Kevin Rudd’s new chief of staff Jim Murphy has strong links with New Zealand’s policy and business elites, even if his boss doesn’t. Murphy, an Australian Treasury deputy secretary, was at Peter Costello’s side when the former Australian Liberal Treasurer co-launched the Australasia single market process with former NZ Finance Minister Michael Cullen a decade ago. A taciturn man, he …

With Tony Abbott lagging as preferred PM against Kevin Rudd, Liberal frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull has cast the election as a contest between a presidential pitch and “a traditional cabinet-based, consultative team approach to government”. In a speech titled “Leadership in times of Uncertainty”, Turnbull said: “We do not see this election as a presidential contrast, a contest between Kevin Rudd …

Rakon, the second-worst performing stock on the New Zealand sharemarket in the past year, will sell 80 percent of its Chinese joint venture factory to a Chinese electronics manufacturer for US$18.8 million to reduce debt. Rakon, which will retain a 5 percent holding in the venture, is selling the stake to Shenzhen Stock Exchange listed ZheJiang East Crystal Electronic Co, …