The worst kept secret of the Government’s privatisation programme has been all but confirmed, with the Australian media reporting that Mighty River Power will be on sale to Australian investors, says Clayton Cosgrove, Labour’s State Owned Enterprises spokesperson. The Australian Financial Review, Australia’s most respected business news source, has reported today that Mighty River Power will be listed on both …

ANZ Bank announced an assistance package to help drought-affected farmers get through the Big Dry.  Parts of Northland have had their driest February since records began. This week the Government declared a state of drought in Northland, and Federated Farmers expects other regions to follow soon. “As with any serious weather event that impacts on dairy and meat production, the …

New Zealand’s terms of trade unexpectedly fell to a three-year low in the fourth quarter as prices of dairy exports extended their slide and fish export prices fell. The terms of trade fell 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter from three months earlier, according to Statistics New Zealand. A 1.3 percent gain was expected, based on a Reuters survey. The …