Podcasts about finance ministers

Wellington-based freelance journalist and former RNZ reporter Eric Frykberg ranked our best and worst in consultation with historians, economists and insiders.

Reserve Bank board chairman Neil Quigley has resigned “with immediate effect” in the wake of the shambolic handling of Adrian Orr's resignation as Governor. Finance Minister Nicola Willis made the announcement just before 6pm on Friday - the day after the Reserve Bank revealed Orr temporarily stepped down as Governor a week before the public was told he resigned The Finance Minister says she did not ask the Reserve Bank Chair to quit, following news he's resigned with immediate effect. Nicola Willis told Heather du Plessis-Allan that having completed key work streams with the bank, Quigley said the timing was appropriate. Willis says she raised criticism around the board's handling of information relating to the former Governor's exit. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it's the government, international organisations, higher education, or the media, one of the defining dynamics of the social media age is the deteriorating trust in public institutions. It's extraordinary, really. At a time when humans are on the whole wealthier, healthier, and more dominant than at any other time in our species' history, we're more distrustful of the institutions that are supposed to serve us. Saturday Mornings is usually a monetary policy-free zone, and I promise to mostly keep it that way for now. But it was pretty remarkable at the close of play last night to see an announcement from the Finance Minister about the Chair of the Reserve Bank. Neil Quigley had resigned, effective immediately, following further revelations about his handling of former Governor Adrian Orr's departure. Nicola Willis confirmed to Newstalk ZB that if Quigley hadn't offered his resignation, she'd have asked for it. I don't expect everyone to follow all of the Reserve Bank dramas. But the long and short of it is that former Governor Adrian Orr got in a dispute with the government over the bank's funding. It turned into a showdown of sorts, the Reserve Bank Board raised concerns with him about his conduct (some of which he disputed), and after taking leave for a few days he ultimately resigned. But instead of being absolutely transparent about the dispute and what had actually happened, the RBNZ Chair Neil Quigley told media that Orr had resigned for “personal reasons”. If this was just some rando then no harm no foul. But Adrian Orr was the Governor of the Reserve Bank, one of the most powerful public servants in the country. His pen stroke and the decisions of his Monetary Policy Committee could be the difference between thousands or hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs or homes. Like many journalists, I didn't buy the “personal reasons” explanation and felt we all deserved to know more detail about what had actually happened. Ater all, this wasn't a private company. The Reserve Bank serves us. After Neil Quigley's explanation, and after the Reserve Bank declined for Adrian Orr to be interviewed, I even went to the extreme length of sending him a letter at his home asking him to front. It's something I'd almost never do, but the public deserved an explanation. And it's taken until now and a ruling from the ombudsman for us to get the full story. I think there are lessons in this for all of us who work in jobs that purport to serve the public. In my role, I think about trust a lot. And look, I know this is very different to the Reserve Bank, much lower stakes, but I had the chance to reflect on my own work this week, and tried to lean into the spirit of introspection and openness. I was on a podcast, re_covering, in which Newstalk ZB's Frank Ritchie asks journalists to reflect on a story they covered. I didn't choose one which I'd absolutely nailed. Instead, I reflected on my five years as TVNZ's US Correspondent, and on my surprise at the first election of Donald Trump. As I said on re_covering, the fact so many of us were so shocked by the result (including Trump!) shows I and the rest of the news media covering that election had done a massively insufficient job of reflecting the scale of the anger and dissatisfaction with the status quo in the US. That election changed the world. Ultimately, I hope reflecting on my surprise will make me more sceptical of conventional wisdom, and better at my job today. Humans are fallible. We all make mistakes. But the Reserve Bank episode demonstrates the best thing a public institution can do to protect its reputation is not try and protect its reputation. Just admit when you got things wrong. Admit things that make you look bad. Learn lessons the hard way. Convince the public you have nothing to hide by showing us you have nothing to hide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for certainty from the supermarket sector as Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis weighs more action. She's introduced fast track consenting to encourage new players into the market. Willis says she's looking carefully at the idea of breaking up the duopoly. Foodstuffs North Island Chief Executive Chris Quin told Mike Hosking the future of their business needs clarity on what regulations will be put in place. He says the individual owners are scratching their heads wondering what's going to happen. Quin also believes the amount of competition already in the market may be higher than people realise. He says 30% of the retail grocery market is third players in Auckland and 18% nationwide. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government expects new supermarkets to pop up in months, rather than years - with planned reforms. It's introducing legislation to pass before the end of the year to allow supermarkets that boost competition to be up for fast-track approval. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says supermarkets can also apply for streamlined building consents. "Really, it's just a matter of how quickly they can build." Costco's confirmed its looking at opening new stores in New Zealand, after success in West Auckland. Meanwhile, the Government's looking at the costs and benefits of breaking up the supermarket duopoly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Girard, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers

The Government expects new supermarkets to pop up in months, rather than years - with planned reforms. It's introducing legislation to pass before the end of the year to allow supermarkets that boost competition to be up for fast-track approval. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says supermarkets can also apply for streamlined building consents. "Really, it's just a matter of how quickly they can build." Costco's confirmed its looking at opening new stores in New Zealand, after success in West Auckland. Meanwhile, the Government's looking at the costs and benefits of breaking up the supermarket duopoly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former finance minister Grant Robertson opened up about his life in politics in his new memoir, from his beginnings in Dunedin to the toll of the Covid years. The new book, Anything Could Happen, came out earlier this month - and it unpacks the stresses that came with taking on a high-profile political role. Robertson joined the Afternoons team to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's on track for stronger economic growth but it could take a while to flow through to house prices. Westpac is forecasting New Zealand will outpace Australia's growth over the next few years. But New Zealand will still face a higher unemployment rate and lower wage growth, and the recovery's likely to be felt in some regions much sooner than others. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking property will be the last sector to see a turnaround. He says New Zealand saw property prices go up 40% during the boom, compared to a 30% rise in Australia. Joyce says it'll be an export-led recovery – something we haven't had for a while. He says with an export-led recovery, Auckland feels it later than other regions, which is what we're seeing now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Further work on tackling the supermarket duopoly is in the wings. The Finance Minister claimed an update is imminent on plans to improve competition in the supermarket sector. She says this has been an issue for decades - and she'll have more to say in coming weeks. Nicola Willis says the announcement won't be a 'silver bullet' but it will reveal what the Government's been working on. "I'm not going to be announcing an international supermarket chain with 50 stores that's going to be opening up next month." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 22, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Pakistan is still reeling from 2022’s deadly floods, which put a third of the country underwater. Though the country has barely contributed to climate change, its people are still paying the price. Six months on from the worst of the devastation, people across the country are still displaced and they’re facing knock-on effects of the floods on their health. The international community pledged $9 billion to aid Pakistan in rebuilding at the beginning of this year, but experts on the ground say it will be of little use if it doesn’t arrive soon. So is the international community doing enough to help? In this episode: Zuha Siddiqui (@SiddiquiZuha), Journalist Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra), Former Health & Finance Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ed Taylor, Emergency Response Coordinator, Doctors Without Borders Episode credits: This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Amy Walters, Chloe K. Li, and our guest host, Halla Mohieddeen. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Finance Minister Nicola Willis all but invoked the old adage ‘the beatings will continue until morale improves', when commenting on the state of the economy yesterday. In a stand up with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon after the Reserve Bank cut the OCR by 25 basis points to 3%, she blamed the sluggish economy on doomsayers from the opposition benches who were talking the economy down, and all but instructed Kiwi households to be more jolly. “I'm always conscious that households listen to merchants of misery everyday, most of whom sit on the opposition benches, who like to be doomsayers and talk down the New Zealand economy. I think it's been a really tough time for Kiwi families, there's absolutely no denying that, but we kind of have a choice – do we talk ourselves into an ongoing funk? Or do we look ahead and recognise that things will get better?” “People need to feel it, and I fully appreciate that. You know, some parts of New Zealand are feeling it, and other parts are not.” So that was Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon. All well and good, but on the same day she told us to pull up our socks and perk up, Fletcher Building announced a $419 million loss. Kitchen Things, a premium appliance store that goes back to 1986, announced it was closing 12 stores (there is a Kitchen Things in Hamilton that's trading by itself and doing very well and would appreciate the support) and they asked ASB to appoint receivers. And Carter Holt Harvey is proposing to close its Nelson sawmill with the loss of 142 jobs. Willis and the rest of her government are exasperated and frustrated that things have not got better faster. When you're elected on your promise to turn things around, voters, not unreasonably, expect to see results. And yes, it was always going to be a big job, but they said they were up to the task, that they could do it. I don't think it is the opposition benches being doomsayers. They've done their damage. They're not saying much of anything at all. Labour knows all it has to do is stay schtum – the moment it opens its mouth and gets into trouble. So all they're doing is watching the Government trying to put its shoulder behind the big, sluggish beast that is the economy, and they're shoving it, and they're pushing it, and you've got the Finance Minister out the front dangling her carrots saying come on, up you get New Zealand economy, let's get cracking. And it's hibernating. It's in hibernation and it's not moving. And that must be very frustrating. There's a very good piece by Danyl McLauchlan in the New Zealand Listener, where he says at the moment the Coalition Government really only has itself to blame. I put that same question to Christopher Luxon when he was in. You're just waiting for the economic cycle. You're not doing anything magical or brilliant or wonderful. Yes, I like what you're doing with education very much. I like what you're doing with law and order very much. But when it comes to the economy, so far all I can see is that you're waiting for the natural cycle. There's not a lot going on. The Reserve Bank is confident lower interest rates will eventually help that inert, sluggish economy get off the front porch and start moving. It's identified numerous reasons why the cuts it's delivered in a year haven't spurred as much growth as some expected. That said, the Chief Economist Paul Conway said yesterday it's not our job to grow the economy. We're here for price stability. He said if you want to get growth going in the long run, it's about improving productivity in the economy. Monetary policy is not the instrument for that. We're about controlling demand to keep inflation low and stable. Don't look at us, he was basically saying, there is only so much that we can do. And sure, by lowering interest rates, by lowering the cash rate, thereby allowing banks to lower mortgage interest rates, that will leave some people who are coming up to setting mortgages with a bit more money in their pockets. It will allow some people to borrow money a bit more easily. But what is it going to take? I think people are a bit shell shocked after the past four years. And it is an economy of two halves – some people are doing really, really, really well, and good on them. But others, their pay packet arrives in their account and whoosh out it goes. You think you're getting ahead and then in comes the rates bill, or the insurance bill, or school fees, or what have you, and there is no extra for households to be jolly on. Others who might have got their noses ahead and have seen business start to pick up don't want to go through that again, so they're stockpiling like sensible squirrels. There was a lovely woman who rang in a couple of days ago and she was in painting and decorating. She said, I love people having money. I love people who've earned a lot of money, and have worked hard, and been lucky, or however they've got their money, because they spend it with us. And without them spending, we don't have a company. I don't have a business. That's right. You've got to have that extra money so that the money-go-round can continue. And right now, people either don't have that money, or if they do, they're a bit nervous about spending it. I would love to hear from you if you are in business, if you are a member of a Kiwi household, where are you at? Are you in a funk? I don't think I'm being talked down by the opposition. That's not how I feel. They're not ruining my buzz, they're not dragging me down. I just need to get ahead of the rates and the insurance. The mortgage rates have come down a bit, so that's good. I think 2026 will be okay, but that won't be any thanks to the Government or what it's done to be perfectly honest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A steady slide to the OCR is gently flowing through to households. The Reserve Bank's cut the cash rate from 5.5% to 3% over the past 13 months and is also signalling further possible cuts on the way. Assistant Governor Karen Silk says many people have been fixing on higher short-term rates while they hold out for lower long-term rates. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge it's important that monetary policy can stimulate the economy, and the Reserve Bank has made a clear decision to ensure interest rates can fall further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is defending the Government's move to scrap the Cook Strait mega-ferries - and claimed costs would have blown out on the original project. The Hyundai dockyard contracted to build the boats has received a total $222 million for the canned project, which includes a net $144 million final settlement. $300 million had been provisioned. Nicola Willis says the plans were not progressing well - and they were tied up in all sorts of additional complications. "There was a very reasonable reality that the port side of the infrastructure would not have been built in time for the ferries to have arrived, and that, therefore, they wouldn't have been able to be used." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson retired from politics in early 2024 to take up a new job as Otago University's Vice-Chancellor. He was back in the headlines this week after declining to show up to in-person hearings for the Covid-19 inquiry's second phase. The former Finance Minister spoke to Q+A about that decision and why he doesn't regret the Labour Government's spending decisions during the pandemic. Robertson, who is about to release his memoir Anything Could Happen, also reflects on the impact his sexuality had on his political career.

If I asked you who you would rather go and have a beer with, Christopher Luxon or Chris Hipkins, who would you choose? I'd choose Luxon any day. One slight technicality is that he doesn't drink. But he'd have a lime and soda or whatever he likes to drink, I'd have a beer and we'd probably have a very nice time. Reason being that on the occasions that I've met him in person, he comes across as a very good guy and good fun to be around. I've met Hipkins several times too, but I think he'd be a bit more earnest or serious than Luxon. So why isn't that coming through in the poll results? Why aren't there more people wanting to go and have a beer with Luxon? Why are there almost as many people who would choose have a drink with Chippy? Which I know isn't the official question polling companies ask voters, but you get what I mean. According to last night's 1News-Verian poll, Christopher Luxon's popularity as Prime Minister is the lowest it's been in two years. Last night's preferred prime minister result had him on 20%, and Labour's Chris Hipkins breathing down his neck on 19% – which has all the headline writers predicting his demise. Here's an example of one: “Luxon's leadership running out of oxygen as polls tighten”. You may think these poll results are a load of nonsense, but I don't. Because it wasn't just the 1News poll that came out in the last 24 hours. We also had a Taxpayers Union poll out yesterday which showed a very similar result in preferred Prime Minister. That poll had Christopher Luxon on 20.2% and Chris Hipkins on 20.2%. So do I believe these poll results? Yes I do. And why do I think Christopher Luxon is so unpopular with voters? I'm taking my cue from National Party voters I've spoken to recently who are shaking their heads. The common themes that come through are that Luxon is letting Winston Peters and David Seymour run rings around him, that his government —especially his Finance Minister— isn't delivering anything meaningful, and that he's still blaming everything on the previous government. Not that the last government achieved much, but surely people expected the bar to be a bit higher with this government. So that's why he is polling so low – people see him as a let down. He's seen as weak, letting Seymour and Peters rule the roost and he doesn't own the problems he's trying to fix. He's still pointing the finger at Labour more than halfway through his government's three-year term. That's letting him down big time. And people don't think his government delivering them anything —especially on the economic front— and that he should be giving Nicola Willis the flick and giving someone else the finance job. Because these National voters I've spoken to are saying that she has been a big disappointment. But when you're the leader of the party and when you're the Prime Minister, you're the one who cops it. And Christopher Luxon is copping it. And he deserves to cop it. And if we did go and have that drink – that's what I'd be telling him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 11 August 2025, Australia says it will recognise Palestine as a state, and New Zealand says it will make a decision on the same on one month. International relations expert Professor Robert Patman tells Heather why this is an important step - and whether it will mean any more aid gets to the starving people of Gaza. Labour leader Chris Hipkins on why his party keeps climbing the polls - and whether he would let the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick be his Finance Minister. Will Christchurch's new stadium be ready for the Super Rugby Round in April? Destination Queenstown's Mat Woods on the new super luxury hotel that's being built in Queenstown. Plus, the Huddle debates the pros and cons of recognising a Palestinian state and whether the Government needs more "legacy" projects. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the latest One-News Verian poll shows the fight is on. Chris Luxon's popularity has dropped to a two-year low, while National sit steady on 34 percent and Labour shoots up four to 33 percent. Today's earlier Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll predicted a hung Parliament. Nicola Willis says it comes down to who people trust to steer the economy. "The reality is, the economy is still recovering. And that means that we're not seeing instant overnight success - we never claimed that we would - but we are doing the right thing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't tax your way to prosperity - but you can grow the pie. In this exclusive interview from inside the Beehive, Finance Minister Nicola Willis joins us to discuss NZ's economic future covering everything from housing affordability, debt, and financial literacy to KiwiSaver, exports, and why cutting red tape is critical for growth.The Minister's appearance is not an endorsement of any particular financial advice service or company.For more money tips follow us on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The content in this podcast is the opinion of the hosts. It should not be treated as financial advice. It is important to take into consideration your own personal situation and goals before making any financial decisions.

A Treasury report has pointed out that government spending is still near its peak during the pandemic. This comes after finance minister Nicola Willis said her government won't repeat the previous government's mistakes. Former finance minister Ruth Richardson told Heather duPlessis-Allan that ‘[Nicola Willis] needs to face up to what the Treasury is telling her.' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says the Government did the best it could in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Treasury's latest report calculates the total cost of the Covid-19 pandemic at $66 billion. The Government ignored official advice at the time to ease spending. New Zealand Initiative Chief Economist Eric Crampton told Mike Hosking it is hard to fault anyone up until late 2020. He says, afterwards, the Government failed to come up with solutions outside lockdowns and wage subsidies. Treasury is now suggesting the Government establish an independent fiscal institution for better scrutiny. Crampton says Treasury isn't in a position where it can effectively challenge the Finance Minister's decisions. He says the public currently can't rely on Treasury for clear warnings when things are going wrong, which is needed for democratic accountability. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Figures released today show unemployment is at a nine year high, at 5.2%. But Auckland is ahead of the pack on 6.1%. In the past year 16,000 more people have joined the snaking queue of people looking for work, bringing the total number to 158,000. Finance Minister believes the worst is over, but some economists believe it's even worse than it looks, the number of hours worked is on the decline for the sixth quarter in a row and there's an increase in underutilisation - people who want more work but can't get it. Salvation Army Principal Social Policy analyst Paul Barber spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Finance Minister says anxiety about tariffs will be playing a part in slowing down New Zealand's economic recovery. Unemployment's reached a five-year high of 5.2%. Economists think it could rise even higher before it starts turning around. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking tariffs aren't great, but some people may have been more worried than they should be. She says the tariffs will have affected confidence and investment intentions, but it's important to remember that New Zealand is doing okay compared to the rest of the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister reckons New Zealand will eventually be able to work out a better deal with the Trump administration following last week's shock announcement. President Donald Trump has unveiled a surprise 15 percent tariff on New Zealand - higher than that for both the UK and Australia. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says there's a possibility things could improve, given the changing trading relationship between both nations. "The question for us is - if it does change, does that mean we get better treatment?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minority staged another walkout from the Chamber during the conclusion of debate on the mid-year budget review. They opposed the deputy Finance Minister's quest to make further comments on the review policy instead of just thanking them.

The Finance Minister's floating the idea of listing KiwiBank on the stock exchange. Cabinet has given KiwiBank's parent company the green light to raise an extra $500 million. However, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says this won't occur without an electoral mandate. "That will be for individual parties to take a position at the election - but I've been advised that any potential public offering could take place before 2028." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has begun looking for possible areas for cutbacks for next year's Budget. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour said he hopes the Government can equal or exceed the savings achieved in its first two Budgets. He says the Government's trying to reduce its spending from about 35% of GDP to about 31%. Seymour told Mike Hosking it's an ongoing process of "looking behind the couch" for savings. He says it's a matter of every year, every Budget, finding things that the Government would never have started and stopping them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister has hinted changes are on the way for the supermarket sector, with a further update due out by the end of August. Speculation indicates the Government will make an announcement to address the situation. Nicola Willis says Prime Minister Luxon has confirmed the Government will be making an announcement this quarter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has reaffirmed that the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy will be abolished, fulfilling a key promise by NDC. During the Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 24, he stated that the levy, introduced during the pandemic to support healthcare, will be removed under a new VAT amendment bill

A Clare hotelier is accusing the Finance Minister of "spin" regarding the planned reduction of the hospitality VAT rate. Following the publication of the Government's Summer Economic Statement, Minister Paschal Donohoe has claimed the reintroduction of the 9% rate for the sector would cost €1 billion. This, he says, would leave very little left over for other tax cuts. Clare Tourism Advisory Board Chair and Hotel Woodstock co-owner Sean Lally believes it's an "unfair" way to represent the situation.

Nicola Willis is defending her decision to seek answers from Fonterra about its prices. The price of butter has almost doubled in the past 14 months because Asia is demanding more, and Europe is producing less. Fonterra is ruling out selling butter to New Zealanders at a lower price than it makes overseas. But Willis told Mike Hosking she has no regrets about raising the issue with the dairy co-op in the first place. She says she can't dismiss an issue lots of New Zealanders are talking about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's repeating dismay over the Reserve Bank handling of its Governor's abrupt resignation. It's been confirmed chair Neil Quigley apologised to Treasury over Adrian Orr's behaviour, just weeks before he quit. It wasn't released through official information requests - and follows the central bank also apologising over its management of the departure. Nicola Willis says she was aware emotions were running high at the time. "Yes, I do have confidence in Neil Quigley. I have also, however, previously shared my disappointment at the way information on the way information on this matter has been shared with New Zealanders." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says all roads lead back to supermarket competition, as questions loom over spiralling dairy prices. Nicola Willis yesterday spoke with with Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell - in a meeting she's called constructive and candid. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's likely the Government will make an announcement on supermarkets in the coming days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the costs involved in building a new medical school at Waikato University have been through a thorough business case. Construction will begin this year - with the school providing 120 doctor training places a year, focused on primary care and rural health. The Government's chipping in $83 million dollars, and the university and philanthropic investors will contribute $150 million. When asked what would happen if the others can't come up with the money, Nicola Willis was clear. "I'm going to say - well, you said you would, so you're in trouble now and you're going to have to find the money." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg.We start in 2015 with insider accounts of the Iran nuclear deal and the Greek debt crisis.Then, the 1995 'Turbot War' between Canada and Spain.We hear how international broadcaster Voice of America was born during World War 2. Finally, the rise of Italo disco in the early 1980s.Contributors:Baroness Catherine Ashton - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Dina Esfandiary - Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg. Euclid Tsakalotos - Greece's Finance Minister. Brian Tobin - Canada's Minister for Fisheries and Oceans. Ryan Paris - singer of Dolce Vita.(Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2015. Credit: Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images)

Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne discusses the impact of tariffs on global trade, and the possibility of a deal with the US. He speaks with Bloomberg's Oliver Crook as G20 finance ministers meet in South Africa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says revelations she wanted to keep numbers attending this year's Budget lock-up more restricted than she suggested is a mountain out a of molehill. After a wave of criticism directed at Treasury for restricting lock-up numbers - Nicola Willis said she stepped in to enable more people in. An extra 30 people were added to the list. But new OIA documents show it was actually Willis who pushed for tighter restrictions She says she had initially opted to stick to the same approach for the Budget, as had been used for the half-yearly fiscal update. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister, Nicola Willis to ask for a please explain from her former employer Fonterra. Checkpoint has run numerous stories about the cost of the pantry staple, with the price climbing as high as $18 for a tub of semi-soft butter. Fonterra has pinned the price of dairy products here on the global dairy trade auction price, but Willis has questioned why people overseas are getting a better deal. Farmer and former Fonterra Board member Leonie Guiney spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Finance Minister says it's not possible to remove sunscreen from the highest VAT rate, due to an EU directive. Despite calls for change, Paschal Donohoe says the 23 percent VAT rate will not be reduced, as it's deemed a “non-essential item”. That's despite skin cancer being the most common form of cancer in Ireland, with 11 thousand cases diagnosed every year. Meanwhile, cancer delays are causing avoidable deaths. That is the stark warning from the Irish Cancer Society today as it highlights new data showing delays in cancer tests and treatment across Ireland. The Society is calling for increased investment in Budget 2026 in cancer staff, buildings and equipment to ensure target waiting times are met. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Karrieann McDonnell, Ennis-based personal trainer.

The Finance Minister says businesses should be more confident about the economic recovery. The Reserve Bank's been weighing up lower-than-expected growth and higher inflation in its decision to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 3.25%. Nicola Willis says businesses have been battening down the hatches. But she told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're maybe more wary than they should be. Willis says all of the fundamentals in the economy are good. She says the Government is business-friendly and is on the side of those wanting to invest, make money, create jobs, and export overseas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, the union representing midwives says Wellington Hospital cutting beds from its gynaecology and maternity wards in a trial aimed at making more room for patients from the overcrowded Emergency Department is a bad move, Health NZ says gynaecology has 12 "resourced" (staffed) beds, with capacity to flex to 14, and 26 resourced maternity beds, with the ability to flex to 37 beds (11 unresourced) in response, the Finance Minister says several thousand more families will benefit from the changes to FamilyBoost, monitoring potential dangers, such as intruders or eavesdroppers, is the focus of the country's new space squadron, and it has been a huge weekend of music in the United Kingdom - with Black Sabbath performing a farewell show in Birmingham, and Oasis back on stage together to kick off their high-anticipated reunion tour in Cardiff in Wales.

The Finance Minister says several thousand more families will benefit from the changes to FamilyBoost. Nicola Willis spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Prime Minister has promised to take action in the coming months to tackle the cost of living crisis. Christopher Luxon has acknowledged it is still tough out there for too many kiwis and the government's focus is on unlocking economic growth. According to Stats NZ the price of food has gone up 4.4% in the last year. Electricity is up almost 9% and gas is up more than 15%. As of March last year house insurance was up almost 25 % and contents insurance up about 28%. This week figures from Centrix showed almost half a million people are behind on debt repayments. Finance Minister Nicola Willis spoke to Lisa Owen.

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has been forced to publicly back his finance minister after she appeared upset in Parliament. BBC correspondent Rob Watson spoke to Corin Dann.

A nine-year fight to create a publicly funded election policy-costing unit has come to an end. Act and New Zealand First have shot down Finance Minister Nicola Willis's proposal to create one. Metiria Turei, then-Green Party co-leader, first proposed the idea in 2016. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking Willis's proposal was different from those that have come before. He says to cost individual policies at the request of parties would have dealt with a problem that happens when you're in Opposition. Joyce says that's when you don't have access to the information. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and Owen Reidy, General Secretary of the irish Congress of Trade Unions, discuss the warning by the Central Bank Governor about the vulnerability of VAT as a source of revenue as plans are being made to cut the tax rate for hospitality and retail sectors.

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on June 27th, 2025. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio. Presenter/Producer: Kris Boswell

Economist and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis discusses the merits and pitfalls of Trump's tariff plan, growing populist movements in Europe, the EU's "dangerous" and misguided push toward military Keynesianism, and Israel's destruction of Gaza. ----------------------------------------------------- Watch full episodes on Rumble, streamed LIVE 7pm ET. Become part of our Locals community Follow System Update:  Twitter Instagram TikTok Facebook LinkedIn