A strong primary sector performance has produced a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus - for the first time in five years.

Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion dollars in April, compared with a $12 million dollar deficit for the same time last year.

Export NZ Executive Director, Joshua Tan, says it's a team effort across the food and fibre sector.

He says dairy, red meat, fruit and wood exports have all risen by millions of dollars.

LISTEN ABOVE

A strong primary sector performance has produced a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus - for the first time in five years.
Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion dollars in April, compared with a $12 million dollar deficit for the same time last year.
Export NZ Executive Director, Joshua Tan, says it's a team effort across the food and fibre sector.
He says dairy, red meat, fruit and wood exports have all risen by millions of dollars.
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Joshua Tan: Export NZ executive director on NZ seeing the highest monthly trade surplus in years

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d01f6810-ba68-4694-b287-b2e40072c5a3/transcript

The ACT Party is looking to scrap the Waitangi Tribunal if elected, and leader David Seymour has claimed its original purpose has gone.

The party intends to limit the Tribunal to claims lodged before September 2008, and then it would be dis-established for good once those are sorted.

Seymour explained that he's looking to remove the Tribunal's jurisdiction over 'contemporary claims', where activists critique the Government. 

"That ends straight away, and then we leave them on a sort of skeletal basis until they finish these remaining claims, bearing in mind there's no new claims, because they all had to be in by 2008."

LISTEN ABOVE

The ACT Party is looking to scrap the Waitangi Tribunal if elected, and leader David Seymour has claimed its original purpose has gone.
The party intends to limit the Tribunal to claims lodged before September 2008, and then it would be dis-established for good once those are sorted.
Seymour explained that he's looking to remove the Tribunal's jurisdiction over 'contemporary claims', where activists critique the Government.&nbsp;
"That ends straight away, and then we leave them on a sort of skeletal basis until they finish these remaining claims, bearing in mind there's no new claims, because they all had to be in by 2008."
LISTEN ABOVE

David Seymour: ACT Party leader on the party's bid to scrap the Waitangi Tribunal if elected

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0c3895dc-0b9b-4d5b-89ee-b4c100631353/transcript

A double-pronged mistake meant more more than 30,000 benefit payments were incorrectly suspended.

A review has found superannuitants were wrongly made to confirm their circumstances to get the Winter Energy Payment in legislation passed under urgency.

The high number of confirmations meant processing delays, and people’s benefits didn't continue when they should have.

The Ministry of Social Development's paid more than $2.5 million dollars in arrears, and is apologising to the thousands impacted.

Chief executive Debbie Power says people questioning it from April were told it was no mistake, and it wasn't raised with the Minister until August.

"The policy intent was never to impact these clients in this way, we got it wrong."

LISTEN ABOVE

A double-pronged mistake meant more more than 30,000 benefit payments were incorrectly suspended.
A review has found superannuitants were wrongly made to confirm their circumstances to get the Winter Energy Payment in legislation passed under urgency.
The high number of confirmations meant processing delays, and people’s benefits didn't continue when they should have.
The Ministry of Social Development's paid more than $2.5 million dollars in arrears, and is apologising to the thousands impacted.
Chief executive Debbie Power says people questioning it from April were told it was no mistake, and it wasn't raised with the Minister until August.
"The policy intent was never to impact these clients in this way, we got it wrong."
LISTEN ABOVE

Debbie Power: MSD chief executive on the review into the Ministry's thousands of payment errors

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/70e18aac-2ad6-471c-8a67-b4c1005d9d9a/transcript

The Ministry of Social Development wrongly cut financial assistance in over 30,000 cases, according to new reports.

A recent review has found several Winter Energy Payments, main benefits, and supplementary assistance were mistakenly paused - and the Ministry has since issued an apology. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Labour's Chris Hipkins has been quick to condemn this and says the MSD shouldn't take the blame for the Government's mistakes. 

LISTEN ABOVE

The Ministry of Social Development wrongly cut financial assistance in over 30,000 cases, according to new reports.
A recent review has found several Winter Energy Payments, main benefits, and supplementary assistance were mistakenly paused - and the Ministry has since issued an apology.&nbsp;
Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Labour's Chris Hipkins has been quick to condemn this and says the MSD shouldn't take the blame for the Government's mistakes.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the report into the MSD payment errors

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/cafa2469-7e15-46cf-b327-b4c10059ec23/transcript

Joshua Tan: Export NZ executive director on NZ seeing the highest monthly trade surplus in years

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