The big picture of Budget 2018 is that the Labour-led government has missed its chance to help those in the worst poverty, writes Alan Johnson Pre-election budget releases often focus on small budgets and specific programmes which have some public appeal. This focus on small detail often means that we are distracted from the big … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: It’s Budget Day. Also, the issue of unpaid overtime in retail has exploded, and Tauranga’s council is at odds with local MP Simon Bridges over the fuel tax. It’s Budget Day. After the political trench warfare of the last month, it will be good to see what’s … Read more
The finance minister is about to find out just how difficult it is to keep both constituents and political allies happy, writes Massey University’s Grant Duncan. Global media have shown a great deal of interest in New Zealand’s third woman prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, and they eagerly anticipate the imminent arrival of her baby. Less … Read more
With Budget day fast approaching, how will it be sold to the public? And how will the opposition go about pinning a derisive name on it? Let’s look back at some of the best and worst attempts. Budgets are complicated, big hairy beasts of policy packages rolled out to the public in the space of … Read more
With the budget just weeks away we’ve created a helpful (mostly) alphabetic introduction to the mysteries of the annual government Budget. A Ambitious What every budget always is. B Books In budget-speak, this exclusively refers to accounts, often in relation to the balancing thereof, and disappointingly never to potboiler novels. C Chewing gum Michael Cullen’s … Read more
Midwives around New Zealand marched today, protesting pay rates and working conditions across the industry. Don Rowe joined the march up Auckland’s main street. New Zealand midwives and their supporters marched in cities around the country today, calling for urgent adjustments to what they say is an outrageously low pay scale, which can in some … Read more
The Budget Responsibility Rules are arbitrary and unhelpful, argues Branko Marcetic. When your house is in decay, a refusal to spend money to fix it is the opposite of prudent Just over a year ago, Labour and the Greens unveiled a set of Budget Responsibility Rules that committed them to keep delivering budget surpluses, paring down debt … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to the Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government prepares ground for a no-treats budget, Waikato DHB pulls out of expensive app failure, and a controversial immigration programme put on hold. The government is preparing the ground for a treat-free Budget by pointing to the situation they inherited. At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, PM … Read more
New Zealand’s workers are underpaid and, increasingly, they aren’t willing to put up with it. Alex Braae looks at the recent surge in industrial disputes and strikes in New Zealand. Nurses. Train and bus drivers. Port workers. Silver Fern Farms workers. Supermarket distribution workers. Fast food workers. Disability support workers. Fletcher Building workers. In the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Finance Minister considers influencing Air NZ through board appointments, Plunket volunteers might walk out, and everyone’s favourite former President is in town. Air New Zealand has complained to finance minister Grant Robertson, over attacks by regional economic development minister Shane Jones, reports the NZ Herald. But the complaints don’t … Read more
The government yesterday introduced a new winter energy payment for everyone over 65, no matter how well off they are. If Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson are serious about alleviating hardship in New Zealand, this is the very last group they should be splashing cash on, argues Eric Crampton. According to every existing assessment of … Read more
Last week Labour announced that all online purchases would – finally – incur GST. Then, almost immediately, they backed the hell away. Duncan Greive explains why they were right first time. Last week, Stuart Nash finally told New Zealand retailers what they’ve been wanting to hear for years: that this government would “absolutely” introduce GST … Read more
Yesterday on RNZ’s Morning Report journalist Guyon Espiner brought finance minister Steven Joyce together with Labour’s finance spokesperson Grant Robertson, and asked them both about Joyce’s accusation that Labour has a $11.7 billion hole in its spending plans. Here’s the transcript. In the interview, Guyon Espiner is sitting between the two politicians, with a laptop … Read more
Yesterday Steven Joyce claimed there was a giant hole in Labour’s books. We asked a lot of economists and accountants whether the claim was correct. Extraordinary elections bring out extraordinary accusations. Yesterday brought the most monumental of this election so far, when National’s finance boss Steven Joyce claimed to have found a $11.7bn hole in … Read more
Steven Joyce and Grant Robertson traded hearty fiscal blows today. But what on earth were they on about? Over to you, Keith Ng. You think we’d all be numbed to the election year crayfest, but then comes an election year scandal to end all election year scandals: bad accounting! National and Labour’s finance spokespeople have … Read more
There is no more reliably rowdy candidate meeting than the one held just off Aro Street in Wellington. Danyl Mclauchlan puts on his waterproofs and heads to the hall. “Like Back Benches on mescaline,” is how MC Bryan Crump billed the 2017 Meet the Candidates evening at Aro Valley Community Centre. The meeting is famous … Read more
Andrew Little poured petrol all over himself yesterday and now he’s standing there with the lighter in his hands, screaming at us, ‘Is this what you want?’ If he burns, though, who will replace him? Well, maybe he’s not screaming it at all of us, but when he said he and his senior team had … Read more
Labour MP for Wellington Central Grant Robertson recalls the day he stalked the Carisbrook touchline in an oilskin parka. Thirty-four years ago this weekend, I reached my sporting peak. Given that I was 11 years old, you’ll realise this was not exactly Everest, but for me, it was just about everything. I got to be … Read more
In the latest Ika Table Talk, Jessica Mutch, Grant Robertson and Suzanne Snively join Guy Williams to discuss the impact of the Panama Papers in NZ. Comedian, broadcaster and tall man Guy Williams led a lively discussion at Ika restaurant on Tuesday evening on the subject of Politics, the Press and the Panama Papers. Reporter … Read more
Opinion: National gets away with mixed messages over tax cuts because Labour has failed to grasp the nettle and frame tax as both a fairness and patriotism issue, argues Simon Louisson The left’s failure to frame the tax debate since the last election has put it firmly on track to spend three more years in … Read more
The Spinoff meets Grant Robertson at the cricket to talk leadership close-miss, caucus divisions on the TPP, the future of work and waffle, and whether John Key is brilliant or Labour just plain useless. In the 2014 Labour leadership race, Grant Robertson was a whisker – one percentage point – from victory. He was comfortably … Read more