The National Party is forming the rules of a new game Prime Minister Helen Clark is only too happy to play.
The game, "Hide the policy", has been active for all of this year and it is likely to be played with increased intensity between now and whenever the election is called.
The rules are simple. National criticises everything the Government says.
The March reporting season delivered median operating earnings growth of 6%, something Forsyth Barr broker Ken Lister regarded as a fair performance given the slowing economy.
A higher police presence, shutting bars earlier and the installation of closed circuit cameras would go a long way to solving the problem of violence in the Octagon, in Dunedin, National Party police spokesman Chester Borrows said yesterday.
Shares in Dominion Finance fell sharply yesterday as speculators moved into the market to cash in on the possibility of short-term gains.
Berl senior economist Ganesh Nana has increased the intensity of his criticism of the Reserve Bank and its fixation with inflation-targeting at all costs.
SkyCity Entertainment Group remained a good buy despite its share price having been hit as overseas investors pulled out of New Zealand, Forsyth Barr broker Ken Lister said yesterday.
Owning a first home in the Central Otago-Lakes district looks to be out of reach for an increasing number of people, judging from the latest Wizard Home Loans data.
The economy is expected to be in recession by the end of June, following two successive quarters of negative economic growth.
The NZX-50 made a recovery late yesterday after earlier falling to its lowest level since February 2006.
Low storage in New Zealand's major hydroelectricity lakes is expected to shave between $15 million to $20 million off TrustPower's operating profit.
Merger costs took their toll on Credit Union South's annual profit but the merger of five South Island credit unions placed the enlarged entity in a good position for future growth, chief executive Andrew Leys said yesterday.
Otago's economy has been rated only "fair to middling" by the ASB-Main Report March regional economic scoreboard.
Blis Technologies of Dunedin, reported a reduced loss of $617,000 for the year ended March 31, an improvement on the $964,000 loss reported in the previous corresponding period (pcp).
Headline retail sales rebounded in April but a detailed analysis of the figures show greater underlying weakness in consumer spending than first thought.
The Government-sponsored KiwiSaver retirement scheme appears to be taking hold in the wider community, judging from figures released to the Otago Daily Times.
Otago and Southland have again defied the manufacturing downturn which appears to be creeping over New Zealand.
New Zealand's forestry sector has become one of the economy's softest spots as production falls in line with a contracting construction industry.
Dunedin South MP David Benson-Pope will not be accepting an invitation to stand as the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's (ALCP) electorate candidate at the next election.
Queenstown-based Skyline Enterprises and Sky City Entertainment Group have sold the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Christchurch, and increased their holdings in Christchurch Casino.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen received an unexpected bonus in the government accounts published yesterday by Treasury, but it is as a result of another classification error.
