NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Mood of the Boardroom: CEOs call for English to sort housing shortage

By Graham Skellern
NZ Herald·
27 Sep, 2016 02:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Bill English's performance still rates highly with CEOs. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Bill English's performance still rates highly with CEOs. Photo / Jason Oxenham

​

In the

Herald

's 2016 Mood of the Boardroom survey, CEOs were asked what Bill English's priority should be as Minister of Finance. Generally, they backed the minister's approach, but they singled out the housing shortage, infrastructure development and maintaining real economic growth as priority areas.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Three energy bosses said: "Sort out housing and the over-attractiveness of tying funds up in property"; "ensure a soft landing for housing"; and "tackle the issues around housing and the financial risk this may present."

A manufacturer wanted continued financial management with the express purpose of addressing housing supply and infrastructure development.

A recruitment boss said English's priority must be to resolve housing pressures and to focus on real economic growth. A property chief suggested English should get active on tax policy to deal with housing unaffordability.

Another approach was to dampen house price inflation, a media chief said. "This [inflation] is putting pressure on business and social outcomes, and banks are now required to hold increased capital due to the risk of housing market correction.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This cost is being passed on to business."

Don Brash, chairman of ICBC (NZ), said English should push his Cabinet colleagues to take the measures needed to deal with the challenges: housing affordability and very slow growth in per capita incomes.

A travel boss said a priority was maintaining real economic growth for the country, ideally in a broader sense than just from the rural economy.

An airport boss said English should be driving some big thinking on New Zealand's future, "redefining how we measure success as a country and getting the economic policy settings in the right shape".

Discover more

Opinion

Fran O'Sullivan: Fonterra emerging from long winter

23 Sep 05:00 PM
Opinion

Oz slipping behind on internet speed

25 Sep 04:00 PM
Business

Mark Lister: Reserve Bank should quit while it's ahead

25 Sep 01:15 AM
Telecommunications

Most complained about company in NZ

27 Sep 08:42 AM

English should also drive local and central government harder to encourage investment in infrastructure to support economic growth.

Mark Cairns of the Port of Tauranga said government expenditure should be managed and focused on what would produce the best gross domestic product-enhancing outcomes.

An electricity boss said English should continue to manage the economy the way he's doing. "The merging challenge will potentially be the need to move from monetary policy solutions to fiscal policy measures if we approach negative interest rates/deflation."

Strahan Wallis of Porter Novelli wanted English to set out long-term, positive, financial plans and ensure the country's debt is under control.

An investment banker wants more quality businesses to operate here and to ensure the taxation system is fair. "Remembering it is as much about setting the right environment and encouraging the right behaviours; and ensuring well-directed, efficient spending of taxpayer funds.

"Also, ensure regulation is right-sized and Commerce Commission is appropriately mandated and resourced. The same with the Overseas Investment Office which is still badly off the pace in many respects."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rick Ede of the Unitec Institute of Technology said taxation and investment incentives should be reset to favour productive investment instead of property investment.

[Bill English] is the most impressive thinker on big policy issues in government and he needs to lead the conversation on where New Zealand wants to be in 30 years' time.

A sharebroker favoured passing future surpluses on to taxpayers through gradual tax threshold increases and rate reductions, alongside the election year temptation to spend money.

Simon Moutter of Spark NZ wanted English to "sort out the sustainable model for the tax base that better positions us in a world where value is fast migrating toward global digital business."

A printing chief said the tax burden should be reduced and more evenly spread. "Get on with an online transaction for GST on all goods imported. Nearly 100 per cent will be transacted by credit card and easy for the banks to collect GST.

"Start investment back into NZ Super and deal with the retirement age," he said.

A clothing manufacturer said funding education was the biggest investment "we can make for the future of the country. It is good to hear the use of big data is leading to effective targeting of funds, however there is too much loss of future resource potential [our children]."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A real estate boss outlined his priorities as major infrastructure support for Auckland, improved education and revitalised cadetships in the trades such as plumbing, building, electrical, and better health services.

Oliver Hartwich of The New Zealand Initiative said English should develop a comprehensive policy agency for reform.

"He is the most impressive thinker on big policy issues in government and he needs to lead the conversation on where New Zealand wants to be in 30 years' time."

- Fran O'Sullivan.

What are your thoughts? Tweet us @nzherald using the hashtag: #Boardroom2016
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Airlines

Pilot group to honour Erebus legacy with safety award

17 Jun 07:00 AM
Premium
Business

The NZ boardrooms where women buck gender pay gap trend

17 Jun 06:00 AM
Premium
Shares

Market close: NZX 50 down 0.4% as Israel-Iran conflict intensifies

17 Jun 05:48 AM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Pilot group to honour Erebus legacy with safety award

Pilot group to honour Erebus legacy with safety award

17 Jun 07:00 AM

The industry faces challenges but hopes to bring newcomers and veterans together.

Premium
The NZ boardrooms where women buck gender pay gap trend

The NZ boardrooms where women buck gender pay gap trend

17 Jun 06:00 AM
Premium
Market close: NZX 50 down 0.4% as Israel-Iran conflict intensifies

Market close: NZX 50 down 0.4% as Israel-Iran conflict intensifies

17 Jun 05:48 AM
Median house prices down again, sales taking longer: monthly report

Median house prices down again, sales taking longer: monthly report

17 Jun 05:32 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP