increase font size
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global economic event" - Donald Trump's trade tariffs - and unsustainable debt, but with the Government reportedly borrowing $500 million a week, interest costs now exceed the combined budgets of Police, Corrections, Justice and Defence.
New spending will drop from $2.4b to $1.3b though, with Willis wary of the interest bill spiraling out of control.
She criticised "extravagant" wage demands such as the 12% claim by striking senior doctors.
Some commentators opined that savings are likely to come from stalled programmes and unfilled vacancies - not mass redundancies.
Your old mate reckons the public service needs to wake up and realise the country's coffers have been left in a right state and some spending demands are necessarily off the table for the foreseeable.
OPINION: After seven years of Adrian Orr’s antics as Reserve Bank NZ governor, the priority of his successor, Anna Breman, surely is rebuilding the tarnished reputation of the RBNZ, not stepping on the Foreign Minister’s toes by commenting on US domestic politics.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imports into the US is doing good things for global trade, according to Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay.
A Hawke's Bay apple grower says it's no longer profitable for him to export apples to the US because of the 15% tariff imposed on them by Donald Trump.
Red meat farmers and processors are welcoming a US Government announcement - removing its reciprocal tariffs on a range of food products, including New Zealand beef.
Following a side-by-side rolling into a gully, Safer Farms has issued a new Safety Alert.
Coming in at a year-end total at 3088 units, a rise of around 10% over the 2806 total for 2024, the signs are that the New Zealand farm machinery industry is turning the corner after a difficult couple of years.
New Zealand's animal health industry has a new tool addressing a long-standing sustainability issue.
The Government has announced that ACC will be a sponsor of this year's FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.
As veterinary student numbers grow to help address New Zealand's national workforce shortge, Massey University's School of Veterinary Science is inviting more veterinary practices to partner in training the next generation of vets.
South Island dairy farmers will soon be able to supply organic milk to Fonterra.
OPINION: Meanwhile, red blooded Northland politician Matua Shane Jones has provided one of the most telling quotes of the year…
OPINION: This old mutt has been around for a few years now and it seems these ‘once in 100-year’ weather…
