The colder weather is not the only thing that has introduced a note of harsh reality to the NZ landscape. The Budget will be announced in just over two weeks, and the fiscal realities of holding both the purse strings and keeping election promises is already presenting the Labour-led government with a number of challenges.
Gareth Kiernan speaks to Liam Dann of NZ Herald Economy Hub about this transition phase and how it has affected Infometrics’ economic forecasts for the next few years.
Brad Olsen explores what was promised on the campaign trail, and what needs funding in the new Budget.
Brad also examines the contentious issue of Auckland regional fuel tax: what will it look like in practice, and what the potential effects are for transport users.
Gareth Kiernan (Infometrics Chief Forecaster) chats to Liam Dann, of NZ Herald Economy Hub, about the expected economic slowdown over the next few years.
A range of factors have combined to drive the slowdown, many of which can be sheeted back to government policy.
Election 2017 saw some high-profile and costly spending promises by all three parties now in government, and expectations are high for more cash in the upcoming budget. Finance Minister Grant Robertson will lay out his spending plan on May 17, with a mixture of red, black, and green anticipated.
Transport funding and how much we’ll all pay at the pump has been all the (road) rage recently. In late March, the government introduced legislation to allow Auckland Council to implement a regional fuel tax, and in early April the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport was published, signalling a 3-4c/l annual increase to petrol prices nationally.
