Podcasts about nicola willis

David Seymour says important work is going on, despite the ructions within National's caucus. National party leader Christopher Luxon survived a confidence vote yesterday, launched by Chris Penk. The Kaipara ki Mahurangi MP was then sent packing from his Cabinet portfolios for his efforts, and later announced he'll quit politics at the election. Coalition partner and ACT leader David Seymour told Ryan Bridge it shouldn't be the focus now. He says the government itself is a joint project, which is functioning very well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's how this morning is going to play out. At 9:30am, any member of National's caucus can call a no-confidence vote in Luxon's leadership. The party's constitution calls these guys the Parliamentary Section. They vote. It's majority rules. If there's a vacancy, i.e. if Luxon is goneburger, then they elect a new leader or leaders. It's majority rules. So if a majority of MPs want change, then Luxon is gone. History tells us most leaders would do the honourable thing and stand aside before it gets to this point. Bolger did it when Shipley led a coup. Luxon would be no different. It's possible this could happen before 9:30am. We could see the PM resign as leader of National ahead of caucus, and effectively as PM in a matter of hours. If the numbers are not in his favour, the writing's on the wall, he could clear the decks for the caucus to focus on electing his replacement. I've been speaking to National party MPs and former MPs over the past two weeks. Some are furious with Luxon's leadership. Own goals. Foot-in-mouth disease. Lack of discipline. There's a feeling that Key and others in the party have been covering for Luxon's mistakes, hammering the message that any change will mean catastrophe come polling day. Talk of a Stanford/Mitchell ticket with Bishop as Finance tells you that unlike last time, the leadership hopefuls have organised with a viable alternative – notably excluding Nicola Willis. Anyone who tells you they know what will happen today is making it up. As much as 25% of the caucus are set to lose their jobs on current polling. If Luxon loses his today, it will be a gamble, a roll of the dice, a risk. If they stick with Luxon, how can you credibly say you're unified behind your leader after two spills in four months? Leaders confident in their support don't need to call confidence votes in themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis says the National's new proposed increase to the fuel tax, the new bed tax and the possible bank levy aren't new information. A Taxpayers' Union Curia Issue poll shows 76 percent of National supporters want the party to promise no new taxes or tax increases. The party yesterday outlined a promise for fiscal responsibility - including a commitment to lower the debt to GDP ratio and to get the books back into surplus. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says these proposals have been documented and National's simply being straight with voters. "Three issues we've already been very open and upfront about, and I can be very clear with you that there is nothing that we are considering that you haven't heard about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How weird was National's re-announcement of its Budget Responsibility Rules? It was very weird. Essentially, National made exactly the same announcement that it made three years ago before the 2023 election. First, it would strive for a surplus. Second, it would reduce debt. Third, it would cut Government spending. Here's the question: has National achieved any of those things? Not really, has it? We don't have a surplus, even though National promised we'd have one worth $2.9 billion this year. In fact, we're still years away from any kind of surplus. Has it reduced debt? No. If anything, debt has increased by roughly another $41 billion. And when it comes to Government spending, we basically have the same number of public servants now as we did when Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins left office. So National hasn't even made much of a dent there. In that case, I'm sorry to say it, but you'd have to be either naive or foolish to believe National's promise this time around. In fact, I'm probably being too generous by even calling it a promise. Last time, National explicitly promised a surplus. It didn't deliver one, which makes that a broken promise. This time, however, it's merely "prioritising" a surplus. That change in language says everything you need to know about how confident Nicola Willis herself is about the chances of getting New Zealand back into surplus. I reckon Thomas Coughlan in the Herald absolutely nailed it with one line in his analysis: "Why has National drawn attention to its own failure?" Because that's really all it did. It simply reminded those of us who are concerned about the Government's finances that the National Party has failed to get the books back in order. I think the answer to Thomas' question is that National believes voters will still trust it and that it's trying to force Labour to make the same commitments, commitments National knows Labour may struggle to make. If Labour can't make those same promises, National hopes voters will see it as the more fiscally responsible option. And maybe that's true. Labour may not be able to make the same commitments, given its spending plans and the even more ambitious spending proposals of some of its potential coalition partners. So strategically, this may well work for National with some voters. But for many others, all the announcement did was underscore how little difference there is, in practice, between the way Labour and National manage the Government's books. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis says the National's new proposed increase to the fuel tax, the new bed tax and the possible bank levy aren't new information. A Taxpayers' Union Curia Issue poll shows 76 percent of National supporters want the party to promise no new taxes or tax increases. The party yesterday outlined a promise for fiscal responsibility - including a commitment to lower the debt to GDP ratio and to get the books back into surplus. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says these proposals have been documented and National's simply being straight with voters. "Three issues we've already been very open and upfront about, and I can be very clear with you that there is nothing that we are considering that you haven't heard about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has categorically ruled out working with New Zealand First if elected in November, unfortunately for Labour and Mr Hipkins the response from the media and many voters is "why did this take so long?"Simeon Brown faced off against Jack Tame on Q&A over the weekend where he struggled to firmly back leader Christopher Luxon and couldn't explain why one of the targets for the health service is to increase staffChristopher Luxon was on RNZ this morning where he had to explain Nicola Willis' "no new tax on working people" when they are going to reverse the discount to fuel excise tax etcMight check out poll of polls in NZ Herald, and check out how St John Ambulance is overworked like never before++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

National's under pressure to come clean on what new taxes it could be considering. The party's unveiled its budget responsibility rules, promising to deliver a surplus and rein in spending. But finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis has only ruled out higher taxes on working people, leaving the door open to other tax increases. Former Finance Minister Steve Joyce told Mike Hosking that bed and fuel taxes are the most likely options. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says there's nothing new in National's budget responsibility rules. National's Nicola Willis unveiled the details today - promising a surplus by 2028/29 and reducing Government spending to 30 percent of GDP. Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds says this is part of their current fiscal strategy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's push for tighter control of the books is being welcomed - but questions are being raised over what's actually new. Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis yesterday unveiled National's fiscal strategy - promising a surplus by 2028/29 and Government spending below 30 percent of GDP. But independent tax expert Geof Nightingale told Ryan Bridge National has made these same commitments before. He says the three 'budget responsibility' rules are already in the fiscal strategy report, which the Government has to release for each budget.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's promising to stick to three spending guardrails if it returns to Government, and is calling on other parties to follow suit. The party's promising a return to surplus in 2028/29 - and bending debt below 40 percent of GDP. It's also promising to reduce the size of Government, bringing spending to 30 percent of GDP. Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined the Weekend Collective to explain further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's a critical juncture in the run up to November's election. National will set its party list, meaning those MPs who either aren't standing in an electorate or are unlikely to win an electorate seat will be keenly waiting to see the numbers next to their names. If the current polling trends don't improve, National's in line to lose something in the vicinity of ten or eleven MPs from its caucus. Perhaps even more concerning to the party than the total number of MPs who'd be lost, is the experience under threat. MMP maths always makes this a bit of a tricky equation, but even if the party loses several of the electorate seats it currently holds, very few MPs are likely to get in on the list. Perversely, the party might find itself quietly hoping to lose more electorates in order to protect some of its most senior ministers. In an absolute worst-case scenario, any or even all of Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Gerry Brownlee, and Paul Goldsmith could be gone. A result like this would be devastating for National, even if the party is returned to government. Just consider for a moment the influence ACT and NZ First have been able to exert in the coalition this term, and now imagine a significantly smaller National caucus without some of its most senior and experienced Cabinet ministers. The list rankings are surely a bit of a penny-drop moment for members of the caucus. Unlike many of my media colleagues, I haven't thrown myself into frenzied speculation over Christopher Luxon's future at every opportunity, but as many have already noted, this was among his worst weeks as Prime Minister. Some will say his patronising comments to the Rotorua business audience and his off-the-cuff musings in this studio over the future of MMP were simply communication gaffs from a Prime Minister who by his own admissions, isn't always as strong a communicator as some of his predecessors. The problem with that of course, is that communication is such a big part of the job. Not just speaking to media, but speaking to voters, and being aware of how your communication is received. The thing I found most interesting about the Rotorua comments was that the PM apparently lacked the EQ to see that his bland, empty corporatese-riddled answer wasn't landing. Not only that, but his office doubled down. They released the transcript. And only when that garnered even more of a backlash did they pull back and apologise. The same thing could be said of his MMP referendum. It's hard not to be left with the impression that at times he lacks an instinct for understanding how his comments will land. And in an election campaign where those skills are going to be continuously tested, it constitutes a not insignificant liability. As National confirms its list rankings, the question isn't simply if Christopher Luxon can lead the party to an election result that allows them to form a government, it's what that government looks like. And whether the party risks being so diminished in coalition that it's a win in name only. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Curia Poll is in with a few surprises that could be outliers or a changing trend ahead.Councils around the country have sat around the table and put forth their preferred options for the Govt's demand to amalgamate. Whether the Govt will agree to their proposals is another story.Nicola Willis has announced a claw back of a loan made to Chorus to fund the roll out of fibre across the country, which will see $700m come back into the Govt coffers, but was not originally agreed to be paid back until 2036.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

The Finance Minister says fuel support will stay in place until the Government is confident prices won't spike again. It's extending the in-work tax credit, higher mileage rates for health workers and eligible patients, and reimbursements for relievers. That's despite average pump prices sitting below $3 for four weeks. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the measures will return to Cabinet once prices fall below that mark again. She says it's important to note that the support can only come back with legislation - which isn't easy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 4th of August, the Government has confirmed that the fuel support measures will continue – after a great start, have we trapped ourselves? We remember and celebrate the life of our long time UK Correspondent Rod Liddle, who passed away overnight at the age of 66. Kiwi boxer David Nyika joins for a chat ahead of the title contender fight that would give him a shot at the IBF Cruiserweight title. 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.

Geopolitical uncertainty is forcing the Government to push fuel assistance out a while longer. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says they'll continually review the package. Willis says there was a period when petrol prices dipped below $3 a litre, but they're climbing again. "Treasury are forecasting prices could remain above $3 through August and September, so we've agreed to keep the temporary supports in place for now, because there hasn't been a sustained reduction in price." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we're not prepared to stop paying the NZ Super pension to people whether they need it or not, then we need to think very seriously about whether we pay it to people who move here from overseas. Sounds tough, I know. But, hopefully, this revelation today that we are paying $1 billion a year in pension payments to people from other countries - double what it was 10 years ago - will bring us to our senses. Because we can't keep carrying on the way we are. So, $1 billion a year in pension payments is going to migrants over the age of 65. Which Finance Minister Nicola Willis is OK with, saying changes that require someone to be a New Zealand resident for 20 years - instead of 10 years - are enough. Winston Peters, though, disagrees, saying that we should “watch this space” for some sort of announcement from NZ First sometime soon. But, if we go by what NZ First has said previously, the party could be about to announce that it's bringing back an idea that it floated about 10 years ago but never got anywhere with. But it's an idea I like. So what NZ First has talked about previously, isn't stopping paying the pension to migrants full-stop. But running a pro-rata system, based on how long they've lived here between the ages of 20 and 65. Funnily enough, Labour and the Greens supported the idea when it was floated in 2015. But National, at the time, opposed it, with some of its MPs saying the policy was “disgusting, bigoted and racist”. It seems, based on what Nicola Willis is saying today, that it hasn't changed its tune since then, either. But something needs to change. Because, over the next 30-odd years, the number of pensioners is expected to roughly double. And the cost of the NZ Super scheme during that time is expected to grow 1.5 times faster than the economy. Which is why Winston Peters is right when he says we haven't gone far enough just requiring migrants to be New Zealand residents for 20 years before they qualify for the pension, instead of 10 years. The thing is, I understand how odd it would be for someone to move here, spend a decent chunk of their working life here, and then - when they turn 65 - be told that there's no pension for them and to fend for themselves. But when the cost of the NZ Super pension scheme is going to blow out to the extent that Treasury says it is, what do we do? Banning people who move here from overseas from getting the pension would put us at odds with other countries, such as the UK, where you can go and get a pension after being there for 10 years. That's why I think the pro-rata idea, that NZ First may be about to resurrect, would be a much more realistic approach. Because doing nothing isn't an option anymore. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis and Vanushi Walters joined Morning Report's Ingrid Hipkiss for the Weekly Political Panel to discuss paid parental leave, the Opportunity Party, and the Commonwealth Games.

Nicola Willis will like the inflation number that's come out. More importantly, she'll like the story that number is telling. Remember, her target audience is the squeezed middle. This is the battleground. This is the fight for the soft centre at the election: Labour versus National. These are the voters both parties are targeting. The Stats NZ figure for the year to the June quarter is 3.2 percent. Prices are up for the average Kiwi family. On the face of it, that doesn't sound like good news. But for the roughly one-third of Kiwis who own a home, aka the squeezed middle, the number is better than it could have been. That's because this figure is based on the Household Living-Costs Price Index, not the Consumers Price Index (CPI). CPI inflation is 4.1 percent. This measure is lower at 3.2 percent. Why? Because it takes into account the cost of mortgage interest payments. And the mortgage-interest story is a good one. On these numbers, mortgage interest payments are 15 percent cheaper. Just imagine how bad this figure could have been if interest rates hadn't fallen, or if the Reserve Bank hadn't had the headroom to cut rates. You can see where I'm going with this. If you're an average home-owning family with two kids in New Zealand, you know how important your mortgage is to your sense of financial wellbeing. The smaller it is, the better you feel. So Nicola Willis will see this number as positive for two reasons. First, she'll claim some credit for helping bring mortgage costs down by 15 percent. Even though that's largely the Reserve Bank's doing, she'll argue that the Government created the conditions that made it possible. Second, she'll blame Donald Trump for prices continuing to rise, which isn't entirely untrue. A third of the annual increase is due to petrol prices and that's tied to events involving Trump and Iran. This helps National because it's running this election not only on its own record, which, let's be honest, has been patchy, but also against Labour's record. It's playing the "don't put it all at risk" card and it's playing that card hard. You would have heard that from Nicola Willis on the show. The only problem with these numbers is that they're backward-looking. Yes, interest rates have been coming down but they're starting to climb again. Westpac has moved on fixed rates and you can bet your bottom dollar the other banks will soon follow. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says escalation in the Iran war may move out the trigger-point for stopping temporary fuel-support payments. The $50 weekly payments for lower-income working families was meant to last a year from April, or until 91-octane stays cheaper than three-dollars a litre for a month. Finance Minister Nicola Willis expects we'll reach the four-week threshold this week - but the latest data won't be available til Wednesday. "The reason we put that four-week rule in place was because we do not think we should have these extra supports in longer than we need them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National wants to extend paid parental leave to 30 weeks, but families will have to wait until 2030 to get the full benefit. Nicola Willis tried to blame ACT for the delay, but National never pushed for it in the first place. David Seymour joins us to set the record straight on cost, policy priorities, and whether Kiwis are just being sold another long-term promise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Finance Minister says changes to paid parental leave weren't in the coalition agreement for the current government. The National Party is promising to extend paid parental leave to 30 weeks by 2029 if re-elected, with further increases possible if finances allow. It would also allow parents more flexibility to share, or take leave at the same time. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that the change would be a priority for a National-led government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 27th of July, Nicola Willis speaks on the new policy to extend paid parental leave. The Prime Minister speaks on monthly inflation reporting, the new tariff levied on us and the Golden Bay Cement decision. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk Hamish Kerr pulling out of the Comm Games, the Warriors bad loss, F1 and the All Blacks naming. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First's Stuart Nash is in trouble again for his comments about women. Politicians from across Parliament are outraged after the Napier candidate accused his competition of being lazy for taking maternity leave. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reckons Mr Nash is channelling the online manosphere, while Nicola Willis says his attitude belongs in the 1920s. Political reporter Russell Palmer has more.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

The Finance Minister expects to see power prices start easing "soon". Inflation's hit a two-year high of 4.1%. It's been driven not only by the surge in global petrol and diesel prices thanks to the war in Iran, but also the 12% annual rise in household electricity bills. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the increase in power generation is pushing down commercial power prices and should also start bringing down household power prices. She says the extra generation is consented and is being built, and the Government expects the fall in energy costs to be passed on to retail customers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of July, Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses inflation and the bailout for Golden Bay Cement. TVNZ CEO Jodi O'Donnell speaks on their FIFA World Cup streaming numbers and what's to come in the future, and comments on the decision to put a 16 minute World Cup package at the top of the 6pm news over Ryan Fox's major win. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk Golden Bay cement, the return of Question Time, and the deals being done between councils and local iwi on Politics Wednesday. 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.

Nicola Willis told us she did not take the decision lightly, and well, she might have said that. She's lucky it's only cost $60 million. We still don't know the terms, but we need to. This is Golden Bay Cement, and the Government has come to their rescue. Without this help, allegedly, they would have closed. There is only one supplier in the country – this in and of itself would seem to be an issue. They produce 60% of what we use. Is the other 40% cheaper? And what of the climate mitigation issues Fletchers speak of? Why do we worry about the 60% and not the other 40%? Why is climate so important in the cement business, and is climate worth worrying about if it means the closure of business and the loss of jobs? That is one of the questions of the age, especially given the Europeans over the weekend signalled their intentions to pull back on climate expectation for businesses for exactly the same reasons. Climate versus jobs? We quite like the work, thanks. Fletcher Building is the owner and a company with no shortage of drama around their reputation and activities, but not a business desperate, you wouldn't have thought, for $60 million. But, and here is the crunchy bit, they're a company that in straightened times is perfectly entitled to pull the pin on things that aren't working. So, a good business decision, or blackmail? Is the business run as they claim? In other words, it's not workable, or are they a bit useless? Britain is having the same conversation currently over a nationalised steelworks involving the Chinese and a water company that's on its knees. The trouble is the specifics and the precedent. Every story is unique. Can a government write a cheque for one-offs? Maybe. Does it set a potential precedent? Yes. Should the Government be in cement? No. Should we be more resilient in the basics of things like building materials? Yes. We have just had that debate by cleaning out an old tank at Marsden. Resilience is important. So I don't mind this as a one off. But is it a bad business or is it a business hampered by dumb rules around climate? And if it's the latter, would a change of rules fix the problem better than a bailout cheque would? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined Heather du Plessis-Allan for their weekly chat. On the Golden Bay Cement bailout, Willis defended the Government's decision to not change the ETS and instead provide funding directly to the company. "If we had said 'actually no, the ETS doesn't apply to you, Golden Bay Cement', there would have been a conga, well, there could have been a conga line of others who would have said, 'hey, we don't want the ETS to apply to us either.'" Willis also confirmed that Erica Stanford is expected to make announcements on a potential social media ban in the coming weeks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank just delivered an interest rate hike that the National Party desperately wanted to avoid. This completely shatters their script, yet Nicola Willis is trying to spin this as a sign of a strengthening economic recovery. We check in with Ani O'Brien and Ashley Church to see if this economic turnaround is actually real or just more Wellington spin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Finance Minister's again reiterating the volatility of oil prices as fighting resumes between the US and Iran. US President Donald Trump's declared the ceasefire is over as both sides accuse the other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire agreement. American forces have hit dozens of Iranian targets, while Iran's fired drones at US bases in response. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking she'd just been celebrating falling petrol prices. She says in the past 24 hours, oil prices have jumped 5%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 9th of July, Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaks on the Official Cash Rate, and Luke Jacobson tells us how the All Blacks will beat Italy this weekend. Dr Anna Breman explains the Reserve Bank's decision to raise the OCR by 25 basis points. And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss the All Blacks' travelling gear, going to restaurants with bare feet, and school holidays as they Wrap the Week. 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.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

The Finance Minister is hopeful that New Zealand's exports will grow significantly over the next ten years. If reelected, National says it will pursue trade negotiations with Brazil, Switzerland, Argentina, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Uruguay and the European Free Trade Association. It would seek talks with a further six trading nations over the next decade. Nicola Willis says it's likely there will be more demand for New Zealand-made products over the years as the market grows and changes. "If you'd asked me 20 years ago - what will China buy from us? I probably wouldn't have predicted some of the products that they now buy from us. I wouldn't have said that they would be an importer of our wine, that they would be such a massive importer of dairy products." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 2nd of July, Finance Minister Nicola Willis responds to the latest IMF report, which seems to have good economic news for us. L.A.B are launching their own festival in a sector where most are losing money or shutting down. So, do they have the magic? CNN anchor Richard Quest talks everything from oil, to the war in the Middle East, to AI, and the fascinating world we live in right now. 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 believes all signs are pointing to economic growth this year. The International Monetary Fund's recommending the country continue to hike taxes and make spending cuts. It predicts the economy will grow by 2% throughout this year, rising to 2.7% next year. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the IMF's quite optimistic about our growth this year, and she believes the economy's ready to bounce back. She says they see it starting to recover after a difficult few months, and all of the bank economists agree. The IMF's also broadly happy with the Government's targeted response to the oil price shock. It believes the annual inflation rate will peak at 4% within the next few months thanks to high oil prices, before dropping back. Willis told Hosking inflation would've been a huge problem if the Government unfurled the money hose like a lot of people wanted. She says there was a lot of talk about cutting petrol tax, and giving people extra cash in their back pocket. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

Oil prices have plunged with the shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran, and it's sparked discussion about what's going to happen next. It's bringing consumers some ease at the pump, with 91 dipping below $3 a litre. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she's 'pleased' to see prices coming down, but prices need to stay below the $3 limit for four weeks in a row before they end the fuel support package. "If that oil prices spikes up again in response to events in the Middle East, you might see that the petrol price at the pump bump up again. But we're all crossing our fingers...and hoping it stays low." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report for the Weekly Political Panel.

The National Party has outlined numerous changes to KiwiSaver they would enact if re-elected. National's finance spokesperson Nicola Willis spoke to John Campbell.

Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Nicola Willis answers listeners questions on KiwiSaver policy; BBC's Rob Watson discusses Starmer's resignation, Mayors call for cross-party support over bed tax; Author compiles Southern Hemisphere's greatest novels

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 19th of June, Finance Minister Nicola Willis talks the state of the economy after the Q1 GDP number and makes a comment about Shane Jones' trip. Wellington's Chamber of Commerce celebrates the cancellation of the Golden Mile project but still wants something to be done about Courtenay Place. We preview the Super Rugby Final with the Hurricanes' Malcolm Gillies and Chiefs' Simon Graafhuis and celebrate yet another Warriors sellout —this time in Christchurch— with Cameron George. Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby Wrap the Week – discussing the holiday and the new business that's popped up near Newstalk ZB. 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.

Nicola Willis says the Government's focused on the country's long-term economic outlook. GDP's risen 0.8% in the March quarter. The Economic Growth Minister says the June quarter won't be as sunny, as many businesses and households have been hit hard by the Iran war and fuel crisis. But she told Mike Hosking the global oil prices are tracking lower than Treasury had forecast. She says there's every reason to believe that flows through to lower prices at the pump, lower inflation, and better prospects for the economy overall. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

The Finance Minister says it's still too early to say whether we're seeing the beginning of the end of the fuel crisis. Prices have already fallen significantly since the US-Iran peace deal was announced. Traders on prediction market Kalshi are now picking the Strait of Hormuz to reopen and be fully back to normal by August. But Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking while the deal is clearly good news, she's waiting to see how the situation develops. She says it's still fragile and we've had breakthroughs in the past only to go backwards, so she's not counting her chickens just yet. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of June, International Security Expert Matthew Schmidt unpacks the reported peace deal between the US and Iran. Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses the impact the deal could have on New Zealand's economy. The All Whites are set to play their first match of the FIFA World Cup against Iran this afternoon – Football NZ CEO Andrew Pragnell previews the match. And Neuroscientist Kerry Spackman explains how to succeed in his new book ‘The Winner's Formula'. 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.

National's finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says she's done Labour's homework for them, laying out a list of opposition policy pledges she says are unfunded. Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds spoke to John Campbell.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 15th of June, Barbara Edmonds defends the Labour Party against Nicola Willis' claim of an 18 billion dollar "hidden bill." Mike also talks to the Prime Minister about Labour's spending and whether the government will bring in a bed tax. We find out whether a peace deal between the US and Iran is imminent. Mike's also back from his holiday - and tells us about the joy of seeing your children spreading their wings and living their dreams. The Commentary Box talks the Football World Cup, the upcoming Super Rugby Final and how the Warriors need to bounce back after back-to-back losses. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

Keeping NZ super as it is, is a strike against intergenerational equity according to the Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Winston Peter's has described her comments as a "sad point". There were no changes to the super scheme in the Budget. But the finance minister took the opportunity to raise serious concerns about the cost of the universal benefit. Nicola Willis said super costs are rising sharply with the bill going from $20 billion in 2020 to a forecast $30 billion in 2030. NZ First Leader Winston Peters spoke to Lisa Owen.