Podcasts about finance ministers

Day 1,557.Today, after a weekend that saw Russian ships hit by drones, hit by drones and hit by drones again, it ended with another Russian ship being seized by abseiling Frenchmen. Meanwhile, Ukraine's “logistics lockdown” continued, leading to fuel rationing in Crimea and more Russian oil refineries self-sanctioning in very dramatic ways; no wonder Putin's Finance Minister has said Russia's spending on the war has gone two trillion rubles over budget.Contributors: Dom Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Sophie O'Sullivan (Telegraph journalist).Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Stergios-Aristoteles Mitoulis (Associate Professor of engineering at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at UCL). @DrMitoulis on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Gezim HilajStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Russia overspends on Putin's war in Ukraine by $28bn (The Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/93674b5c-06ea-4e49-a005-dc08e1091574?syn-25a6b1a6=1 Inside the schools preparing Ukrainian children for war (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/31/inside-the-schools-preparing-ukrainian-children-for-war/ For more information on Professor Mitoulis's work, follow the links below:Bridge Ukraine: https://bridgeukraine.org/Meta Infrastructure: https://metainfrastructure.org/EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:France seizes Russian shadow fleet tanker in mission Moscow calls ‘piracy'Ukrainian drones dominate skies over occupied cities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Finance Minister on Tuesday announced more than 9,000 public service jobs will go over three years, with savings of almost $2.5 billion. It has public servants holding their breaths. The government says new tech and AI will help streamline departments, but details are sparse. Either way some people are going to be looking for work. Bruce Pilbrow, the chief executive of New Zealand owned recruitment agency Tribe spoke to Lisa Owen.

A bid to change a political football as research finds housing targets aren't working. The New Zealand Initiative suggests councils should be judged on whether there's real and affordable choices – replacing traditional targets with price indicators. It also recommends an expert panel to make decisions rather than central Government. Research Fellow Benno Blaschke told Mike Hosking we need to get the politics out of it, like we do in other areas. He says the Finance Minister doesn't set interest rates, the Reserve Bank does, as it's independent and has the technical skill required. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says she's disappointed by revelations MFAT is exempt from cutting spending this year. It's been confirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade won't be given a reduced baseline budget. Most agencies face two percent cuts - but MFAT will be subject to the same five percent reduction for most agencies next year, and the year after. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Commissioner says deep cuts to the public service may seem dramatic, but the problem's built up over a long time. The Finance Minister says about 8700 staff will go by mid-2029, and most agencies' operating budgets will progressively reduce in coming years. Sir Brian Roche says cutting staffing down to 55,000 brings it to about one percent of the population. He says cuts and finding efficiencies should be more constant. "We only seem to reform ourselves every 30 or 40 years, we actually need to get much more cotemporary and dynamic in the way we think about organisations." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to EFF MP and Higher Education Committee member, Sihle Lonzi about why the EFF is unhappy with the cancellation of the committee meeting with NSFAS and Higher Education Minister on Monday. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catch Up on the latest leading news stories around the country with Mandy Wiener on Midday Report from 12:00 to 13:00. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to Higher Education Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Tebogo Letsie about the cancellation of the committee meeting with NSFAS and Higher Education Minister on Monday. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to EWN Reporter, Nhlanhla Mabaso about March on March taking to the streets of Durban following refugees protest at the Durban Police Station. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate, Herman Mashaba about Action SA hosting its own city address in Alexandra Township ahead of the city address by Mayor Dada Morero. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to EWN Reporter, Jabulile Mbatha about the court bid by the Marble Towers owners to stop their towers from being demolished by the city. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mandy Wiener speaks to EWN Reporter, Babalo Ndenze about the EFF heading to the high court to challenge the powers accorded to the finance minister to decide on the fuel levy. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's start with the big story of the day: the Finance Minister yesterday unveiling a major plan to shrink the public service. It's putting thousands of jobs on the line, but it is booking, potentially, billion-dollar savings into this year's Budget. So the interesting thing about her announcement —there were precursors to this, so this is stuff we knew, but it's all brought it into focus— is the pure numbers that we're talking about. So the Government wants to reduce the size of the core public sector. At the moment it's at 1.2% of the population. 1.2% of working New Zealanders work for the Government – they want to bring that down to 1%. So as we learned the other day, New Zealand's population sits at around 5.3 million. That, if you do the maths, means about 6–8,000 roles should go. The actual number they mentioned though was closer to 9,000. The savings will come from trimming staff numbers. They want to merge departments, and they want to increase the use of AI to improve efficiency. Now, of course some of us had thought that the cull of the public servants had already started. Wellington's economic stagnation has been blamed on that first round of efficiency cull, but it appears that not much was achieved. And here again, the numbers tell the real story. Back in 2017 there were 48,000 public servants. This ballooned under the Labour Government to 63,000. But despite all the angst in Wellington about bureaucratic redundancies over the past two years, the fact is there has not been a dramatic reduction in head count. In 2023, there were 63,000 public servants in this country. Today, in 2026, there are still 63,000 public servants. It's a dynamic world, the world of business and employment, and it's a bit like whack-a-mole. You cut here, but then you have to increase the cohort there every time you launch a new programme. If David Seymour gets his immigration policy over the line and we're going to crack down on overstayers more, they're going to need a whole lot more immigration workers – but they just fired a whole lot of those. Our search for 500 extra police officers was proof of how difficult all this can be. As fast as we hire a new cop, an old cop quits. So, we're running as fast as we can to stand still. These 63,000 people in the core public service, guess how much they cost the country? Guess how much? $11 billion a year. On average, and wait for this, each role costs about $175,000. I know. Well actually, the average wage is more like $100,000, but there's a whole lot of guys who are paid a whole heap more, so that brings that up a bit. Also it's the cost of disestablishing the role. But anyway, the fact of the matter is reducing those numbers will save hundreds of millions of dollars annually and potentially billions of dollars over the Government's four-year forecast period. Here's the thing, it's forecast over four years and even though these job cuts won't happen immediately, the Government plans to count these savings in this year's Budget, which is a week away. Based on the firm target that they're going to reduce head count by 9,000. So they're already talking about it. They're already saying before they've done a thing, hey, we've got an extra $2.4 billion and we'll be able to buy more services with that. And they're going to be doing that this election campaign; they'll be doing it next week over the course of the Budget. That's a very pretty $2.4 billion, isn't it? It sounds really good, but it'll take four years to achieve it if they achieve it. And I would ask you, is that counting your chickens before they hatch? So the process is easy to say, but I think you'll find it's much harder to do. And if you lay down an arbitrary target, we're cutting 9,000 jobs, that doesn't necessarily mean that the target will be met or met appropriately. So look, it's your show. What do you have to say about it? Are you confident that this can be done? Are you confident that this can be done and our services won't be unnecessarily reduced? There's another little debate we can have about the cut to the public service right now and that's the political fallout. This is an election year. Now many on the right will congratulate the move, and indeed they already have. And indeed, they're already asking why did this not happen two years ago? We thought the cull had started. I think the number you'll find that they've done is around about 2,000. Now they're talking about 9,000. Why didn't they talk about 9,000 two years ago? But anyway, the right will say great, good job, we need this. How will swinging voters feel about a cull? It's hard times and suddenly neighbours, family, friends are losing their job. And remember with every job cut, the ripples spread out, affecting the private economy. There's an old rule that says every job lost affects three more down the economic chain. So if we've got 9,000 jobs cut over the next four years, we've got nearly 40,000 other jobs that will be economically affected. So the political fallout, will this just harden the dislike for the Coalition among swinging voters who chop and change? And of course, the left, well they detest it immediately, don't they? They just hate this stuff. So the question politically, in doing this and doing it hard and doing it like this and doing it with such fanfare, is the Government shooting itself in the foot? Or will they be rewarded for finally stepping up their game? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by former Finance Minister and Taxpayers' Union Chair Ruth Richardson for a no-holds-barred warning about New Zealand's worsening fiscal mess.From exploding debt and runaway interest costs to bloated bureaucracy, superannuation reform, and a Government that still hasn't found its “brave pills”, Ruth lays out why the country may be sleepwalking towards a fiscal crisis — and what needs to change before taxpayers are left carrying the can.Support the show

Another swathe of Government agency job cuts and public sector reform. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says they want to return the public servant headcount to 1% of the population by mid-2029, culling about 8,700 jobs. Government agency operating budgets will again be reduced – 2% now, increasing over following years. Willis says they will also thin out the ministries, pointing to savings it'll bring. She says they expect to hire more nurses, Police officers, and others in critical frontline roles. Willis says AI is “incredible” at slashing the amount of time needed for mundane tasks, revealing her staff used it to write a report on public service reform. She told Mike Hosking the Government was streamlining agencies and embedding AI and digitisation, and asking the public service to "get out of the 80s". She was experimenting with AI in her own office. “Instead of one of my analysts spending half a day coming up with a document, they said to AI, ‘Have a look at public service reform around the world, tell us who's done what, what seems to have worked well, what hasn't'. “And 10 minutes later, you've got a beautiful document with some guidance and some advice.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance ministers and central bankers from the world's top economies are gathering in Paris as the US war on Iran threatens to undermine the global financial system. Meanwhile, inflation tied to the war sparks a rout on bond markets, and the US's busiest commuter rail system shuts down over a labour dispute.

A former Finance Minister once forced to bail out BNZ says buying it back would be lunacy. New Zealand First is proposed re-nationalising the bank, buying it back from Australia's NAB and merging it with Kiwibank. Leader Winston Peters says bank profits should remain in New Zealand. But Ruth Richardson says the idea has no weight. "It makes New Zealand look like a tinpot country, where populist politicians feel free to nationalise private businesses. Why stop at banks? I mean, supermarkets like Woolworths are foreign-owned." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of Budget 2026, the Finance Minister has hinted towards incoming changes for certain Government departments. Nicola Willis says she's planning to tell ministries and departments to come up with plans for amalgamation, with more details to be revealed tomorrow. Willis went on to explain that the Government's agreed that there's too many ministries and that they need to amalgamate agencies. "Just as every business and household in the country is always working to get more value for money, we need to, too." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister once forced to bail out BNZ says buying it back would be lunacy. New Zealand First is proposed re-nationalising the bank, buying it back from Australia's NAB and merging it with Kiwibank. Leader Winston Peters says bank profits should remain in New Zealand. But Ruth Richardson says the idea has no weight. "It makes New Zealand look like a tinpot country, where populist politicians feel free to nationalise private businesses. Why stop at banks? I mean, supermarkets like Woolworths are foreign-owned." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do you think government spending should be prioritised? According to new survey findings, a third of us reckon health funding and access to medicines is most important and must be given top priority. And I find it hard to argue with that, because we're all involved in the health system in some way, shape or form, aren't we? This is at the same time as we have the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister saying there's more belt tightening on the way, with a $300 million cut in the amount of new spending in this year's Budget, which Nicola Willis will deliver in two weeks. And it will be the third year in a row that there's been a cut in new spending, or the operating allowance, as it's officially known. So, instead of $2.4 billion in new spending in this year's Budget, there'll be $2.1 billion. That was the heads-up we got from the Prime Minister yesterday in his pre-Budget speech. But just as he was doing that, the findings of a new survey emerged which show how or where people think government spending should be prioritised. It's a survey done for pharmaceutical lobby group Medicines NZ, and it shows that a third of the people spoken to say their vote in this year's election will be strongly influenced by policies which improve healthcare. When people were asked which area of government spending was most important, 55 percent said health, 15 percent said economic development, 8 percent said infrastructure, and 7 percent said education. And of the people who said health was their main priority, 37 percent said hospital and specialist services were most important to them; 23 percent said GP services; and 16 percent said better access to medicines was their health priority. Which rings true to me, especially access to specialist services, because unless you have medical insurance, you can wait ages to see a specialist, can't you? Access to a specialist can, for some people, be the difference between life and death, so that's an area of the public health system I want to see more investment in. What about you? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess what? New Zealand's in economic trouble. I know, I know, who would have thought it? Well, we did. You know it, I know it. We've known it for a very, very long time, right from the very start when Labour began throwing money around. There were the Cassandras coming on the radio saying, “Oh, you're going to have to pay it back. All very well and good now, probably the right thing to do, but at some point we're going to have to pay it back." “The outlook is negative, so it indicates that there is a chance of a downgrade.” Okay, and what does that mean? Well, it's not just national pride, it means that it will cost us more to borrow money, which will add even more to our outstanding debt. And it's all very well and good for Finance Minister Nicola Willis to start putting the brakes on now. As has become common these days, the Budget will be no surprise. You know the details of the Budget pretty much before it's announced. But I would argue her budget is a budget that should have been presented three years ago. She told Mike Hosking this morning that getting the books back in order is more important than ever. “We have to be very careful about the choices we make. And gone are the days, I think, when political campaigns will be about what new spending program you can design to dish out more lolly in a creative way. We're now in a time where the task for sensible leaders is to say, “What are the investments required to drive the things that will support growth, living standards, and affordability into the future?" And that's why, of course, we've made that decision. Actually, the Fees Free program, it doesn't cut it in this new age. It's not delivering results. That is investment that should be made elsewhere in things that really matter. And there have been choices like that throughout this budget process.” Good, but I would argue the tax cuts were a dumb choice. It was an election bribe. Spending on capital infrastructure, which is an investment in the future, that's not dumb spending. Silly tax cuts that made no meaningful difference to people's lives, I'd say that was a dumb choice. National came in saying that they had the answers, they had the lever, they knew which levers to pull to get the economy back on track. I think they made some dumb choices along the way, and this is the Budget that should have been delivered in Nicola Willis's first term as Finance Minister. They are streets ahead of a Labour-Greens coalition in terms of economic prudence. I mean, there is just absolutely, absolutely no choice if you're looking for economic prudence. Labour hasn't even got a plan, hasn't even released the plan – at least the Greens have released a plan. You might not agree with it, but they do have a plan. Labour, no, they're waiting till after the Budget and let's see what miracles they can put up. But how the hell are they going to pay for pay equity, which is going to cost billions and billions of ongoing dollars? If they promise that, then that should be enough to consign them to oblivion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bit of buzz around Kiwibank as it potentially looks to have another crack at getting bigger, and by getting bigger, then becomes better able to take on the so-called "big four". This is business and it's politics. Asset sales are back on the agenda, especially for the National and ACT parties. NZ First, not so much. So it may well be one of those things that gets tossed around as an idea, but in the reality of an MMP environment, it goes nowhere. Making the Kiwibank story slightly unique is its role in the overall banking atmosphere of New Zealand and whether a bigger bank would solve any of the perceived competition problems we have. People we know are prepared to change banks. Last year when there was a free for all on cashbacks for borrowing, people were moving freely like the wind. So the idea that there isn't competition doesn't appear to be true. But I'm in a minority given everyone from the Commerce Commission to the Finance Minister argues otherwise. I also detect more broadly that asset sales are not, as a topic, as edgy as they once were. If you go back to the 80's and Labour under Douglas and Prebble, asset sales were dynamite and not all of them went well, which didn't help the pro-sales argument. But the cold hard-ish reality here, 40 years on, is there isn't a lot left to sell. Some chunks of power companies are worth serious money. We have an airline, a TV network, a radio network, some farms – it's all got a moderately piecemeal vibe to it. Kiwibank should be able to raise the sort of money it needs, and it should be allowed to grow. Is the counter to a partial sale that we like a small, restricted bank that hasn't been allowed to be all it could be just so we can say we are anti-asset sales? In Kiwibank's case you are holding back growth. In TVNZ's case it's about ideology, i.e. should the state run a TV station given the place isn't worth anything to sell? And in say the case of Genesis, it's about serious coin we could badly use elsewhere. If this idea goes anywhere this election year, you would hope we are less hung up on ideology and more attuned to the nuances of the debate than we have been in the past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the Budget "lolly scrambles" are well and truly a thing of the past. The Government's cut its operating allowance by another $300 million to $2.1 billion. Nicola Willis says Government ministers have been looking carefully for savings. She told Mike Hosking they're having to be very careful about the choices they make. Willis says they need to look for investments that drive growth, living standards, and affordability. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government says in a worst case scenario, fuel would be rationed according to need - from critical services at the top to the general public at the bottom. Nicola Willis spoke to John Campbell.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has backed the decision to scrap the fees-free scheme for good. Last week, Winston Peters revealed to Newstalk ZB on Friday the Government's doing away with the free final year of tertiary education. Nicola Willis says it's important for the Government to invest in things that Kiwis really need and want - not a failed policy that didn't achieve any of the goals it aimed to accomplish. "New Zealand has been in deficit since 2019, we're carrying a heck of a lot of debt, we've got some real priorities for our budget in terms of the health system, the education we want to give our young kids, the defence system we want to build up, the infrastructure we want to build - all of those things have a better call on money." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The criticisms of Tuesday's federal budget have already started. Labor is facing allegations of broken promises over changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount. And there is frustration in the electorate about the government's $50bn increase in defence spending over the next decade, while also significantly reducing the growth in NDIS spending. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to finance minister Katy Gallagher who, along with treasurer Jim Chalmers, is leading the decision making on a budget that claims to address intergenerational fairness – while also being responsible and resilient in an uncertain global environment

TVNZ's Political Editor Maiki Sherman has resigned from the state broadcaster, citing unprecedented scrutiny and enormous pressure on her over the past week. It follows a barrage of criticism after revelations she directed a homophobic slur at another journalist during late-night drinks in the Finance Minister's office a year ago. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The Finance Minister says the Government's going to have to do something about Superannuation. An OECD report warns if current policy settings continue, we could be spending 5% more of our GDP on health, long-term care, and pensions by 2060. Minister Nicola Willis says the cost for superannuation is going up billions of dollars, while there are fewer workers for every pensioner. She told Mike Hosking the cost is also rising as a proportion of taxes. Willis says it will soon account for 20%, and every dollar spent isn't available for education, health, and infrastructure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're diving deep into the state of New Zealand Politics. Duncan questions why we're importing thousands of workers while 215,000 Kiwis sit on Job Seeker support. It's lazy policymaking that leaves taxpayers picking up the bill while businesses avoid training locals. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick joined us to discuss a very different path forward. She's backing a wealth tax on the "tippy top" 3% of New Zealanders to fund income tax cuts for the other 91%. The ambition from the Greens is clear; they aren't content being the junior partner anymore. Chlöe has her sights set on the Finance Minister role, promising to "electrify everything" to bring down power bills and take a tougher stance on corporate profits. Whether New Zealanders are ready for such a radical shift in the tax system remains the big question for the upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's some concerns about cost blowouts on the new Cook Strait ferries, but Minister Chris Bishop isn't too worried. A Treasury briefing from September warned of risks costs could overtake the budgeted $1.8 billion dollars. Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop says the Government's working at pace on this project and the new ferries are on their way. "It's going to be tight, there's no doubt about that. But things are going pretty well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Prime Minister seems to have a different position to our government and Foreign Minister on the biggest political issue - Israel & USA's war on Iran. Meaningful Members' Bills in parliament are a breath of fresh air. The right wing attack Maiki Sherman for saying slurs at the Finance Minister's event. Trump racks up a third assassination attempt.This episode's co-hostsPhilip, John, SimoneTimestamps0:00 Opening / Introductions1:13 Middle Management of NZ14:46 Good New Bills 18:40 Discretion 32:00 Slurs44:22 Another Assassination Attempt59:42 ClosingIntro/Outro by The Prophet MotiveSupport us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Plus, DUP press Finance Minister over gap in NI Civil Service sickness reporting.

The Finance Minister says New Zealand's inflation situation is very different to Australia's. Across the ditch, the rate's surged from 3.7% in February to 4.6% in March. Our headline rate was unchanged at 3.1% in the March quarter, but economists expect it to approach 4.5% for June. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking Australia was experiencing higher inflation before the fuel crisis, in part due to government spending. She says she wants to be diplomatic, but the Australian Government is stimulating the economy more through its higher spending. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says there will be downsides to loosening restrictions on heavy vehicles. Trucking lobby group Transporting New Zealand is calling for weight restrictions to loosen immediately, not just in Phase Two of the fuel response. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government's looking into options they can implement quickly - and they're weighing up the benefits and drawbacks. "I wouldn't rule out progressing them in Phase One, because actually, what they'll do is reduce the cost of fuel for major diesel users." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's between a rock and hard place ahead of her budget. Moody's has downgraded New Zealand's economic outlook from stable to negative and Treasury officials are revisiting their economic forecasts. Nicola Willis says the Government shouldn't be spending more to deal with the fuel crisis, but austerity also isn't the answer. Former Treasury Secretary and NZ Initiative Senior Fellow Murray Horn told Mike Hosking borrowing more and more won't work. He says all that will do is delay the economic pain and make it worse. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says politicians should see our downgraded Moody's economic outlook as a wake-up-call, as she pieces together her Budget. The rating agency's moved our designation from stable to negative, but reaffirmed our triple A credit rating. Nicola Willis says she's got a clear set of goals for the 2026 Budget - and she's committed to sticking with them even during the ongoing crisis. "The most urgent thing I'm having to do, pretty much every day at the moment, is say no to spending more...many New Zealanders are saying cut the petrol tax, do this for us, do that for us - I get it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minister Chris Bishop says he's confident the Infrastructure Commission has the expertise to advise frankly, and to the point, on big projects. It'll take over the role for publicly funded infrastructure projects in November, taking responsibility from Treasury. Bishop says he and the Finance Minister have been concerned by the quality of information on infrastructure offered to Government this term. He says the Commission will give a more assertive, yes-or-no take on future work. "That's exactly what ministers need when it comes to making investment decisions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is concerned about an expected spike in inflation. The inflation rate has remained unchanged at 3.1% in the March quarter, despite forecasts of a drop. ASB economists now expect it to approach 4.5% this quarter, remain above 4% until the end of the year, and remain above 3% until at least the middle of next year. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking there's no doubt inflation will rise this quarter. She's also refusing to name the five disgruntled National MPs that Christopher Luxon says are behind party leaks to the media. Luxon's passed a vote of confidence at yesterday's lengthy caucus meeting, but MPs aren't revealing details of the vote, including how many of them supported Luxon. Newstalk ZB understands the disgruntled MPs are Joseph Mooney, Andrew Bayley, Sam Uffindell, Barbara Kuriger, and Tim van de Molen. Willis told Hosking she won't throw colleagues under the bus without evidence. She says each of the five have said they haven't leaked to the media and support a unified caucus. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister has raised some concerns over NZ First's bid to break up the supermarket duopoly. NZ First has announced that if re-elected, it will split Foodstuffs into two nationwide co-operates: one for New World and Four Square, and the other for Pak'nSave. Nicola Willis says it's good idea, but it needs to be carefully implemented. "That's why I've been taking my time working through proposals, looking very carefully at costs, very carefully at benefits, reviewing that, thinking about implementation - because I agree with Winston that the margins in our supermarket sector are very high." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis has made her way to the US. She joins a long list of finance ministers calling for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, and met with Trump's officials for an update on the situation in Iran. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the Whitehouse was, 'careful to caveat that there were still a number of unknowns because they're not the only actor in the conflict.' when asked about the situation in Iran. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin discusses and covers the following stories: weather is back in the news; oil and gas prices continue to react to the war in Iran; Phil Flynn, Senior Market Analyst, PRICE Futures Group, in his Energy Report describes the effects of Trump's blockade of Iranian ports; Finance Ministers from Europe pushed for the implementation of the ceasefire because of the pressure on the world economy; Pope Leo expresses his thoughts on the war; the National Federation of Independent Business released their March Small Business Economic Trends data; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offer his insights and a few opinions along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin discusses and covers the following stories: weather is back in the news; oil and gas prices continue to react to the war in Iran; Phil Flynn, Senior Market Analyst, PRICE Futures Group, in his Energy Report describes the effects of Trump's blockade of Iranian ports; Finance Ministers from Europe pushed for the implementation of the ceasefire because of the pressure on the world economy; Pope Leo expresses his thoughts on the war; the National Federation of Independent Business released their March Small Business Economic Trends data; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offer his insights and a few opinions along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin discusses and covers the following stories: weather is back in the news; oil and gas prices continue to react to the war in Iran; Phil Flynn, Senior Market Analyst, PRICE Futures Group, in his Energy Report describes the effects of Trump's blockade of Iranian ports; Finance Ministers from Europe pushed for the implementation of the ceasefire because of the pressure on the world economy; Pope Leo expresses his thoughts on the war; the National Federation of Independent Business released their March Small Business Economic Trends data; Kevin has the details, digs into the data, puts the information into historical perspective, offer his insights and a few opinions along the way.

9. GERMAN ECONOMIC REFORM AND LARS KLINGBEIL. JOSEPH STERNBERG. Joseph Sternberg profiles the Finance Minister's supply-side proposals, including tax reforms and labor law flexibility. These initiatives aim to revive the German economy and reclaim voters from the far-right. (9)1742 PERSIA

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW SCHEDULE, TUESDAY 4 -7-2026.1521 HORMUZ STRAIT.1. FEDERAL RESERVE'S LIMITED ROLE IN INFLATION. ELIZABETH PEEK. Elizabeth Peek explains that the Fed cannot control supply-shock inflation caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure. She warns that upcoming reports will reflect soaring diesel prices currently affecting Europe. (1)2. REPUBLICAN MIDTERM STRATEGY AND THE ECONOMY. ELIZABETH PEEK. Voter focus has shifted from the border to cost-of-living issues that skyrocketed under current leadership. Peek notes Republicans struggle with messaging despite initiatives to lower healthcare costs and prescription drug prices. (2)3. EUROPE'S ENERGY CRISIS AND THE TRANSATLANTIC RIFT. JUDY DEMPSEY. Judy Dempsey reports on soaring German and French energy costs necessitating diesel subsidies. She highlights European distrust of the American administration and the fraying of traditional multilateral institutions. (3)4. FAR-RIGHT GAINS IN EAST GERMAN ELECTIONS. JUDY DEMPSEY. Dempsey analyzes the AfD's momentum in East Germany, where pacifist sentiment and economic resentment drive support. The far-right party now contests Chancellor Mertz's coalition in upcoming regional state elections. (4)5. DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY IN GLOBAL CONFLICTS. MARY KISSEL. Mary Kissel outlines the State Department's roles in economic diplomacy and humanitarian coordination during global crises. She emphasizes the necessity of consistent messaging between the White House and international allies. (5)6. THE EBB TIDE OF SOCIALISM IN SOUTH AMERICA. MARY KISSEL. Kissel discusses right-of-center political shifts in Venezuela and Chile, crediting Marco Rubio for fostering regional economic growth. She calls for a transition of power to benefit the Cuban people. (6)7. ESCALATION AND IRAN'S REFUSAL TO NEGOTIATE. JONATHAN SCHANZER. Schanzer details the five-man collective governing Iran and their commitment to revolutionary martyrdom. He describes US strikes on infrastructure while questioning if Pakistan is acting as a Chinese proxy. (7)8. THE IDF CAMPAIGN TO DEFANG HEZBOLLAH. JONATHAN SCHANZER. Jonathan Schanzer reports on Israel's efforts to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to prevent rocket attacks. He reveals that the IDF has already destroyed roughly 80% of Hezbollah's arsenal. (8)9. GERMAN ECONOMIC REFORM AND LARS KLINGBEIL. JOSEPH STERNBERG. Joseph Sternberg profiles the Finance Minister's supply-side proposals, including tax reforms and labor law flexibility. These initiatives aim to revive the German economy and reclaim voters from the far-right. (9)10. UK POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND THE KING'S VISIT. JOSEPH STERNBERG. Sternberg discusses Keir Starmer's unpopularity and the upcoming royal visit to America. He suggests the visit offers an opportunity to repair the special relationship despite deep strategic differences over Iran. (10)11. CHINESE ESPIONAGE AND THE ROBOTICS THREAT. DAVID SHEDD AND JACK BURNHAM. Experts examine the Schumer-Cotton bill targeting Chinese robotics, warning that these technologies contain software egress points for data theft. They argue this follows a long-standing pattern of intellectual property larceny. (11)12. AI SMUGGLING AND CIVILIAN-MILITARY FUSION. DAVID SHEDD AND JACK BURNHAM. The guests detail illicit efforts to smuggle Nvidia chips and steal American AI models through "adversarial distillation". They highlight China's strategic plan to acquire Western innovation without the investment. (12)13. Headline: The Gulf Standoff: UN Vetoes, Asymmetrical Tactics, and Iran's Ruling Council (13)Guest: Gregory Copley (14)Summary: John Batchelor and Gregory Copley discuss the Gulf standoff following Russian and Chinese UN vetoes,. They analyze Iran's asymmetrical warfare, use of human shields, and the influence of five uncompromising hardliners currently steering the conflict,,,. (15)14. THE IRANIAN STANDOFF AND STRATEGIC DEADLOCK. GREGORY COPLEY. Gregory Copley compares the conflict to a Korean-style stalemate where Iranian leadership refuses to provide a face-saving exit. Russia and China continue supporting Iran by providing missile propellant and equipment. (16)15. VIETNAM WAR LESSONS FOR MODERN CONFLICT. GREGORY COPLEY. Copley warns that alienation from the government and a lack of defined victory objectives could lead to strategic catastrophe. He notes Trump has alienated allies who previously supported US endeavors. (17)16. KING CHARLES AND THE ANGLO-AMERICAN ALLIANCE. GREGORY COPLEY. Gregory Copley discusses the King's role in mending rifts between unpopular US and UK leaders. The visit celebrates American independence while offering the King a platform to improve diplomatic relations. (18)

In this CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast episode, Harvard Kennedy School student Carissa Tridina speaks with Professor Chatib Basri, former Finance Minister of Indonesia and current visiting scholar at CID, about the structural shifts reshaping development and financing today. As global aid shrinks and countries' debt burdens rise, governments face tighter fiscal space and more complex political trade-offs as they try to build sustained growth. During the episode, we explore how building state capacity in domestic financing, institutional credibility, and leadership is critical. The conversation also looks at Professor Basri's experience with Indonesia's political economy reforms, and whether the lessons learned can be applied to the present and across different contexts in an increasingly fragmented global economy. Whether you're interested in international development, financing, or state capacity, this episode offers timely insight into how the shifting landscape affects all development actors.

The Finance Minister says the country's fuel supplies are stable, but diesel levels have dipped slightly in the latest figures. Finance Minister Nicola Willis spoke to Corin Dann.

What happens when a grown-up economist says the quiet part out loud: the U.S. is acting like it can break the rules forever? Andrés Velasco joins Matt and Luigi for a sharp, no-spin talk on debt, tariffs, copper, central banks, globalization, and why countries that treat boom times like a Vegas weekend usually end up crying in the shower. From Chile's "save it, don't blow it" playbook to America's very expensive habit of pretending deficits don't matter, this episode puts real-world economics back in plain English.