#nzpol with @NZHerald's Mood of the Boardroom showing that even NZ’s executive suite prefer Barbara Edmonds over Nicola Willis, we ask why is the New Zealand economy so bad, and what needs to change to improve it? Watch Locked Out ep:23 now youtu.be/5HnB64l16co?...

#nzpol Do we have to do this all the time? beehive.govt.nz/release/20-mil… It’s not new funding. “the initiative will be funded from Health New Zealand’s baseline”. So it’s actually being cut from somewhere else. We already underfunded the health system at the Budget. This is a further cut

#nzpol Big turnout for the Women’s Day of Action for pay equity. Billions of dollars have been stolen from low-paid female dominated workforces. This government can find huge tax cuts for tobacco companies, landlords, and big businesses - but not fair pay. That must change.

#nzpol Locked Out has had a look at the recent GDP numbers. Guess what? They’re not great, and there is no plan to make it work. Have a watch now: youtu.be/RQgR2S6aaTI?...

#nzpol The minimum wage increased 1.5% this year. Data from Stats NZ shows: - Food prices up 5% - Fruit & Veg up 8.9% - Meat up 9.4% - Bread up 9.5% (white sliced up 41.7%) - Cheese up 14.3% - Milk up 15% - Electricity up 11.4% Laser focused on the cost of living www.stats.govt.nz/information-...

#nzpol Data released by Statistics New Zealand shows that the labour market is even more bleak than feared, with the loss of more than 10,000 jobs in just three months. The data shows that there are more than 50,000 fewer jobs than in December 2023. A 🧵 www.stats.govt.nz/information-...

#nzpol The National Party are at it again. The source of this data is kpi.nz - not official data. A Thread…

#nzpol Big turn out tonight at the Living Wage Election Forum Event. The Living Wage right now puts an extra $172 a week into the pay packet of a full time worker. Dignity at work comes from decent pay for everyone - not from tax cuts.

#nzpol Amazon’s investment in Auckland being announced today by the government “is not new money being pledged, nor new jobs being created. Nor even new data centres being built”. But apart from that it’s totally new. H/T @thomasmanch.bsky.social www.thepost.co.nz/business/360...

#nzpol Nicky: - no boats - no new supermarkets - no-one getting $250 a fortnight - no debt reduction - no jobs - no pay equity - no child poverty reduction - no Central Bank Bosses left - no hope The quiet whispers of leadership must be getting louder

#nzpol Monthly jobs rose this month – great! Except we have 36,734 fewer jobs than at the election. There are 17,573 fewer jobs than this time last year. Total wages have fallen 4% in real terms. If the current economic plan is working – its not working for working people. A 🧵

#nzpol Looking at the past few forecasts from RBNZ, a pattern emerges. GDP. Employment. Residential investment. The recovery from the 2024 recession keeps being delayed. More at: craigrenney.substack.com/p/on-the-cus...

#nzpol Retail trade data out today. The Govts economic strategy right now hinges on interest rate cuts turning up as increased spending. Retail sales are coming back - its just painfully slow. They are still behind where they were at the election

#nzpol I've reviewed the new Treasury Long Term Insights Briefing. Like shoulder pads & telethons, the Treasury thinks the 80s are back in style for fiscal policy. I'm not sure - let's actively shape our future economy, rather than passively watch it shape us craigrenney.substack.com/p/shoulder-p...

From 1 September 2025, the NZ Living Wage hourly rate is $28.95. Read more about the new Living Wage here: livingwage.org.nz/lw25 For a full report on the updated Living Wage rate 2025/26 clock here: assets.nationbuilder.com/nzlivingwage...

#nzpol Unemployment data released by Statistics New Zealand today shows an increase to 5.2%. There are now 158,000 people unemployed in New Zealand, up 28% since the government took office. There is no plan to help, and the data shows even deeper problems ahead. A 🧵

#nzpol Nurses and health care workers are out campaigning today for safe staffing, decent contracts, and a properly funded public health system. They support you when you and your family need help the most. Support them today.

#nzpol Data from Stats NZ today demonstrates how far we have fallen in the labour market. Between June 2019 and June 2023, we put on 225,000 new jobs. Since then, we have lost 31,216 jobs. A filled job is lost every 34 minutes. A thread

#nzpol Delighted to be invited to hear @maxrashbrooke.bsky.social deliver the first IDEA report into welfare and the role that active labour market programmes can play. With rising unemployment this is an urgent & necessary area of research. The full report at: www.ideainstitute.nz/projects-the...

#nzpol Standing with workers affected by the theft of pay equity, handing over a petition of more than 93,000 signatures. It’s been 53 years since the Equal Pay Act and this government is taking us backwards not forwards. Join your union and make this a one-term government.

The CTU is closing signatures at 8am tomorrow on our Pay Equity Petition. If you have signed - thank you. If you haven't - don't wait any longer and sign right now. 330,000 workers affected by the theft of pay equity have already waited too long. www.together.org.nz/fbt_for_pay_...

#nzpol Data released by Statistics New Zealand today shows that the Consumer Price Index rose to 2.7%. This marks the 3rd straight quarter in which annual inflation increased, up from 2.2% in December 2024. The data underneath this figure suggests some troubles ahead. A🧵

I had a great chat with Nathalie Jacques from NZNO about the problems facing Nurses and the health system in Aotearoa, busting some of the myths being thrown around. We also look at the current GDP forecasts from the Reserve Bank. Have a listen at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMw0...

Join us at Parliament NEXT WEDNESDAY to Protect Pay Equity. Tell your friends, tell your whānau, and spread the word—let’s fight back together for working women. #nzpol www.facebook.com/events/71162...

It's not often that I am given to bouts of optimism, such is the curse of being an Economist. But a look back at New Zealand's history is giving me pause for thought. My latest Substack on what 1931 can tell us about today is available at: craigrenney.substack.com/p/its-not-19...

I have had a look at the FamilyBoost Changes - and who they really benefit. All the details at: craigrenney.substack.com/p/familyboos...

There have been a slew of recent indicators telling us that there is real pain in the labour market right now. I have a look at what the latest data is telling us at: craigrenney.substack.com/p/the-labour...

Episode 11 of Locked out with Craig Renney is out - I had a great conversation with Chloe Swarbrick looking at the Green Party Fiscal Strategy which was released last week. Check it out now www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I6T...

Data released by Stats New Zealand today shows that the economy grew on a quarterly basis by 0.8% but fell on an annual basis by 1.1%. The economy is about the same size it was in March 2023 tells you that we have had almost zero (0.3%) economic growth over the past 2 years. A 🧵

#nzpol Minimum Wage increased 1.5% this year. Data just released by Stats NZ shows: - Food Prices up 4.4.% - Beef up 16.2%. Lamb up 20.3% - Cheese up 17.3%. Milk up 13.7% - Electricity up 8.7%. Gas up 15.4% - Rent up 2.8% Laser focussed on the cost of living www.stats.govt.nz/information-...

#nzpol Business NZ looks at the state of the economy through two measures – PMI (Performance of Manufacturing Index) and PSI (Performance of Services Index). If they score above 50 – the sectors are growing. Data today shows them at 47.5 and 44. A 🧵

#nzpol Migration data came out today. It’s down at levels not seen – outside of COVID – since January 2014 when we were climbing out of the GFC. Migration added 21,300 people to NZ in April 25. It was 95k in April 24. A thread...

Talked with @garypayinda.bsky.social about the Budget for Episode 8 of Locked Out. Talking about what it means for Health in New Zealand, and what life is like on the frontline of our health services. Find us at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_GP...

#nzpol The CTU has released a report today looking at the Budget, and what it means for working people across New Zealand. Find all the details of what the government intends to buy after stealing $12.8bn from low-paid workers at: union.org.nz/a-workers-an...

I had the opportunity to speak with @clrenney.bsky.social this week to discuss the Budget from a Disability perspective Thanks Craig

Ep.7 of Locked Out with Craig Renney is out now. we talk with disability advocate @nickruane.bsky.social about how government decisions in the Budget will affect the 850,000 people with disabilities in NZ. We also take a first look at the Budget spending decisions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJxT...

#nzpol During the last election campaign – you might have heard the phrase “It’s time to get the county back on track” uttered once or twice. How do you feel that is going? Do you feel back on track yet? There are some numbers in the Budget that back-up your concerns. A 🧵

There's no cap on Investment Boost. It's mind-boggling. Pitched as a policy backing hardworking Kiwi SMEs, in reality it's tax cuts for billion-dollar oil rigs, fast-tracked coal mines and glittering skyscrapers. newsroom.co.nz/2025/05/24/i...

#nzpol Today’s Budget takes $12.8bn from low-income, female dominated workforces to prop up the governments failed economic policies. It's a Reverse Robin Hood Budget that steals from working people. This is a Budget that isn’t working for working people. A 🧵

Melissa Ansell-Bridges has published a useful piece examining the pay equity changes in detail and explaining how they are not small policy changes but rather a structural demolition of pay equity law that will lock in pay discrimination for years to come. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3606...

Join us at Parliament on Budget Day to stand up and fight back against the Government’s decision to gut the Equal Pay Act. #ProtectPayEquity

#nzpol At 5pm yesterday, the Treasury informed the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU) it has been barred from attending the Budget lock-up on 22 May. This is the first time the CTU has been prevented from attending a Budget lock-up in living memory

The Pay Equity changes need clear and honest answers from this government. The hundreds of thousands of workers whose lives will be affected by this decision should expect nothing less. A list of currently unanswered questions is here: craigrenney.substack.com/p/pay-equity...

These are the pay equity claims that the government wiped out in just two days to make its budget balance. It's appalling that tax breaks for tobacco companies are being funded by cutting women's pay rises and backpay. (Also listed in alt text)

The fourth episode of Locked Out is now available - looking at housing with Bernard Hickey. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRME...

Unemployment data released today by Statistics New Zealand shows ongoing weakness in the labour market, with falling employment, falling hours of work, and nearly half of all workers getting a pay rise less than inflation. A 🧵

#nzpol The pay equity decision today – just before Mothers Day – takes employment law back decades. It will likely impact the earnings of hundreds of thousands of women, often working in some of the most poorly paid work. It will cost us all in the long-run. A 🧵 www.beehive.govt.nz/release/chan...

Wasn’t going to have a drink this weekend but the Australian Election might push me to it. Two elections in a week - both looking likely to keep the right in opposition. Winning bigly some might say.

If the operating allowance has been halved - that’s a sign of real stress on the Budget. That’s not enough money to pay for cost pressures just in the health service - nevermind anything else. This Budget will now be paid for with cuts.

Episode 2 of Locked Out is now available 😀 - looking at the minimum wage after two years of below inflation increases by this government. We also examine the $8,944 a year loss facing workers who might lose the Living Wage due to government proposals. podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/l...