UpdatedCatherine HuttonOpen Justice reporter - Wellington·NZ Herald·30 Jun, 2026 03:00 AM5 mins to read‌The Post editor in chief Matthew Hooton, left, and former National Party leader Don Brash, right. Photos / Brett Phibbs, Richard RobinsonMatthew Hooton acknowledges he went too far by personalising his comments and proposing that Don Brash was dishonest during a 2024 podcast. Hooton’s lawyer Brian Dickey KC conceded this, but says his client’s subsequent apology was enough, particularly as he’s apologised “almost exactly for what he’s being sued for”.