Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Haworth resigns but questions remain, motels for emergency accommodation in spotlight, and avocado growers confident about season ahead. Despite the resignation of the Labour party president, it is unlikely the scandal around allegations of sexual assault against a staffer will end any time soon. Nigel Haworth … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Storming economic figures defy gloomy predictions, govt considering volunteer rural cops, and Auckland to spread around Drury and Pukekohe. It was wholly, entirely unexpected. In fact, some are saying not a single economist predicted it. But data from Stats NZ out yesterday has showed something remarkable … Read more
Grant Robertson, a cricket fanatic whose day jobs include being minister for finance and minister for sport, raced from Wellington to northwest London on the weekend to watch the Black Caps in what turned into the greatest one-day international ever played. I don’t remember the exact moment I fell in love with cricket. That’s a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Both PM and deputy PM in action on foreign relationships, major climate report being released today, and DOC staff facing escalating threats. Both the PM and deputy PM are in action on foreign relationships this week, with plenty of challenges to navigate. Later this week, PM … Read more
Just because Budget 2019 was technically accessible doesn’t mean it was legally fair game for National, writes AUT law professor Kris Gledhill. It is, of course, still theft if there is inadequate security in the shop to guard against shoplifters; or if someone takes something from a roadside stall with an honesty box and doesn’t put … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt gives and takes with first Wellbeing Budget, Treasury Secretary under immense pressure, and dozens of kākāpō sick from fungus. The question was asked in yesterday’s Bulletin – what does this government value enough to put real money towards? In the end, the Budget that was delivered wasn’t … Read more
Labour’s debut wellbeing budget is a solid jump to the social spending left but could hardly be described as transformational, writes Maria Slade in Wellington. With its wood panelling and forest green décor parliament’s neo-classical 1920s debating chamber has a surprisingly inviting feel. Normally a humble business reporter based on Auckland’s CBD fringe, I felt … Read more
Budget 2019: Fresh from the parliamentary budget lockup, Spinoff business editor Maria Slade summarises the funding announcements from Labour’s first Wellbeing Budget. Mental health services, KiwiRail, beneficiaries and startup companies are some of the big winners on a government budget day that has otherwise been dominated by accusations of leaking and calls for ministers’ heads. … Read more
Grant Robertson should apologise, and the Treasury secretary should offer his resignation, writes Danyl Mclauchlan Information Technology, or IT is not an ancient discipline, like politics or the law, but it has its own traditions and the most hallowed tradition of all, held sacred by engineers and other technical specialists the world over is to … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What to watch for on Budget day, education minister gets brutal heckling from teachers, and Wellington mayor throws support behind trackless trams. “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” So goes the quote often attributed to former … Read more
Budget 2019: What are the Ardern government’s much-talked about Budget Responsibility Rules, and why doesn’t it have to stick to them? When the Labour government came to power in 2017 it set itself five rules of engagement for handling the country’s money. The Budget Responsibility Rules are self-imposed and do not have any legal standing, … Read more
There is no evidence of illegality on the part of the National Party, and they have succeeded in shining a light on parts of the Budget the government would prefer you didn’t reflect on, writes Brigitte Morten for RNZ One of the key advantages of being in government is that you get to largely set … Read more
A brief technical explanation about what the ‘hack’ amounted to would be a lot more useful than all the bluster and nebulous waffle we’ve heard so far, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. Treasury’s budget documents are – potentially – very valuable information. They might affect currency valuations, or bond prices, or company share prices, or any number … Read more
As Treasury says it’s registered thousands of attempts to hack its secure site and Simon Bridges accuses Grant Robertson of maliciously lying, the wellbeing budget is about to become the hell-fleeing budget for someone The press releases started rolling in at 10 on the dot yesterday morning: “National reveals Budget details.” At 1.30pm: “National reveals … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Treasury calls in police after claims their system was hacked, protesters against coal get mayoral support, and massive teacher strike today. Last night, political journalism twitter was nothing but a steady stream of shocked emojis. And the reason for that was a series of dramatic developments in … Read more
Budget 2019: Opposition finance spokesperson Amy Adams on the rhetoric behind the first wellbeing budget, coming later this week. This week will see the Labour-led government produce their much hyped ‘wellbeing budget’. That of course raises the questions of what wellbeing means, how it is assessed and how this budget will be any different to … Read more
Now that we know what the Wellbeing Budget is, the question is how we can create the right political and social environment to support it, says Grant Thornton’s Barry Baker. Growing up in Southland in a single-parent home, my family relied on the Domestic Purposes Benefit and the generosity of charities like Birthright. During that … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Doubt cast on full rollout of fees free tertiary education policy, Vodafone NZ sale analysed, and Tamihere proposes partial port privatisation. The fees free policy for tertiary students may not get fully rolled out. Currently, the first year of study is free, and funding for the next … Read more
This month sees a landmark moment in the economic approach of the Ardern government, with the first ‘wellbeing Budget’ unveiled. How is it different, and what can we expect? Maria Slade sits down with the finance minister, Grant Robertson Grant Robertson isn’t Peter Jackson and the Treasury can’t do Weta-Workshop-level special effects, but the finance … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Destiny Church rejected for prison rehab programme, Kāpiti Council sends sea level message to homeowners, and funding boost to solve Census snafu. Corrections minister Kelvin Davis has ruled out working with Destiny Church’s Man Up programme in prisons, reports Newsroom. Destiny says the programme can help turn lives … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Harder look coming at the provincial growth fund, rents in Auckland City way up this year, and the long hunt for Louisa Akavi unpacked. The Auditor-General will be placing an increased focus and scrutiny on the spending of the Provincial Growth Fund, reports Business Desk. There will … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Another teacher strike looms after offer rejected, Crusaders sources say PM’s office is pressuring for name change, and warnings sounded over prescription drug. Negotiations between the NZEI and the government have hit another roadblock, with primary teachers overwhelmingly rejecting the offered deal. In a release, they said the … Read more
The government announced a $10m strategy yesterday to boost women and girls in sport. Madeleine Chapman wonders if the nice sentiment will turn into action. When I was seven, and eight, and nine years old, I did athletics at my local club. Every Wednesday there would be club meets at the park literally behind my … Read more
The government will welcome the unexpectedly large surplus, but it brings with it a heap of extra pressure from all sides, writes RNZ political editor Jane Patterson It’s the political curse of finance ministers past – deliver a bumper surplus and immediately come under pressure to spend up large. As Grant Robertson stood and delivered … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government secures bigger than expected surplus, NZ not on track to meet climate change targets, and most immigration crime going un-investigated. The government has found itself in possession of a much higher than expected surplus, reports Interest. Not only has tax revenue grown faster than spending, the government … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Budget Responsibility Rules get another nudge, Auckland politicos eye up 2019, and The Warehouse cuts more than 100 jobs. Here’s a turn up for the books – now two government support party leaders have indicated that the so-called budget responsibility rules could be loosened before the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Labour accused of hypocrisy over fundraisers, voting about to close in by-election, and Speedway is leaving Western Springs in Auckland. The Labour Party has been accused of hypocrisy after Grant Robertson spoke at an exclusive $600 a head fundraising event, reports Stuff. Robertson, the finance minister, was … Read more
The compromises of the Labour-led government’s first budget was a sign of the consultation required in a coalition, says Grant Thornton’s Greg Thompson. MMP has bestowed a three-way coalition upon us and politics in New Zealand has now become a matter of consensus. This means that hard decisions are difficult to make and certain policies … Read more
New Zealand’s blue-chip business newspaper is these days chiefly an online operation, and its owner has plans to boost the subscriber base to 100,000. Against a backdrop of social media grenades and staff disquiet, Spinoff business editor Rebecca Stevenson talks to the NBR’s outspoken head honcho Todd Scott. Todd Scott is a truculent tweeter, taking … Read more