Housing hobbles economy, Celebration or condemnation? Directors’ fees: who gets what

In NBR Print today: The government finds itself in an awkward position as housing-related issues cast doubts over economic prospects. Labour is badmouthing the economy, saying yesterday’s Reserve Bank interest rate cut is “a vote of no confidence in the economy.” In fact,  economic editor Rob Hosking writes, the data accompanying the decision show anything but a vote of no confidence.

In the absence of a strategic review following the surprise resignation of founding chief executive Mary Quin, Nick Grant takes a look under the hood of the government’s controversial Callaghan Innovation agency.

An annual director fee survey shows the gap between male and female directors’ fees is closing, although the fact there’s still a gap at all is concerning, Calida Smylie writes. The Institute of Directors’ research also reveals the overall median pay for directors and chairs, what the ethnicity split is and how many directors are satisfied with their pay.

A multi-billion dollar Chinese TV station is suing a small company claiming to be New Zealand’s first Chinese-owned telco for copyright infringement, court documents obtained by NBR reveal, Campbell Gibson writes. Television Broadcasts and World TV are taking Auckland-based Telnet to the High Court for breaching exclusive content rights by providing customers over-the-top content boxes with access to their channels.

The government wants to limit people having a say on neighbours’ building and subdivision activities under the Resource Legislation Reform Bill. But lawyers and their societies are not accepting this and say provisions in the bill remove many of the Resource Management Act’s key fundamentals, Sally Lindsay writes.

Hong Kong Airlines says Tourism New Zealand has not provided much support for a new Auckland service starting in November, Nevil Gibson writes in Business Travel. An airline spokesman said the airline was keen to add capacity to Australia if it could secure more routes but he said it appeared tourism in New Zealand was “full” and was not seeking additional inbound tourists from China, especially at peak periods.

Education Minister Hekia Parata will not be able to defeat teacher unions, columnist Matthew Hooton explains in Weekly Hit.

All this and more in today's NBR Print Edition. Out now.

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