The SME Stream

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has been quick to voice his concerns with the 2025 Budget. Hipkins took aim at the pay equity changes - and opposed the new initiatives around oil and gas. "If you think about it - it's saying to women that they're worth less, it's saying to all working New Zealanders that your KiwiSaver, when you reach retirement, will be worth less." LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the&n...

A view suggests says yesterday's Budget is highlighting New Zealand's fiscal realities. It found more than 21-billion dollars in savings - including nearly 13-billion from its pay equity changes. Despite the many cuts - the Government isn't forecasting New Zealand to return to a surplus until 2029. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking reaching that will be touch and go. He...

The primary sector's going gangbusters, with a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus for the first time in five years.  Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit for the same time last year.  The dairy sector's been the big winner.  Federated Farmers Dairy Chairperson Richard McIntyre told Ryan Bridge a lot of dairy farmers have smiles...

An oil and gas lobby group is celebrating the Government's 200 million dollars for gas fields. Resource Minister Shane Jones announced the money would be used to co-invest with developers to start new fields. Energy Resource Aotearoa Chief Executive John Caregie told Mike Hosking it's a positive signal to the sector. He says it will tilt the economic signals from negative to neutral. LISTEN ABOVE...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. This week, The government delivers “no BS” by keeping the purse strings tight on budget day, the effect of Trump&rsq...

Litmaps, a Wellington-based startup that’s just raised $1 million in a Series A funding round, is redefining how scientists navigate the sea of academic literature by merging citation network analysis with generative AI.  Founded in 2016 by Axton Pitt and Kyle Webster, the platform now serves over 2 million researchers globally, including institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and the Uni...

This week, Liam is joined by Mat Croad and Nick Marshall, co-founders of RTD business Pals, to discuss how a previous failure informed their meteoric rise in the drinks world, growing up in Tauranga together, and the different career paths they took before working together.  The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advi...

There's a belief New Zealand's entering the early stages of an export-led recovery.   Stats NZ data reveals it's at $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit last year.  The dairy sector's been the big winner, up $601 million to $2.2 billion.   Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking it's promising on the back of a tough three years in the sector. &nb...

Tonight on The Huddle, Conor English from Government relations firm Silvereye and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Should Tonkin + Taylor sack the staffer who was caught heckling Winston Peters?  Waitakere Hospital ED raised some eyebrows when they started handing out vouchers for patients to go to urgent care clinics...

I don't know where the Head of Research at JLL, the commercial property company, I does his shopping, but it cannot be anywhere that I go. If you've ever wondered what the definition of gaslighting is, you may well have heard it this morning. Chris Dibble —the Head of Research at JLL— was on the wireless claiming that we have a critical under-supply of retail space in this country, and...

Mastercard has recently released a survey showing a significant amount of Kiwis want credit card surcharges banned. The data shows 61 percent of respondents would support a ban and 75 percent don't believe surcharges are fair - and 44 percent feel retailers should absorb the costs. Consumer NZ's Acting Head of Research and Advocacy, Jessica Walker, says the surcharge debate is a complicated topic....

Budget 2025 is set to be revealed to the nation tomorrow - and Finance Minister Nicola Willis has promised it will be a “No BS Budget” with “some surprises”. Willis will take a step towards unwinding the expansion of Government that accompanied (and followed) the pandemic - while growing the economy. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny outlines some questi...

A record number of businesses have sought advice about redundancies in the first three months of the year, according to new Employers and Manufacturers Association data. EMA’s AdviceLine received 403 queries from businesses on the topic of restructuring and redundancies last quarter - almost double that in the same period two years ago (204). EMA’s head of advocacy and strategy Alan Mc...

Demand's strong for bricks and mortar retail, despite the growth of online shopping.   JLL NZ's new report estimates almost 255-thousand square metres of new retail space is needed over the next five years to keep up with our growing population.  It also finds customers prefer in-store shopping over e-commerce.   Research and Strategic Consultancy head Chris Dibble told Mike Hosking...

A strong primary sector performance has produced a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus - for the first time in five years. Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion dollars in April, compared with a $12 million dollar deficit for the same time last year. Export NZ Executive Director, Joshua Tan, says it's a team effort across the food and fibre sector. He says dairy, red meat, fruit and wood e...

Hints the foreign buyer ban could be lifted, but not yet.  OneRoof reports rumours have been swirling with some agents telling them politicians had told them a decision to reverse the 2018 Labour policy was imminent.  Act leader David Seymour and New Zealand First MP Andy Foster were mentioned, but both deny any confirmed changes.  Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Mike Hosk...

The UK is hailing a new era of relations with Europe, as they seek closer ties on trade and defence. The new deal signals a resetting of ties with the European Union post-Brexit, and could mean significant trade benefits for Britain. It'll be easier to trade food across the border, and allow the UK to access EU funds for defence development. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this development puts a...

It's less than two days to go until Budget Day 2025, and experts are outlining their predictions. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hinted this won't be a 'lolly scramble' and plenty of cuts will have to take place. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains further, LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or profess...

A new report from JLL says almost 255-thousand square metres of new retail space is needed over the next five years, to meet demand. It says Kiwi consumers still value in-store shopping, despite the rise of online shopping. Retail NZ's Ann-Marie Johnson says told Ryan Bridge this shows there's a positive future for retail following a tough period for the industry. She says we've been through cycle...

Georgia Patten chats with  Shivana Pemberton, one of the founders of Four Words ! Grab your Suntory Boss Coffee - It's brewed hot, chilled fast and perfect for an on-the-go podcast listen. Georgia sits down with Shivana Pemberton , one of the visionary founders of  Four Words , New Zealand’s pioneering company that introduced lab-grown diamonds to the engagement ring industry. Shiv...

The Prime Minister says his Government is calling out bureaucrats falling foul of the government's expecations. It comes off the back of Winston Peters expressing his criticism of Māori targeted hires, after a government job was advertised as a “tikanga lead” to promote Māori customs, principles and values in the Māori policing unit. Luxon discusses whether the reason NZ First is seeki...

The 2025 Budget is due out this week - and the Finance Minister's feeling hopeful despite the concerns around Te Pāti Māori's antics. Prime Minister Chris Luxon made it clear earlier today that National will not make any concessions on the Privileges Committee's recommendation to suspend three Te Pāti Māori MPs from Parliament. Nicola Willis says this week is all about the Budget - which aims to a...

The Finance Minister says the Budget's designed to give businesses even more confidence for the future. The Budget, released on Thursday, will put aside $65 million over four years, for loosening rules that might put off overseas investors from choosing New Zealand. Nicola Willis says we can't let debt keep blowing out forever - and would risk the economy crumbling away if we allow major extra tax...

Moody's cut the US credit rating by one notch, citing rising debt and interest payments that outpace those of similar sovereigns.  The downgrade to 'Aa1' from 'Aaa' follows a change in the outlook on the sovereign in 2023 due to wider fiscal deficit and higher interest payments, according to new data. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the&nb...

The Government's budget will be announced this coming Thursday.  Taxpayers Union Director Jordan Williams and former Police Minister Stuart Nash join Politics Central for a special pre-budget panel.  They also discuss whether Parliaments standards have slipped, and if the punishment for Te Pāti Māori is severe or justified.  LISTEN ABOVE.  The podcasts in the SME Stre...