Worrying signs of a stalling economic recovery have shown up in the latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion published this morning.

Auckland house sales slumped 16pc in June, with the average sale price falling 3.6pc from a year ago, says real estate firm Barfoot & Thompson.

NZ woke up this morning to a world where it will cost money to burn fossil fuels - effectively about $165 a year for the average family.

Tax cuts announced in the May Budget have drawn overwhelming support from the country's chief executives.

Businesses have been warned not to mislead consumers when they say the ETS or GST hike is behind price rises.

Budget accounting changes that will hit corporate headline profits by hundreds of millions of dollars have been condemned by tax experts.

Is our property passion dead?

Consumer confidence rebounded in the June quarter, helped by income tax changes unveiled in last month’s budget.

Fears of a mass investor exodus from the property market as a result of Budget tax changes have failed to materialise, but many landlords are ready to put up rents.

John Key John Key's international profile was boosted yesterday when more than 100 newspapers around the world ran stories covering his "snip" quip.