Sitemap - 2025 - The Kākā by Bernard Hickey
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Govt demands Health NZ cut another $510 million
RBNZ pivots, pushing wholesale rates back down
Pop-up Mini-Hoon with Jarrod Kerr on RBNZ U-turn
'Oops. The RBNZ just turned into the Grinch'
A debt debate that is frozen in time & ideology
The Weekly Hoon: Inside an important document
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
New RBNZ governor unfazed by rate hikes
Bishop prioritises property rights in RMA reform
Green & Te Pāti Māori slump in year-end poll
Monday's Early Bird: RMA rewrite & fresh poll due
Saturday's Early Bird: Public health jobs slashed
IRD hunts for more cash as deficit widens
Friday's Early Bird: Govt's deficit worsens
The Weekly Hoon: Govt's climate change mask drops
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Bishop admits 'slippage' on housing targets
Thursday's Early Bird: Bishop admits 'slippage' on housing target
Nicola Willis reneges on Paris in plain sight
A rates (handi)cap to throttle GDP 'growth, growth, growth'
Tuesday's Early Bird: 'Putrid, mouldy mince'
'I will never waiver in my commitment to fiscal responsibility'
Monday's Early Bird: 'Steady as she goes'
The Weekly Hoon: The Opportunity Party's new leader
Finally, some green shoots poke out of the economy
Friday's Early Bird: Finally, some green shoots
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Early Bird: UK & EU notice NZ's climate backsliding
More magical thinking borne of 1989
Wednesday's Early Bird: US warns NZ of migration 'risk'
Tuesday's Early Bird: 'Bin the ban'
Monday's Chorus: Performative politics on KiwiSaver & social housing
Monday's Early Bird: MPs own $379m of property
The Weekly Hoon: Mr Bone Saw, Ford Rangers & ATACMS
Friday's Early Bird: Mitchell's office told of McSkimming allegations
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: 50% levy hike delayed
Thursday's Early Bird: NZ bought refined Russian oil
Wednesday's Chorus: Churn claims Police target
Tuesday's Early Bird: Bishop swaps homes for bridge
Monday's Chorus: Q-led TOP goes for land tax
Friday's Chorus: Call for 10-year retirement roadmap
Friday's Early Bird: Call for Bipartisanship on retirement
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: A Kids Kiwisaver?
Thursday's Early Bird: IRD ramps up liquidations
Wednesday's Chorus: A lazy balance sheet
Tuesday's Chorus: NIMBYs win MDRS fight
Monday's Chorus: Why councils matter for housing
Friday's Chorus: A miserly, investment-lite Government
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: 'Where are we moving these people to?'
Wednesday's Chorus: Mental health & joblessness wrecking a generation of workers
Tuesday's Chorus: Finally, new mortgage debt is about to heat up the 'bits tacked on'
Mini-Hoon: Simplicity's Sam Stubbs on InfraKiwi
Friday's Chorus: 'Fonterra sale to slash GNP'
The Weekly Hoon: Labour's CGT-lite; Climate change flood maps; Trump meets Luxon; A new housing fund
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: $288 billion at risk
Mini-Hoon: S&P's Anthony Walker critiques 'Local Water Done Well'
Wednesday's Chorus: A small & hazy target
Mini-Hoon: Shamubeel Eaqub on CGT-lite
Pop-up Hoon on Labour's CGT-lite policy
Tuesday's Chorus: Where's the solar & batteries? And a proper CGT?
The State of The Kākā Nation for 2025
Friday's Early Bird & Dawn Chorus: Choosing $30b of motorways instead of real wage increases
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Early Bird & Dawn Chorus: The elephant in our news
Mini-Hoon: Inside Labour's Future Fund policy
Wednesday's Chorus: The problem(s) with the RoNS and tolls
Wednesday's Early Bird: 65% of voters support mega-strike
Tuesday’s Early Bird: Essentials inflation at 5%
Monday’s Chorus: 'Where's our bipartisan population strategy?'
Monday’s Early Bird: Judith Collins unleashed
Saturday’s Early Bird: Labour more trusted now on cost of living
Mini-Hoon: A shocking plan to deregulate pharmacies
Friday's Chorus: 'You're on your own now. Sort of.'
Friday’s Early Bird: 'You're on your own now'
The Weekly Hoon: Jim Bolger, Methane, Climate Adaptation, Gaza, Gold & trust in money
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Mini-Hoon: Arthur Grimes on how monetary policy worsened wellbeing for renters
Thursday's Chorus: Jim Bolger dies
Thursday’s Early Bird: Replace Luxon with Bishop, poll finds
Wednesday's Chorus: Going for Growth. House price growth.
Wednesday’s Early Bird: 'House prices sustainable again'
Tuesday’s Early Bird: Economic outlook darkens
Monday's Chorus: A new round of austerity
Monday’s Early Bird: Local austerity beckons too
Saturday's Early Bird: Manufacturing contracts again in September
Mini-Hoon: Andrea Black on our sickening workforce
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: OCR slashed as poll shows NZ on the 'wrong track'
Mini-Hoon: Jarrod Kerr on how low the OCR may have to go
Thursday’s Early Bird: National under 30% as OCR cut to 2.5%
Mini-Hoon: Natalie Allen on housing choices
Mini-Hoon: Ganesh Nana on a failing 'strategy'
Mini-Hoon: Bryce Edwards on councils & lobbyists
Survey shows economy 'stuck in the mud'
Wednesday’s Early Bird: Weak survey lifts chances of 50 bps cut
PM tells jobless youth to leave to find a job. So they are going. To Australia.
The Early Bird: PM tells jobless youth to leave
First raw cut of The Hoon for paid subscribers
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Thursday's Chorus: Where's the solar plan?
Wednesday's Chorus: Performative power politics
Another performative embedding of monopoly rents
Mini-Hoon: 'Why don't we buy back the shares?'
Tuesday’s Chorus: Some new New Building Standards
The Weekly Hoon: UN General Assembly mayhem; The Palestine vote; A moody boardroom; A new Governor
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Daily Chorus: The problems for our new 'Laser Kiwi'
The problems for our new ‘Laser Kiwi’
'God help New Zealand.'The Mood of the Boardroom turns on Luxon & Willis
Migration settings loosened to boost GDP
Choosing marginally lower mortgage rates
The rubber just hit the road. In a bad way.
The Weekly Hoon: The GDP shock; Economic capture; Recognising Palestine; & Australia's climate plans
Polls turn harder against Govt as GDP slumps
We're on. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Kāinga Ora stock falling & homes boarded up
Bishop delays Auckland densification
Voters & business leaders now blaming Govt for economic malaise
Business blames Govt policy U-turns
Labour heading for barely-there CGT
National MP doesn't declare 25 rentals
The Weekly Hoon: Productivity & workplace safety; Drones over Poland; MPs' climate squabbling
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Why a record-high 201 NZers a day are emigrating
An average of 201 NZers migrate every day now
Govt gaslights voters on health costs/GDP
Winston Peters performs again for the anti-woke & anti-vaxx brigades
'Just lift the inflation target to 2.5%'
The Weekly Hoon: RBNZ independence, Amazon’s data centres & Clark & Key in Beijing
We’re back. Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Libertarian leader turns chief NIMBY
Christopher Luxon's 'ghost data centres'
Why National can't afford true RBNZ independence
Phase 1 to fire up house prices complete
The Government just administered an inflation shock
Housing emergency grants plummet in Auckland
RBNZ says it remains 'fiercely independent'
Notice to subscribers. No Hoon today.
Still captured, after all these years
Govt goes for growth by selling residencies
What Christopher Luxon is doing to ensure 'modest, consistent' house price inflation
Christopher wants house price inflation. Chris doesn't. Somehow, they agree with each other
Official report into health crisis calls for wealth tax & bipartisan approach
Oranga Tamariki cuts off 236 social services NGO to save $30m
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Our political economy can't handle the truth
Tower hikes rates for 10% in flood, sea surge & slip zones
Picks n' Mixes: Downzoning & upzoning in Auckland
Memo to PM: Your 'strategy' is not working
Picks n' Mixes: Building regulation shakeup imminent
Councils revolting over City Deal plans
The Weekly Hoon: ACT leads Govt; Gaza & Palestine recognition; A new Yalta; The future of trade
Picks n' Mixes: Another 1,200 home project blocked by Auckland Council
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Picks n' Mixes: 600 new build-to-rent homes for Queenstown
Daily Chorus: Most want Govt to stimulate to create jobs
Picks n' Mixes: 60% want stimulus
Luxon said judge him on GDP growth. So voters are.
Heart care system on 'verge of collapse'
The Weekly Hoon: Kāinga Ora’s dismantling, Trump’s tariff blitz & how NZ pays for roads
Auckland Inc losing faith in Govt's economic strategy
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Workers sink back into real wage deflation
Risk unemployment may rise towards 6%
Voters' fear of real wage cuts deepens
Another inflationary price hike instead of investing capital
Trump's 'blunt' 15% tariff shocks Govt
Mini-Hoon: How performative politics & the capture of democracies corrodes trust in Government
The Weekly Hoon: NZ's Gaza stance; A key climate (over) ruling & Auckland's homelessness crisis
Health NZ cutting midwives' real pay 1%
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
'It's tanking.' Builders' outlook at 1 year low
Mini-Hoon: Big solar meets big new warehouses
18% of GPs & 26% of rural docs may emigrate
Luxon doubles down on failing strategy
Scale of regional health chasms revealed
Picks 'n Mixes: Inconvenient climate and infrastructure truths
The Weekly Hoon: The big climate ruling, the latest from Gaza and NZ's contracting recession
'Double investment in back-to-work 'trampoline''
[COPY] Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
It turns out kicking homeless people out of motels increases homelessness
Peters to allow foreign buying of homes
Luxon & Willis stranded with failing economic strategy
Performative politics in high viz. Again.
The hunt for inflation scapegoats amps up
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Potaka delaying homelessness data release
Bishop wants a growth economy that isn't just a housing market with bits tacked on
Manufacturing, services & retail mired in recession
Slash blamed in climate change-free flash-flood coverage
Could NZ First vs ACT blow up the coalition over the Regulatory Standards Bill?
Young workers leaving in their droves
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Kāinga Ora selling Wellington land it once planned to build 320 homes on
The RBNZ just held the OCR at 3.25%. Is that it? Does it matter?
Why our housing-market-with-bits-tacked-on is stalled
Bernard's Pick 'n' Mix Sixes at 7am on Wednesday, July 9
NZ economy sliding back into recession
Willis eyes more tax from banks
'Sleeping rough is a lifestyle choice here'
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Act forces Willis backdown on policy costings unit
Behold, another Quarterly Survey of Business Delusion
So many extreme weather events, but no mention of climate change
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Balance sheet recession lengthening
GDP outlook slashed as fresh cost-of-living shock arrives
A housing supply shock in exactly the wrong direction
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
A note to subscribers: I’ll be back on June 23
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Bernard's Picks 'n' Mixes for Thursday, June 5
One way housing supply growth is strangled
Australia raises real minimum wage 2% as NZ cuts its by 0.7%
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, June 3
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, June 2
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Thursday, May 29
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Wednesday, May 28
New Nelson Hospital to cater for just one eighth of likely population growth
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Tuesday, May 27
Auckland restricts central city housing supply potential
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Monday, May 26
Bernard Hickey, Peter Bale, Lara Greaves, Craig Renney & Terry Baucher 'Hoon' around Budget 2025
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Budget 2025 Live Chat straight out of the lockup
Budget 2025 highlights and invite to live chat session at 3.30 pm
Food banks pray for Budget help before July 1
Overloaded EDs send patients back to after-hours clinics
'Weaponise rates to drive housing intensification'
Gentailers threaten 25% power price hikes
Labour commits to same debt & surplus targets as National
Auditor-General says abrupt child welfare funding cuts were "unacceptable"
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
191 NZers now emigrating each day, including 15 babies & toddlers
Bernard's Picks 'n' Mixes for Thursday, May 15
Bernard's Picks 'n' Mixes for Wednesday, May 14
Electricity inflation fears growing as Z Energy shuts Flick
Pay equity shock to have unintended consequences
ACT’s extreme policies & budget fallacy endanger National’s re-election
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, May 10
The Hoon around the week to May 9
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Carers, teachers & nurses lose up to $17b, to fund $14b of tax cuts
NZ economy sliding into wintry deep freeze
Canada & Australia stood up to Trump. When will NZ?
Calling bullshit on a pro-cyclical tightening of fiscal policy
‘Third world diseases in a system on its knees’
The Hoon around the week to May 2
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Infrastructure NZ pleads for projects & a population strategy
Interview: Shamubeel Eaqub on an even tighter Budget for 2025/26
Bernard's Picks 'n' Mixes on Wednesday, April 30
Cutting even deeper against the grain
Bernard's Picks 'n' Mixes at 6am on Tuesday, April 29
Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Monday, April 28
Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 26
The Hoon around the week to April 25
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Auckland character rules stop building on 20,000 sections
Willis ignores new Global Financial & Trade Crisis
The Hoon around the week to April 18
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Brown unveils unfunded health plan for small NZ
Bernard's Dawn Chorus & Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, April 16
The Government is cutting, just as the economic recovery is stalling
Bernard's Dawn Chorus and Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, April 14
Bernard's Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 12
Bernard's Dawn Chorus & Pick 'n' Mix Six for Friday, April 11
The Hoon around the week to April 11
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Bernard's Dawn Chorus & Pick 'n' Mix Six for Thursday April 10
'We can afford more drones, but not more homes'
Trump just detonated a neutron bomb under the global economy, but NZ could win
Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix on Saturday, April 5
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Friday, April 4
The Hoon around the week to April 4
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Thursday, April 3
Luxon's 'going for growth' actually means 'going for debt reduction'
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Wednesday, April 2
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, April 1
Bishop fighting hard to free up housing supply
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, March 31
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Saturday, March 29
The Hoon around the week to March 28
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Friday, March 28
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
NZ missing a primary health care opportunity
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Thursday, March 27
Bernard's Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Wednesday, March 26
Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, March 25
30% of doctors leave NZ after graduation
Bernard's Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Monday, March 24
Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 23
Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Saturday, March 22
Why is the Govt so afraid of borrowing?
A special Hoon with Michael Wolff, author of four books on Donald Trump
Hoon: Trumpism dies with Trump says Wolff
Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Friday, March 21
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
S&P downgrades 18 councils, blaming Govt
Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Thursday, March 20
Climate sceptic ACT MP attacks National
Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Wednesday, March 19
'There are no exemptions. Just eat it.'
Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Tuesday, March 18
Luxon announces start of India trade deal talks
Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on March 17
Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 16
Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix on Saturday, March 15
PPPs are more expensive, slower & riskier than Govt DIY
The Hoon around the week to March 14
Bernard’s pick n’ mix at 6am for Friday, March 14
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
IMF calls for Capital Gains Tax or land tax
Luxon wants media to celebrate National's homelessness achievements more
Luxon’s economy focus at odds with voters
Owners of compulsorily acquired non-iwi land to be stripped of appeal rights
A soliloquy for the week to March 9
Winston taunts Luxon: 'I made him PM'
The Hoon around the week to March 7
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Will Adrian Orr’s replacement unleash a new mortgage war?
An administered, unnecessary & counter-productive inflation shock
Why the housing market is just not firing up
A soliloquy for the week to March 2
Dawn chorus for Saturday, March 1
Govt eyes big new infrastructure levies, but no value-capture rates
The Hoon around the week to Feb 28
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Interview: ‘I didn’t want to smile’
'We can't hold on any longer. We're selling.'
Interview: RBNZ wary of any administered inflation spiral
Govt set to hike insurance costs $400/year
A Sunday soliloquy for the week to February 23
A shattering earthquake in geopolitics
RESEND: The Hoon around the week to Feb 21
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
A mini-hoon on the OCR cut & the housing market
'Where will your kids raise your grand-kids?'
The ambulances at the bottom of our cliffs are full
‘The funds for infrastructure projects need to be prioritised and released’
Recession & local protests drag National below Labour
The Hoon around the week to Feb 14
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Concrete production slumps to 2014 levels
Business doubts about National’s growth tactics growing
First polls of 2025 show coalition losing
The Kākā’s weekly roundup on politics and economics to Feb 10
Why NZ's new looser 'golden visa' won't 'turbocharge' GDP
The Kākā’s diary for the week to Feb 16 & beyond
Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for Feb 8
Govt grasping at economic growth straws
Govt to sell billions of dollars worth of state housing land
NZ jobs contracting as Australia's expands
The Kākā’s weekly roundup on politics and economics to Feb 3
How Donald Trump's tariff shock will change our political economy
The Kākā’s diary for the week to Feb 9 & beyond
The chart deck calling bullshit on Luxon’s ‘just drive faster & work longer’ economic growth talk
Govt sets 'shockingly unambitious' new climate target
The Hoon around the week to January 31
Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
Luxon stumbles into toxic privatisation debate
Govt pivots to faster migration & tourism
Bernard’s Soliloquy for Monday Jan 27
Why the Government's going-for-growth push will fail
Join me for a live video chat Dawn Chorus of 6 things @ 6.30am
The Hoon around the week to January 24
Join us at 5pm for 2025's first Hoon
Luxon to lay out economic plan. Questions please.
Join me for a live video chat Dawn Chorus of six things @ 6.30am
Govt leaving food banks in funding limbo
What Trump’s second inauguration means for us
NZ now frozen, listless, mean & hopeless
Will swapping Shane Reti for Simeon Brown make any difference?