Podcasts about finance ministers

In the news, a 62‑year‑old man receives a lengthy prisonsentence after being convicted of rape and indecent assault….Cayman's Finance Minister takes transparency to London, meeting with the UK's fiscal watchdog to strengthen trust in government budgets… New rules for Cayman's corporate sector are coming on New Year's Day. The government says the changes will keep the jurisdiction competitive and cut red tape for global busines. This is your evening news update for 18 December 2025.

A prediction that 2026 will be a very good year for the economy. GDP grew 1.1% in the September quarter. Former Associate Finance Minister Richard Prebble even suspects we could see a turnaround in unemployment, which has ticked up since 2022. He says Stats NZ data is always backwards looking. Prebble told Heather du Plessis-Allan job ads are on the up and Seek numbers up 7%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis joins Nick Mills live at Prefab for a look back on our economy this year. They reflect on the year that has been, and their hopes for the next year, election year. Why is the Willis v Richardson debate not happening? Is the GDP rise a sign of hope? Nick asks Nicola Willis the big questions. And they get in the Christmas spirit with some gift giving. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a tough run for the economy this year, but the Finance Minister is celebrating the progress that was made. Nicola Willis told Kerre Woodham the economy is growing, which means that when they look back on 2025, they'll be able to say it ended a lot better than it started. She says that looking into next year, it's set to grow much faster, with many more jobs being created. “People can look forward to their incomes rising faster than inflation and ongoing low interest rates – that's a positive way to start the next year.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Duncan Garner Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Duncan Garner discusses David Seymour's plan to reignite the treaty principles debate in the 2026 election year, arguing it's a strategic move to address public unease over race relations in New Zealand. Garner is joined by former Finance Minister and Prime Minister Bill English to discuss the current political and economic climate, including the challenges of managing the national budget, the housing market, and public spending. Bill English offers insights into the evolving political landscape and the importance of effective governance amid growing financial constraints. The episode also highlights the role of media, both state-funded and independent, in shaping public opinion and political discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of my podcast, The Global Agora, features an exclusive interview with former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After leaving Brussels in October last year, he became Norway's Finance Minister, and he also wrote a book, On My Watch, reflecting on his 10 years at NATO. It was the perfect opportunity for another round of conversation, especially since I had the chance to interview him in the past. We discussed a range of topics, including Ukraine, whether Vladimir Putin's calculus can be changed, the impact of US President Donald Trump's policies on Europe, and I also asked him if NATO, under his watch, ever came dangerously close to war with Russia. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The Government insists it has a plan to turn the economy around. Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows the country is first forecast to be in the black by 2029-2030. The Finance Minister has admitted the country is borrowing money to pay the interest bill on the debt. Nicola Willis told Heather du Plessis Allan that bill is about $9 billion a year. She says around 80% of borrowing over the next few years will be for capital assets like hospitals, schools, and roads. There may also be more cuts to the public service as they aim to get back down to surplus. Economic growth is expected to be just 1.7% next year, and Willis says there's still room for efficiency in the public service. She will be sending letters out to her cabinet colleagues to give them ideas on where they can make some savings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no surprise that Nicola Willis has pushed out surplus by another year. That now makes it three years in two years, as in she has delayed surplus by three years in just the space of the two years she's been at the Finance Minister's desk. Had she kept her pledge, the one she made about tidying up this country's books when asking for our votes in 2023, we would be seeing a surplus next year. Now it's 2029 at the earliest. Getting our books back in order is important if we don't want our kids to pack up and leave for Australia when they're old enough to. Nicola can blame everyone from Treasury to Trump if she wants, but she has not done enough to get us back to surplus. She has defended, and kept, Jacinda's wasteful policy of paying for one free year for university students. The policy has been repeatedly criticised as a flop that doesn't actually make anyone go to university. Cutting that would save us in the vicinity of $1 billion over four years. She has given welfare to households on more than $200,000 a year by giving them money for childcare. People on that kind of coin don't need benefits. Cutting that would save $1 billion in a little over five years. She still hasn't cut or income tested the Winter Energy Payment, which is going to people who are still in the workforce and being set aside for nice trips to Fiji. Cutting that would save $1 billion in less than two years. Trimming it would save less, but it would save something. She has cut 2000 public servants when Grant and Jacinda added 14,000. Be in no doubt - money is tight. But there is still a lot of waste that could be cut if Nicola Willis was brave enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of December, Nicola Willis responds to the surplus being pushed out another year, the third blowout in her two years as the Finance Minister. Indycar champ Scott Dixon is on to talk his career and the launch of a new world class karting facility in Auckland. And Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen cover all the highs and lows of 2025 on the final Politics Wednesday for the year. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's still aiming for a surplus this decade, despite today's bleak economic news. Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows more delay to getting the books back to black. The deficit's expected to deepen more to a high of $16.9 billion and not narrow to $60 million dollars until 2029-30. Nicola Willis says a 2029 surplus is very achievable. "What that will take is just a small revision to the growth upwards, combined with fiscal discipline. And those are two things that our Government is committed to." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's still aiming for a surplus this decade, despite today's bleak economic news. Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows more delay to getting the books back to black. The deficit's expected to deepen more to a high of $16.9 billion and not narrow to $60 million dollars until 2029-30. Nicola Willis says a 2029 surplus is very achievable. "What that will take is just a small revision to the growth upwards, combined with fiscal discipline. And those are two things that our Government is committed to." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're going to start this morning with the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, which was actually the Three-quarter Year Economic and Fiscal Update. It delivered news we all expected, and that is that we're getting there as a country. It's just taking longer than we thought. Treasury's half-year update, published on Tuesday, predicted a return to surplus in 2029/30, a year later than it forecasted in May. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she'd continue to aim for 2028/29 and said we're on target to return the books to surplus faster than they will in Australia, the UK, Canada, and many other advanced economies, while maintaining a prudent debt position. She's doubled down on what she calls her disciplined plan for returning the books to surplus, and says she's not willing to implement more brutal spending cuts, as the Taxpayers' Union have been advocating for, warning that their prescription would deliver human misery and hurt frontline public services and depress already weak demand in a recovering economy. She points out that the Taxpayer Union proposed, among other things, scrapping all Working for Families tax credits, reducing the average weekly income of the recipients by about $180. She said beneficiaries and low-income families would be at the brunt of any change like that, delivering a level of human misery she was not prepared to tolerate. She said of Labour's criticism, that their approach to spending is reckless and would further delay a return to surplus. She said that the Government had delivered about $11 billion a year in savings during its term. Without this disciplined approach, she says the year's deficit would be $25 billion, and debt would be on track to blow out to 59% of GDP. So, according to Finance Minister Willis, she and her government are on track, and that being castigated by the Taxpayers' Union for being too soft, too wimpy, and being criticized by Labour for being too harsh, means she's charting the right course. It is a fine balance she has to strike. You, me, everybody can see where she can make cuts. The winter energy payment, making it a needs-based payment, making a number of allowances needs-based, the fees free, that sort of thing. There's a lot of low-hanging fruit you could pluck off and save a few cents here and a few cents there. What a lot of households have done over the past few years. But she is bound by her agreements with coalition partners. There are some things she cannot touch. She's working in an MMP environment. There are plenty of things I'm sure she'd love to do, things that Ruth Richardson could do, but even allowing for the human misery factor, there are coalition partners she has to placate, and the Government wants to get re-elected. It is utterly pointless steering the right course, but only for three years. It is utterly pointless saving a few billion here, only for it to be squandered next time round. So what do you suggest she does? I'm sure she gets plenty of reckons from all sorts of people – the most recent and the most high profile was former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson, who really should pipe down. I'm glad that debate's off. That was just farcical. But Ruth Richardson needs to pipe down because she could do things, and did do things, that simply aren't possible for this Finance Minister to do under MMP. And also, it's a lot harder to get elected under MMP and to have a big say in the direction of the government unless you've got a big platform. So anything Nicola Willis does has to be with an eye to being the biggest party to form a government. So, I tend to think she's right, that if you've got the Taxpayers' Union going, you're too soft, you're too wet, you're too pathetic, you've got Labour going, you're too cruel, you're too harsh, you're too brutal, then she's pretty much on the right track. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a view that New Zealand's still a while away from being a 'rockstar' economy. Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update documents are coming out early this afternoon, carrying key economic metrics. Treasury's also releasing a Budget Policy Statement outlining priorities for upcoming spending. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Heather du Plessis-Allan it was a pretty average year for the economy, and next year looks to be better. Joyce says getting core spending below 30% of GDP is the goal, but it won't happen overnight. He says Bill English spent eight years after the Canterbury quakes and the global financial crisis wrestling to get back into surplus. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update is due to be unveiled to the nation tomorrow, and the Finance Ministers outlined her expectations. Experts have speculated a projected surplus will be pushed back from 2029 by another year, and Prime Minister Chris Luxon tempered expectations earlier today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says 'fiscal discipline' will see New Zealand's economy keep growing in the coming months. "Importantly, I also get to update the Treasury's economic forecasts and that's what shows the picture for more job creation, income growth into the future, and people doing better." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update is due to be unveiled to the nation tomorrow, and the Finance Ministers outlined her expectations. Experts have speculated a projected surplus will be pushed back from 2029 by another year, and Prime Minister Chris Luxon tempered expectations earlier today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says 'fiscal discipline' will see New Zealand's economy keep growing in the coming months. "Importantly, I also get to update the Treasury's economic forecasts and that's what shows the picture for more job creation, income growth into the future, and people doing better." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a week of back and forth for the Taxpayers' Union and the Finance Minister. Nicola Willis has challenged Union chair and former finance minister Ruth Richardson to a debate, which was met with a sweet treat sent to Nicola and media. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a stunt, performative politics, a farce, a side show, a distraction from the HYEFU and quarterly GDP results being released this week… goodness me, the thought of a debate between our current Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, and a previous Finance Minister, Ruth Richardson, caused quite a stir this week, didn't it? Politics is, by its nature, a contest of ideas and values, so why are we afraid of a little debate? We see performative debate taking place in the House on a regular basis? Dare I say it - but with all the hype, maybe people will watch this one. I like that Finance Minister Nicola Willis isn't quietly counting down the days until the Christmas break to slink away and hope the fudge campaign, devised by the Taxpayers Union, will slowly slip from our minds after a bevy and BBQ or three. In his column in the NZ Herald this week, Mathew Hooton said that whoever advised Finance Minister Nicola Willis to challenge her predecessor Ruth Richardson, now the chair of the Taxpayers Union, to a debate should be sacked. I wonder whether Willis, an experienced debater, came up with the idea herself. Hooton has a point - it's potentially a lose-lose situation. Richardson is going to be cast as a member of the hard-nose right happy to inflict misery on people to achieve fiscal consolidation, and Willis could be a sitting duck depending on the HYEFU and quarterly GDP results released next week. But do we want politicians who are always thinking about themselves, take a strategic approach and craft their messaging to avoid transparency, or would you prefer a Finance Minister prepared to openly discuss one of the main issues concerning New Zealanders today - the state of the economy - with someone who is trying to undermine her? The NZ Herald's political editor, Thomas Coughlan, does an excellent job of explaining what's behind this situation in his article titled Ruth Richardson v Nicola Willis - the facts behind the argument. Essentially, after a financial crisis or shock it is accepted that Governments spend more to get through - and that the books end up in a bit of mess - but once the economy has ‘restarted' and we're on the other side of the shock, fiscal consolidation kicks in, and budgets tighten so the country is ready for the next financial shock. What is to be debated is whether the current coalition is moving fast enough when it comes to this fiscal consolidation. Will we be ready for the next financial shock? We know we have challenges ahead - with two of the known ones being our aging population's impact on our health system and the increased cost of superannuation. Do we increase taxes? Reduce spending and inflict the social costs of austerity? Or do we risk taking a slower approach to getting back on track, with less negative impact on our communities? As long as it's a civil one - it sounds like something worth debating. But it needs to be a debate which doesn't get personal, nasty or derogatory. One in which each debater expresses their values and the reasoning behind their approach, backs their thinking with evidence and outlays a long term vision for New Zealand. This is the kind of discourse we should be having. Let's get an independent economist to run it - and get on with it. If nothing else - it could be highly entertaining, something we could all do with at this point in the year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The debate over a debate between Finance Ministers - past and present - has descended into farce - with both sides now accusing the other of chickening out. Nicola Willis had challenged Ruth Richardson - who chairs the Taxpayers' Union - to a public debate over the government's fiscal strategy. But they can't seem to agree on a location. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Brigitte Morton from Franks Ogilvie joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Taxpayers' Union has released some packaged fudge taking aim at Nicola Willis' track record as a Finance Minister - ahead of the debate between her and Ruth Richardson that's supposed to be taking place. What do we make of all this? The US is reportedly looking to require tourists to hand over their social media accounts in order to travel there. How do we feel about this? Would it put you off travelling to the US? Cancer diagnoses are set to skyrocket in the next 20 years, but experts say at least half of these could be prevented if we smoked less, drank less, ate better and got more exercise. Do we need to take more responsibility for our health? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you see any advantage or benefit to the country in having a former Finance Minister and the current one debating fiscal policy? The current Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, has challenged the former Finance Minister, Ruth Richardson, to a debate. Now, that is misguided in my view, but to be fair, she was grievously provoked. Ruth Richardson is the chair of the Taxpayers' Union. The Taxpayers' Union is a pressure group, a ginger group, founded in 2013 to scrutinise government spending, publicise government waste, and promote an efficient tax system. Its basis is its membership is mainly conservative, centre-right, right-wing figures, and it's regarded as a right-wing pressure group. Normally you would think they'd be scrutinising Labour and Labour's spending. Last week, the Taxpayers' Union sent out a provocative pamphlet and an accompanying box of fudge, accusing Nicola Willis of not delivering on her election promises to rein in reckless spending, unsustainable borrowing, and the hiring of endless bureaucrats. The Union accused Willis of failing to deliver the goods and fudging it, hence the fudge that arrived with the press release. Provoked and incensed beyond reason, Nicola Willis swiped back. She said, "My message for Ruth Richardson is a very clear one: come and debate me face-to-face, come out of the shadows. I will argue toe-to-toe on the prescription that our government is following. I reject your approach, and instead of lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper, come and debate me right here in Parliament. 'm ready anytime, anywhere, I will debate her." So you can see she was a little bit brassed off. Willis said she stood by her decisions in government and wanted Richardson to defend her legacy, having introduced the infamous Mother of All Budgets in 1991, when her government under Bolger came in and were left with, I would argue, an even worse fiscal mess than this government inherited. It's all got very personal. I don't think there's anything wrong in critiquing decisions made by government ministers, looking at how they're going, giving updates, having a reckon, especially when the ministers came in on a campaign of fixing the economy and reining in irresponsible spending, it's fair enough to say, "Okay, have you?" The Coalition Government possibly hasn't done enough, been innovative enough to suit the Taxpayers' Union agenda. They wanted more. They wanted cuts in spending, they wanted slashing of and wholesale firing of bureaucrats. That's what they wanted, but the Government's in the tricky position of having to be responsible stewards of the public purse and get re-elected. And that's a tricky one. The Taxpayers' Union doesn't have to worry about getting elected. It's a stand-alone lobby group. The Taxpayers' Union has criticised Nicola Willis for a measly 1% reduction in public servants, but as David Farrar from Kiwiblog points out, this may well be the first government in history to actually reduce the number of public servants. They're the first ones to have done it. It was never going to be easy inheriting the situation left by the previous government, and it never is. The Labour governments spend, that's what they do. But there's also nothing wrong with critiquing the performance of the government. The Taxpayers' Union shouldn't have made it so personal. Nicola Willis should have showed superhuman restraint and not lashed back. The debate is a pointless waste of time in my view. I know that we're all political tragics here and we take far more interest than the average person does and if I thought there was any merit whatsoever, and if lessons could be learned or if as a country we would benefit from having these two Finance Ministers thrashing out points of economic order, fine. I just don't see it. I think it's egos have been wounded and it is the equivalent of challenging somebody to 50 press-ups – a pointless exercise. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Taxpayers' Union has raised concerns about Nicola Willis' skills as a Finance Minister - and one of her predecessors has expressed interest in a debate. Willis challenged Ruth Richardson to a debate yesterday, after Richardson criticised the Government's fiscal track. Richardson's agreed - but a date's yet to be set. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Nicola Willis-Ruth Richardson showdown looks like it'll go ahead next week after the HYEFU release. As you'll know from listening to this show on Monday night, Nicola's not happy with Ruth. And Ruth isn't too happy with Nicola. We have a structural deficit and we're not addressing it. Surplus is probably going to be pushed out - again - to 2030. So we have a showdown. But you might be wondering why the current Finance Minister is debating a former one (of some 30-odd years ago) at all. Well, here's the comms strategy on this: Ruth has credibility, as least on the right. The left reckons she permanently scarred the country, but you can't deny something had to be done. And people forget the growth and jobs that followed. Nicola's still earning her credibility, and things have not been going terribly well on that front. Spending's higher than Grant and surplus keeps getting pushed out. The growth is anaemic. So this is a way of tackling Ruth's attacks head-on and putting them to bed. Usually, ministers don't give oxygen to debates because it gives their opponent equal standing with them. A bit of the Treasury bench rubs off and can make your opponent seem credible. Which is why you wouldn't see Luxon near Hipkins outside of a Bollywood dance off - except during mandatory campaign debates. So, sorry Chlöe and sorry Barbara, this is a Ruth thing. But there's also a smarter strategy going on here from Willis, I reckon. By debating somebody on the right, she makes herself seem more centrist in the public's eyes. She distances herself from the Scrooge argument. She highlights how much they are still spending and haven't cut. And will argue cuts now would mean job losses and less growth. It's basically framing the economic debate as one between the right, and even more right. Which leaves the left out in the cold. And also looking a little trigger happy on the country credit card. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Falls for the Greens and Te Pati Maori in the latest 1 News Verian Poll - which gives the coalition more than enough seats to govern. National is on 36 percent, up two - while Act is also up two to 10 percent, and New Zealand First steady on nine. In the left bloc, Labour was up three to 35, but the Greens dropped four to seven, and Te Pati Maori - after weeks of infighting - fell two points to one percent. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge they're focused on doing things to make sure people are better off, can get ahead, and have strong public services. She says it's positive to see that most people, if given the chance to vote tomorrow - would re-elect the current Government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textThe UK economy has been in the spotlight recently as Finance Minister - or Chancellor of the Exchequer as she's known in Britain - Rachel Reeves delivered the annual budget.With her Labour party languishing in the polls in spite of their landslide election victory 18 months ago, sluggish growth and a real cost of living crisis, the pressure was really on. And not everyone is happy as she delivered measures which mean British citizens will now face the highest tax take ever. So what does this say about the economics, and politics of the UK? And its standing on the world stage? Joining Juliet Mann on this edition of The Agenda are Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science and Chris Southworth, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce 

As expected, the Reserve Bank cut the OCR to 2.25% last week - but an unexpected side effect has been a lack of effect. The Reserve Bank announced that this would be the end of cuts, sending the wholesale market into a panic and, therefore, seeing no change in interest rates. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "my message to the banks is always the same, which is pass on as much as you possibly can because it's good for the economy." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mortgage advisor is joining the Finance Minister in urging banks to slash home loan rates. Nicola Willis is asking them to pass on “as much as possible” in the wake of the Reserve Bank cutting the Official Cash Rate to 2.25%. She says the banks have a stake in the economy, and passing the cuts on will make a significant difference. Loan Market Mortgage Advisor Bruce Patten told Mike Hosking the banks are holding onto some really good margins at the moment. He says he'd like to see them pass them on before Christmas – everyone needs it, so someone needs to make the move. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tánaiste and newly-anointed Finance Minister was in Clare on Friday. On invitation from Bodyke Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney, Simon Harris visited Kilkishen where he had the honour of turning on the village's Christmas lights. The Wicklow native was treated to musical entertainment courtesy of children from Kilkishen National School before he attended a meeting of local Fine Gael branch members. Clare FM's Seán Lyons was at the event where he had the opportunity to speak to the Tánaiste on a number of local issues.

There's growing speculation that National is looking to oust Chris Luxon as leader ahead of the election, but Finance Minister Nicola Willis is disputing these rumours. Reports have claimed National is looking to replace Luxon with Chris Bishop, but this is mostly speculation. Nicola Willis says the party has a Prime Minister who's delivering significant reforms - and making good on the promises National campaigned on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Majority in Parliament, during the post-budget debate today, posed a question that sparked a heated exchange between the leaders of both caucuses. The heated debate arose from a question by the Local Government Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, who sought to know the whereabouts of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta

Zero or lots: the only two numerical concepts allowed to enter the immigration discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clement Manyathela speaks to former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, discuss the importance of the B20 Summit as it shapes policy recommendations that influence jobs, trade, energy, investment and digital transformation across the world’s major economies. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another political giant departs Fine Gael... is this becoming a thing? Ivan Yates debates politicians over his influential pronouncements, all is not well at Peter McVerry's, Dáil rows and more from the political week in Leinster House.

The Finance Minister is joining the World Bank, PJ gets reaction from the Editor of The Phoenix Paddy Prendeville who also talks about the Phoenix annual out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New polling data has revealed less Kiwis have faith the current Government can turn the economy around ahead of the upcoming election. A New Zealand Herald-Kantar poll has found voters are evenly split on Labour's proposed capital gains tax and about 45 percent of respondents in an IPSOS survey scored the Luxon-led Government below 3 out of 10. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says it's clear a significant number of people are still opposed to the capital gains tax and the Government has plenty of time to expose the negative impacts. "There's also a big, undecided group in the middle and those are the people that we will be speaking to between now and the election." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's being urged to take urgent and decisive action on our banking sector. Ministers have accepted most of the recommendations of a select committee inquiry into the industry, including directing the Reserve Bank to focus on more competition. But banking expert Andrew Body says Nicola Willis needs to go further. He told Mike Hosking the Minister should be seeking law changes and a harmonisation of Australian and New Zealand banking rules. Body says the Minister should be ringing Treasury Secretary Ian Rennie, asking for a proposal for legislative change by 8am Monday. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In November 1975, a summit took place at Rambouillet, France, where the heads of six of the world's most industrialised nations and their finance ministers came together. The leaders of the US, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Italy hoped to solve the ongoing economic crisis. The summit marked the birth of an institution now known as the G7. France's former Finance Minister, Jean-Pierre Fourcade, was at the conference. He speaks to Ben Henderson. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's ‘rock star' philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages.(Photo: The closing session of the summit at Rambouillet Castle. Credit: AFP via Getty images)

Vishal Rama of Prescient Investment Management considers SA's rising debt load and how realistic fiscal consolidation looks from here.

The Prime Minister has indicated trade talks with India are progressing well - and speculation claims both nations could have a trade deal by next year. Trade Minister Todd McClay has been hosting Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Auckland for a fifth round of talks on a trade deal. Finance Minister Nicola Willis won't disclose too much, but she says good progress is being made. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the presentation of the 2026 Budget, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has engaged traders at Takoradi's Market Circle as part of his stakeholder consultations

Our panellists beg: please, Santa, do not bring us a Christmas election. Red, yellow and green traffic lights are outdated because a fourth colour might be added to intersections. There's a big innovation in menstrual products and thank god, it's not AI! Peanut allergies have fallen fast, yet the PB sandwich remains a schoolyard crime. Why no one's allowed to celebrateThe Great Peanut Comeback just yet. If you're too afraid to share your opinions on social media, that's okay! Fill out this listener questionnaire instead: www.cbc.ca/BecauseSurvey

Featuring Fernando Haddad on Brazilian political economy and where Brazil fits into a world capitalist system structured by relationships of domination and unequal exchange. Haddad is Finance Minister of Brazil. He served as mayor of São Paulo and in 2018 was the Workers' Party (PT) presidential candidate. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Buy From Apartheid to Democracy at UCPress.com Read the latest issue from The Nation‘s Books & the Arts section TheNation.com/books-and-the-arts The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/ybqWLEwL28Y  From economic reform and rising government spending to cultural shifts and the decline of liberalism, Costello reflects on the ideas that shaped the Howard years and what's needed to renew them today.

Featuring Fernando Haddad on Brazilian political economy and where Brazil fits into a world capitalist system structured by relationships of domination and unequal exchange. Haddad is Finance Minister of Brazil. He served as mayor of São Paulo and in 2018 was the Workers' Party (PT) presidential candidate. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Buy From Apartheid to Democracy at UCPress.com Read the latest issue from The Nation's Books & the Arts section TheNation.com/books-and-the-arts

Amanda Lang, CTV News Chief Financial Correspondent; Don Davies, Interim NDP Leader; The Front Bench with: Brian Gallant, James Moore, Tom Mulcair & Stephanie Levitz; Andrew Scheer, Conservative House Leader; François-Philippe Champagne, Finance Minister.

It's been a busy time in Australia, with Kiwis flying over to see Oasis - prompting speculation about the future of events in New Zealand. The bed tax debate lingers, but the Finance Minister has promised discussions are taking place to bring more events to New Zealand. Nicola Willis says Minister Louise Upston has been working hard behind the scenes to draw in events and get the economy going. "There'll be announcements over the coming months, Louise Upston is in negotiations and there'll be some exciting events coming to a city near you." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mod Cárdenas (b. Guatemala 1982) is a contemporary visual artist and pioneer of Guatemalan street art. Alongside his art, Cardenas pursued a career in Clinical Psychology, that has informed his approach to art from a research and observational base. Cardenas has exhibited extensively around the world with 14 solo exhibitions and several group shows, in addition to his murals and public art installations locally and abroad. His work has received numerous honors including the Highly Commended Award from SAP in Australia, Honorific Mention by Fundación Rozas Botrán in Guatemala, and a finalist position at GAA in Dubai. He was also recognized by the Finance Minister of Guatemala for his contribution to Guatemalan culture and by the Congress of the Guatemalan Republic for his impactful contributions and elevation of the art and culture produced in their country. His work is included in collections such as the Guatemalan National Congress Collection, the Luciano Benetton Collection in Italy, and the Fundación Rozas-Botrán Museum in Guatemala. Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6NqFcTrLYnM Learn more about him at: https://www.modcardenas.com Find him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/mod77art/ Follow the Agents of Innovation podcast on: Instagram: / innovationradio Twitter: / agentinnovation Facebook: / agentsofinnovationpodcast You can support this podcast and our Fearless Journeys community on our Patreon account: www.patreon.com/fearlessjourneys Want us to host a Fearless Journey group trip to Memphis with Matt Stone? Email us at: fearlessjourneysLLC at gmail dot com You can also join our network -- and our group trips -- through the Fearless Journeys community at: https://www.fearlessjourneys.org and subscribe to our free newsletter at: https://fearlessjourneys.substack.com 00:00 Episode Introduction 00:50 How do we meet? 01:05 First time listening to an episode? // What is Fearless Journeys 3:08 Where did you get your name Mod? 04:39 At what time did you start doing graffiti? 07:04 Art is part of everybody's life 09:14 10 Characteristics of a successful entrepreneur Curious & creative 10:58 How did you start? Why were you anonymous 13:30 Education and other jobs 16:54 Why Mod became a top 5 Tattoo Artist in Guatemala City 18:17 How do people find you before Social Media? 19:15 What kind of art are you particularly known for now? 21:37 Mod's studio 24:00 Self education & Social media 27:44 How's a Guatemalan artist recognized internally and externally 30:03 The importance of telling your story 35:44 The Power of connections 41:05 How can an artist get income? 42:00 How to manage your income being an solo entrepreneur 42:52 Finding a partner that understands you 51:45 How did you get your own Studio 52:15 Not everything is smooth Sailing as an artist - The power of MKTNG 55:14 How to contact Mod 57:35 Commission art and work 59:42 How do you help other artists 1:05:30 Difference between the artist mind and the entrepreneurial mind 1:12:15 You need to sell yourself 1:16:15 Traveling & awards 1:22:30 How many countries have you been to now? 1:25:00 Wrap

Finance Minister and National's deputy leader Nicola Willis stood in for Christopher Luxon for his weekly interview.

RNZ can reveal the Labour Party has agreed to campaign on a capital gains tax, or CGT, covering just property - excluding the family home and farms; Finance Minister and National's deputy leader Nicola Willis stood in for Christopher Luxon for his weekly interview; The new chief executive of Air New Zealand has suggested what he's calling a "situational subsidy" to support regional routes when the economy is not doing well and demand is low; Nearly two months after being stood down as Silver Ferns head coach, Dame Noeline Taurua is back in the top job; We crossed the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

What the former Finance Minister of Chile Andres Velasco has called the Deliveroo effect is most evident in Poland. Despite unprecedented economic growth and prosperity, Velasco explains, Poles remain miserable. The problem, he suggests, is that we've become so used to the magical efficiencies of the digital revolution, that we expect instant miracles in both our political and economic lives. That's one of the core issues Velasco, now Dean of Public Policy at the London School of Economics, and a group of leading public policy experts address in an intriguing collection of essays entitled The London Consensus. What the authors - who include Philippe Aghion, the 2025 Nobel Prize winner in economics - explore is how to come up with economic principles for the 21st Century that make us both happier and more prosperous, while confronting an existential challenge like climate change that didn't even register in last century's Washington Consensus. But democracy, Velasco warns, can't work like a delivery app. We've layered regulations and participatory processes that slow everything down—making it nearly impossible to build housing in California or infrastructure anywhere in the West—while personalized technology trains us to expect results immediately. This fundamental mismatch between our expectations and reality is fueling authoritarian populism, eroding trust in experts like Velasco, and Aghion, and leaving entire regions behind in a Deliveroo stew of economic failure and cultural resentment. 1. The “Deliveroo Effect” Is Breaking Democracy We've become so accustomed to instant digital gratification that we expect the same speed from politics and economics. But democracy requires deliberation, participation, and time—creating a dangerous mismatch between expectations and reality that fuels populism and dissatisfaction. Even prosperous countries like Poland, the second-fastest growing economy since 1990, remain bitterly divided.2. The Washington Consensus Got Politics Catastrophically Wrong The 1989 economic framework naively assumed you could “sort out the economics” and democracy would naturally follow. It ignored local ownership of policies and believed growth alone would create liberal democracies. China's experience—getting rich without democratizing—proved this assumption completely wrong. The London Consensus puts politics at the center.3. Markets Need States, Not “Free Markets” Versus Government The old ideological battle between markets and socialism was never productive. Markets can't function without capable states to enforce rules, regulate finance, and provide infrastructure. The real debate isn't whether to have government intervention, but what kind—finding the delicate balance between competition and regulation that fosters innovation without allowing excessive monopoly power.4. “Left-Behind Regions” Are Driving Political Upheaval Trade and technology create geographically concentrated losses—the Rust Belt, northern England—that go beyond economics. These regions experience social breakdown, population flight, and feelings of abandonment that translate directly into votes for demagogues and populists. Compensating losers from globalization wasn't just economically smart; it was politically essential.5. We Need a “Good Jobs Agenda,” Not Just Growth Following economists like Dani Rodrik and Daron Acemoglu, the London Consensus argues that policy should be evaluated through the lens of job quality, not just GDP growth. Technology isn't destiny—it can be directed toward complementing human skills rather than destroying jobs. Every policy, from trade to AI regulation, should ask: will this create quality jobs with decent pay, benefits, and worker agency?Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Argentina's history is one of recurring promises and painful resets. Nicolas Dujovne has lived that cycle from the inside, serving as Finance Minister during a rare attempt at fiscal repair before markets and politics turned against it. Now, as CIO of Tenac Asset Management, he reflects with Alan Dunne on why economic reform so often falters, how short-term pain fuels long-term instability, and what it would take to finally break the trap. Beyond Argentina, the discussion widens to emerging markets at large - their hard-won stability, the new risks born of geopolitics and demographics, and the shifting fault lines of globalization.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Alan on Twitter.Read more about Nicolas.Episode TimeStamps: 02:24 - Introduction to Nicolas Dujovne05:32 - Key reflections from Dujovne's former role as ministry of Treasury in Argentina11:43 - How dollarization could change the overall dynamic of the economy14:52 - How Dujovne's role as minister has shaped his investment process16:56 - The state and outlook of emerging markets21:13 - The relationship between central banks and emerging markets23:33 - How the current globalization impact the investing landscape27:43 - Evaluating the U.S from the lens of an emerging market investor33:25 - How markets respond to fiscal...