Politics
Policy
Light rail decision coming; Twyford won't discuss cost blowout
Transport Minister Phil Twyford has confirmed a Cabinet decision on the Auckland light rail project will be made "shortly", countering a suggestion by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters yesterday that the ambitious project had been suspended. However, Twyford dodged quest...
Primary Sector
Forest regulations put Ernslaw One expansion projects on hold
Forest owner Ernslaw One says the government’s planned regulation of the industry may stall four projects it is considering to expand the firm’s processing capacity.The potential powers the government is seeking – to intervene in the log sales and contracts of forest owners – are...
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Primary Sector
China trade distorts log costs for local processors, MPs told
Prices for New Zealand logs have been “highly distorted" by the country’s trade with China and do not represent a fair international price, MPs were told yesterday. Government proposals to ensure a more reliable log supply for domestic mills were a reasonable first step but su...
Economy
Temporary $1.2b package set up for estimated 230k redundancies
The government will provide a new temporary payment for people who lose their jobs due to covid-19 and it is looking at a more permanent unemployment insurance scheme, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. The new payment will be available for 12 weeks from June 8 for anyone...
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Pattrick Smellie
Founding Editor
Pattrick was judged New Zealand's best overall columnist and business columnist of the year at the Voyager 2021 Media Awards. He has more than 35 years’ experience reporting and working in New Zealand politics and the commercial sector. A former Press Gallery chairman, he is an award-winning journalist and has worked for titles including The Dominion, The Press, Sunday Star-Times and National Business Review. He was the first NZ correspondent for The Australian and co-founded BusinessDesk in 2008.
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