Life returns to new 'normal' tonight at alert level 1

Life returns to new 'normal' tonight at alert level 1
Pattrick Smellie
New Zealand will return to life as normal, but with its borders closed, from midnight tonight. Some 75 days after the government imposed a near-total lockdown on national activity on March 25, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the government was confident that the covid-19 virus had been eliminated in New Zealand "for now." "We will see the virus here again," she said. This was inevitable rather than a failure of the elimination strategy, which seeks to reduce the incidence of the virus to the point where it can be stamped out if an...

More Economy

Willis teases new RBNZ governor after GDP drop
Economy

Willis teases new RBNZ governor after GDP drop

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says a new Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor will be announced “very shortly” as she comes under growing pressure to tackle NZ’s economic woes.Economists are calling on the RBNZ to cut the official cash rate (OCR) more aggressively after yesterda...

Dire economy opens door for 50bps cut in October
Economy

Dire economy opens door for 50bps cut in October

The New Zealand economy contracted 0.9% in the June quarter. 

Rebecca Howard 18 Sep 2025
Economy contracts 0.9% in June quarter
Economy

Economy contracts 0.9% in June quarter

GDP has now fallen in 3 of the last 5 quarters.

Rebecca Howard 18 Sep 2025
Life insurance market shrinks
Finance Risky Business

Life insurance market shrinks

Foreign firms dominate as affordability, tax and access barriers stymie growth.

Michael Neilson 18 Sep 2025