Best of Business

I don’t know how many people I’ve spoken to recently who have said they’ve got no idea which party they’re going to vote for in the election this year. Just yesterday, a died-in-the-wool Labour leftie said the same to me. No idea who to vote for. Certainly won’t be Labour, they said. And the National Party didn’t make things any easier yesterday with this idea to start sending receipts to taxpayer...

I think National has made a mistake on tax receipts. Tax receipts are the sort of quirky idea people pick up on and run with. They're the sort of left-of-centre idea the media can have a bit of fun with. The trouble with that, is that we actually have some important stuff to deal with and for every minute you talk about what sort of receipt it would be, how it would be done, and what it would cost...

More hints have come about what we'll see in Thursday's Budget. Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking since he became Prime Minister he's been working to reset the Government's work programme. His policy bonfire saw the axing or delaying of the TVNZ/RNZ media merger, the social insurance scheme, the biofuels mandate and hate speech legislation. But he says until now, people haven't seen the full picture...

Renters are still having to dig further into their pockets, except if they live in Southland. Rent in the region is now at an average of $430, a massive $100 less than the next most affordable region. But for everywhere else it is now the third month in a row for the record high $600 median rent. TradeMe Property sales director Gavin Lloyd joined Mike Hosking to discuss the figures. LISTEN ABOVE  ...

To kick of the pre-budget talk, National have come up with a new 'taxpayers receipt' idea. Taxpayers would get an annual report from Inland Revenue on the money they paid and received and how their taxes were being spent - along with requiring Treasury to report annually on major spending programmes. Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker joined Mike Hosking to explain the concept. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

International students are returning to New Zealand at a faster rate than pre-pandemic, but polytechs and schools are still missing out. And despite previous long term plans to diversify the market, we seem to be more dependent on China for students . Out of 25 countries enrolling foreign students, New Zealand is in the bottom three for the diversity of its foreign student population. Universities...

Five farm deaths in three months has horrified a Waikato businessman, who is launching a safety campaign in response. Ag Drive Managing Director Andre Syben is calling for a culture change and wants better buy-in from industry corporates. As well as the five deaths, there have been 30 WorkSafe notifiable injuries from January to March this year. Andre Syben joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN...

An incomplete picture remains of the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on regional economies. Infometrics' latest Quarterly Economic Monitor shows a 2.7 percent per annum rise in provisional economic activity in the first quarter of the year. Principal Economist Brad Olsen says at the same time the likes of Hawke's Bay, Tairawhiti and Northland have seen their economic activity down between 0.7 and 0.8...

The Mayor of Ruapehu wants the Commerce Commission to investigate why there are disparities between fuel prices within the region. He's written to the watchdog to help ensure pricing is equitable, and claims it can be almost 50 cents more expensive than Te Awamutu, which an hour and a half away. Mayor Weston Kirton says says Taumarunui locals are  frustrated over paying significantly higher retail...

NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan met investors and took part in roundtables on her week-long visit to China. Fran O'Sullivan observed that China aims to get back to the business of growth after years of Covid-19 lockdowns. "Lifting the zero-Covid measures now means China will post a rebound. After last year's slump, they're predicting 5.7 percent by the end of the calendar 2023." LISTEN A...

Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium will now officially be known as Go Media Stadium Mt Smart. Outdoor advertising company Go Media have secured a a naming rights deal with Auckland Stadiums. The deal will last one year, but both parties involved are keen to extend it after that timeframe. Go Media co-owner Mike Grey says he aims to bring more content to the stadium and get behind the events hosted at the...

As a lot of rules have changed or tightened up and made residential property investment a slightly different prospect, more and more people are asking whether they should instead consider commercial investment property.    There’s a lot to weigh up, so I thought it could be an interesting discussion to have – what are the pros, cons, things you might not realise, things you need to consider, lendi...

It's Google's big event of the year, where they announced a new Pixel Tablet transforms into a Smart Home display   If you're looking to buy an Android Tablet, this could be the way to go. It's a fully functioning tablet, then when placed on the dock transforms into showing your photos, being an assistant, telling you what's next on your calendar. You can Chromecast to it, allowing you to use it a...

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment, Workplace & Information Expert with Taylor Shaw Barristers & Solicitors. He regularly joins Simon Barnett and James Daniels to answer all listeners' employment related questions. Today, he joined the show to answer questions about changing employment agreements, restraints of trade and on-call rates - among other things. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/list...

Are our economic chickens coming home to roost? Overnight, the Bank of England has put their cash rate up another 25 points. But they've also made what they suggest is their biggest upgrade ever. Britain, they think, will not be going into recession.   Australia this week, which is also not going into recession, are worried their growth is only going to be 1.25 percent. Ah, to be so pessimistic ab...

A claim has come that the current reforms to our supermarket sector won't bring proper competition. Statistics New Zealand data shows that as food costs jumped 12.5 percent in the year to April, fruit and vegetables shot up 22 percent. Westpac Industry Economist Paul Clark says methods like splitting up the duopoly would have a much more dramatic effect. He says alongside increased food prices for...

So I’m not sure the Mother’s Day brunch this weekend will be including avocado on toast given the shortage of them – and therefore the cost of them. Although despite avocado being $9 and $10 each in some parts of the country at the moment, other places tell me they can still get them and get them cheap. So it might be a case of the old postcode lottery at the moment when it comes to fruit and vege...

By RNZ The Ruapehu mayor says a deal is close to being settled on who will be taking over Ruapehu ski fields. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which ran the Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields,   went into voluntary administration in October, owing millions of dollars. Four bidders had been vying for the contracts to take over and Mayor Weston Kirton said government officials had picked the two they favoured to r...

A new report from Westpac claims more is needed to create sustainable competition between supermarkets. This comes as the price of fruit and vegetables is up 22.5 per cent from last year. Vegetables NZ chair John Murphy joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has revealed the Government will reprioritise $4 billion worth of savings ahead of this year's budget. The Government has “re-doubled” efforts to trim excess spending as the economy cools, but will focus on meeting needs in health, education and housing. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says $4 billion worth of savings tells the right story, but the overall figu...

In the past 12 months, food prices have risen the most in 36 years - but one vegetable grower says they're heading back down. Food went up 12.5 percent in the year to April, including a 22.5 percent increase in prices for fruit and veg. But in just the month of April, fruit and veg actually also slid 2.9 percent. Leaderbrands CEO Richard Burke says Cyclone Gabrielle caused some delays. "We've been...

An open letter to the public and the politicians of Aotearoa New Zealand has called for people to pay more tax, specifically people who are financially comfortable should pay more tax. The signatories to the letter point out that the cost of the Cyclone Gabrielle clean up and the need to future proof our infrastructure against more climate change events, the children living in poverty and misery,...

Almost 100 wealthy individuals have signed an open letter because they are frustrated with how much, or how little, tax they pay. Someone who has signed the letter is Sir Ian Taylor and he joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A somewhat surprising twist in the tax-debate, with some of New Zealand's wealthiest supporting tax hikes for the rich. A group of around 100 inspired by the initiative Millionaires for Humanity, have signed a pledge calling on the Government to increase their taxes. It believes the current tax system contributes towards the gap between poor and the wealthy. Signatory and Ecostore Founder, Malcolm...

100 wealthy New Zealanders who believe our public services are underfunded think they should be the ones to pay up. The group has signed a pledge calling on the Government to increase their taxes. Inspired by the initiative Millionaires for Humanity, it believes the current tax system contributes towards the gap between poor and the wealthy. Ex-Retirement Commissioner, Dame Diana Crossan told Kate...