So was this PREFU better than expected as a number of headlines suggested? Answer: possibly. Possibly not. What numbers were they looking at? It's important to point out this is not retrospective. This is not stuff that has happened, therefore cannot be argued with. This is a projection and the projection comes from Treasury. There are some numbers from their projections to ponder, such as we are not returning to surplus until 2026/27. That is now years after they first suggested they would. Tha...
Sep 12, 2023•2 min
MPs Megan Woods and Mark Mitchell joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast to wrap the week's political news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 12, 2023•11 min
Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and current affairs commentator Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! This year's deficit is expected to be $10 billion, next year's expected to go up to $11.4 billion - Treasury reckons we've come out of recession but the next Government will have a tough battle on its hands to pay down debt and return to a surplus. Is this a nail in the coffin for Labour or is there an inkling of good ...
Sep 12, 2023•9 min
National's Chris Luxon has been quick to slam Labour's 'economic mismanagement' after the PREFU revealed Government debt has blown out further. Treasury's latest update is forecasting no recession, but shows the Government will be in deficit longer than expected and take on billions more debt. Luxon says Kiwis are worried about losing their homes and taking on second jobs as the Government continues to spend. "What's obvious is that Hipkins and Robertson have no idea how to run the economy, they...
Sep 12, 2023•6 min
The Finance Minister is standing by the Government's record, after Treasury today laid the books bare. The Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update suggest our recession's likely over, but shows the Government deficit will continue longer than predicted in the Budget. Debt's now expected to peak at 22.8 percent of GDP by 2025. Grant Robertson says our Government borrowing wasn't for nothing. "Lots of New Zealanders alive today who wouldn't have been during Covid, businesses that have been able to...
Sep 12, 2023•7 min
National's promising to spend our money on the right things, if elected next month. Treasury's today revealed the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. It suggests our recession's likely over - but shows the Government will be in deficit for longer, and take on billions more in debt. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Opposition's now crunching its numbers. "What National's now got to do is sit down and look at the meaning of these figures that have been presented...
Sep 12, 2023•7 min
In today’s Election Fix, Political Editor Jason Walls combs through the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update – and gives us the Prime Minister’s reaction. And Chief Political Correspondent Aaron Dahmen has National’s reaction to the PREFU – and also gives us an insight into all the snacks Christopher Luxon is getting on the campaign trail! Plus, all your Election 2023 headlines. Election Fix is your daily wrap of the Election 2023 campaign, talking to our reporters in the field plus the day’s...
Sep 12, 2023•6 min
Well, good news last night for National. Labour must be left wondering how many more election bribes they'll have to offer before voters begin to nibble. The latest Newshub Reid Research Poll that came out last night has seen National shoot up 4.3 points to 40.9%, and Labour suffered a 5.5% fall from the last Newshub poll, they're on just 26.8%. But before gleeful right and centre right voters pull the cork on the St Emilion premier cru that you have cellared for the day those bloody socialists ...
Sep 12, 2023•4 min
It was a beautiful sunny morning. But, even though it looked warm, it was still pretty chilly. And when Chris Hipkins looked out the window at his Christchurch hotel this morning he would’ve thought the same. That it looked like a beautiful spring day. But, as soon as he walked outside, he would’ve realised that it wasn’t and there was still a chill in the air. Except for him, it wouldn't have been just the fresh air sending a shiver up the spine. He’s also had the fright of his political life w...
Sep 12, 2023•5 min
Chris Hipkins joined John MacDonald live in studio to discuss poll results, crime, and economic management. Plus, Labour’s strengths, weaknesses, and what Hipkins have left in the tank. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 12, 2023•18 min
Labour has plunged 5.5% in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll, taking the party to just under 27% support. National has shot up to 40.9%, while ACT's on 10%, the Greens 12.3% and New Zealand First is tip-toeing up to the threshold at 4.6%. Former Senior Ministerial Advisor for the National Party Brigitte Morton told Kate Hawkesby that it’s a significant swing and is likely to stabilize back. She said that this is probably the most significant downfalls in popularity that the Labour Government...
Sep 11, 2023•5 min
Chris Hipkins is accepting responsibility for the party's falling poll numbers. There's now a 14-point gap in support between the incumbent party and National according to the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll. Labour is down to 26.8% while the Nats hit 40.9%, and both party leaders are on 22.5% for preferred Prime Minister. The Labour leader told Mike Hosking that the polls are not where they need them to be, and they have a job to do to turn them around over the next five weeks. He says they h...
Sep 11, 2023•12 min
The economic slowdown is likely to be having a major impact on the Government's books. Treasury is releasing its Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update at 1pm, the final fiscal update before Advanced Voting begins in two weeks. It's expected to show revenue is lower and debt is higher than forecast in May's Budget. Economist Michael Reddell told Mike Hosking that New Zealand now has a very high fiscal deficit. He says while our debt is below the OECD average, it's much higher than it's been in ...
Sep 11, 2023•3 min
The psychological impacts are becoming clear for our two main parties 32 days out from the election. The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll has Labour down 5.5% to 26.8%, while National has jumped 4.3% to 40.9%. ACT has fallen two points to 10%, but can comfortably govern with National. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking that it’s hard for Labour to get supporters out there knocking on doors when they're low. He says meanwhile for National, they've hit heights not seen for...
Sep 11, 2023•4 min
I’m wondering at this point who’s more obsessed with the election, the media, the politicians, or the voters. The bulk of the feedback I’m getting at the moment is: we’re over it, open early voting, let’s get on with it, we just want change and a new direction. So as the politicians ramp up the campaigns and the polling starts spewing out percentages, and we begin crunching numbers and policy's getting released... who’s listening and watching? Over the weekend several policies got released - how...
Sep 11, 2023•3 min
Support for National has rocketed up to just over 40 percent, with a 4.3 point jump in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll. Labour has taken a devastating tumble, down 5.5 percent to 26.8 percent. ACT has fallen two points to 10 - but can comfortably govern with National. The Greens are up to 12.3 percent, Te Pāti Māori is on three, while New Zealand First flirts with the threshold at 4.6 percent. National finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis says they aren't counting chickens yet- but it's posit...
Sep 11, 2023•8 min
ACT's Leader denies he's threatening the National Party by suggesting a confidence-only deal, post-election. David Seymour previously said his party would consider it - if National doesn't co-operate in negotiations. That would force the larger party to seek the minor party's support for Government spending. Seymour says ACT's position isn't new or dramatic. "It's just saying- look, we actually want a tight working relationship, I've said that for a long time. But we reserve the right to stand u...
Sep 11, 2023•4 min
Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, former Business NZ CEO Phil O’Reilly and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills have the insight word and analysis. The Act Party has thrown a potential cat amongst the pigeons by threatening it may only enter a confidence deal with National. The panel discuss whether Chris Luxon is losing credibility. Labou...
Sep 11, 2023•32 min
In today’s Election Fix, Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen breaks down National Leader Christopher Luxon’s visit to Ohariu. Newstalk ZB’s Political Editor Jason Walls takes a look ahead to tomorrow’s Pre Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU). Plus, all your Election 2023 headlines. Election Fix is your daily wrap of the Election 2023 campaign, talking to our reporters in the field plus the day’s big headlines. Presented by Newstalk ZB’s Raylene Ramsay, Election Fix is your go-to update...
Sep 11, 2023•6 min
What a wild and woolly weekend on the hustings. Christopher Luxon turns up on Q&A to talk about National's policies. First up, he promises to close Rotorua's emergency housing motels and kick any troublesome Kainga Ora social housing tenants out. Obviously, this is great news for law abiding Rotorua residents and New Zealanders suffering from the neighbours from hell. But he forgot that people ask follow up questions. Like, so where do you put these people? To which he has no answer. This is...
Sep 11, 2023•4 min
For an outfit that doesn’t like red tape, the National Party seems to be having some sort of brain explosion. Because it doesn't just want EV owners to pay road user charges - which I don’t think anyone would disagree with - it also wants to go the whole hog and get rid of fuel taxes completely and make everyone pay road user charges. So, at the moment, if you drive a petrol vehicle, you pay your bit for building and maintaining roads through a fuel excise tax. Which is simple as, because - bein...
Sep 11, 2023•5 min
We've also got an election coming up in five weeks, haven't we? So it was another weekend and another presentation of party policies coming thick and fast, wasn't it? Health targets from National, the scrapping of building consents from ACT, our ocean policy from the Greens, disagreements between National and ACT and Labour when it comes to the impending shake-up of our scientific research sector, and the proposal to introduce road user charges on all cars from National. Let's start with the roa...
Sep 11, 2023•5 min
The only thing National did wrong on Friday was release its literacy policy. Friday is not a good day for news cut-through. To a degree, they were at a disadvantage, as was every other party considering Labour released some heating ideas for houses. If you release it Friday many will miss it. But if you don't release anything you can be accused of a missed opportunity. But the literacy policy is more fertile ground for National given the record of the Government. Labour rolled out poor, old Jan ...
Sep 10, 2023•2 min
An opinion New Zealand needs to lift its game in addressing its critical housing shortage. Act wants builders to be able to use insurance companies as an alternative authority for consenting - cutting local council out of the process. Leader David Seymour says he tried to help a man get a new type of Gib plasterboard approved by Auckland Council at the height of the Gib crisis. He told Mike Hosking the council worker responsible for registering building material had gone away from work for three...
Sep 10, 2023•7 min
A view ACT's new housing policy sounds good in theory - but is a step too far in reality. The party's unveiled its housing policy - which would see builders able to use insurance companies as an alternative authority for consenting - to speed up the process. It aims to cut local councils out of the consenting process. Property commentator Ashley Church told Kate Hawkesby he believes in getting rid of bureaucracy - but this policy is all over the place. “I think there’s a risk with this that you’...
Sep 10, 2023•5 min
Questions around the National Party's plan for Road User Charges. It's looking to extend road user charges to all vehicles if elected, including electric vehicles. Motor Industry Association chief executive Aimee Wiley says it's not clear exactly how it will be rolled out. She told Mike Hosking there are clear benefits to a fuel tax which aren't present with this new model. “It’s a complicated problem because charging a fuel excise duty per litre is almost a foolproof system. It doesn’t need enf...
Sep 10, 2023•2 min
National's Health spokesperson Shane Reti says he's hopeful of fixing the health portfolio. The party's pledging to bring back targets if elected – focusing on shorter ED stays, faster cancer treatment and child immunisation rates. It also wants shorter wait times for first specialist assessments and surgery. Reti told Mike Hosking he's committed to getting the system to a point where it's out of the political spotlight. He says health has been a bit like education was: one of those suicide port...
Sep 10, 2023•3 min
An end may just be in sight for Rotorua's emergency housing. If elected, the National Party are promising to scrap Rotorua's emergency hotels within 2 years. They also want to reform Kainga Ora, giving the organisation more power to evict unruly tenants. Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 10, 2023•3 min
National's being accused of missing the point with its target for emergency departments. The party's pledging to bring back health targets if elected, including 95 percent of ED patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours. Northcare Accident and Medical's Peter Boot told Kate Hawkesby they should be thinking about primary care, which is falling over because doctors are either moving offshore or about to retire. “And National’s policy of bolstering up secondary care is com...
Sep 10, 2023•4 min
National has announced it plans to bring back health targets, if the party gets into power come October. Leader Chris Luxon confirmed the party would bring back targets - including for emergency departments, with 95 percent of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours. There are also new targets to quash wait times for specialist assessment and surgery, but no percentage figures have been committed to. Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says targets will focus attention ...
Sep 10, 2023•9 min
