The SME Stream

3:30

Arena Williams: Labour's consumer affairs...

The SME Stream ·

2026/10/01

Labour is promising to get Kiwi consumers a fair go if they get elected. If it forms a Government, it's pledging to require all mandatory fees to be included in the upfront price, and require every subscription to be as easy to cancel as it is to sign up to. Labour's consumer affairs spokesperson, Arena Williams, says Kiwis should be able to see the full price and make an informed choice. "Every New Zealander will have had the experience of trying to buy something online and having an extra handling

en-US

1:57

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is it...

The SME Stream ·

2026/10/01

Now, I don't know that Labour's plan to stop businesses charging hidden fees is a game changer, or even necessarily something worth campaigning on during an election. But I think it might be a good idea. Labour's plan is basically to ban junk add-ons like paint protection insurance, stop the hard sell of extended warranties like the ones you're offered when you buy a new pair of AirPods, require all mandatory fees, such as ticketing charges, to be included in the upfront price and make subscriptions

en-US

1:15

The number that stood out in the Pre-Election...

The SME Stream ·

2026/10/01

$15b less in bond issuance through to June 2030. That track surprised financial markets yesterday. Garth Bray 2degrees Business wrap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

8:13

The SME Stream Weekly Wrap - 1st October

The SME Stream ·

2026/10/01

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. This week,the government’s books look better than expected, but can we keep it up? The number of people in work continues to climb, and now that citizen’s arrests are legal, just how many retailers are doing them? Plus, how

en-US

75:40

Episode 71: Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

In episode 71of Leaders Getting Coffee our guest is one of New Zealand’s younger government ministers, Simeon Brown. He was inspired by his grandfather who worked to support the local community and later, his mother who led the local residents association. That led to him taking an early interest in politics, and while still at school he occupied roles as secretary and treasurer alongside his mother and subsequently a seat on the Manurewa Local Board while still at university. But national

en-US

53:04

Jocelyn Visser - Compass Consultancy | Leadership...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

Why do organisations invest in leadership development only to see people return to work and carry on exactly as before? In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Jocelyn Visser, founder of Compass Consultancy and consultant at People Associates, to explore what makes leadership development genuinely effective. For Jocelyn, the starting point isn't choosing a course or training provider. It's getting clear on the problem you're trying to solve, the behaviours you want to change, the

en-US

48:06

How Leigh Hart Built a Snack Empire by Breaking Every...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

What happens when you stop overthinking business and just give it a crack? We sit down with Leigh Hart - one of New Zealand’s most recognisable comedians and the entrepreneur behind Wakachangi and SnackaChangi - to unpack how he turned decades of storytelling, creativity and a cult following into brands that stand out on supermarket shelves. Leigh takes us inside his unconventional approach to business and marketing, from announcing a beer brand on Facebook before he’d figured out how to

en-US

46:59

How to take your business to fruition

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

A deeper, more tactical return to Episode 8's big question, with real dollar figures attached. Mike and Scott walk through exactly how to validate an idea at $0, $500 and $5,000 budget levels — and how to land your very first customer. You'll learn: -Why an idea alone has almost no market value in the age of AI; -How to validate for free (talk to 1–100 potential customers) before spending a cent; how to test with $100–$500 using landing pages and boosted social ads; -When a

en-US

34:26

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister reacts to PREFU,...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

The Finance Minister says tough choices aren't just made for the sake of it with the Crown books now opened for pre-election scrutiny. It shows we're on track for a good surplus in the 2028/29 financial year, with a much smaller current deficit than expected. But it’s not entirely rosy, with predictions slashed on house price growth, more money needed for health, and concerns over Super costs Nicola Willis told Kerre Woodham she's pushed to re-prioritise spending for a reason. She says she's

en-US

17:43

Is NZ’s productivity problem the real economic...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

New Zealanders are working. The economy is growing. So why aren’t we getting much more out of it? For more than a decade, New Zealand’s productivity growth has been painfully weak – and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government. But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the election campaign. The parties are promising tax cuts, more housing, cheaper groceries, changes to immigration and more spending on public services. But how many of

en-US

10:32

Chris Hipkins on PREFU, working with Greens and...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has admitted he hasn't yet read the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) in full, but he is confident the funding for his party's policies is there. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins says Labour will take time to crunch the numbers before coming out with their fiscal plan, which will be out by the end of next week. "You've got to give us a little bit of time to digest it. There's a lot of numbers in it and you want to take the time to do that properly"

en-US

7:38

The Country 30/09/26: Christopher Luxon talks to...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

The Prime Minister ponders the curse of being an Air New Zealand CEO. Plus, we discuss tonight’s Rural Issues Debate, the diesel crisis, the age of eligibility for National Super, Chippy’s flawed CGT and the dangers of strategic voting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

6:39

The Country 30/09/26: Ben Picton talks to Jamie Mackay

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

Rabobank’s chief economist comments on rising OCR rates, both here and in Australia, the Red Meat Sector Conference, and whether there is an end in sight for the Middle East conflict and associated fuel crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

5:31

Chlöe Swarbrick: Green Party co-leader on the...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says she wants to see the party's commitments delivered after the election. After scoring 16 percent in Monday’s 1News Verian poll, Swarbrick said they'd demand high-profile portfolios, if they reach that number on election day. Chris Hipkins has again ruled her out as finance minister, under a Labour Government. Swarbrick says she's not counting chickens - but neither should Labour. "If you're serious about actually meaningfully making economic

en-US

4:19

Jenee Tibshraeny: NZ Herald Wellington business...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

The current Government earlier indicated they could be looking to make changes to NZ Super and adjust the eligibility age, but they've changed their tone ahead of election season. Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis recently declined opportunities to explicitly back the policy when asked about it after Treasury released its Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update earlier this week. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says it seems like there's a shift, but they haven't unveiled any

en-US

3:43

Monika Lacey: Centrix Chief Operating Officer on...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/30

Most people appear to be managing their money well against ongoing financial volatility. Centrix's August credit indicator shows expected seasonal uplifts in consumer and mortgage arrears, but an overarching easing pattern for both. Consumer arrears ticked up to 10.74% but remain 11.2% lower than a year ago. Company liquidations are up 14% on last year, but the indicator found demand is about the same as in 2025, and defaults are down 1%. Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey told Mike Hosking

en-US

19:21

Is our economy getting better, or is it just 'less...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/29

The Government’s opened its books and it’s showing a return to surplus is well on track. The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows a stronger and slightly faster surplus than predicted... with the books expected to get out of the red by 2028/29. Treasury also predicts unemployment has already peaked - and will track down. But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Predictions of house price growth have been slashed, and there are some choice words about how costly our super

en-US

10:27

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on their policy costings...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/29

Labour's leader is confident their numbers add up when it comes to paying for their policies – including reversing pay equity changes. The Government's books were opened yesterday in Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. It revealed the planned 2028/29 surplus will be nearly $2 billion bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less. Treasury thinks unemployment's peaked, and inflation's predicted to be back where it should be next year. Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking

en-US

6:09

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the Pre-Election...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/29

The Finance Minister has her eye firmly on returning to surplus after a pre-election look into the books. Treasury forecasts predict the next two years' deficits will be much smaller, and the 2028/29 surplus nearly $2 billion larger than expected. But much of that improvement is down to income-tax bracket creep, and more revenue from GST and company tax. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking it would be irresponsible to be talking about how they'll spend a surplus on things like tackling the tax

en-US

9:02

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the pre-election...

The SME Stream ·

2026/09/29

National's Nicola Willis is putting the rosier Government books - unveiled today - down to Kiwis' hard work, but won't say whether they'll be repaid a dividend in the form of tax cuts. Forecasts predict the next two years' deficits will be much smaller, and the 2028/29 surplus nearly $2 billion larger than earlier expected. But much of that improvement is down to income-tax bracket creep, and more revenue from GST and company tax. Willis says her focus is getting debt down, to buffer against any

en-US

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