So what can New Zealanders look forward to in 2022?
After what PM Jacinda Ardern has labelled an “incredibly hard year” , surely the path ahead is smoother.
Don’t bet on it, even though the PM reckons our economic recovery is outstripping that of Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the OECD.
She told Parliament on its last sitting day that export forecasts were at a record high, as were milk pay-outs to farmers, and the terms of trade were positive.
Further, she said:
“A statistic that represents people’s livelihoods and their overall financial wellbeing is that we have seen unemployment down to record lows of 3.4%. And for every person that has stayed in work or has moved into work, that represents thousands and thousands of employers, business owners, business start-ups all working hard to support one another and their staff. It has truly been a team effort.
“But those numbers are also recognition of the hard work, foresight, and passion of this country’s finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and I pay tribute to you, Grant. On a day when we release numbers that show projected net debt is lower and our return to surplus sooner, we say thank you”. Continue reading “Ardern has served lashings of Christmas cheer – but others dish up a more sobering outlook” →