Kerre Woodham: Are you feeling optimistic?

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear implication. 

Commentators are saying that this point now, here, is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are nearing the bottom, nearing the nadir, but this is it. And now things are on the up. 

So how confident are you feeling? I know when we've talked about this in the past, you've been bruised by past events, and that's informed the way you're thinking and who could blame you. The world has been a very uncertain place over the past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of you have said, those of you that have got the readies to invest, you've said, "I'm not willing to. I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case Labour gets back in." 

Well, where are you at right now? The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to 2.25%, the ninth reduction since August 2024. The bank said economic activity is picking up, inflation is forecast to fall to 2% by mid 2026, and that will help households. 

And listen to Roger Gray from the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Du Plessis-Allan last night. 

“Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand why they were dropping off their bookings and the feedback across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I went to was they felt that New Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because people were so negative about things. What I think is interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception, but the cool thing is now, I think there's a real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity amongst a lot of people and you know, I think the Bledisloe Wharf is a great example. If you can just get on and do stuff, we've created 250 new jobs for Aucklanders and that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.” 

He was saying, "Yeah, we used to be known as “No Zealand” and it was all like, 'Oh no, no. No, don't bother investing here. It's all too hard. No, you'll lose your money.'" He says it's quite different now. Quite different. He's picking up the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you at right now? 

You know, as we go into Christmas, there's a month of business for many companies and many businesses and many workers. It's a busy time of year up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays, how are you feeling about going into 2026? Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
The Bahutakawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days
are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has
cut the ocr Christmas is coming, Summer holidays are on
the horizon. Chris Hopkins was talking tough around any kind
of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge and we're
not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the

(00:37):
clear implication. Commentators are saying that this point now here
is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are
nearing the bottom, nearing the Nadia, but this is it
and now things are on the up. So how confident

(01:00):
are you feeling. I know, when we've talked about this
in the past, you've been bruised by past events and
that's informed the way you're thinking. Who could blame you?
The world has been a very uncertain place over the
past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering
down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of

(01:22):
you have said, those of you that have got the
readies to invest you have said, I'm not willing to.
I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow
my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case
labor gets backon. Well, where are you at right now?
The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to two point twenty five,

(01:46):
the ninth reduction since August twenty twenty four. The Bank
said economic activity is picking up, Inflation is forecast to
fall to two percent by mid twenty twenty six, and
that will help households. And listen to Roger Gray from
the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Duplicy
Ellen last night.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the
cruise lines and understand why they were dropping off their bookings,
and the feedback across the whole lot of the four
cruise lines I went to was they felt that New
Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because
people were so negative about things. What I think is
interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception.

(02:27):
But the cool thing is now I think there's a
real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting
to be a positivity amongst a lot of people, and
I think the bleddersone North warf is a great example
if you can just get on and do stuff. We've
created two hundred and fifty new jobs for Aucklanders and
that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
So that was Roger Gay. He was saying, Yeah, we
used to be known as No Zealand and it was
all like oh no, no, no, I don't bother investing here.
It's all too hard. Oh you'll lose your money. Is
quite difference, quite different now quite different. He's picking up
the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you

(03:08):
at right now? Now? As we go into Christmas, there's
a month of busyness for many companies and many businesses
and many workers. It's a busy time of year up
until a couple of weeks before Christmas, a week before Christmas.
Then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays.
How are you feeling about going into twenty twenty six?

(03:32):
Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning?

Speaker 1 (03:36):
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