User Profile

Thomas Coughlan

Thomas Coughlan is a Newsroom reporter based in Wellington who writes on policy and economics.

Will ACT’s policy let you Seymour of your income?

ACT’s tax changes would increase income taxes on more people than even the Green Party’s 2017 policy, but there is merit to the flat tax.

6 hours ago

Thomas Coughlan

Foreign Affairs

Chinese NZ Herald retracts misleading article

The Chinese New Zealand Herald is in the spotlight for publishing and then retracting an article about the Hong Kong protests.

Jun 17 2019

Thomas Coughlan and Laura Walters

Government

Build-to-rent - it’s all about tax

Phil Twyford says build-to-rent could be a part of the solution to the housing crisis. Does he have the power to make it work?

Jun 17 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Infrastructure

Jones tees off on local government

Shane Jones says he is sick of local government frustrating plans for new infrastructure.

Jun 14 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Government

My, my: the mystery of Treasury’s Project ABBA

The Finance Minister is all about money, money, money - so why did he receive a briefing about “Project ABBA”?

Jun 13 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Government

Nash seeks advice on tax rule change

Stuart Nash has sought advice on remedying the tax system that has potentially meant hundreds of thousand have unwittingly paid the wrong amount of tax.

Jun 13 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Trade

Risks and rewards for New Zealand exporters

China is New Zealand’s largest export market, but concerns over product safety and over-regulation present a minefield for exporters.

Jun 11 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Government

NZ troops to return from Iraq, but Afghanistan stay extended

New Zealand will withdraw from Iraq by mid-2020, the Government has confirmed.

Jun 11 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Transport

Importer alleges conflict of interest at NZTA

The NZTA conflict of interest scandal enters a new phase, with a car importer now alleging the agency itself is conflicted.

Jun 11 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Newsroom

Developers eyeing up Wellington Library

Developers are closing in on Wellington’s Central Library, seeing an opportunity to either list the building, or privatise it.

Jun 07 2019

Thomas Coughlan

environment

Dairy companies pricing massive ETS changes

With changes to the ETS still some time away, companies are doing their own forecasting, pricing in much higher carbon prices.

Jun 06 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Week in Review

Short-term thinking risks long-term crisis

Grant Robertson has indexed benefit rates to wages, but without a long-term plan for real stimulus and revenue gathering, he risks creating a crisis like superannuation.

Jun 01 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Budget

A budget of knotty contradictions

Grant Robertson has unveiled his first Wellbeing Budget, but is this really what it says on the tin?

May 31 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Budget

Rail infrastructure gets a boost

KiwiRail is getting a major boost in the 2019 Budget with more than $1 billion earmarked for the organisation.

May 30 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Budget

Transport spend-up, housing flat

There’s little more for housing but a large infrastructure spend for transport in today’s Budget.

May 30 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Government

Treasury fears over farm debt bill

Treasury is concerned farm debt mediation proposals could have unintended consequences.

May 30 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Budget

Budget: can Robertson make ‘fetch’ happen?

Grant Robertson will deliver the first Wellbeing Budget on Thursday, the economic equivalent of trying to make “fetch” happen.

May 30 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Politics

Bridges cries ‘witch hunt’ over hack allegations

National leader comes out swinging in response to claims of a hack, calling on the Government to put up or shut up.

May 29 2019

Sam Sachdeva and Thomas Coughlan

Budget

A hack can mean many things

You could drive a truck through the statements of Treasury, the Finance Minister, and the Opposition and still be no closer to finding out what actually went on.

May 29 2019

Thomas Coughlan

Week in Review

Treasury raises fears for public housing funding

Advice from Treasury has raised concerns that debt from the UDA, which includes KiwiBuild could impact on public housing.

May 29 2019

Thomas Coughlan