Unlikely allies: Top economists find common ground on spending reform

Unlikely allies: Top economists find common ground on spending reform
Craig Renney, rear, was an adviser to Grant Robertson when he was finance minister. (Image: Getty)
Dileepa Fonseka
The policy director of the Council of Trade Unions and the chief economist for the centre-right New Zealand Initiative don’t agree on much, but the need to reform how the government monitors spending is surprising common ground for the pair.Craig Renney (CTU) – who served in Grant Robertson’s office when he was finance minister – and Eric Crampton (NZ Initiative) will appear together in Hamilton this morning (Feb 16) on a panel to discuss Treasury and the state of the books.The discussion, part of this year&rsq...

More Economy

No respite for the NZ dollar
Economy

No respite for the NZ dollar

Easing trade tensions isn’t helping the NZ dollar. 

Rebecca Howard 22 Oct 2025
RBNZ and the curious case of prudential stacks
Opinion

Andy Macdonald: RBNZ and the curious case of prudential stacks

The end result of the RBNZ’s capital review will be both revealing and fascinating.

Andy Macdonald 21 Oct 2025
Economists expect a 25bps cut in Nov, inflation as expected
Economy

Economists expect a 25bps cut in Nov, inflation as expected

Annual inflation was 3%, within the 1% to 3% band. 

Rebecca Howard 20 Oct 2025