The big picture on housing - my take, 10 years after book: Generation Rent. Some policy wins but it’s still not good. Video below and also he where you get podcasts: economy made simple. youtu.be/S1ep5KcpMrY?...

NZ’s social fabric is fraying. New survey compares poorly against Australia on every dimension. Report out next week from The Helen Clark Foundation. On Q+A this morning: youtube.com/watch?v=lRYo...

Next week NZ will pitch to foreign investors to help fill our infrastructure deficit. It may help, but we must get our house in order first. Cutting investment spend and asking others to invest instead seems fraught. Thoughts over at LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/eaqub_...

Some industries are hurting more than others in this recession. Thoughts on the windup applications for Nov-24: www.linkedin.com/posts/eaqub_...

The RBNZ lowered the OCR this week to 4.25%. It’s still too high so deep in a recession and need more deep cuts in 2025. Some thoughts here: www.linkedin.com/posts/eaqub_...

RBNZ will cut interest rates tomorrow. But we need more to put a floor under this recession. My take on retail spending: www.linkedin.com/posts/eaqub_...

US elections, what does it mean for your retirement savings? My take over on LI: www.linkedin.com/pulse/us-ele...

How much of the ‘Covid hangover’ is hiding longer term fraying of the social fabric? Put forward some of my emerging thoughts on this on The Detail at RNZ. www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/t...

A summary of the macro trends in budget 24 on the dark lands of linked in: www.linkedin.com/posts/eaqub_...

Budget 24 has lived up to a dispiriting tradition of short-termism. Our spending is too lavish relative to our taxes. We are too timid on our long-term challenges. We make decisions in Budgets that are convenient for today, but stores up problems for future generations amp.rnz.co.nz/article/fbe8...

GDP data for Dec-23 confirmed what we knew for over a year - NZ is in recession. The economy is about making more people better off. We're doing the more people bit, not the better off bit. GDP per capita has been falling since a peak in Sep-22.

Oct-23 Food Price Index from @Stats_NZ shows prices have been going sideways since mid-year. But not really getting cheaper. (1/3)

NZ house building surge is over? Planning rules, infrastructure and low interest rates (not necessarily in that order) really helped during the covid years. Rising immigration/population growth and slowing supply will increase housing costs and housing insecurity.

On TV1 Breakfast this morning talked about sep-23 inflation. Which has moderated in line with global trends. 1/3

Sep-23 rents show rents are local. eg Auckland rents become (relatively) more affordable when population declined (during border closure). Rents are driven by ability to pay and relative shortage not costs. www.treasury.govt.nz/publications...

Food price inflation is still very high (up 8% over the past year) but moderating in line with broader global agriculture commodity price trends from nearly a year ago. Some local effects too with cyclones and weather increasing fresh fruit and veg prices. Lags in the economy are very long.

I hosted a conversation with Helen Robinsons (Auckland City Mission) and Sasha Lockley (Money Sweetspot) on poverty, economy etc. Two incredible women with some hard truths. youtu.be/pPVec8Ga84s?...

NZers collective short termism is firmly on display in the latest Ipsos monitor. Always a good pulse check: www.ipsos.com/en-nz/22nd-i...

In prep for an interview, Australia has a more progressive income tax regime than NZ. It has a 0% tax rate threshold for the first $18.2k and the top tax rate of 45% kicks in at $180k.

Impressed at how well set up Kirikiriroa-Hamilton is for playgrounds. My kids loving the variety and quality. Highlights for them. Food’s been smashing too so far: Gothenburg, Edo and madam woo (the fish special was so great). Jet boating on Waikato river was a lot of fun!

No surprise that stability of housing - a human right - improves quality of life. Something that motivated Generation Rent and call for more tenure security among a suite of policies (8+ yrs ago). www.bwb.co.nz/books/genera...

GDP data today shows no technical recession. But flat GDP per capita for a year is why its feels so grumpy. Looks much like what is happening across the Tasman.

In report for Netsafe found cyber bullying harm of $1b, online fraud perhaps as high as $470m. Worryingly more people are experiencing harm online. More in the report on Netsafe site and herald story($) www.nzherald.co.nz/business/net...

@stuff.bsky.social column on: If you expect relief from the cost of living crisis this general election: tough luck. If you are frustrated by our politicians’ short-termism: hold up a mirror. They are reflecting what we ask for. Ask for better things. www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/35...

NZ voters want relief from cost of living crisis but policies that work are long term and not sexy. www.theguardian.com/world/2023/s...