Bernard Hickey | interest.co.nz

About

Bernard is back as a senior contributor on interest.co.nz. Until September 30, 2012 he was the managing editor here. He had previously worked for 18 years for Reuters, the FT Group and Fairfax as a financial journalist and editor. He is now the publisher of The Kaka.

Member for

15 years 6 months

Latest articles

English warns banks not to trigger dairy land price spiral

Finance Minister agrees $2.40/kg payout would be "disastrous"; says RBNZ and Govt in talks with banks to 'go easy' on farmers

28th Jul 15, 1:44pm

by Bernard Hickey

129

Finance Minister agrees $2.40/kg payout would be "disastrous"; says RBNZ and Govt in talks with banks to 'go easy' on farmers

Labour opposes TPP without foreign buyers' ban

Andrew Little says Labour opposes TPP unless it allows future Governments to ban foreign buyers of land and houses

28th Jul 15, 1:22pm

by Bernard Hickey

Andrew Little says Labour opposes TPP unless it allows future Governments to ban foreign buyers of land and houses

Key eyes land tax for non-residents

PM rules out ban on foreign buyers of property due to FTAs and TPP, but says Govt considering land tax on foreign buyers or stamp duty; Unitary Plan modelling suggests massive housing supply shortfall

27th Jul 15, 10:10am

by Bernard Hickey

Special zones for 'zombie towns'

Bernard Hickey explains how Councils could ease RMA and other restrictions to kick-start economic growth, and in exchange get a cut from Government of the fruits of that growth

26th Jul 15, 5:02am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey explains how Councils could ease RMA and other restrictions to kick-start economic growth, and in exchange get a cut from Government of the fruits of that growth

RBNZ cuts OCR to 3%

RBNZ cuts OCR 25 bps and says "some further easing seems likely"; says further fall in NZ$ still necessary; cuts GDP growth view to 2.5% from 3%

23rd Jul 15, 9:03am

by Bernard Hickey

RBNZ cuts OCR 25 bps and says "some further easing seems likely"; says further fall in NZ$ still necessary; cuts GDP growth view to 2.5% from 3%

Bernard's Top 10

Bernard's Top 10: Why Chinese families want to buy homes in NZ; How agents are marketing a Queen St apartment; The 'Nanjing Road' of Auckland; Hot money flows out of China surge in 2015

22nd Jul 15, 1:52pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: Why Chinese families want to buy homes in NZ; How agents are marketing a Queen St apartment; The 'Nanjing Road' of Auckland; Hot money flows out of China surge in 2015

Auckland set to re-densify Unitary Plan

Council re-submits Auckland Unitary Plan to Independent Hearings Plan with rules allowing higher density housing closer to CBD; includes removing rule banning redevelopment of all pre-1944 homes

22nd Jul 15, 7:31am

by Bernard Hickey

Council re-submits Auckland Unitary Plan to Independent Hearings Plan with rules allowing higher density housing closer to CBD; includes removing rule banning redevelopment of all pre-1944 homes

Councils want 'special zones' and new levies

Local Govt NZ releases funding review report proposing 'special economic zones' where Councils share in fruits of growth; road user charges, visitor levies and fuel taxes also proposed

21st Jul 15, 10:14am

by Bernard Hickey

Local Govt NZ releases funding review report proposing 'special economic zones' where Councils share in fruits of growth; road user charges, visitor levies and fuel taxes also proposed

Key denies foreign buyers an issue in Auckland

PM John Key denies non-resident buyers a major factor in Auckland house prices; says Labour's revelation of data on Chinese sounding names shows desperation; won't work politically

20th Jul 15, 9:38am

by Bernard Hickey

PM John Key denies non-resident buyers a major factor in Auckland house prices; says Labour's revelation of data on Chinese sounding names shows desperation; won't work politically

Just tax the buyers

Bernard Hickey argues a 15% stamp duty on non-resident buyers and/or a 1% Auckland Investor Levy would be sensible policy options, if New Zealand could only debate the issue sensibly

19th Jul 15, 5:01am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey argues a 15% stamp duty on non-resident buyers and/or a 1% Auckland Investor Levy would be sensible policy options, if New Zealand could only debate the issue sensibly

Labour eyes optional PAYE tax for small business

Labour proposes giving small businesses option of 'Pay As You Earn' tax instead of provisional tax; Greens, NZ First keen too; Joyce says Govt already looking at it

17th Jul 15, 11:32am

by Bernard Hickey

Labour proposes giving small businesses option of 'Pay As You Earn' tax instead of provisional tax; Greens, NZ First keen too; Joyce says Govt already looking at it

Local inflation hits 14 year low

Statistics NZ reports Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in June qtr vs 0.3% fall March qtr after 8.8% rise in petrol prices; annual inflation up to 0.3% from 0.1%

16th Jul 15, 10:56am

by Bernard Hickey

Statistics NZ reports Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in June qtr vs 0.3% fall March qtr after 8.8% rise in petrol prices; annual inflation up to 0.3% from 0.1%

Bernard's Top 10 at 10

Bernard's Top 10: Be very afraid of the Cascadia Subduction Zone; Why the Euro zone is a roach motel run by a loan shark; John Oliver; Clarke and Dawe

15th Jul 15, 10:46am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: Be very afraid of the Cascadia Subduction Zone; Why the Euro zone is a roach motel run by a loan shark; John Oliver; Clarke and Dawe

Govt says will release foreign buyer data after Oct 1

Steven Joyce says Govt will collate and publish data on where foreign buyers are coming from after new rules on reporting investment property buying kick in from Oct 1

14th Jul 15, 9:14am

by Bernard Hickey

102

Steven Joyce says Govt will collate and publish data on where foreign buyers are coming from after new rules on reporting investment property buying kick in from Oct 1

A social investment opportunity

Bernard Hickey says the Government should use its strong balance sheet and low borrowing costs to make millions of dollars in social investments that save everyone billions in the long run

12th Jul 15, 5:02am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey says the Government should use its strong balance sheet and low borrowing costs to make millions of dollars in social investments that save everyone billions in the long run

'39.5% of Auckland houses sold to buyers of Chinese descent'

Labour releases leaked data from Auckland real estate firm showing 39.5% of house sales from Feb to April were sold to buyers with Chinese names; not clear if residents or not

11th Jul 15, 10:17am

by Bernard Hickey

Labour releases leaked data from Auckland real estate firm showing 39.5% of house sales from Feb to April were sold to buyers with Chinese names; not clear if residents or not

Treasury looked at other taxes for Auckland landlords

Treasury looked at imposing 1% tax on capital value of Auckland rental property ahead of Budget 2015; also looked at mortgage interest levy and disallowing interest as a tax deduction for landlords

9th Jul 15, 7:33pm

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury looked at imposing 1% tax on capital value of Auckland rental property ahead of Budget 2015; also looked at mortgage interest levy and disallowing interest as a tax deduction for landlords

Govt to revamp tenancy laws, but no WOF

Nick Smith announces all rental properties that can be insulated have to be insulated by July 2019; smoke alarms compulsory from July 2016; Govt decides against WOF; will beef up enforcement instead

9th Jul 15, 1:06pm

by Bernard Hickey

179

Nick Smith announces all rental properties that can be insulated have to be insulated by July 2019; smoke alarms compulsory from July 2016; Govt decides against WOF; will beef up enforcement instead

Bernard's Top 10

Bernard's Top 10: Epochacropalypse Now -- and that's just the Chinese stock market; Greece's pop-up currencies; NZ's damp, mouldy infrastructure deficit; John Oliver; Clarke and Dawe

8th Jul 15, 1:01pm

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard's Top 10: Epochacropalypse Now -- and that's just the Chinese stock market; Greece's pop-up currencies; NZ's damp, mouldy infrastructure deficit; John Oliver; Clarke and Dawe

Bigger Budget surplus booked with 1 mth to go

Treasury reports NZ$1.176 bln Budget surplus for 11 mths to May; Corporate taxes above forecast; GST below forecast; Spending less than expected

8th Jul 15, 10:04am

by Bernard Hickey

Treasury reports NZ$1.176 bln Budget surplus for 11 mths to May; Corporate taxes above forecast; GST below forecast; Spending less than expected

Treasury looked at foreign buyer restrictions

Treasury papers show Treasury looked at restrictions and taxes on foreign buyers, but detail not disclosed; Treasury found a foreign buyers register wouldn't cost much, but queried whether it was needed

7th Jul 15, 4:46pm

by Bernard Hickey

Business confidence slumps to 3 year low

NZIER's QSBO shows confidence fell to 3 yr low in June quarter; dairy regions hardest hit; retailer confidence dives; Inflation indicators at 6 yr low; NZIER sees rate cuts in July, Sept

7th Jul 15, 9:59am

by Bernard Hickey

NZIER's QSBO shows confidence fell to 3 yr low in June quarter; dairy regions hardest hit; retailer confidence dives; Inflation indicators at 6 yr low; NZIER sees rate cuts in July, Sept

Key open to loosening Budget if economy slumps

PM John Key says open to loosening Budget purse strings with infrastructure spending if economy slowed back to 2009 levels, but growth still robust and no current need for fiscal response

6th Jul 15, 5:09pm

by Bernard Hickey

PM John Key says open to loosening Budget purse strings with infrastructure spending if economy slowed back to 2009 levels, but growth still robust and no current need for fiscal response

Treasury confident NZ can ride through global turbulence

Treasury Secretary says NZ well placed to cope with turbulence from Greece and China; Christchurch rebuild still strong; Tourism growing fast; Banks supporting dairy farmers; Focus in Auckland on housing supply

6th Jul 15, 3:25pm

by Bernard Hickey

Time for a big spend-up?

Bernard Hickey argues it's time to think about how a million retiring KiwiSavers could either blow or sensibly use their NZ$100,000 pots when they retire

5th Jul 15, 5:02am

by Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey argues it's time to think about how a million retiring KiwiSavers could either blow or sensibly use their NZ$100,000 pots when they retire