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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

Treasury inflation growth 'optimistic'
Treasury inflation forecasts 'optimistically low', below average over inflation targeting era, BNZ economist says
23rd May 11, 1:54pm
by Alex Tarrant
6
Treasury inflation forecasts 'optimistically low', below average over inflation targeting era, BNZ economist says
Small swing from National to Labour
Small swing from National to Labour over last two weeks, but still no plausible left-wing combination for government, iPredict says
23rd May 11, 12:13pm
by Alex Tarrant
Small swing from National to Labour over last two weeks, but still no plausible left-wing combination for government, iPredict says
Key, English defend budget forecasts
PM John Key and Finance Minister Bill English spend weekend defending budget wage, employment and growth forecasts
23rd May 11, 9:03am
by Alex Tarrant
8
PM John Key and Finance Minister Bill English spend weekend defending budget wage, employment and growth forecasts
Labour to bring Ag under ETS by 2013
Labour to bring agriculture back under ETS by 2013 to pay for R&D tax credits; Will hike minimum wage to NZ$15, Goff says
22nd May 11, 12:50pm
by Alex Tarrant
66
Labour to bring agriculture back under ETS by 2013 to pay for R&D tax credits; Will hike minimum wage to NZ$15, Goff says
Alex's politico-economic blogroll
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Crampton's SOE sale warning; Nash asks where are the jobs coming from?; Farrar says budget 'astute'; Kenny Rogers; Cartoons
20th May 11, 1:16pm
by Alex Tarrant
7
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Crampton's SOE sale warning; Nash asks where are the jobs coming from?; Farrar says budget 'astute'; Kenny Rogers; Cartoons
Quake exodus to Australia in April
Quake exodus sees Kiwis flock to Australia in April; Net migration to NZ negative for 2nd month in a row, Stats NZ says
20th May 11, 11:11am
by Alex Tarrant
19
Quake exodus sees Kiwis flock to Australia in April; Net migration to NZ negative for 2nd month in a row, Stats NZ says
Budget 2011 attacked by most
Labour, Greens, ACT, Winston Peters attack Budget 2011, say National has it wrong; Maori party proud to secure funding for their people
19th May 11, 7:08pm
by Alex Tarrant
3
Labour, Greens, ACT, Winston Peters attack Budget 2011, say National has it wrong; Maori party proud to secure funding for their people
Govt to sell SOE stakes
Budget 2011: Govt announces it will contest election on selling 49% of SOE power companies, Air NZ shares down to 51% holdings
19th May 11, 2:26pm
by Alex Tarrant
25
Budget 2011: Govt announces it will contest election on selling 49% of SOE power companies, Air NZ shares down to 51% holdings
Kiwi Bond to partly pay for quake
Budget 2011: Govt to create special Kiwi Bond for NZers to specifically go toward NZ$5.5 bln quake fund; Will create inflation indexed bond
19th May 11, 2:20pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Budget 2011: Govt to create special Kiwi Bond for NZers to specifically go toward NZ$5.5 bln quake fund; Will create inflation indexed bond
7,000 families to be cut from WFF
Budget 2011: Working for Families changes mean lower income families to get more, while most over NZ$60,000 to get less; 7,000 families to drop out
19th May 11, 2:11pm
by Alex Tarrant
4
Budget 2011: Working for Families changes mean lower income families to get more, while most over NZ$60,000 to get less; 7,000 families to drop out
Govt to cut tax credit in half
Government cuts its Member Tax Credit KiwiSaver contributions in half, will raise min payments to 3%, look at soft compulsion
19th May 11, 2:05pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Government cuts its Member Tax Credit KiwiSaver contributions in half, will raise min payments to 3%, look at soft compulsion
'Low public debt rescued NZ rating'
Low public debt has rescued New Zealand's credit rating as ratings agencies increasingly lump private debt with public, Treasury's Whitehead says
18th May 11, 7:25pm
by Alex Tarrant
7
Low public debt has rescued New Zealand's credit rating as ratings agencies increasingly lump private debt with public, Treasury's Whitehead says
Budget savings tax break 'too costly'
Key says Budget savings tax cut too costly; Confident about Treasury wage and jobs forecasts; KiwiSaver won't be compulsory
18th May 11, 6:44pm
by Alex Tarrant
20
Key says Budget savings tax cut too costly; Confident about Treasury wage and jobs forecasts; KiwiSaver won't be compulsory
Consumers cautious before Budget
Consumers cautious before budget; Wage growth eaten into by debt repayments, cost of staples, job fears, slow housing market, ANZ says
18th May 11, 3:54pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Consumers cautious before budget; Wage growth eaten into by debt repayments, cost of staples, job fears, slow housing market, ANZ says
Banks, company tax rules to tighten
Budget 2011 to tighten tax net for banks, companies and farmers, Finance Minister Bill English says
18th May 11, 11:46am
by Alex Tarrant
3
Budget 2011 to tighten tax net for banks, companies and farmers, Finance Minister Bill English says
Two thirds of MPs have trusts
Two thirds of MPs have interests in trusts, 58% have interests in more than one property, register shows
17th May 11, 6:25pm
by Alex Tarrant
9
Two thirds of MPs have interests in trusts, 58% have interests in more than one property, register shows
Labour eyes more home ownership
Labour wants to increase home ownership, will introduce policies to stop further house price bubbles, Goff says
17th May 11, 1:12pm
by Alex Tarrant
80
Labour wants to increase home ownership, will introduce policies to stop further house price bubbles, Goff says
Deposit savings tax break "too complex"
Budget 2011 won't deal with "complex" Savings Working Group tax ideas, such as indexation for inflation, English says
17th May 11, 10:42am
by Alex Tarrant
7
Budget 2011 won't deal with "complex" Savings Working Group tax ideas, such as indexation for inflation, English says
Key wants to avoid fate of PIGS
PM Key says can't "indebt" future generations; surplus will be earlier than 2016/17; net debt to peak below 34% of GDP
17th May 11, 9:24am
by Alex Tarrant
30
PM Key says can't "indebt" future generations; surplus will be earlier than 2016/17; net debt to peak below 34% of GDP
'Budget to forecast strong wage growth'
PM Key says Budget 2011 will forecast strong employment growth over next few years, with wage growth outstripping inflation
16th May 11, 4:49pm
by Alex Tarrant
41
PM Key says Budget 2011 will forecast strong employment growth over next few years, with wage growth outstripping inflation
Goff won't rule out capital gains tax
Labour leader Phil Goff won't rule out tax package that includes capital gains tax excluding the family home
16th May 11, 3:34pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Labour leader Phil Goff won't rule out tax package that includes capital gains tax excluding the family home
Net debt expected to hit 32% of GDP
Govt to avoid credit rating downgrade with Budget even though net govt debt to hit 32% of GDP, economists say
16th May 11, 12:58pm
by Alex Tarrant
2
Govt to avoid credit rating downgrade with Budget even though net govt debt to hit 32% of GDP, economists say
Aussie housing overcooked, Key says
PM Key thinks Australian housing market overcooked, says take mining away and Australian economy has its "fair set of challenges"
16th May 11, 7:38am
by Alex Tarrant
85
PM Key thinks Australian housing market overcooked, says take mining away and Australian economy has its "fair set of challenges"
Alex's politico-economic blogroll
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Will wages be hit by employer KiwiSaver contribution hike?; Labour's gutter politics; Happy birthday National
13th May 11, 2:44pm
by Alex Tarrant
12
Alex's politico-economic blogroll: Will wages be hit by employer KiwiSaver contribution hike?; Labour's gutter politics; Happy birthday National
Bollard outlines RBNZ quake response
Reserve Bank Governor Bollard outlines RBNZ thinking on inflationary pressures from Christchurch rebuild, talks about interest rate outlook
13th May 11, 11:47am
by Alex Tarrant
3
Reserve Bank Governor Bollard outlines RBNZ thinking on inflationary pressures from Christchurch rebuild, talks about interest rate outlook