Willis says ‘strong applications’ received for Reserve Bank governor role, but critic urges appointment process be reopened

Nicola Willis says no thought has been given to reopening the Reserve Bank governor appointment process. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Dileepa Fonseka

Tue, 02 Sep 2025

The Government says an announcement about a new Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor is coming soon, but a leading economics professor thinks the process should be reopened.University of Auckland economist Robert MacCulloch, who holds the Matthew S Abel Chair in Macroeconomics, told BusinessDesk that officials should revisit the appointment process before making a decision. He argued some potentially capable candidates did not apply because of the involvement of former Reserve Bank of NZ (RBNZ) chair Neil Quigley.“Take me for example...

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