As we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in 2020, it's a good time to catch up on the very best of the Herald columnists we enjoyed reading over the last 12 months. From politics
![Mike Hosking](https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/nzme/4a028f84-3c2f-4da9-bc81-775e39fe74de.png)
Mike Hosking
Mike Hosking. Photo / NZME
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's fairy dust is starting to wear off
Could Jacinda Ardern - described as a "part time prime minister" - finally be losing her sheen? In August, Hosking sure hoped so. While she was admired internationally for her response following the Christchurch terror attack, he felt there still issues at home she had yet to address.
Banning single use plastic bags is a nonsense
Shopping bags were a hot topic midway through the year, as the Government announced a ban on single use plastic bags. Hosking described this as the "ideal contender for faux action of the decade" - bringing up the bootloads of reusable bags he had accumulated
due to forgetfulness.
The Shchetkova family is the proof our immigration system is a farce
In January, the Ukranian owners of a St Heliers restaurant were denied residency as their business did not add significant benefit to New Zealand, according to Immigration. Hosking compared their case to that of convicted Czech drug smuggler Karel Sroubek, who does have residency. "Do you think we got that one right?" he asks.