About this episode

Nicola Willis discusses the government's economic recovery plans and child poverty statistics ahead of the general election.

Return to surplus? Nicola Willis charts economic recovery Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered her third and final Budget Day speech for the parliamentary term this week. A Budget delivering investment in health, infrastructure and defence, the Minister has described it as "responsible" - while Opposition voices have criticised the lack of stimulus for ordinary New Zealanders facing cost-of-living pressures. The big bonus is a forecast return to surplus in financial year 2028/29, one year earlier than previously forecast, using the government's favoured forecasting tool, OBEGALx. Five months out from the general election, Nicola Willis joins Jack Tame to discuss the government's record on economic stewardship, why the new bank tax won't be passed onto consumers, and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's "freeloaders" comment on New Zealand's defence spending. Children's Commissioner: The cost of child poverty In Budget 2026, Treasury published New Zealand's latest child poverty statistics. It's a grim picture, and one that isn't improving much: the number of households in material hardship is estimated to be 14 percent, with a 2028 target of six percent. Children's Commissioner…

People in this episode

Host: Jack Tame

Guests: Nicola Willis, Claire Achmad

Topics covered

• economic recovery
• Budget 2026
• child poverty
• immigration
• cost-of-living
• defence spending

Keywords

• economic stewardship
• budget
• child poverty
• immigration
• cost-of-living
• defence
• surplus

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Children's Commissioner, Treasury

Places: New Zealand

More episodes of Q+A with Jack Tame

• Why populist nationalism won't stop immigration · May 30, 2026 · 20 min
• Children's Commissioner: The cost of child poverty · May 30, 2026 · 9 min
• Return to surplus? Nicola Willis charts economic recovery · May 30, 2026 · 33 min
• Full show: 24 May 2026 · May 23, 2026 · 54 min
• Richard Dawkins at 85: Genes, God, and conversations with Claude · May 23, 2026 · 20 min
• RNZ boss resigns amid David Seymour criticism · May 23, 2026 · 10 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Q+A with Jack Tame podcast page.