Quick Hit — Political Intelligence — Nicola Willis — Economy — Taxes — National Party — Labour Party — Barbara Edmonds — NZ First — Election 2026 — NZ Politics
Quick Hit: Willis’s Better Books Came Partly Out of Your Trolley
Treasury has the deficit at $6.8 billion and next year within $0.8 billion of surplus. It says that is partly inflation lifting the tax take while spending allowances stay fixed, which is how Willis got there with no new taxes.
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Quick Hit: Tradies Pay the Lawyers’ Loans
Labour will take 10 per cent off eligible student loans and wipe balances of $2000 or less entirely, at $583.4 million over five years. The debt moves to taxpayers and a doctor gets nearly four times what a teacher does.
Quick Hit: Don’t Write It Down
A curriculum lead was filmed telling staff the minister’s feedback was “OIA-able” and should stay out of writing. Now the chief ombudsman is formally investigating, and Erica Stanford says it’s a matter for her chief executive.
Quick Hit: Three Point Four Billion. Familiar Labels.
Fonterra’s $3.4 billion year came with a $1.2 billion one-off from selling Anchor and Mainland to France’s Lactalis. Farmers banked the cheque, and the butter still costs what it costs.
Quick Hit: Fifteen Questions. Roaming.
Hipkins dropped 15 written questions on Pacific roaming and SIM cards weeks from the election. Suit: some SIM cards at USD $35. Fifteen questions. Roaming. Country can wait.
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Splitting Your Vote – It’s the Only Way
The latest 1News poll tells us what we’ve known for a while. National can only get back to power through its electorate MPs.
The Insanely Stupid Idea Is Two Ticks Blue
Greens on a record 16 per cent, National and Labour stuck on 28 per cent and Luxon calls the overhang an ‘insanely stupid idea’. The stupid idea is sticking with two ticks blue while the polls sink.
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Face of the Day
“Barbara Edmonds will be the minister of finance. She is the best qualified person in parliament to be the minister of finance. That is a bottom line. It’s not negotiable” – Hipkins