Politics

Labour and the Greens say they’re still committed to changing the government at this year’s election even though they held differing views on the Government’s budget this week. James Shaw explained to Jessica Mutch that his party felt it had to support National’s budget this week. Labour Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson said that although his party voted against the budget, …

Finance Minister Steven Joyce has defended criticism that his maiden budget this week was stepping on territory traditionally held by the Labour party, saying family tax credits had been a part of New Zealand for decades. Jessica Mutch: I want to start off by asking you – in 2008, you talked about a brighter future. Is this the kind of …

Finance Minister Steven Joyce says his budget treats everyone fairly, but says it’s aimed at families with children and low to middle incomes. Joyce says 6,000 families will be worse off after the budget by up to $3 a week. Another 200 families will be worse off by more than $3 a week, and there’s a $2million fund set aside …

Prime Minister Bill English told Q+A’s Corin Dann that New Zealanders shouldn’t be too concerned about what’s happening politically in the United States. Bill English: Well, we just, I think, need to understand there’s a lot of domestic politics in the US that’s pretty robust – certainly at the moment – a different way of the president operating. But hour …

NZ INC. brings you the best Trans-Pacific Partnership coverage from around the web. Friday, October 2 John Key spoke at a breakfast hosted by the Asia Society this week, where he talked about China’s attitude towards the TPP and New Zealand’s place in it. See the video here.  ” AsiaSociety.org: Video: New Zealand Leader Says China Sees Opportunity in the …

By Pattrick Smellie Sept. 23 (BusinessDesk) – New Zealand negotiators are “holding our ground” in talks to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment treaty with some improved access expected for dairy exports to the highly protected markets of North America and Japan, says Trade Minister Tim Groser. He acknowledged that comments from Prime Minister John Key on Monday, that whatever deal was achieved …

By Pattrick Smellie Sept. 21 (BusinessDesk) – Prime Minister John Key has given a guarded view of New Zealand’s chance of striking the “high quality” deal it has always sought in the 12 nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment negotiations, saying that “at least it will be the very best we can do.” International reports suggest a final ministerial meeting will …

Mark Lacy and Jason Maywald, directors of OPI Pacific Finance, have been sentenced to 200 hours of community work and A$100,000 in reparations after pleading guilty to two Securities Act charges laid by the Financial Markets Authority. Last month, Lacy and Maywald pleaded guilty to charges relating to a registered prospectus and an advertisement distributed in 2007, which the FMA said …

By Jonathan Underhill Sept. 18 (BusinessDesk) – SkyCity Entertainment Group, New Zealand’s only listed casino company, said it has gained resource consent approval for the convention centre. The company gets some $458 million of gaming concessions as a result of agreeing to build the convention centre in a deal with the government. In May, SkyCity lifted the minimum it will invest in the development to $430 million …

By Suze Metherell Sept. 17 (BusinessDesk) – Creditors of New Zealand’s failed state-owned coal miner Solid Energy have voted in favour of an orderly sell down over the next 2 1/2 years, rejecting a last minute foreign bidder’s request to delay the watershed meeting ahead of a possible buyout. Korda Mentha administrator Brendon Gibson said a move by Australian company Mach …