Alex Tarrant

About

Alex is interest.co.nz's political journalist based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Wellington. He previously spent four years in London as a journalist and assistant editor at global financial newswire Mergermarket, which was part of the FT Group. Alex worked for interest.co.nz between 2008 and 2012, returning at the start of 2017.

Email Alex

Member for

15 years 1 month

Latest articles

Economists look through OCR for RBNZ's govt-impact views

Economists expect OCR to stay on hold on Thursday, start to get excited about RBNZ views on new govt policy and implications for growth and inflation ahead of new employment target and new Governor

6th Nov 17, 7:41am

by Alex Tarrant

Economists expect OCR to stay on hold on Thursday, start to get excited about RBNZ views on new govt policy and implications for growth and inflation ahead of new employment target and new Governor

New National line-up; 'Time for Smith to move on'

National MP Michael Woodhouse the new opposition spokesman on housing and social housing portfolios, Nick Smith gets forestry and aquaculture

2nd Nov 17, 2:40pm

by Alex Tarrant

National MP Michael Woodhouse the new opposition spokesman on housing and social housing portfolios, Nick Smith gets forestry and aquaculture

Value uplift tax in Goff’s sights

Auckland Mayor Goff keen on value uplift tax to help pay infrastructure costs, but is sometime off; Discusses light rail funding split, regional fuel tax with PM Ardern

2nd Nov 17, 12:26pm

by Alex Tarrant

Auckland Mayor Goff keen on value uplift tax to help pay infrastructure costs, but is sometime off; Discusses light rail funding split, regional fuel tax with PM Ardern

'Nobody building affordable housing in Auckland'

Nobody is building affordable housing in Auckland, Mayor Goff says; Welcomes new Labour govt's KiwiBuild, says could save Special Housing Areas which didn't deliver; Ardern notes house price fall, but that average price is still above $1m

2nd Nov 17, 9:21am

by Alex Tarrant

Unemployment rate at 9-year low

Unemployment rate falls to 4.6%, lowest since late-2008, Stats NZ says; Construction jobs up 10% from a year ago; Wages boosted by govt pay equity deal

1st Nov 17, 10:55am

by Alex Tarrant

Unemployment rate falls to 4.6%, lowest since late-2008, Stats NZ says; Construction jobs up 10% from a year ago; Wages boosted by govt pay equity deal

'Foreign speculators will no longer be able to buy NZ houses'

New government to amend Overseas Investment Act to classify residential housing as 'sensitive' to block non-residents and non-citizens from buying existing residential dwellings

31st Oct 17, 4:24pm

by Alex Tarrant

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New government to amend Overseas Investment Act to classify residential housing as 'sensitive' to block non-residents and non-citizens from buying existing residential dwellings

Cabinet to discuss foreign house buyer ban

Cabinet set to discuss mechanisms for foreign house buyer ban, Ardern says; Parker hits out at previous National government over advice on ability to impose stamp duty on foreigners under Korean FTA

31st Oct 17, 1:19pm

by Alex Tarrant

Cabinet set to discuss mechanisms for foreign house buyer ban, Ardern says; Parker hits out at previous National government over advice on ability to impose stamp duty on foreigners under Korean FTA

Judge Labour on how it lifts productivity - Robertson

Robertson asks to be judged on how Labour govt lifts productivity; Says foreign investment still welcome, just not in existing houses; Is 'realistic' about RBNZ's ability to effect full employment

30th Oct 17, 12:16pm

by Alex Tarrant

Robertson asks to be judged on how Labour govt lifts productivity; Says foreign investment still welcome, just not in existing houses; Is 'realistic' about RBNZ's ability to effect full employment

Labour to be "careful" with housing policies

Labour to be careful with how it manages housing supply and demand policies, new Finance Minister Robertson says; Ardern & Parker not keen on stamp duty, looking at ways to block non-resident foreign house buyers

30th Oct 17, 10:56am

by Alex Tarrant

Greens' nitrates levy off the table; But is there still a clash to come?

Green Party's Shaw reveals leached nitrate levy policy is off the table - for the time being; Alex Tarrant reviews the government parties' climate change mitigation stances and wonder whether there'll be a future clash on the means to the end?

29th Oct 17, 7:38am

by Alex Tarrant

First home buyers' share jumps

First home buyers' share of property purchases has jumped to its highest in a decade, Corelogic says; Nationwide gross rental yield at equal record low during last 20 years

27th Oct 17, 3:15pm

by Alex Tarrant

First home buyers' share of property purchases has jumped to its highest in a decade, Corelogic says; Nationwide gross rental yield at equal record low during last 20 years

Labour's demand-side housing policies are GO

Labour confirms demand-side housing policies are all go, despite no mention in coalition agreement with NZ First; Super Fund set to keep being taxed, even though Peters raised a fuss over election period

27th Oct 17, 8:20am

by Alex Tarrant

Labour's house buying ban already being worked on

Labour's non-resident foreigner house buying ban already being worked on, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says; Mini-Budget with parts of Labour's 100-day plan might be on its way

26th Oct 17, 2:29pm

by Alex Tarrant

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Labour's non-resident foreigner house buying ban already being worked on, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says; Mini-Budget with parts of Labour's 100-day plan might be on its way

Insert popular music pun here

National Party loses Eminem copyright case; Ordered to pay $600k plus interest, says has already started proceedings against the suppliers & licensors of the track they used for 2014 election campaign

25th Oct 17, 4:13pm

by Alex Tarrant

Ardern announces Cabinet positions

Ardern announces Cabinet positions: Robertson gets Finance, Twyford housing, urban development and transport; Jones, Shaw and Parker get Assoc. Finance

25th Oct 17, 12:54pm

by Alex Tarrant

Ardern announces Cabinet positions: Robertson gets Finance, Twyford housing, urban development and transport; Jones, Shaw and Parker get Assoc. Finance

Housing market could keep cooling, a bit – Ardern

Cooling housing market could continue as Labour seeks to ramp up KiwiBuild, reduce demand pressure, Ardern says; Maintains goal is for existing values not to drop, though

21st Oct 17, 10:16am

by Alex Tarrant

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Cooling housing market could continue as Labour seeks to ramp up KiwiBuild, reduce demand pressure, Ardern says; Maintains goal is for existing values not to drop, though

Peters said to advocate for the regions over full Labour climate policy

Labour-led govt will bring in Zero Carbon Act, Climate Commission and have an all-sectors, all gasses pricing scheme; Ardern says Peters agrees on outcome, advocated strongly for the regions, which will show through in policies

20th Oct 17, 5:15pm

by Alex Tarrant

Greens reveal policy areas

Greens tout policy areas including on climate change, welfare, cannabis reform, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health

20th Oct 17, 2:03pm

by Alex Tarrant

Greens tout policy areas including on climate change, welfare, cannabis reform, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health

'National will be strong Opposition'

National will regroup and be strong Opposition, English and Bennett say; English says decision on his position to be made over the next few weeks, congratulates Ardern and wishes the new government well

20th Oct 17, 12:12am

by Alex Tarrant

Ardern PM as NZ First, Greens go with Labour

Peters says NZ First will go into coalition with the Labour Party to turn around New Zealand capitalism in the face of economic slump which is already here: Arden says 'it's an exciting day'

19th Oct 17, 7:04pm

by Alex Tarrant

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Peters says NZ First will go into coalition with the Labour Party to turn around New Zealand capitalism in the face of economic slump which is already here: Arden says 'it's an exciting day'

National said to be holding out over NZF Cabinet requests

Peters says at 1pm: Decision in a few hours; Pros and cons relating to both policy packages; Very, very anxious time for himself and caucus; Will do one final look over each policy offering

19th Oct 17, 1:37pm

by Alex Tarrant

Peters says at 1pm: Decision in a few hours; Pros and cons relating to both policy packages; Very, very anxious time for himself and caucus; Will do one final look over each policy offering

English: A lot of progress made in last 24 hours

Bill English to outline broad parameters of agreement to National Party caucus and board; Says a lot of progress made in last 24 hours, but that there's still time for more negotiations

19th Oct 17, 11:42am

by Alex Tarrant

Bill English to outline broad parameters of agreement to National Party caucus and board; Says a lot of progress made in last 24 hours, but that there's still time for more negotiations

NZ First caucus meets to go through the details

NZ First caucus meets over finer points after 2-day meeting with board which canvassed every policy in each of National's and Labour's packages - 'more than just 5 or 10'; Shane Jones says it's ring-sizing day - for his own nuptials

18th Oct 17, 10:18am

by Alex Tarrant

Peters meets English, Ardern after NZF wraps up policy discussion

NZ First board agrees on what each policy platform would mean, hasn't discussed which way to go, Winston Peters says; Board heading home; Caucus to finalise finer points with Labour and National

17th Oct 17, 5:51pm

by Alex Tarrant

NZ First board agrees on what each policy platform would mean, hasn't discussed which way to go, Winston Peters says; Board heading home; Caucus to finalise finer points with Labour and National

Surprise makeover - coalition edition

Jacinda Ardern better be hoping Winston Peters and James Shaw enjoy those surprise make-over shows; And why the Greens don't need a final decision from NZ First before ratifying Labour agreement

17th Oct 17, 4:14pm

by Alex Tarrant

Jacinda Ardern better be hoping Winston Peters and James Shaw enjoy those surprise make-over shows; And why the Greens don't need a final decision from NZ First before ratifying Labour agreement