October 30th, 2009
The NZ economy is regaining momentum, but only slowly, and there are still fears it could go bad again, very quickly. Indicators point to stronger growth in the second half of the year than forecast in the budget or by the Reserve Bank as recently as last month. Net migration has exceeded even optimistic forecasts […]
October 29th, 2009
Reforms to Govt procurement, aimed at achieving significant cost savings, will set up specialist teams in new Centres of Expertise to negotiate all-of-Govt contracts. The first Centres of Expertise are to be in the Dept of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development, the former to focus on all-of-Govt contracts for IT equipment, and […]
October 29th, 2009
Rejecting Federated Farmers’ calls for further public spending cuts to rein in the rising NZ dollar, Finance Minister Bill English said a considered approach must be taken to spending decisions. Services such as Working for Families and interest-free loans for students need to remain in place during the recession and state agencies are already subject […]
October 22nd, 2009
So does John Key have A Plan? This is the question which business leaders have been asking. Or is the Govt just coasting, riding a wave of popularity all the taller because voters became so disillusioned with the previous regime? Ministers insist the Govt is working to a carefully designed strategy: first, the priority is […]
October 22nd, 2009
Bidding for free-to-air rights for televising the Rugby World Cup was a Govt “schemozzle,” the pundits said; the failure to win coalition support for ACC changes was a “shambles,” Labour said; and according to Select Committee submissions, changes to the ETS have left farming and Maori lobbies fuming. It hasn’t looked tidy, and some insiders […]
October 16th, 2009
The Govt started the week working hard on its economic programme, with a full Cabinet session at Premier House on Monday plotting the forward strategy. But the World Cup broadcast rights issue, the poor Crown accounts for the year and the ACC blow-out, exposed potentially more dangerous waters the Govt has to navigate first.
The […]
October 15th, 2009
Retail sales rose more strongly than expected in August. This could point to a more vigorous recovery than previously suspected.
But the Govt is taking the latest reading cautiously. It sees the pick-up at retail level as partly due to stimulus from April’s income tax cuts. On the other side of the ledger the high dollar, […]
October 15th, 2009
The Govt started the week working hard on its economic programme, with a full Cabinet session at Premier House on Monday plotting the forward strategy. But the World Cup broadcast rights issue, the poor Crown accounts for the year and the ACC blow-out, exposed potentially more dangerous waters the Govt has to navigate first.
The […]
October 9th, 2009
As the economy reaches a turning point, the pending Cabinet review of NZ Inc assumes fresh importance. NZ has been in recession since the end of 2007, long before the global financial crisis erupted. Now when the emergency phase has passed, the Govt must look to rebuild the economy, and unleash the drivers of growth. […]
October 8th, 2009
Despite increasing goodwill being shown in Washington to NZ at the personal level, NZ faces an increasingly uphill task to persuade the US administration to begin an FTA negotiation or unlock the stalled Doha Round at the WTO. There has also been no progress made on the Trans Pacific Economic Partnership (TPP) because of the […]
October 8th, 2009
In a preliminary Cabinet debate to its major NZ Inc review, and the transformatory process which the Govt has said it will implement to lift NZ’s productivity, the PM told Ministers NZ will focus on the 3 “cultures” (agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture), high technology and natural resources. Among the initiatives which may prove winners for […]
October 8th, 2009
In raising its key interest rate to 3.25%, the Reserve Bank of Australia is the first country to reverse the cycle of cuts triggered by the global financial crisis. As it shifts away from the “emergency” phase of using monetary policy as an economic stimulus, it is signalling its intention to tighten at a modest […]
October 1st, 2009
NZ’s re-commitment to multilateralism has been underlined not only through John Key’s impressive performance at the UN but by the decision to throw its hat in the ring for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2014. It will be a tough lobbying campaign, and the Govt will probably call on eminent persons like […]
October 1st, 2009
Have John Key’s brief contacts with Barack Obama been sufficient to secure an invitation to the White House next year? Observers in New York and Washington believe despite the absence of a formal bilateral meeting (Gordon Brown didn’t get a one-on-one in New York, leading to speculation in the UK press he had been snubbed […]
October 1st, 2009
Critical decisions on the Govt’s forward strategy are expected to be shaped at a Cabinet meeting the PM has set down for this specific purpose later this month. Since coming to power the Govt has concentrated on fighting the recession and preserving jobs. Now the focus is shifting to the major problem of how it […]
October 1st, 2009
Download the White Paper
The Trans Tasman Editors have released a White Paper on New Zealand’s long-term economic future, entitled A Road Map For Transforming NZ Inc.
After ending up in an economic cul de sac after 9 years of Labour-led Government, NZ has to dig itself out of stagnation.
John Key’s Government says it has a […]
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