User Profile

Bernard Hickey

Bernard Hickey is the Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro and writes about politics and economics from the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Wellington. Twitter: @bernardchickey

Newsroom

Will house prices really slump?

Adrian Orr suggested this week house prices could fall 10-15 percent, which he said would be fine. Bernard Hickey looks at whether that’s likely, or a good idea.

3 hours ago

Bernard Hickey

Corporate Newsroom

A dashboard for fairness

Banks and insurers are assessing their regulatory risks in the wake of Australia’s Hayne Commission. Deloitte offers some tips on how to monitor conduct and fairness.

Aug 09 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

This slowdown is real and can’t be ignored

The Government cannot keep denying the economy is slowing. It must do more to stimulate investment and reassure builders, Bernard Hickey argues.

Aug 02 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Should we devolve taxes to councils? Not yet

Councils want to collect GST and income taxes so they can pay for infrastructure. Governance needs to improve first.

Jul 17 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Govt must react to confidence problem

Business confidence fell to a five year low as winter began. It’s time the Govt reacted to this cooling sentiment.

Jul 04 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Comment: Speak out for us

Winston Peters’ early audition as our Prime Minister did not go well. Now he is formally our leader, he should lose his tone deafness and come out against Donald Trump.

Jun 21 2018

Bernard Hickey

Corporate Newsroom

How do you solve a problem like plastic?

To help cut carbon emissions, ecostore is creating tiny carbon sinks with its plastic bottles made from sugar cane.

Jun 05 2018

Bernard Hickey

boardroom

A taste of Newsroom Pro from Budget day

Newsroom Pro is our subscription news service for people in business and government. Here’s a taste of what it sent to subscribers on Budget day.

May 22 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Biggest missed opportunity in a generation

Grant Robertson’s first Budget did exactly what he said it would on the tin, but it was also the biggest missed opportunity in a generation, Bernard Hickey argues.

May 19 2018

Bernard Hickey

News

Bernard Hickey: Budget tighter than it looks

Grant Robertson’s first Budget delivers extra health, education and housing spending, but keeps within key debt and surplus rules. It looks bigger than it is.

May 17 2018

Bernard Hickey

boardroom

More belt-tightening ahead of Budget

Despite a bigger than expected Budget surplus, the Government has not increased its capital expenditure plans.

May 10 2018

Bernard Hickey and Shane Cowlishaw

News

Auckland light rail gets green light

Cabinet has agreed to launch a procurement process to build two light rail lines from Auckland’s CBD to the airport and to Northwest Auckland.

May 09 2018

Thomas Coughlan and Bernard Hickey

boardroom

Regulators demand urgent bank response

Regulators launch urgent inquisition into big four Australian-owned banks. Bernard Hickey introduces the full letter demanding results within 2 weeks.

May 04 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Help the old bomb owners this time

A ‘feebate’ scheme to incentivise low emissions vehicles would hurt poorer workers who use old and heavy cars. They should be compensated, Bernard Hickey argues.

May 01 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

Carbon price may have to rise ten fold

Drivers and farmers will face big changes if New Zealand is to become carbon neutral.

Apr 27 2018

Bernard Hickey

environment

Ardern strikes drilling compromise

Labour has stopped issuing new offshore drilling permits, but will keep issuing new onshore permits and will let existing ones run for decades. Bernard Hickey reports.

Apr 12 2018

Bernard Hickey and Shane Cowlishaw

Comment

The case to borrow and invest

Comment: Labour should respond to AKL’s man-made disaster the same way National responded to CHCH’s natural disaster.

Apr 10 2018

Bernard Hickey

Comment

A rail Government vs a motorway Opposition

The Government just made its politically riskiest move, Bernard Hickey writes. It announced a surprise tax hike that will make provincial drivers help pay for new rail lines in Auckland.

Apr 04 2018

Bernard Hickey

boardroom

Horse whisperers hard at work

Adrian Orr and Grant Robertson were careful to ensure their talk of monetary policy reforms didn’t scare the horses in the economy. Bernard Hickey analyses the reforms.

Mar 28 2018

Bernard Hickey

boardroom

Takeover activity up again to decade high

Takeover activity on the NZX rose for the fourth consecutive year in 2017 to the highest level in a decade. Bell Gully Partner James Cooney looks at the trends.

Mar 26 2018

Bernard Hickey