Podcasts about nicola willis

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.

Unemployment is tipped to reach a nine-year high on Wednesday. National's deputy leader Nicola Willis and Labour's deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss

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 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.

Hana Pilkinton-Ching from Action Stations joins us live to talk about the upcoming roadshow to inform the public on how free dental is possible and the benefits for NZers.Luxon says his govt will continue to "smash the gangs", legal experts says his phrase is a threat of violence in a public setting and has broken the law.The scrapping of Pay Equity - that helped fund Nicola Willis' recent budget with $12B dollars - communications have been unsealed.That and your regular Friday show Memes to send you off into the weekend.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

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 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.

They haven't said it explicitly yet, but one day soon, our KiwiSaver contributions will rise to 12% and Kiwibank will be partially sold to foreign buyers. On the bank, Nicola Willis is flying a kite and talking about a potentially partial float of the stock exchange for the wee Kiwi battler. It needs capital to grow and take on the big banks. They're getting access to an extra half a billion through changes already announced. But they could yet get more, should National campaign on a partial float. It's sounding more and more like they will. And the question is whether most voters will care? I think not. Asset sales are not the great electoral disaster they were once portrayed as - just ask John Key who whipped Phil Goff's butt in 2011 on a platform of partially privatising assets. On KiwiSaver... the Government's already upped the amount we pay, and our bosses pay on our behalf, towards retirement. Our default contribution is going up to 4% over three years. Add your employer's and that's 8%. Scott Simpson was at a conference yesterday and there's an interest.co.nz report quoting him as saying basically it'll happen before long. At a gradual pace. But here's the thing... like the partial float of Kiwibank, this is all stuff that needs to happen. The Aussies' pensions funds boast $4 trillion in balances. That money is put to work. It funds infrastructure. It builds wealth. It grows a domestic economy. Our KiwiSaver balances, collectively, sit just above $100 billion. It's David and Goliath. So we need to save more. And if we're serious about a Kiwi bank taking on the Aussies and sticking it to them good and proper, we'll need some outside capital to give it that boost. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus from our conversation with Labour's Finance Spokeperson, Barbara Edmonds unpacks her approach to tax policy. Following our conversation with Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Barbara raises the question of fairness in how different types of income are taxed, and the need to reassess what's included in New Zealand’s “broad base, low rate” system.Barbara also weighs in on employee share schemes, saying they can lift productivity and give workers a real stake in the businesses they help grow—if the tax settings are right. For more of this episode or our chat with National's Nicola Willis, head to http://linktr.ee/sharedlunchShared Lunch is brought to you by Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia and Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions—including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers—can be found on our relevant Australian or NZ website. Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Appearance on Shared Lunch is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.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.

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.

Michael Reddell, who appears on this show a fair bit, has put the Adrian Orr resignation back in the news. He has a source close to the action that, in simple terms, suggests that Orr packed a sad at a couple of meetings, one of which was with Nicola Willis, the chair of the Reserve Bank Neil Quigley wrote to Orr with a list of concerns over that behaviour, and Orr quit. The underlying issue appears to be the fact the Government were determined to cut the Reserve Bank's budget, which ultimately, they were successful in doing. Why? Because like everything else under the Labour Government, too much money was spent, things blew out and the Reserve Bank had wandered off into new and expensive areas they didn't need to be in. The main point being: essentially what we thought happened, did. Adrian Orr has a short fuse, a fairly elevated sense of entitlement and importance, and didn't like what was unfolding – which is fine. He didn't have to like it and if he disliked it so badly, he could walk, which he did. But, and here is where this is important, he held a critical role in all our lives. People in jobs like that need to exemplary. Exemplary in execution and exemplary in person. He wasn't. He was a failure. Which then takes us back to how he got the job: through Grant Robertson. Not only did Robertson appoint Orr, he reappointed him. Bad people make bad decisions, and those bad decisions go on to have consequences. By way of contrast what do you reckon the pressure on Jerome Powell is like right now? Is Powell yelling and packing a sad? Is Powell going to quit in a massive hissy fit and vanish from the face of the earth without a word? I have a dollar with anyone who wants it that the answer is "no". Maybe Orr doesn't give a monkey's. Maybe Orr is that sort of bloke who's so inflated and mesmerised by himself that he is well past any reputational reflection. Maybe Grant is too. But the damage still sits in our bank accounts and rates bills and economic funk to this day. The bloke who stuffed the joint, packed a sad and stormed out, never to be heard from again. It's a sad indictment on a role and influence that should have been handled a great deal more elegantly and with a mile more professionalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Trump: 7/10 He has had a significantly positive week: SCOTUS sacking people has gone his way, deals with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan, and Australia flipped on beef. Only downside is he's stuck in the Epstein files, and he has cankles. Nicola “mainland” Willis: 4/10 The old "I'm going to teach them a thing or two" trick blew up in her face. NCEA: 6/10 We will wait for the detail, but the idea that the joke that is NCEA gets blown up is no bad thing. Colbert: 7/10 The defence was "but he is number one". But the reality is being number one only counts if you're making money. He wasn't. The helipad appeal: 1/10 This country is too full of timewasters. We had a hearing, everyone had their say, someone won and someone didn't. That's life. Sky TV: 8/10 A small bag of lollies for a buck is good enough, far less a whole TV station. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Nicola Willis appears to be fine with the price NZers are paying for butter saying that "I don't think consumers are getting a raw deal" from Fonterra. She then goes on to throw the supermarkets under the bus but still hasn't come up with a solution to the price of butter, just lots of hot air.Craig aka DairyManNZ on TikTok joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about butter and the approach the government is taking to help NZers with that price. Follow Craig on TikTok here https://www.tiktok.com/@dairymannzThis Government wants to cancel same day registration for elections in an obvious attempt to make it harder for some people to vote. Any move to restrict any one person in NZ the ability to participate in the right we have to vote, even if you think they should already be registered and only "drop kicks" register on election day, should be seen for what it is, and attack on our democratic process=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

What’s the Opposition’s plan for our financial future? After our recent conversation with Nicola Willis, we’re talking to Labour's Finance Spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, about the policies that impact your pay packet and your opportunities. Barbara talks about the challenges facing NZ households, the future of KiwiSaver, and what her economic plan would prioritise. Hear her concerns about replenishing the brain drain and our reliance on property as the path to wealth—and her optimism on the Māori economy, retail investing, and the opportunities AI presents for Aotearoa. Barbara explains why she considers current cuts "blunt and cruel" and sees crypto as a serious consideration for lawmakers. Plus, the mum-of-eight reveals how her own life experiences inform her policy. For more or to watch on YouTube—check out http://linktr.ee/sharedlunchShared Lunch is brought to you by Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia and Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions—including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers—can be found on our relevant Australian or NZ website. Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Appearance on Shared Lunch is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wallace Chapman and the Politics Panel discuss and analyse the main political stories of the day. He is joined this week by RNZ's Corin Dann, the NZ Herald's Fran O'Sullivan and former government minister Phil Goff. On the slate today: Nicola Willis says Kiwis are not getting a raw deal from high butter prices (after meeting the CEO of Fonterra); Defence Minister Judith Collins told a crowd of graduating Army recruits last week that they should prepare for "combat"; just 38 percent of respondents to a Talbot Mills poll say the government deserved a second term; is the government using locla councils as a whipping boy and National seems to have found a bright spot in one area of it's party policy: Education.

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.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 23 July 2025, Space Minister Judith Collins explains why she urgently needed to change the law to crack down on foreign actors manipulating our space industry. Homelessness rose by 37% between 2018 and 2023 - and councils say anecdotally the situation has got even worse since then. Nicola Willis has had her big meeting with Fonterra boss Miles Hurrell to get to the bottom of the butter price - and revealed why your butter is unlikely to get cheaper. Wellington is very excited to finally secure a big concert for the capital again - so can Ed Sheeran spark the city's recovery? Plus, the Huddle debates whether parents still feel comfortable with male daycare teachers. 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.

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the same international price as everyone for butter, which Nicola knows because she's an intelligent woman and because she used to work for Fonterra as well. So, nothing has come from the meeting. There is no announcement about what is being fixed. Miles Hurrell is not resigning or apologizing, and the price of butter is not dropping. All that has happened is that Nicola Willis has fronted up for the media today and told them that Miles Hurrell will talk to them at some time soon to explain how the price of butter works, which is a nothing outcome. In which case, you have to ask yourself the question, what was the point of the meeting? If Nicola actually truly does understand the mechanics of butter pricing, and presumably then also understands that Fonterra isn't ripping us off and also had no plans to announce anything after this, why hype the meeting? I can answer that question for you. Because she wanted to pass the buck. She wanted to blame Fonterra, because National is feeling the pressure over the fact that Labour is now more trusted to deal with the cost of living crisis than National is - according to the Ipsos survey, which is out this month. And because the heat has been cranked up on National, who have talked a very big game about getting the economy back on track - and yet 18 months in, it's still very much off track to the extent that people cannot afford butter. Nicola tried to shift the blame from National to Fonterra and it didn't work. Now, the lesson here is that performance politics doesn't work. Blaming the supermarkets but doing nothing, blaming Fonterra but doing nothing, blaming the banks but doing nothing, that kind of stuff doesn't work. And in fact, it's risky, it runs the risk of backfiring, which is exactly what's happening here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Kiwiblog's David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Can we confirm Nicola Willis' meeting with Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell was entirely pointless? Some advocates have blamed the Government's policies for the increase in homelessness. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the same international price as everyone for butter, which Nicola knows because she's an intelligent woman and because she used to work for Fonterra as well. So, nothing has come from the meeting. There is no announcement about what is being fixed. Miles Hurrell is not resigning or apologizing, and the price of butter is not dropping. All that has happened is that Nicola Willis has fronted up for the media today and told them that Miles Hurrell will talk to them at some time soon to explain how the price of butter works, which is a nothing outcome. In which case, you have to ask yourself the question, what was the point of the meeting? If Nicola actually truly does understand the mechanics of butter pricing, and presumably then also understands that Fonterra isn't ripping us off and also had no plans to announce anything after this, why hype the meeting? I can answer that question for you. Because she wanted to pass the buck. She wanted to blame Fonterra, because National is feeling the pressure over the fact that Labour is now more trusted to deal with the cost of living crisis than National is - according to the Ipsos survey, which is out this month. And because the heat has been cranked up on National, who have talked a very big game about getting the economy back on track - and yet 18 months in, it's still very much off track to the extent that people cannot afford butter. Nicola tried to shift the blame from National to Fonterra and it didn't work. Now, the lesson here is that performance politics doesn't work. Blaming the supermarkets but doing nothing, blaming Fonterra but doing nothing, blaming the banks but doing nothing, that kind of stuff doesn't work. And in fact, it's risky, it runs the risk of backfiring, which is exactly what's happening here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Government loses Mike Hosking on the price of butter narrative you know it's a bad look. Nicola Willis' chat with Fonterra will achieve nothing and it's all window dressing and it's the consumer that will foot the bill...literally.Will butter prices be the downfall of this government? Will it remain the example of the cost of living crisis getting out of control and will we measure all our return as 'blocks of butter' as we head into the next election.This week an open letter was sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters from 150 of Aotearoa's writers, demanding they take urgent action regarding the atrocities in Gaza. Paul Maunder is the organiser of the Blackball Writers Festival, which is where the idea of the open letter came from, and joins us tonight LIVE at 9pm.Roger Douglas was old and slow and, due to that, was given too much time on The Bradbury Group last night with at least one of the contributors saying Douglas' perspectives were from a different era and maybe it would have been better to leave them there.Fallout from Mehdi Hasan's Surrounded as participants begin to feel real world consequences for the 8Chan perspectives.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

Cost-of-living politics reared its head again at Parliament, with MPs exchanging blows over soaring butter prices. Labour accused the coalition of lacking a plan, a claim immediately thrown back at it by a fired-up Christopher Luxon. All this came as Nicola Willis prepares to meet with the global dairy giant Fonterra to hear its take on dairy costs. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 23rd of July, red meat continues to go gangbusters, but we could be doing better, and the industry has some warnings. Lester Levy is moving from the Health NZ Commissioner to the new board chair, and gives us an exclusive on what he has, and hasn't, achieved. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss pay transparency, the butter meeting between Nicola Willis and Fonterra, and the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halfway through the week, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest political stories thus far. Labour MP Camilla Bellich's member's bill, the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, has passed its second reading. But why do we want to talk about salaries? Nicola Willis has met with Fonterra over the cost of butter – has anything come of it yet? And how intense will the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election be? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you reckon happened at the big butter meeting? Willis and Hurrell. Nicola and Miles. Is it a meeting that took on a hopeless amount of hype, or was it a sign that at times this Government, and Willis in particular, say stuff that makes them look like they are on to it when perhaps they're not? The reality is these two meet regularly. Fonterra plays an outsized roll in our economy and therefore it would be odd if they didn't meet. But Nicola has this penchant for saying stuff that might lead you to believe she could produce an Uzi out of her handbag and blitz the room. She has the banks, who she keeps telling us are people we should not be locked in a dark room with. She has the supermarkets who, in her Clouseau-type way, suggests she has been ferreting about the isles and has found dastardly deeds. Jacinda had the same predilection when she told us the petrol companies were "fleecing us". It's all good stuff for headlines and attention. It's very good guy/bad guy, and if hot air were rocket fuel she could have flown to the moon and back six times. But is your butter any more affordable? Of course not, and in that is the problem – not with the price, but with Nicola. Wouldn't it be fantastic if there was a scandal, or a rip-off, or some highway robbery? Wouldn't it be awesome if she could tie a butter producer to a chair and waterboard them until they screamed out "yes, yes, yes it's true, the real price is only $3.76 not $8.50". Sadly, it isn't going to happen. Presumably, as if she needed it, Miles worked her through the calculations at last night's meeting. We pay the global price for butter, the irony being in this case that's actually good news because dairy in general is booming and we need something to boom. What we would like to do versus what we have to do, for good reason, are two separate things. That's why butter is the price it is. The real question for Nicola is how many meetings, threats and finger waggles does she have to produce for no change before someone calls her out for being a lot of mouth and not a lot of trouser?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tania Waikato joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about what interest.co.nz described as "the clear strategic imperative for all three Coalition partners is break-out. Each must seize as much of the Right's ideological territory as possible for themselves" over the next 15 monthsStephen Colbert gone, TV3 sold for $1...what's the latest happenings in the world of media telling news stories. New political polling has the National Party headed towards one term in power, with a majority thinking the country is on the “wrong track”, disapproving of the Government's performance and a near majority believing it is time to “give another party a go”.The Finance Minister is meeting with Fonterra's chief executive to discuss the nearly 50 percent surge in butter prices. Nicola Willis has acknowledged Kiwis think the cost of living is too high, and the Opposition agrees, with Labour accusing the Government of failing to address the strain on households.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

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.

The Government has announced the funidng of $6 billion worth of construction projects to begin by Christmas. New and improved roads, school renovations, and hospital revamps - it's all been added to the National Infrastructure Pipeline which is now over $207 billion. These projects are also expected to create tens of thousands of jobs in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee 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.

On today's First Up pod: In South Korea, medical students have gone back to class after a boycott of more than a year; we celebrate the birthday of a Dutch artist who turned black paint into magic; Nicola Willis talk about electricity, and Australian police trying to take our cops and Tess Brunton checks out a seaside suburb in Dunedin, to find a taste of Italy. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

Christopher Luxon says all options are on the table when it comes to increasing competition in the grocery sector. He hopes that more overseas operators - like Walmart – will expand their operations to New Zealand. The Prime Minister told Heather du Plessis-Allan Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis is doing everything to establish new operators in the supermarket industry. LISTEN ABOVE See 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 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.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 10th of July, Finance Minister Nicola Willis talks the Reserve Bank decision to hold the OCR steady and what that says about our economy. Shane Jones has had enough of lizards, DOC, and progress being stalled on a mine that would provide 700 jobs for the Otago region. Kiwi actress Antonia Prebble joins to talk the 20th anniversary of Outrageous Fortune and the latest season of her podcast What Matters Most. 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 says several thousand more families will benefit from the changes to FamilyBoost. Nicola Willis spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

This is gonna sound harsh and I know it - but I think women like Rachel Reeves need to stop crying in public.This is the biggest news that is in the UK at the moment. The Chancellor, who's basically the equivalent of our Nicola Willis, started crying in Parliament. Now I feel really sorry for her, cause it looks like she is going to probably end up taking the fall for a man's incompetence because Keir Starmer, her Prime Minister, is weak and is giving into a rebellion and has forced a U-turn on her, thereby undermining her fiscal plans. And then after all of that, after doing all of that to her and humiliating her in public, what then happened in Parliament is what sparked the tears. He was asked whether, after all of the humiliation he's put her through, he's going to keep her in the job, and he would not confirm that he would keep her in the job. And she's sitting directly behind him, the cameras capture it, her face crumbles and the tears start rolling - and you'd have to be heartless not to feel for the woman, because it is incredibly clear that she is trying so hard not to cry, but she cannot help it. But women have got to stop crying in public. If you cannot stop yourself crying in public because it is too much, get up, leave the room, do it privately. I was reading Jacinda's book last night, again - I mean, talk about crying, there's another crier - and in it, she tells the story of being pregnant and talking to a successful corporate woman at a function. And she couldn't find a word that she was looking for and she said to the woman, "Oh, baby brain." And then she laughed, but the woman didn't laugh. The woman looked at her with a stern face and said to her, "You can never say that." And the reason is obvious - because if she says that in public, Jacinda Ardern's opponents would have seized on it, but also people in general would have seized on it as an example that women cannot do significant jobs while being pregnant and being mums. And the same is unfortunately true for Rachel Reeves. There will be people who will seize on this as an example that women cannot handle significant and stressful jobs because women are inherently more emotional. Now, I realize that what I'm saying is controversial because we have been told time and time again by people like John Kirwan that we're not supposed to bottle things up and we are supposed to talk about it. But I think we've gone completely in the other direction. We are now at risk of oversharing everything that we're feeling. By all means, talk about it. Talk to the people closest to you. Cry all you like behind closed doors to them. But if you're gonna cry in public, leave the room - especially, for God's sake, if you're a woman in a big job because it reflects on all women. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced that former acting Reserve Bank Governor Grant Spencer has been appointed to the central bank's board. Spencer retired from the Reserve Bank in 2018, after he was deputy Governor and head of financial stability from 2007 to 2017. He was acting Governor over the six months to March 2018. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan unpacks what Nicola Willis is indirectly saying through this announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says changes to the FamilyBoost scheme are on their way - after Cabinet made decisions today. The Government previously said it would announce changes to the childcare tax policy in June. It's been admitted the number of families initially thought eligible was wrong. Nicola Willis says there are two changes and they apply to fees incurred from tomorrow - with claims able to be made from October. "The first is to increase the amount of rebate, which will have the effect that people on lower middle incomes with lower rates of fees will be able to get a bigger rebate." Willis says the second is to reduce the abatement rate - so families earning more than 140-thousand dollars will be able to claim a bit more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's issued a fresh warning to the major supermarket chains. Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis has written a letter to Woolworths, and Foodstuffs' North Island and South Island arms, outlining her expectations. She says she's hearing of supermarkets charging more than the advertised price, and having specials and multi-buy deals that don't actually offer savings. Willis told Mike Hosking that's not good enough. She says supermarkets have publicly said again and again that they do everything they can to be good providers of service, but this doesn't look like that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 26th of June, Nicola Willis is still unhappy with the supermarkets, sending them another letter – when is it time for action? Moana Pasifika is in serious financial strife, but it was revealed that Whanau Ora, using taxpayer money, gave them $8 million in funding. How does a company, whose job it is to improve wellbeing in poorer communities, spend millions on a rugby team? Former Top Gear and Grand Tour host James May is coming to NZ with his new stage show about the world's best explorers, joining out of the UK for a chat. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's keeping a close eye on the economic impact of volatility in the Middle East. Economists worry it will impact oil, driving up prices at the pump for Kiwis. Nicola Willis says this is a concern. "Our position now is that we support all efforts at diplomacy and de-escalation. That is good for the world." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's revealed top-level legal advice was sought over the Reserve Bank's battle with Treasury for funding. The bank received less money than it anticipated in the latest funding round - which prompted Adrian Orr to quit as Governor. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacks the issue further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister made it clear she was unimpressed with the way the RBNZ handled public communication around Adrian Orr's departure. Reserve Bank board chair Neil Quigley recently revealed he 'regretted' the time it took to release information around Orr's surprise resignation. Nicola Willis says the central bank could have provided some clarifying statements more promptly than they did. "As soon as they'd worked through what they could say with the former governor, there was obviously significant public interest in that information. And it would have been in everybody's best interests for them to share that at an earlier junction." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 12th of June, it's good news Thursday as we see good news for wool, good news for our food and fibre exports, and good news for our elective surgery waitlist. You won't believe how many people are leaving Auckland and the North Island to head to Christchurch and the South Island. Award-winning comedian Jimmy Carr is heading this way, but before that he's on to talk cancel culture, his love of New Zealand, and his life of the tour. 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 says a move to require wool carpets in state housing makes financial sense. Nicola Willis has announced a change to Kainga Ora's supplier agreement that will see it re-open its previously nylon-only carpet tender process. From the start of next month, all public entities will also be required to use woollen fibres where practical and appropriate. Willis told Mike Hosking officials have told her it makes sense for Kainga Ora to make this change. She says it's cost-neutral, and it performs well across a number of other dimensions. Nicola Willis says the Reserve Bank should never be exempt from cost-cutting across the public sector. Newly released documents show Adrian Orr's abrupt resignation as Governor came after he was denied the Budget allocation he was seeking. The Finance Minister says the central bank still has the funding it requires to do its statutory duties. She told Hosking the Reserve Bank can't operate as a "gilded palace" – it needs to be fiscally responsible, like all other government departments. Willis says any idea that the Reserve Bank doesn't need to abide by the same funding constraints as other Government agencies is wrong. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the year of growth, Nicola Willis has presented a growth budget. But does the Investment Boost initiative, which speeds up depreciation for businesses, promise the kind of growth that the economy needs? In this special Spinoff pod for budget day, Toby Manhire asks Bernard Hickey for his take on the headline changes, and whether or not David Seymour's earlier commentary that his colleague Brooke van Velden had “saved the budget” through its controversial and hurried changes to the pay equiry scheme, has been proven true. Plus: what are the cumulative impacts of the changes to KiwiSaver and Best Start, as compared to the SuperGold cohort? And how much did the global political and economic volatility influence the documents published today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices