My bet? Ardern says the EU-NZ FTA needs more work

My bet? Ardern says the EU-NZ FTA needs more work
PM Jacinda Ardern is in Europe (Image: Getty).
Rebecca Howard
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern is between a rock and a hard place on the New Zealand-European Union free trade deal and my bet is she walks away.She’s not going to quit. She’ll just say it’s very close, but more talks are needed. That’s much easier to spin than a deal at any cost.The issue is – as always – agricultural access and a less than perfect deal would be too much of a political hot potato.   Think Groundswell protests, on steroids. Representatives from the dairy and meat sector are on t...

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.

Andy Macdonald 10 Oct 2025
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