Shows
Of InterestDavid Mahon: China, a country 'full of DeepSeeks,' now sees NZ as 'a country of diplomatic infidelity'Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visiting India before China could be seen as an insult in China, Beijing-based New Zealander David Mahon says. But he says China's recently announced strategic partnership with the Cook Islands, through which NZ was kept in the dark, shouldn't be viewed as insult to, or provocation of, NZ.Mahon, who is Managing Director of Mahon China Investment Management and has lived in China since 1984, spoke to interest.co.nz in a new episode of the Of Interest podcast.Luxon, who before the 2023 election said achieving a free trade agreement with India w...
2025-02-1937 min
Economy WatchDavid Mahon: China, a country 'full of DeepSeeks,' now sees NZ as 'a country of diplomatic infidelity'Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visiting India before China could be seen as an insult in China, Beijing-based New Zealander David Mahon says. But he says China's recently announced strategic partnership with the Cook Islands, through which NZ was kept in the dark, shouldn't be viewed as insult to, or provocation of, NZ.Mahon, who is Managing Director of Mahon China Investment Management and has lived in China since 1984, spoke to interest.co.nz in a new episode of the Of Interest podcast.Luxon, who before the 2023 election said achieving a free trade agreement with India w...
2025-02-1937 min
Of InterestJohn Lyon: Why New Zealanders should be grateful insurers remain committed to their countryNew Zealanders should be grateful insurance companies remain committed to New Zealand given the country's risk exposure, John Lyon of Ando Insurance says.In the latest episode of the Of Interest podcast I asked Lyon how well general insurers are serving New Zealanders, how competitive the market is, and how the public should judge strong financial results from their insurers. As well as being CEO of Ando, an underwriting agency, he's also the former CEO of Lumley Insurance. Statistics NZ's Consumers Price Index shows insurance costs rose 14% in the June year, making them a key co...
2024-10-0143 min
Economy WatchJohn Lyon: Why New Zealanders should be grateful insurers remain committed to their countryNew Zealanders should be grateful insurance companies remain committed to New Zealand given the country's risk exposure, John Lyon of Ando Insurance says.In the latest episode of the Of Interest podcast I asked Lyon how well general insurers are serving New Zealanders, how competitive the market is, and how the public should judge strong financial results from their insurers. As well as being CEO of Ando, an underwriting agency, he's also the former CEO of Lumley Insurance. Statistics NZ's Consumers Price Index shows insurance costs rose 14% in the June year, making them a key co...
2024-10-0143 min
Of InterestJohn Small: The 'faster, safer, cheaper' banking experience of the futureThe process of growth will be the main benefit from a scaled up Kiwibank, while public acclaim will be a key measure of open banking's success, Commerce Commission Chairman John Small says.Small spoke to interest.co.nz for the latest episode of the Of Interest podcast, which will be published later on Wednesday. The interview came after the Commission released the final report from its market study into personal banking services. The Government says it'll act on all 14 recommendations from the report.Speaking in a previous Of Interest podcast episode, after the Commission's interim re...
2024-08-2024 min
Economy WatchJohn Small: The 'faster, safer, cheaper' banking experience of the futureThe process of growth will be the main benefit from a scaled up Kiwibank, while public acclaim will be a key measure of open banking's success, Commerce Commission Chairman John Small says.Small spoke to interest.co.nz for the latest episode of the Of Interest podcast, which will be published later on Wednesday. The interview came after the Commission released the final report from its market study into personal banking services. The Government says it'll act on all 14 recommendations from the report.Speaking in a previous Of Interest podcast episode, after the Commission's interim re...
2024-08-2024 min
Economy WatchJohn Bolton: Who might be attracted to shoebox apartments and whyThe Government's push to have more apartments, including shoebox apartments, built should be welcomed over time by a range of buyers including first home buyers, property investors and retirees, suggests John Bolton, founder of mortgage broker, lender and savings product provider Squirrel.Speaking in a new episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, Bolton, also a former banker who has dabbled in property development, says apartments, including small ones, offer people who otherwise couldn't afford to buy in Auckland the opportunity to do so. He gives the example of a recent client who wanted an Auckland C...
2024-08-0130 min
Of InterestJohn Bolton: Who might be attracted to shoebox apartments and whyThe Government's push to have more apartments, including shoebox apartments, built should be welcomed over time by a range of buyers including first home buyers, property investors and retirees, suggests John Bolton, founder of mortgage broker, lender and savings product provider Squirrel.Speaking in a new episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, Bolton, also a former banker who has dabbled in property development, says apartments, including small ones, offer people who otherwise couldn't afford to buy in Auckland the opportunity to do so. He gives the example of a recent client who wanted an Auckland C...
2024-08-0130 min
Of InterestJohn Small: The Commerce Commission's recipe to tackle the banking oligopolyIn five years' time we would see things we can't imagine today if the Government adopts the Commerce Commission's recommendations to boost competition for personal banking services, Commission Chairman John Small says.Speaking about the Commission's draft report from its banking market study in the latest episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, Small says he'll be interested to see what sort of response the Commission gets from the big four banks, ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac, who it says are an oligopoly who don't face strong competition."We haven't accused them of doing an...
2024-03-2328 min
Economy WatchJohn Small on the Commerce Commission's recipe to tackle the banking oligopolyIn five years' time we would see things we can't imagine today if the Government adopts the Commerce Commission's recommendations to boost competition for personal banking services, Commission Chairman John Small says.Speaking about the Commission's draft report from its banking market study in the latest episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, Small says he'll be interested to see what sort of response the Commission gets from the big four banks, ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac, who it says are an oligopoly who don't face strong competition."We haven't accused them of doing an...
2024-03-2328 min
Economy WatchJohn Ballingall: Why the time is ripe for a new trade strategyOn the 22nd of November, while the National Party was putting the finishing touches on its coalition agreement, the European Union (EU) ratified a new trade deal with New Zealand.It was the latest in a long line of agreements NZ has struck since 1983, but it could be the last. Speaking in in the latest episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, John Ballingall, a partner at economic consultancy firm Sense Partners, says NZ may have reached “peak FTA” as there aren’t any likely or worthwhile deals on offer.This jars with the...
2023-11-2835 min
Of InterestJohn Ballingall: Why the time is ripe for a new trade strategyOn the 22nd of November, while the National Party was putting the finishing touches on its coalition agreement, the European Union (EU) ratified a new trade deal with New Zealand.It was the latest in a long line of agreements NZ has struck since 1983, but it could be the last. Speaking in in the latest episode of interest.co.nz's Of Interest podcast, John Ballingall, a partner at economic consultancy firm Sense Partners, says NZ may have reached “peak FTA” as there aren’t any likely or worthwhile deals on offer.This jars with the...
2023-11-2835 min
Economy WatchPeter Dunne: How coalition negotiations workAfter the 2014 election, Peter Dunne got a phone call from Prime Minister John Key to say National wouldn’t need the support of United Future to form a Government. The same call was made to the Act and Māori parties, which had also signed confidence and supply agreements after the 2011 election. Key invited all three parties to stay in the tent, if they wanted, but said there wouldn’t be any policy concessions or negotiations. They took the deal. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” Dunne said, in an interv...
2023-10-2635 min
Of InterestPeter Dunne: How coalition negotiations workAfter the 2014 election, Peter Dunne got a phone call from Prime Minister John Key to say National wouldn’t need the support of United Future to form a Government. The same call was made to the Act and Māori parties, which had also signed confidence and supply agreements after the 2011 election. Key invited all three parties to stay in the tent, if they wanted, but said there wouldn’t be any policy concessions or negotiations. They took the deal. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” Dunne said, in an interv...
2023-10-2635 min
Of InterestJohn McDermott: Why quantitative easing has proven to be 'very dangerous'The Reserve Bank ought to move faster to offload the government bonds bought during its 2020-21 quantitative easing programme to unwind the distorted effect this has on the financial system, says John McDermott.McDermott, Executive Director of economic and policy research institute Motu is also a former Reserve Bank Assistant Governor. He says quantitative easing (QE) via the Reserve Bank's large scale asset purchase programme has proven problematic."I think we'll reassess history and decide QE turns out to be a really bad idea, apart from [during] the really emergency settings.""Und...
2022-12-2028 min
Of InterestJohn Bolton: 'The everything bubble's popping and property has probably done comparatively well'Whilst the Reserve Bank views the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at its current level of 2% as neutral in that it's neither stimulating nor constraining economic activity, the steep rise in mortgage interest rates over the past year means they are well past a neutral level and are unlikely to rise much further, mortgage broker John Bolton says.Bolton, founder and executive director of mortgage broker Squirrel Mortgages, spoke to interest.co.nz for the latest episode of the Of Interest Podcast.While the average bank two-year fixed mortgage rate, typically the most popular term with Ne...
2022-12-0638 min