Conferences on our shores are driving up international delegation numbers, which have surged more than 50% annually.  

According to Stats NZ, arrivals are near pre-Covid levels, with more than 16 thousand people coming in the first quarter.  

International delegates contributed more than $54 million to the economy, with visitors spending an average $500 per day.  

Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Ryan Bridge with last week's Air New Zealand expansion in Christchurch, there are more options. 

She says having direct flights between Christchurch and Singapore, Perth and Tokyo, will make a big difference. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Conferences on our shores are driving up international delegation numbers, which have surged more than 50% annually. &nbsp;
According to Stats NZ, arrivals are near pre-Covid levels, with more than 16 thousand people coming in the first quarter. &nbsp;
International delegates contributed more than $54 million to the economy, with visitors spending an average $500 per day. &nbsp;
Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Ryan Bridge with last week's Air New Zealand expansion in Christchurch, there are more options.&nbsp;
She says having direct flights between Christchurch and Singapore, Perth and Tokyo, will make a big difference.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Best of Business is the home of all things business at Newstalk ZB, from morning market updates right through to incisive interviews with New Zealand’s top business leaders and decision makers. 

Whether you’re a small business owner or interested in what’s going on in the Big End of Town, this podcast encompasses the sharpest voices and minds in the world of business.

Best of Business is the home of all things business at Newstalk ZB, from morning market updates right through to incisive interviews with New Zealand’s top business leaders and decision makers. Whether you’re a small business owner or interested in what’s going on in the Big End of Town, this podcast encompasses the sharpest voices and minds in the world of business.

Best of Business is the home of all things business at Newstalk ZB, from morning market updates right through to incisive interviews with New Zealand’s top business leaders and decision makers.

Best of Business

Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the number of international business delegates visiting New Zealand rising by 50%

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d77e7194-4640-48f5-b95b-b456000076a6/transcript

Business NZ says a new loan scheme to help businesses ditch gas is a necessary step.   

This year's Budget funds up to $1.2 billion in guaranteed bank loans to help businesses transition to renewables. 

Potential losses are accounted for with $48 million set aside. 

Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Ryan Bridge it's still a loan business will need to pay back, but it will help. 

She says the barrier for businesses trying to move away from gas is often capital expenditure, so they're in favour of lowering that hurdle. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Business NZ says a new loan scheme to help businesses ditch gas is a necessary step. &nbsp;&nbsp;
This year's Budget funds up to $1.2 billion in guaranteed bank loans to help businesses transition to renewables.&nbsp;
Potential losses are accounted for with $48 million set aside.&nbsp;
Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Ryan Bridge it's still a loan business will need to pay back, but it will help.&nbsp;
She says the barrier for businesses trying to move away from gas is often capital expenditure, so they're in favour of lowering that hurdle.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Catherine Beard: Business NZ Advocacy Director on the Government's loan scheme to help businesses transition from natural gas

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/154c0fa2-0a25-4ba6-9ae2-b455018967f2/transcript

Some are working pretty hard currently to buy into the Mike Smith storyline that the big end of town has the Government's ear over climate change. 

Mike Smith is the activist, the agitator, the chainsaw man, the "smack the America's Cup" bloke. 

So, you know, a life of angst and upset. 

His latest outing was in court, looking to sue individual companies over their pollution around climate change. He was looking for an activist court to agree with the idea that a company can be held to specific and individual account for something that happens all over the world by, if you think about it, all of us. 

The Government stepped in a week or so back and put an end to it. 

Their argument is Parliament is your ultimate court and these sorts of laws are for it, not individual judges who may sway with the wind. They didn’t put it that way, I did. 

But there is no doubt in my mind, in a number of areas, various courts these days are open to a bit of judicial dabbling. In my humble opinion it is brought about by an increasing arrogance that they make the rules. 

It's true to say a court can have a say or hold sway. But it's equally true to say the ultimate court is the Parliament of the land and we do not want that undermined. 

Now, Mike claims people like Fonterra have been writing to the Prime Minister's office and advocating for the Government to step in on court action like his. 

And given they did he now suggests this is collusion, this is scally-waggery, this is big money, big influence malarkey that borders on scandal. 

Or could it be a corporate saying what you would expect a corporate to say and a government, not surprisingly, doing what they would do anyway. 

In other words, Fonterra didn’t need to say anything because Paul Goldsmith would have done what he did without any correspondence. 

Why? 

Because they think the same way I do. I didn’t write to anyone and didn't have a meeting with anyone and yet I would have thought, nay expected, the Government to nip the Smith fishing expedition in the bud. 

Why? Because it's obvious and it's common sense. 

See not everything is a conspiracy. Sometimes, remarkably, especially when it's obvious, people tend to have the same view. Letters or no letters, meetings or no meetings. 

Nothing to see here. 

Some are working pretty hard currently to buy into the Mike Smith storyline that the big end of town has the Government's ear over climate change.&nbsp;
Mike Smith is the activist, the agitator, the chainsaw man, the "smack the America's Cup" bloke.&nbsp;
So, you know, a life of angst and upset.&nbsp;
His latest outing was in court, looking to sue individual companies over their pollution around climate change. He was looking for an activist court to agree with the idea that a company can be held to specific and individual account for something that happens all over the world by, if you think about it, all of us.&nbsp;
The Government stepped in a week or so back and put an end to it.&nbsp;
Their argument is Parliament is your ultimate court and these sorts of laws are for it, not individual judges who may sway with the wind. They didn’t put it that way, I did.&nbsp;
But there is no doubt in my mind, in a number of areas, various courts these days are open to a bit of judicial dabbling. In my humble opinion it is brought about by an increasing arrogance that they make the rules.&nbsp;
It's true to say a court can have a say or hold sway. But it's equally true to say the ultimate court is the Parliament of the land and we do not want that undermined.&nbsp;
Now, Mike claims people like Fonterra have been writing to the Prime Minister's office and advocating for the Government to step in on court action like his.&nbsp;
And given they did he now suggests this is collusion, this is scally-waggery, this is big money, big influence malarkey that borders on scandal.&nbsp;
Or could it be a corporate saying what you would expect a corporate to say and a government, not surprisingly, doing what they would do anyway.&nbsp;
In other words, Fonterra didn’t need to say anything because Paul Goldsmith would have done what he did without any correspondence.&nbsp;
Why?&nbsp;
Because they think the same way I do. I didn’t write to anyone and didn't have a meeting with anyone and yet I would have thought, nay expected, the Government to nip the Smith fishing expedition in the bud.&nbsp;
Why? Because it's obvious and it's common sense.&nbsp;
See not everything is a conspiracy. Sometimes, remarkably, especially when it's obvious, people tend to have the same view. Letters or no letters, meetings or no meetings.&nbsp;
Nothing to see here.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Not everything is a conspiracy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2298232b-a2b4-4c0f-b427-b455017d97f1/transcript

It's a big week for the economy, with the next OCR announcement set to be unveiled this coming Wednesday.

Markets are expecting the Reserve Bank to leave the OCR unchanged at 2.25 percent, but a hike hasn't been ruled out.

Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explained further.

LISTEN ABOVE

It's a big week for the economy, with the next OCR announcement set to be unveiled this coming Wednesday.
Markets are expecting the Reserve Bank to leave the OCR unchanged at 2.25 percent, but a hike hasn't been ruled out.
Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explained further.
LISTEN ABOVE

Shane Solly: Harbour Asset Management expert on what markets are planning for the OCR this week

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/122e30b8-4ff4-460f-ab82-b4550090863c/transcript

Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the number of international business delegates visiting New Zealand rising by 50%

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