The SME Stream

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has described superannuation as a 'time bomb' that is here now and political parties need to be honest about it. Delivering the Budget today, Willis said National will enter the election with changes to ensure superannuation is affordable.  NZ First's Shane Jones has confirmed the party's not budging on this issue. "The reality is, our economic growth rate...is...

The surplus train's left the station early in Budget news today, with the country expected to be out of deficit by 2028/29, a year ahead of predictions. Government Ministers are trumpeting that figure, alongside a focus on health and infrastructure.  The Waikato Expressway will get 12 more kilometres, Whangarei a new hospital wing and new police stations are on the horizon for Whanganui and G...

Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Budget 2026 was unveiled today - what did we make of it? Do we think we'll reach surplus by 2028/29? Will debt really come down? Nicola Willis also says we need to have a discussion around superannuati...

Over $1 billion allocated for KiwiRail's planned network investments in the Budget means “all the things we want to upgrade are going to happen”, Rail Minister Winston Peters says.  He told Mike Hosking they have not asked for more than they should get.  Peters says it’s based on the fact that it’s a business or industry that’s been turned around rapidly whe...

While everyone counts the dollars and tries to make sense of Budget 2026 – there are thousands of public servants staring down losing their jobs. In her pre-Budget speech, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced plans to slash the sector by about 8,700 roles by mid-2029. The overhaul will also include reducing the number of government departments and increasing the use of AI. The Public Ser...

Ryan Bridge interviews the RBNZ boss on her captain's on the OCR and rates expected to rise faster than forecast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Bradford speaking to Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold about OCR yesterday and Budget today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is not impressed by the Budget. The party's promising an alternative fiscal plan, but says it will be more than a few weeks away, as Labour goes line by line to criticise the spending. Hipkins says Kiwis are being hit hard by the cost of living, and this Budget is asking those with the least to make the most sacrifices. "I certainly wouldn't have prioritised raising ren...

It was more the RBNZ coming to what the market was expecting rather than any surprise.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruth Richardson weighs in ahead of today's Budget 2026 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax expert says it's good to draw a line under recent changes to charity rules. This year's Budget tweaks the Research and Development Tax Incentive, simplifies the fringe benefit tax, and expands the Foreign Investment Fund rules to all taxpayers.  It also caps the tax credits that can be received on not-for-profit donations.  Deloitte tax partner Robyn Walker says it's still very gen...

ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says the window for low mortgage rates has closed, with multiple Official Cash Rate hikes expected later this year following the Reserve Bank’s decision to hold the rate at 2.25% yesterday.  The RBNZ's Monetary Policy Statement said Official Cash Rate (OCR) increases would likely be required this year, predicting inflation would peak at 4.3% in the Septe...

Budget 2026 was unveiled today, and there's discussion about what these changes mean for Kiwi farmers. The Government's revealed it plans to extend the Waikato Expressway, and the 6-kilometre stretch will reach the intersection of State Highways One, and 29 at Piarere. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most households may not see any immediate direct benefit from the Budget.  It shows a return to surplus in the 2028/29 financial year, a year sooner than previously forecast. The forecast uses the OBEGALx measure, which excludes ACC.     Infometrics Economist Brad Olsen says it might be a tad optimistic, given the state of the world, but we could maybe use some optimism.  The B...

Starlink has quickly become the hero – and potential hazard – of rural broadband in New Zealand.  In a few short years, Elon Musk’s low-Earth orbit satellite service has gone from curiosity to default option for many farms, small towns and remote communities that never made it onto the fibre map. It’s racked up 58,000 subscribers and generated around $100 million in re...

Energy security. Financial security. International security. Social cohesion.  These are the government’s priorities for Budget 2026 that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon laid out earlier this month. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says this Budget will lay out a clear plan. Where the country is now, where we're headed, and the road we'll take to get there. So, what should we look out fo...

The Reserve Bank Governor is feeling good about her captain's call to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25%.  Anna Breman made the final decision after the six-member Monetary Policy Committee she chairs was evenly split on whether to hike the rate.  Breman says she understands the argument for hiking but told Mike Hosking she doesn't think now's the right time.  She says f...

A Former Finance Minister expects this year's Budget to invest in health, education, and defence – with cuts elsewhere.  Budget 2026 is being unveiled tomorrow, opening up the Government's books and detailing when a return to surplus is possible.  Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking re-prioritisation is the story of the week, and he's backing further cost-savings in the public sector.&n...

The Prime Minister ponders today’s OCR announcement, tomorrow’s Budget, Labour’s own goal over horses and ducks, and the NZ First threat in Hawke’s Bay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant slice of the NZX50 reports earnings this week, including heavyweights Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Ryman Healthcare and Goodman Property.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you can do something in KiwiSaver that will make people go that will make this a better place for my children, that's an effective political strategy'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Alexander, independent economist, joins the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank Governor says she's mindful of the weak economy, as she weighs up Official Cash Rate settings. Anna Breman made the final call to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25 percent today. The Monetary Policy Committee had been evenly split on hiking or holding, and is now signalling it'll go up in September. Breman says they consider the factors pushing inflation up, but also the weak economy...

Banks and economists expect the Official Cash Rate to hold at 2.25% despite global uncertainty.   It's the first OCR announcement since conflict erupted in the Middle East, with September the hot pick for when the rate will next lift.  Co-operative Bank CEO Mark Wilshire told Ryan Bridge he expects a cautious approach by both the Reserve Bank and the Government in the coming days.  ...

Accountants are hopeful the Government will use the Budget to do something about the secret little wealth tax those with offshore investments are currently paying. As it stands, most people with more than $50,000 directly invested in assets offshore, including shares in companies listed on stock exchanges, need to pay tax on a portion of the value of their investments, regardless of if they receiv...