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Alex Tarrant

About

Alex is interest.co.nz's political journalist based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Wellington. He previously spent four years in London as a journalist and assistant editor at global financial newswire Mergermarket, which was part of the FT Group. Alex worked for interest.co.nz between 2008 and 2012, returning at the start of 2017.

Email Alex

Member for

15 years 6 months

Latest articles

Key got S&P Labour criticism in email
Key stands behind comment that S&P more likely to downgrade Labour govt than National; Says received comment in email from 'source'
10th Oct 11, 4:17pm
by Alex Tarrant
30
Key stands behind comment that S&P more likely to downgrade Labour govt than National; Says received comment in email from 'source'
Dunne tells Nats: Don't sell Kiwibank
UnitedFuture's Peter Dunne calls for debate on privatisation limits; says Kiwibank, Radio NZ and water should never be sold off
10th Oct 11, 2:17pm
by Alex Tarrant
7
UnitedFuture's Peter Dunne calls for debate on privatisation limits; says Kiwibank, Radio NZ and water should never be sold off
World Cup hits business confidence
Confidence for economy over coming year lowest since February quake as respondents blame RWC for depressing business, BNZ survey shows
10th Oct 11, 12:03pm
by Alex Tarrant
26
Confidence for economy over coming year lowest since February quake as respondents blame RWC for depressing business, BNZ survey shows
Cunliffe talks KiwiSaver compulsion
Labour waiting for pre-election fiscal update before announcing savings policy, Cunliffe says; Will it include some form of compulsory KiwiSaver?
10th Oct 11, 9:38am
by Alex Tarrant
1
Labour waiting for pre-election fiscal update before announcing savings policy, Cunliffe says; Will it include some form of compulsory KiwiSaver?
Treasury revises gift-taking policy
Treasury revises gift-taking policy after report from Deloitte gives 26 recommendations; Treasury says why it accepts gifts and hospitality
7th Oct 11, 4:00pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Treasury revises gift-taking policy after report from Deloitte gives 26 recommendations; Treasury says why it accepts gifts and hospitality
Alex's politico-economic blogroll
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Nolan's outlook downgraded; Can we really blame Treasury that much? Asset sales not for debt reduction; Will anyone be as powerful as Douglas was? Cartoons
7th Oct 11, 10:05am
by Alex Tarrant
5
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Nolan's outlook downgraded; Can we really blame Treasury that much? Asset sales not for debt reduction; Will anyone be as powerful as Douglas was? Cartoons
Getting AA+ back a "huge challenge"
Finance Minister English says it will be a "huge challenge" to get a credit rating upgrade back to AA+ from S&P, who want sustained current account surpluses
6th Oct 11, 4:56pm
by Alex Tarrant
26
Finance Minister English says it will be a "huge challenge" to get a credit rating upgrade back to AA+ from S&P, who want sustained current account surpluses
Downgrade lifts govt borrowing costs a bit
NZ govt bond yields rise slightly in Treasury's first tender since credit rating downgrade; 2023 bond yields up 13 bps to 4.58%
6th Oct 11, 4:34pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
NZ govt bond yields rise slightly in Treasury's first tender since credit rating downgrade; 2023 bond yields up 13 bps to 4.58%
Labour, National blame each other
Credit rating downgrades take centre stage in Parliament's last week as Opposition parties lay blame with govt, National blames Labour
4th Oct 11, 6:52pm
by Alex Tarrant
30
Credit rating downgrades take centre stage in Parliament's last week as Opposition parties lay blame with govt, National blames Labour
Bernanke offered job swap with NZ's English
Finance Minister English says US Fed chairman Ben Bernanke asked if he wanted to swap jobs; If they did, English would have to take a pay cut
4th Oct 11, 4:49pm
by Alex Tarrant
15
Finance Minister English says US Fed chairman Ben Bernanke asked if he wanted to swap jobs; If they did, English would have to take a pay cut
Key eyes Aussie bank credit ratings
Key watching Aussie bank credit ratings as NZ govt downgrade showed how worried ratings agencies were about wholesale money markets
4th Oct 11, 12:49pm
by Alex Tarrant
35
Key watching Aussie bank credit ratings as NZ govt downgrade showed how worried ratings agencies were about wholesale money markets
Soft compulsion would cost NZ$300 mln
Soft compulsion for KiwiSaver would cost govt NZ$300 mln upfront, as only a third of those made to join would stay, Key says
4th Oct 11, 11:38am
by Alex Tarrant
4
Soft compulsion for KiwiSaver would cost govt NZ$300 mln upfront, as only a third of those made to join would stay, Key says
English sees smaller rate impact than 09
English says PM's 2009 comment that a credit rating downgrade would push rates up 1-2% was right at the time, but it's different now
3rd Oct 11, 9:19am
by Alex Tarrant
11
English says PM's 2009 comment that a credit rating downgrade would push rates up 1-2% was right at the time, but it's different now
'Property market in full spring'
Spring property season shrugs off RWC, election, realestate.co.nz says; Asking prices up 10k in Sept from Aug to NZ$425,565, nearing April peak
3rd Oct 11, 8:27am
by Alex Tarrant
25
Spring property season shrugs off RWC, election, realestate.co.nz says; Asking prices up 10k in Sept from Aug to NZ$425,565, nearing April peak
Maori Party renews Tobin Tax call
Maori Party's Katene renews calls for financial transactions tax in New Zealand as European inch toward their own 'Tobin tax'
29th Sep 11, 5:49pm
by Alex Tarrant
1
Maori Party's Katene renews calls for financial transactions tax in New Zealand as European inch toward their own 'Tobin tax'
'NZ to be unique with no bank guarantee'
Finance Minister Bill English touts Reserve Bank's 'living wills' policy to ratings agencies, says OBR will be properly ready middle of 2012
29th Sep 11, 4:08pm
by Alex Tarrant
47
Finance Minister Bill English touts Reserve Bank's 'living wills' policy to ratings agencies, says OBR will be properly ready middle of 2012
Investors pile into NZ govt debt
Government raises record-equalling NZ$1 bln of debt as demand returns; 'Investors looking to diversify away from volatile Europe'; Paying 4.45% for 12 yr bond
29th Sep 11, 4:05pm
by Alex Tarrant
6
Government raises record-equalling NZ$1 bln of debt as demand returns; 'Investors looking to diversify away from volatile Europe'; Paying 4.45% for 12 yr bond
Bollard comfortable with OCR for now
RBNZ's Bollard says comfortable with interest rate level at the moment, watching and waiting for housing sector recovery
29th Sep 11, 9:53am
by Alex Tarrant
14
RBNZ's Bollard says comfortable with interest rate level at the moment, watching and waiting for housing sector recovery
'NZ growth may be weaker 2-3 years out'
English returns from "ugly" New York meetings with confidence US Fed can't devalue its currency with further QE and China will let Renminbi rise
28th Sep 11, 10:35am
by Alex Tarrant
14
English returns from "ugly" New York meetings with confidence US Fed can't devalue its currency with further QE and China will let Renminbi rise
National Bank staff wearing ANZ shirts
National Bank staff getting used to wearing ANZ outfit; Integrated Friday shirts purely Rugby World Cup initiative, not brand merger move, ANZ says
28th Sep 11, 8:53am
by Alex Tarrant
National Bank staff getting used to wearing ANZ outfit; Integrated Friday shirts purely Rugby World Cup initiative, not brand merger move, ANZ says
Key warns on commodity price fall
Key says falling exchange rate generally good for exporters, but not a one-way story as NZ$ closely linked with commodity prices, which may be easing
27th Sep 11, 7:49am
by Alex Tarrant
66
Key says falling exchange rate generally good for exporters, but not a one-way story as NZ$ closely linked with commodity prices, which may be easing
'Very dark mood on global markets'
English tells Key mood among global economic policy makers "very dark," but PM still expects 2014/15 return to govt surplus
26th Sep 11, 5:14pm
by Alex Tarrant
19
English tells Key mood among global economic policy makers "very dark," but PM still expects 2014/15 return to govt surplus
Goff laments loss of compulsory savings
Labour leader Goff hints further at compulsory savings policy, points to 1975 Kirk scheme aborted by Muldoon, and Aussie savings scheme
26th Sep 11, 3:15pm
by Alex Tarrant
7
Labour leader Goff hints further at compulsory savings policy, points to 1975 Kirk scheme aborted by Muldoon, and Aussie savings scheme
Goff: 12 mths too long for insurance impasse
Labour's Goff says 12 month Christchurch insurance impasse would be too long; Labour govt would step in as insurer of last resort sooner than that
26th Sep 11, 2:03pm
by Alex Tarrant
8
Labour's Goff says 12 month Christchurch insurance impasse would be too long; Labour govt would step in as insurer of last resort sooner than that
'We're fine. Asia will save us': Key
PM Key says NZ govt will stay on track for 2014/15 surplus given Asian economies stay de-coupled from global turmoil; Lower NZ$ to help
26th Sep 11, 7:45am
by Alex Tarrant
36
PM Key says NZ govt will stay on track for 2014/15 surplus given Asian economies stay de-coupled from global turmoil; Lower NZ$ to help