User Profile

Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey is the Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

Where’s our money printing debate?

The Reserve Bank will print all of the $97.5 billion the Government plans to ‘borrow’ over the next two years. Why is there is no political debate about why, how and if it should be done?

Bernard Hickey

Sep 18 2020

technology

Sovereignty in a digital world - Part 3

For Election 2020, Bernard Hickey finishes a three-part series on the digital policies needed to bolster Aotearoa’s resilience, protect our sovereignty and reduce inequality

Bernard Hickey

Sep 15 2020

Economic Recovery

Govt borrowing costs just went negative

Government borrowing costs just went negative, yet politicians fear debt and are bringing back austerity just as our worst recession in a century takes hold.

Bernard Hickey

Sep 11 2020

Election 2020

The even wealthier can breathe easier until 2023 at least

Bernard Hickey is thrilled the unearned capital gains on his properties will go untaxed for at least another three years, but despondent that Labour has wasted the chance of this Covid 19 crisis to properly tax wealth and give the young and the poor some hope for the future.

Bernard Hickey

Sep 10 2020

technology

Sovereignty in a digital world - Part 2

Bernard Hickey continues a three-part series on the digital policies needed to bolster Aotearoa’s resilience, protect our sovereignty and reduce inequality in the wake of the Christchurch attacks, foreign interference in elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, America’s tech war with China, and state-sponsored cyber-attacks.

Bernard Hickey

Sep 08 2020

Economic Recovery

Printed money not being invested or spent

Our Reserve Bank has printed $32.2 billion to buy bonds since Covid-19 struck, but 90 percent of that cash is still parked in bank accounts.

Bernard Hickey

Sep 07 2020

Covid-19

Back to Govt as usual on CovidCard

Unlike with the original lockdowns in late March, the Government moved too softly and slowly on CovidCard. It may have cost the economy $2b, writes Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey

Sep 02 2020

technology

NZ’s sovereignty in a digital world

Bernard Hickey begins a three-part series on the digital policies needed to bolster New Zealand’s resilience, protect our sovereignty and reduce inequality

Bernard Hickey

Sep 01 2020

Comment

Our housing market is too big to fail

Bernard Hickey writes the Covid-19 crisis has again proven there’s one type of asset that New Zealanders know in their bones is too big and important to be allowed to crash: housing

Bernard Hickey

Aug 28 2020

Comment

NZ’s ‘K’ shaped Covid-19 recovery

The New Zealand Government’s response to Covid-19 is enriching already rich property owners and bailing out the most politically powerful businesses, while renters and the poor get poorer, Bernard Hickey argues

Bernard Hickey

Aug 26 2020

Week in Review

Ready for a 1.5% mortgage rate?

The Reserve Bank is preparing to lend fresh money to banks at negative interest rates from early next year, which would allow them to cut mortgage rates as low as 1.5 percent

Bernard Hickey

Aug 25 2020

Newsroom

When printing even $100b is not enough

Overly cautious politicians and bankers are forcing the Reserve Bank to look at even more extreme ways to stimulate our Covid-hit economy and revive inflation

Bernard Hickey

Aug 14 2020

Politics

What we do in the shadows of a phantom

Bernard Hickey writes this election’s argument over who will repay Government debt faster is a dangerous and pointless replay of a 30-year old debate rendered obsolete by today’s financial facts

Bernard Hickey

Aug 07 2020

Politics

A second term PM for crises and the status quo

Jacinda Ardern is taking a low target policy platform to the election, despite having an historic chance under MMP to campaign for transformation, Bernard Hickey writes

Bernard Hickey

Aug 05 2020

Podcast: Two Cents' Worth

Turning tripe into wound-healing ‘crumpet’

How tripe got the markets buzzing and what that can tell us about New Zealand’s investment ecosystem.

Bernard Hickey

Aug 03 2020

Podcast: Two Cents' Worth

Closed borders: Is the cure worse than the disease?

The closed borders protecting us from Covid-19 are keeping us healthy, but having unexpected consequences for our economy.

Bernard Hickey

Jul 27 2020

Politics

Is the PM a transformer? Or just a manager?

Todd Muller’s resignation now puts Jacinda Ardern in the awkward position of having to say what she really, really wants to do with her second term. Bernard Hickey analyses her choices.

Bernard Hickey

Jul 14 2020

Economic Recovery

Why is Labour letting Tiwai Pt shut now?

Why isn’t the Government spending $30m to extend Tiwai Point’s 2,600 jobs until after the Covid-19 recession, Bernard Hickey asks.

Bernard Hickey

Jul 11 2020

Economic Recovery

Tiwai Point closure to hit 2,600 jobs

Rio Tinto finally pulls pin on Tiwai Point smelter, which employs 2,600 directly and indirectly, uses 13 percent of NZ’s power, and exports $1.2b of aluminium each year

Bernard Hickey

Jul 09 2020

Week in Review

‘Sorry, but New Zealand is all full up’

A flood of Kiwis returning home from Australia has overwhelmed quarantine capacity.

Bernard Hickey

Jul 08 2020