NZ Politics Daily: 15 August 2024

ECONOMY
Ben Thomas (Post): Interest rate decision will be like the clouds parting for Luxon (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (Interest): RBNZ performs U-turn, cutting rates as recession worsens
Richard Harman (Politik): Success has many fathers (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): What’s behind the Reserve Bank’s big OCR flip-flop and does it matter? (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Post): New Zealanders cooled their jets, so the Reserve Bank cut (paywalled)
RNZ: Reserve Bank governor confident inflation will stay down
Brent Edwards (NBR): It takes more than one recession to tame inflation (paywalled)
Stuff: ‘Huge U-turn’: Economist Brad Olsen criticises Reserve Bank after rate cut
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Hard choices: rip or leave NZ economy band-aid (paywalled)
Tova O’Brien (Stuff): Prime Minister Christopher Luxon triumphant over OCR cut - and for good reason
RNZ: Cash rate cut: PM, Finance Minister celebrate end to 'era of extreme price increases'
Stuff: Live: Willis says OCR cut a ‘turning point’, Government takes some credit
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'Biggest flip-flop ever': Top economist slams Reserve Bank
Ben Leahy (Herald): Official Cash Rate cut: Reserve Bank surprises pundits with decision
Anan Zaki (RNZ): OCR decision: Reserve Bank cuts official cash rate to 5.25 percent
David Hargreaves (Interest): It's a CUT! Reserve Bank drops Official Cash Rate to 5.25% from 5.5%
Liam Dann (Herald): Reserve Bank cuts Official Cash Rate to 5.25%
Stephen Toplis (Newsroom): Reserve Bank declares victory against inflation
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): ‘Low-risk’ start to cuts: Reserve Bank reduces official cash rate to 5.25% (paywalled)
Stuff: Reserve Bank drops official cash rate to 5.25%
David Chaston (Interest): Banks cut floating rates after the OCR reduction
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'Home loan relief coming' after cash rate cut
Krystal Gibbons (RNZ): OCR cut brings relief for home buyers and retailer
Tom Pullar-Strecker and Nicholas Boyack (Post): 'Era of extreme price increases over’ (paywalled)
Lloyd Burr (Stuff): Explained: Why are mortgage rates higher than the OCR?
Nicholas Boyack (Post): Wellingtonians hope for a boost to business confidence (paywalled)
Tony Alexander (One Roof): House prices will be rising before the end of the year
Simon Shepherd (NBR): Back in Business #3: OCR to 4.75% by Christmas (paywalled)

HEALTH, DISABILITY
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Internal presentation suggesting loss of 4492 health staff 'should be dismissed' - Commissioner
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Commissioner’s ‘very deep disappointment’ at Health NZ boss
Rachel Thomas (Post): Health NZ kingpin Lester Levy accused of ‘hollow words’ after dodging media at private event (paywalled)
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Is the latest drama at Health NZ just the beginning?
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): It's only a matter of time until Health NZ's boss is gone
Ryan Bridge (Newstalk ZB): Another example of bureaucracy undermining government policy
Stephen Forbes (NZ Doctor): Lester Levy dismisses Te Whatu Ora proposal to cut 4500 positions (paywalled)
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Health NZ commissioner Lester Levy promises frontline positions won’t be cut - but warns of fast, painful reform
Jessica Roden (1News): Health NZ plans smaller hospital buildings, reusing existing ones
RNZ: NZ's healthtech exports soar, but lag behind global peers
Emily Writes: This government won't stop attacking disabled people
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): An ‘anxious’ wait as disabled communities expect cuts following Whaikaha review
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Minister not ruling out downsizing Whaikaha as review looms
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Scathing review finds Disabilities Ministry already on course to break budget again

WELFARE
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): PM Christopher Luxon's second fumble on benefit numbers
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): What happened last time we had a beneficiary crackdown?
Steven Cowan: Why didn’t Labour remove the sanctions regime when it had the opportunity?
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): How much do JobSeekers really get?
Herald: Front Page: What does the Government’s new traffic light system mean for beneficiaries?

PUBLIC SECTOR
Andrea Vance (Post): David Seymour's new Ministry of red tape hiring a $168k-a-year spin doctor (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Cuts, closures and a culture of ‘restraint’: What’s the latest in the public sector?
David Farrar: No wonder we are in deficit

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Aukus decision, and the undermining of NZ foreign policy debate
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Luxon heads across the ditch to sell NZ to Aussie
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): First official leaders' meeting between Luxon and Albanese amid AUKUS questions
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Christopher Luxon flies to Australia with message for Anthony Albanese
1News: New Zealand-Australia refugee resettlement deal likely to wind up
Barbara Dreaver (1News): Government to increase cap on seasonal workers
Julian Doorey (ODT): Dancing within the dragon’s jaws
Caleb Fotheringham (RNZ): Winston Peters says 'we need to keep engaged' with Micronesia
Natasha Hill (Whakaata Māori): ‘Greatest sanctuary’ Palau gets $1.7m boost for marine resources from Aotearoa
Emma Andrews (RNZ): Aboriginal community opposes Māori plans for $14m 'marae' in Sydney
Peter Hamilton (Post): Charles’ absence highlights the need for a homegrown head of state (paywalled)
Mick Hall: NZ not attending Nagasaki event, insists decision unrelated to Israel invite snub

“NZ Politics Daily” continues below. Paid subscribers can access the following categories of news and analysis: CHILD WELFARE; MEDIA; TE ARAWHITI AND TE PUNI KŌKIRI, TREATY, KORONEIHANA; ENERGY; HOUSING; BOOT CAMPS, LAW AND ORDER; LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THREE WATERS; BUSINESS; EDUCATION; BANKS; ENVIRONMENT; CARTOONS

To subscribe to the full version of Democracy Project email newsletters - which helps keep this service going - click on the link below: