The committee that runs the ruler over all the regulations that Parliament passes has been whacking MPs’ knuckles more than ever this year. The regulations review committee was set up in 1985 over concern that delegated legislation was being used to push through government policies. Since then, MMP has come to pass and the select committee system has been bulked up but the regulations review committee remains relevant.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/capital-letter-still-reining-executive

I wasn’t going to write about immigration today at all but a radio station rang up last night and invited me to go on its show this morning to discuss an article in today’s Herald that runs under the headline Top source countries for migrant workers are not Asian. Since I had to get up early anyway, and since the article gives me the chance to make two points, I thought I’d respond.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/opinion-real-story-immigrant-work-visas-b-202265

US President Donald Trump ordered White House aides to accelerate efforts to draft a tax plan and cut the corporate tax rate to 15%, down from 35%. Mr Trump says he wants to release the plan by April 26 and it is less important if the plan loses revenue, a White House source told media. The plan will prioritise tax cuts over efforts not to increase the deficit.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/trumps-beltway-actions-agriculture-tax-canada-and-border-wall-ns-p-202275

NZ Venture Investment Fund chief executive Richard Dellabarca, in his first interview since taking on the role, says he’s put a number of options before the government to make the fund self-sustaining. When Mr Dellabarca was appointed in May last year, the government said it would extend its underwrite of the Crown-funded startup investor through to 2022 but it expected NZVIF to stand on its own two feet commercially over time.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/changes-wind-nz-venture-investment-fund-fr-p-202232

ACT party leader David Seymour has attacked his National Party coalition partners for abandoning centre right-principles after it announced it would be spending $53 million on the construction of a New Zealand pavilion in the World Expo 2020 held in Dubai. Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges says the investment will help highlight New Zealand’s products and services to new export markets.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/seymour-brands-national-labour-lite-jw-p-202239

Analysts say Z Energy could reap another $20-30 million in annual synergies over time from last year’s $785 million purchase of the Chevron/Caltex assets. Last week, the petrol retailer told the market it is on track to deliver $40-45 million of synergies in the year ending March 2018.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/analysts-z-energy-reap-much-more-synergies-chevron-assets-jr-p-202235

World finance ministers and officials are confident the global economy is picking up, with bias toward even more growth. Although this optimism is welcome, geopolitical and other tensions are taking their toll. The most obvious sign at the recent International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington was pressure from the US on trade policy.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/editors-insight-how-us-plays-piper-imf-switch-trade-protectionism

Prime Minister Bill English is not one to go for the dramatic. So it was that the long-awaited cabinet reshuffle he announced this afternoon kept the changes to the minimum. This column’s proposal which, incidentally, I still think was a damn good idea – of Nick Smith for Foreign Affairs wasn’t taken up.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/cabinet-reshuffle-bill-battens-down-hatches-election-year-swells

Seven weeks into her new role Callaghan Innovation chief executive Vic Crone has already spoken to 130 of the innovation agency’s customers and has plans for “reasonably big changes” on the way. Speaking with NBR View’s Susan Wood, Ms Crone, who placed second in the Auckland mayoralty race last year before taking on the Callaghan role, says so far she’s spent time understanding how the organisation is going and what more needs to be done to unlock opportunities for Kiwi businesses.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/vic-crones-first-three-moves-callaghan-innovation-p-202157

Auckland Council members have hit back at Finance Minister Steven Joyce’s claims the council is not doing enough to fund transportation needs in the city. Mr Joyce told The Nation this weekend that the way the council’s budget is set up means it will be reducing its expenditure on transport over the next few years.

Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/auckland-councillors-square-joyce-jw-p-202204