ABOUT THIS EPISODE
With the election just under 4 weeks away, the leaders of the main parties took centre stage this week for the first televised leader's debate – as usual there was nothing to really take away – Chris Hipkins was declared the winner, but neither leader landed a telling blow. Labour released its long awaited fiscal plan - basically National lite, with 2026 Budget numbers locked in. A series of new polls show National and the coalition's road back to power is getting harder and harder, with Opportunity almost certyainly set to hold the balance of power, which makes Chris Luxon's steadfast refusal to work wi the fledgling party hard to understand. And the latest NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion showed a continued recovery in business confidence in the September quarter. A net 40% of firms expect a better general economic outlook over the coming months on a seasonally adjusted basis, a significant increase from the net 14% feeling positive in the previous quarter. We're joined by, NZIER deputy CEO Christina Leung to look at the survey's findings.
