Bryce Edwards: Dark political clouds before Christmas

Commentators are still evaluating Nicola Willis’ mini-budget and the opening of the Treasury books. Most provocatively, Herald columnist Matthew Hooton, is calling today for the Treasury Secretary Caroline McLiesh to resign over how woeful the state of the New Zealand economy is. He points out that the Treasury boss says that any growth this year and next will be driven “almost entirely by population growth”, and that New Zealanders are going to continue in 2024 and 2025 to become progressively worse off.

Point of Order: Encouraging economic signs for new government

But what role will Peters choose to play?

As the new Luxon-led government prepares to take office, with the nation now waiting anxiously on what shape it will take, the big question is whether it can restore confidence so that the economy doesn’t sink into recession.

Already encouraging signs have been detected, reinforced by commodity price rises in October after they lifted the previous month from depressed levels.