Dene Mackenzie

The Government accounts crept into surplus in the three months ending September, without fanfare and without any comment from Finance Minister Bill English.

Construction wage growth continues to be substantially higher in Canterbury than the rest of the country but there is little evidence that industry skill shortages are pushing wages higher nationally.

Emerson's Brewery has been sold to Lion New Zealand, with the promise it will be business as usual for Dunedin's most recognisable craft beer brand.

Z Energy yesterday released a complicated set of financial accounts which showed a substantially reduced profit for the six months ended September.

Rakon, once the market darling of the NZX, is shifting more of its operations offshore and up to 60 of its 430 New Zealand workers are likely to lose their jobs.

United States opinion polls show a tight race between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, but leaning towards a win by the president tomorrow.

Westpac New Zealand became the last of the branches of Australia's big four banks to report its full-year profit yesterday, coming out on top in the percentage increase for cash earnings.

Unemployment and wage data out this week are likely to cause their usual amounts of uncertainty about the state of the economy.

Visits to Dunedin this week by Prime Minister John Key and two of his ministers had proved an overwhelming success, Otago Chamber of Commerce president Peter McIntyre said yesterday.

The Government hit back yesterday at critics of the number of jobs that have disappeared from New Zealand by supplying a list of "significant jobs" created from its public infrastructure programme.

The Westpac-Otago Chamber of Commerce business award finalists, announced last night, were the highest quality yet seen by the judges, awards convener Ali Copeman said.

The Government's infrastructure employment scheme and associated training for tradespeople presents opportunities and threats to Otago, Otago Chamber of Commerce president Peter McIntyre says.

Ultrafast broadband just got 200m closer to most of the homes that will have fibre passing their doors within the next three years after Chorus agreed to provide $20 million for free residential installations.

Tinkering with parts of the Employment Contracts Act involving "vulnerable workers" would result in years of litigation and Employment Court disputes, Crest Commercial Cleaning managing director Grant McLauchlan warned yesterday.

The Bank of New Zealand is the latest retail bank to report improved profits as the need to make provision for bad debts falls.

Changes being proposed to the part of the Employment Relations Act regarding so-called vulnerable workers are likely to be condemned across the widest possible political spectrum.

The Privacy Act and associated regime had not kept pace with developments and technology and the speed with which information could be disseminated, Dunedin lawyer Sally Peart warned yesterday.