The strong economic run "gives us choices we didn't have a few years ago." With that line, Prime Minister Bill English announced a sizable, if targeted pickup in social spending at the core of Budget 2017. The social investment programme, championed by Mr English in his time as finance minister, gets a $321 million boost.

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New Zealand First is setting its sights higher than being the kingmaker this election, with leader Winston Peters insisting his party has the numbers to make the election “a three-way fight.” He was speaking at a Wellington Chamber of Commerce business breakfast this morning. Mr Peters was asked who he would side with in the event of neither the National or Labour blocs reaching a majority in Parliament after the election, but he ducked the question.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/winston-has-no-interest-being-kingmaker-jw-p-202516

New Zealand investors have tipped another multi-million dollar amount into US-based biogas company LanzaTech, which last week posted a $US37.4 million loss. LanzaTech turns waste gas from steel mills into ethanol and other high-value fuels and chemicals using microbes through a gas fermentation process.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/kiwi-funds-top-investment-lanzatech-cg-p-202536

Virtual reality goggles make a great party piece, and have made modest in gaming, but do they have a place in business? Flight Centre managing director David Coombes says yes. “I like to use the analogy that if we were Jeans Centre and we were selling a pair of jeans, it would be very easy for our customers to come in and try our product, but travel is a very different product.”

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/flight-centre-trial-shows-promise-limitations-vr-ck-p-202503

ANZ Bank’s New Zealand arm is losing market share in both the dairy and housing markets but net profit has rebounded to a double-digit increase.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/anz-raises-profit-while-losing-market-share-jr-p-202504

Goldman Sachs estimates MYOB has a 56% share of the accounting software market in Australia and New Zealand and that it will retain at least half the market through to calendar 2024.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/goldman-sachs-says-myob-market-leader-jr-p-202505

Dairy product prices advanced at the GlobalDairyTrade auction, increasing for the fourth consecutive time amid strong demand.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/dairy-product-prices-rise-higher-expected-b-202499

New Zealand First is setting its sights higher than being the kingmaker this election, with leader Winston Peters insisting his party has the numbers to make the election “a three-way fight.”

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/winston-has-no-interest-being-kingmaker-jw-p-202516

The Commerce Commission has rejected the proposed merger of media companies NZME and Fairfax New Zealand.

Read more :https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/comcom-rejects-stuffme-merger-th-202480

The events of the past 24 hours have damaged the Labour Party’s reputation and will cost them votes from the centre, political commentator Bryce Edwards says. This follows Labour’s delays in releasing its list and the subsequent fallout from some members feeling aggrieved over their placing. “In terms of political management, the performance by Andrew Little and the Labour Party has been fairly woeful,” Dr Edwards says.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/labours-list-debacle-shows-woeful-political-management-little-jw-p-202477