Budget no frills and no thrills
Finance Minister Nicola Willis promised that Budget 2026 would not be one to get the pulse racing, and boy did she deliver.
National
Budget prompts nostalgia not optimism
Budget prompts nostalgia not optimism
If Budget 2026’s Economic and Fiscal Update document came with a soundtrack it would be The Way We Were, by Barbra Streisand.
Investment will enhance disaster resilience: expert
Investment will enhance disaster resilience: expert
Investing in provincial highways could prevent vulnerable communities from being isolated and prevent major disruption to supply routes, a disaster risk specialist says.
Man jailed after causing crash which killed friend
Man jailed after causing crash which killed friend
The young daughter of a man killed by his best mate in a high-speed, drug-fuelled crash says she will never forgive him.
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DoW AI war project info ‘delusional’
SUBSCRIBER
DoW AI war project info ‘delusional’
‘‘Delusional’’ and a possible ‘‘piss-take’’ is how geopolitical and security analysts are describing information from the United States Department of War (DoW) about an artificial intelligence...
Budget 'doing nothing' for struggling families: Salvation Army
Budget 'doing nothing' for struggling families: Salvation Army
Budget 2026 has nothing that will really make a difference for struggling families, the Salvation Army says.
Funeral held for mum and daughter who died in fire
Mum and daughter who died in house fire farewelled
Hundreds of people have farewelled a mother and her young daughter who were killed in a Christchurch house fire earlier this month.
Boost for trades training as tertiary subsidies frozen
Boost for trades training as tertiary subsidies frozen
The Budget boosts spending on curriculum changes and trade training for teens, freezes nearly all tertiary subsidies and fast-tracks a modest boost for early childhood services.
Money to shore up South Is state highways
Money to shore up South Is state highways
Budget 2026 contains funding for just one Road of National Significance and will help ensure state highways are resilient due to severe weather events.
Willis' superannuation comments an 'unfortunate mistake': Peters
Willis' superannuation comments an 'unfortunate mistake': Peters
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Finance Minister made an "unfortunate mistake" when she made comments about superannuation during the Budget-lock up.
$48m boost for Māori broadcasting
$48m boost for Māori broadcasting
Pokere Paewai of RNZA boost for Māori broadcasting is the one main highlight for Māori in this year's Budget.
Spending on Pacific aid and defence
Spending on Pacific aid and defence
Budget 2026 will see more foreign aid to the Pacific region, while defence and customs spending rises with an eye towards crime and security.
Opposition: Govt making Kiwis' lives harder
Opposition: Govt making Kiwis' lives harder
The Opposition says this year's Budget leaves Kiwis to fend for themselves, with more spending for prisons and more children in poverty.
'Grand Designs' castle in Canterbury up for sale
'Grand Designs' castle in Canterbury up for sale
A luxury "post-modern castle" in Canterbury that appeared on 'Grand Designs New Zealand' in 2022 is on the market.
'A political choice': Homelessness reaches record levels
'A political choice': Homelessness reaches record levels
Significant investment in social and affordable housing is crucial to solving New Zealand's housing crisis and ending homelessness, a new report says.
Luxon, UK PM talk war, cost of living in call
Luxon, UK PM talk war, cost of living in call
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke with his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday night to discuss the Iran and Ukraine wars, as well as the cost of living.
Govt creates $450m stash to address fuel crisis
Govt creates $450m stash to address fuel crisis
The government has announced it is holding $450 million in reserve to address further shocks caused by high fuel prices amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
NZ generates double the global average of rubbish
NZ generates double the global average of rubbish: report
A report from the World Bank shows Kiwis generate almost two kilos of rubbish per person, per day - more than twice the global average.
Big boost for health
Big boost for health
Health gets $5.8 billion of new spending, including a $5.5b increase to frontline services over four years.
Country 'digging its way out of the post-Covid hole'
Country 'digging its way out of the post-Covid hole'
An end to the Middle East conflict, financial discipline and a return to solid economic growth are being relied on to deliver a quicker return to budget surpluses.