New research paints a gloomier picture for business leaders.  

The latest 2degrees Shaping Business Report suggests optimism about post-pandemic recovery has fallen away.  

It says leaders are now shifting from recovery mode to simply playing the hand they've got. 

Chief Business Officer Andrew Fairgray told Heather du Plessis-Allan people were looking for a return to normalcy in the years since Covid, but with all the volatility, businesses are starting to realise they need to control their own outcomes. 

But he says there are still some signs of positivity and moving forward, just in the new normal.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

New research paints a gloomier picture for business leaders. &nbsp;
The latest 2degrees Shaping Business Report suggests optimism about post-pandemic recovery has fallen away. &nbsp;
It says leaders are now shifting from recovery mode to simply playing the hand they've got.&nbsp;
Chief Business Officer Andrew Fairgray told Heather du Plessis-Allan people were looking for a return to normalcy in the years since Covid, but with all the volatility, businesses are starting to realise they need to control their own outcomes.&nbsp;
But he says there are still some signs of positivity and moving forward, just in the new normal. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Andrew Fairgray: 2degreees Chief Business Officer on the new report saying the 'return to normal' narrative is no longer influencing business confidence

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b70c00cc-bc99-48fc-b2b2-b4630162b877/transcript

Now, I can’t imagine Labour’s woken up feeling awesome this morning about how that reset is going. What do you think? 

This is a reset – you do realise that. After months of saying nothing, having no new policy and generating headlines for Ayesha Verrall singing weird songs about ducks, they started this week with a classic reset move. 

They got themselves a story in the Herald on Monday, claiming Nicola Willis tried to hide secret spending in the Budget. Then they followed it up really quickly with a list announcement, unveiling the policeman candidate. 

And then tomorrow they were supposed to have their big, substantive policy announcement – something they haven’t done in months. It was meant to be this run of good news. 

Unfortunately for them, it’s gone a little bit pear-shaped, hasn’t it? 

The “secret money” has turned out to actually just be an accounting provision. The list announcement got derailed by Greg O’Connor taking a crack at them. 

Then the new guy for one of the Māori seats revealed there’s some tax relief policy coming – which he wasn’t supposed to say. Then Chippy got busted for using his government KiwiSaver to buy a bach, and the policeman didn’t tell his bosses early enough that he was off to join the Labour Party. 

All of this is not a good look for Labour, because they can hardly expect to convince voters they’re ready to govern if they can’t even get 24 hours’ worth of announcements to go to plan without being derailed by four or five different issues. 

But to be fair to Labour, the last 24–48 hours is really not the end of the world. A lot of this is pretty beltway stuff – at least the parts involving the policeman are. In five months’ time, when the election rolls around, no one but the biggest political nerds in this country will remember any of it. 

Five months gives them plenty of time to fix all of this, but they really do have to get on and fix it, because this is the same problem, just repeated – the same problem as the Ayesha Verrall duck-song situation. It looks like a party unable to get its act together and just do one thing properly. 

Now, I can’t imagine Labour’s woken up feeling awesome this morning about how that reset is going. What do you think?&nbsp;
This is a reset – you do realise that. After months of saying nothing, having no new policy and generating headlines for Ayesha Verrall singing weird songs about ducks, they started this week with a classic reset move.&nbsp;
They got themselves a story in the Herald on Monday, claiming Nicola Willis tried to hide secret spending in the Budget. Then they followed it up really quickly with a list announcement, unveiling the policeman candidate.&nbsp;
And then tomorrow they were supposed to have their big, substantive policy announcement – something they haven’t done in months. It was meant to be this run of good news.&nbsp;
Unfortunately for them, it’s gone a little bit pear-shaped, hasn’t it?&nbsp;
The “secret money” has turned out to actually just be an accounting provision. The list announcement got derailed by Greg O’Connor taking a crack at them.&nbsp;
Then the new guy for one of the Māori seats revealed there’s some tax relief policy coming – which he wasn’t supposed to say. Then Chippy got busted for using his government KiwiSaver to buy a bach, and the policeman didn’t tell his bosses early enough that he was off to join the Labour Party.&nbsp;
All of this is not a good look for Labour, because they can hardly expect to convince voters they’re ready to govern if they can’t even get 24 hours’ worth of announcements to go to plan without being derailed by four or five different issues.&nbsp;
But to be fair to Labour, the last 24–48 hours is really not the end of the world. A lot of this is pretty beltway stuff – at least the parts involving the policeman are. In five months’ time, when the election rolls around, no one but the biggest political nerds in this country will remember any of it.&nbsp;
Five months gives them plenty of time to fix all of this, but they really do have to get on and fix it, because this is the same problem, just repeated – the same problem as the Ayesha Verrall duck-song situation. It looks like a party unable to get its act together and just do one thing properly.&nbsp;

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour's reset is off to a very shaky start

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b309441d-69cd-4af8-a0ba-b463016e5ae3/transcript

Tony Brown is set trade the bottle green and gold of the Springboks for the much more familiar black of home. 

The current South Africa attack coach has signed on as an All Blacks assistant coach for the two years after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. 

The All Blacks will still face Brown as South Africa's current attack coach during the Greatest Rivalry tour this year, and in a likely World Cup quarterfinal next year if both teams win their pool. 

Former Highlander and Māori All Black Joey Wheeler told Heather du Plessis-Allan that bringing, arguably, one of our most innovative and creative coaches back into New Zealand rugby is a master stroke by NZR. 

He says regardless of who the head coach will be following the Rugby World Cup, knowing Brown, he’ll be able to work with anyone. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Tony Brown is set trade the bottle green and gold of the Springboks for the much more familiar black of home.&nbsp;
The current South Africa attack coach has signed on as an All Blacks assistant coach for the two years after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.&nbsp;
The All Blacks will still face Brown as South Africa's current attack coach during the Greatest Rivalry tour this year, and in a likely World Cup quarterfinal next year if both teams win their pool.&nbsp;
Former Highlander and Māori All Black Joey Wheeler told Heather du Plessis-Allan that bringing, arguably, one of our most innovative and creative coaches back into New Zealand rugby is a master stroke by NZR.&nbsp;
He says regardless of who the head coach will be following the Rugby World Cup, knowing Brown, he’ll be able to work with anyone.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Joey Wheeler: Former Highlander and Māori All Black on Tony Brown returning to coach the All Blacks from 2028

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6fc92e7d-32fc-4954-8daa-b463016bd5e6/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast with Heather du Plessis-Allan for Tuesday 9th of June, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins defends the process behind the appointment of Rakesh Naidoo to the party's list. 

Heather also challenges Hipkins on the generous superannuation scheme for MPs. 

Former Highlander Joey Wheeler talks what Tony Brown will bring to the All Blacks when he joins as an Assistant Coach in 2028. 

As we cross the 100 day mark of the Iran war, Middle East expert Jeffrey Pryce talks us through what Donald Trump's options are and how this war might end. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast with Heather du Plessis-Allan for Tuesday 9th of June, <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/chris-hipkins-labour-leader-on-superintendent-rakesh-naidoo-standing-for-labour-policy-announcement/">Labour Leader Chris Hipkins</a> defends the process behind the appointment of Rakesh Naidoo to the party's list.&nbsp;
Heather also challenges Hipkins on the generous superannuation scheme for MPs.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/joey-wheeler-former-highlander-and-m%C4%81ori-all-black-on-tony-brown-returning-to-coach-the-all-blacks-from-2028/">Former Highlander Joey Wheeler</a> talks what Tony Brown will bring to the All Blacks when he joins as an Assistant Coach in 2028.&nbsp;
As we cross the 100 day mark of the Iran war, <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/jeffrey-pryce-foreign-policy-analyst-on-the-conflict-in-the-middle-east-iran-trading-strikes-with-israel/">Middle East expert Jeffrey Pryce</a> talks us through what Donald Trump's options are and how this war might end.&nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 09 June 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d9062562-c85c-4e98-86da-b463015d73c6/transcript

Andrew Fairgray: 2degreees Chief Business Officer on the new report saying the 'return to normal' narrative is no longer influencing business confidence

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