Nine To Noon Political commentators Neale Jones and Tim Hurdle
13 snips
Mar 1, 2026 Tim Hurdle, former National senior adviser and company director, gives sharp political analysis. Neale Jones, ex-chief of staff to Labour leaders and public affairs director, brings insider perspective. They debate NZ's response to international strikes, strategic risks of regime change, economic and market fallout, social issues like child poverty and housing, crime perceptions, and electoral strategy tensions.
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Prepare For Market Volatility And Energy Shock
- Expect economic knock-on effects and plan for inflation and market volatility.
- Tim Hurdle noted markets muted early but warned oil, trade disruptions and consumer retrenchment could stall NZ's fragile recovery.
Child Poverty As A Political Faultline
- Rising child poverty is a moral and political problem tied to stagnant wages and housing shortages.
- Neale Jones highlighted 47,000 more kids in material deprivation, linking it to low wage growth and minimal social housing build.
Stagnant Growth Deepens Cost Of Living Crisis
- Flat GDP growth plus high inflation creates squeezed households and weak consumer demand.
- Tim Hurdle described ongoing cost-of-living crisis that reduces discretionary spending and deepens hardship for low-income people.