Labour’s 2,400-nurse guarantee is costed for just 350 additional jobs
Labour has promised every eligible New Zealand-trained nursing graduate a public health job, potentially covering about 2,400 graduates each year.
Centrist
National offers lower student-loan deductions at home and tougher penalties offshore
National says it will cut the compulsory student-loan repayment rate for New Zealand-based borrowers from 12% to 10%, while increasing penalties and enforcement for borrowers who leave the country.
Banks agree on next OCR hike, but BNZ sees rates reaching 4% by May
Economists at New Zealand’s five largest banks expect the Reserve Bank to raise the Official Cash Rate by 0.25 percentage points on Wednesday, taking it from 2.50% to 2.75%.
Five New Zealanders still missing as Nepal flood toll worsens
The whereabouts of five New Zealanders remain unknown after catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-China border region last week.
Grey Power warns super alone no longer covers the basics for many renters
Grey Power is pressing political parties for clearer policies on superannuation, housing, healthcare and the cost of living as more older New Zealanders struggle to meet basic expenses.
Pacific forum opens with empty chairs and a crowded agenda
The Pacific Islands Forum has opened in Palau without the leaders of Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Kiribati, weakening the show of regional unity as major security and economic questions crowd the agenda.
S&P keeps New Zealand's rating stable, but deficits remain the weak point
S&P Global Ratings has affirmed New Zealand's AA+ foreign-currency and AAA local-currency sovereign ratings, both with stable outlooks.
Under-16 social media bill gives courts power to block platforms nationwide
National’s proposed under-16 social media bill would require age-restricted platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to take “reasonable steps” to stop children under 16 accessing them.
Te Pāti Māori weighs no-list strategy that could reshape Parliament
Te Pāti Māori is considering an election tactic that could affect the balance of Parliament even if its nationwide party vote remains very small: not submitting a party list at all.
Left-heavy health survey finds only 12% unconditionally willing to pay more tax
A survey reported by RNZ as showing that almost two-thirds of New Zealanders are willing to pay more tax for better healthcare found only 12.4% unconditionally agreed to pay more.
IT Scandal - One of the highest paid public servants keeps job after misleading Parliament
MBIE chief executive Nic Blakeley has kept his job after the ministry was found to have deliberately misled Parliament, despite offering his resignation and publicly declaring that “accountability rests with me”.
Power bills rise as regulator-approved Transpower profit jumps 64%
Consumers are paying more to fund grid investment as higher regulator-approved revenue lifts Transpower’s after-tax profit 64% to $176 million under new Commerce Commission settings.
National and Labour retreat from tax rises as election pressure builds
National and Labour are drawing increasingly firm lines around tax ahead of the election, with both parties ruling out a GST increase and now rejecting a planned rise in fuel excise.
‘This is bonkers’ – David Cohen on NZ’s voting rules
New Zealand allows some migrants to vote years before they are eligible to become citizens, an arrangement journalist David Cohen describes simply as: “This is bonkers.” Writing in the NZ Herald, Cohen backs NZ First leader Winston Peters’ push to restrict voting in general and local elections…
Far North councillors remove Smolders from Māori committee after criticism
Far North District councillors have voted to remove Councillor Davina Smolders from Te Kūaka, the council’s Māori strategic relationships committee, following months of disagreement over its structure and the role of unelected iwi and hapū representatives.
Former FMA chair to run for NZ First in Luxon’s electorate
Former Financial Markets Authority chair Craig Stobo will stand for New Zealand First in Botany against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.