A dangerous thought for New Zealanders: cheer up!

A dangerous thought for New Zealanders: cheer up!
Fresh from a European break, Smellie seeks to slay the Beast of Gloom. (Image: Pattrick Smellie)
Pattrick Smellie
Is anyone more irritating than someone who returns from a long holiday to tell everyone: “For God’s sake, cheer up!”? Well, that’s me.Scanning the headlines during a four-month northern hemisphere sabbatical, I found that New Zealand seemed as economically and politically dyspeptic as it had been since the Ruth Richardson recession of the early 1990s.The headlines from home were full of deteriorating economic conditions, increasingly polarised race relations, violent crimes, failing infrastructure, overuse of the word &l...

More Economy

Finance minister says yes, yes, yes to RBNZ transparency reform
Economy

Finance minister says yes, yes, yes to RBNZ transparency reform

Willis says she doesn't think system is broken, but needs incremental improvements. 

Smaller lenders eye prudential requirements in RBNZ review
Finance

Smaller lenders eye prudential requirements in RBNZ review

NBDTA proposed a total capital ratio of 10.5% of risk-weighted assets.

Cost-benefit issues in spotlight amid RBNZ review
Finance

Cost-benefit issues in spotlight amid RBNZ review

The Reserve Bank of NZ had received 42 submissions to the review.

Andy Macdonald 09 Oct 2025
ANZ first bank to react to OCR cut
Economy

ANZ first bank to react to OCR cut

ANZ is the first bank to react after the Reserve Bank’s 50-basis-point official cash rate cut on Wednesday.“Lower interest rates are helping, and more and more customers are seeing the benefit of rate cuts,” Grant Knuckey, a managing director at ANZ, said.“We’ve ... [seen] people...

Staff reporters 08 Oct 2025