Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Simon Bridges: Auckland Business Chamber CEO on his expectations for Budget 2026

Transcript

Simon Bridges: Auckland Business Chamber CEO on his expectations for Budget 2026 · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Simon Bridges All from Business Chamber with me this morning
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: because it's budget day. Government's meant to be back to
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: service by twenty thirty. Will they get there, maybe even
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: get their earlier shaved a few hundred mile off the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: operating allowance banking those public service cuts are saving Simon,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: good morning, Hey, good morning, Ryan. Predictions for this.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: One, Oh, sensible, prude and boring Presbyterian budget no fun whatsoever.
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: And that's fair enough. I mean most of listening to
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: right now.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Will get that. That's what's probably required. I think it
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: will be one or two good is saved up. They
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: you can see they've got a little bit spare there
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: in terms of what they're breed prioritized.
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: I think there's also a sense, Ryan, it's.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Probably not what you want to hear, but budgets aren't
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: what they used to be, these sort of swashbuckling Muldoon
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: or Roger Douglas ones where you know, in a commander
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: control economy, you'd transform at things in twenty four hours
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: of massive tech hot tax hikes or cuts or something
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: like that.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: And I think in the.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: Recent political past they just they haven't moved poles the
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: way they used to, so I think that's sort of true.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: I mean my wish is personally, I reckon good policy
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: can be for free. More important even than the spending
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: and the cutting, I'll be looking for it's little nuggets
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: that tell us about the future policy direction. So please
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: Nicolas stake state some strong positions, defend them and stick
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: with them, an education and health and energy reform and
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: regulatory reform. You're a growth government, Well that's good. How
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: exactly you're going to lift innovation, productivity and growth? And
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: I think secondly, look, yeah, we accept I think you.
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: Know, most of us. It's a restraint time.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: This is about sort of reprioritizing and probably will be
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: fit of foreseeable future. But I want to see evidence
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: that the government understands the difference between just spending that
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: is frestering on large social project programs and real investment
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: that is stuff that actually is going to grow the economy.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: So cut some needless spending to fund investment that's growing stuff.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: You're absolutely right about the budget, I mean half of
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: it's announced beforehand these days. Anyway, just very quickly on
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: the surplus. Is there from what you can see, is
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: there enough room? Has she cut or made enough room
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: in order to bring them. And it depends on the forecast,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: but bring the surplus actually forward because that would be
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: a good way to go into an election campaign, wouldn't it.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: Oh Yeah, Look, I just think and this is no
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: sort of value judgment on anyone. I just think it's
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: such a tough global economy and local economy. The numbers
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: from Treasury intensive predictions, if they're real and objective, and
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: I'm sure they will be, that they.
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: Are going to be tough, and so I you know, personally,
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: I wouldn't be holding my breath in a massive way
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: in that regard what we'll see as I say more
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: than that kind of you know, I don't want to
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: say theoretical, but theoretical thing into the future as to say, good.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: Policy, what are you investing in to get some growth?
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Because actually growth is ultimately what gets you to surface
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: the more important and its importantly a stronger economy for
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: real New Zealanders out there doing it tough.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Simon bridges Auk from Business Chamber Budget Day, two PM.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: No one I'll be watching, but you'll hear about it sure.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge listen live
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: to news talks.
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: It'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: on iHeartRadio.