. We can’t control global oil prices. But we can control how we respond here in New Zealand. 

And if the first response is telling everyone to stay home again, to drive less, to shut down the normal rhythm of work and business — what does that do to the economy?  Can everyone remember covid lockdowns again?

What does that do to spending? What does that do to the next twelve months of growth in this country? 

Working from home as a national response should be an absolute last resort, not the first suggestion that gets thrown around. 

Because when people stay home, fewer coffees get bought. Fewer lunches get eaten in town. Fewer people go into the shops. Fewer businesses see customers walking through their doors. 

The better approach — surely — is to focus on fuel security. Get alternative supply lines. Strengthen our reserves. Make sure the country keeps moving rather than slowing down or stopping. 

Because right now, New Zealand doesn’t need another disruption. 

What we need is confidence, productivity, and momentum, which we have got. 

And whatever decisions are made in Wellington over the coming weeks, they should have one simple goal in mind: keep the country moving forward, not backwards. 

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