Kate MacNamara
Business Journalist
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Check out Kate’s latest content
Foodstuffs merger: What the supermarket giant will consider as it mulls an appeal
Why Foodstuffs would face long odds if it appeals rejected merger plan.
Public Purse: Resource management reform costs will easily top $250m - will it go higher still?
Replacing the RMA will cost Kiwis more than $250m. How did we get here?
Claims Kiwi businesses shut out of multimillion-dollar cleaning contracts
'A lot of the Government’s cleaning work doesn’t go out to tender.'
Auckland Transport accused of 'marking its own homework' in speed reduction evaluations
Former AT transport engineer prepared independent reviews of agency's speed limit changes.
Why the Foodstuffs merger decision is likely headed to the High Court
ANALYSIS: An odds-on chance Foodstuffs takes the ComCom's merger refusal to court.
New price control measures coming for the grocery sector
The ComCom's promise of more grocery regulation and the road to price controls.
'Decommissioning' on the table for the Chateau Tongariro
Gov't abandons search for new operator of Chateau Tongariro, decommissioning considered.
Watercare's secret $20m deal with iwi raises ratepayer concerns
Auckland ratepayers stumped up an additional $20m to care for the Waikato River.
Foodstuffs merger in doubt as the commission considers final submissions
Legal expert sceptical that approval will be given as regulator mulls decision.
Methanex pressured to fill key government gas contract in the midst of supply squeeze
The Government's last-minute gas contract is another sign of deep trouble in the market.
Methanex gas deal a sign of tough times for New Zealand industry
Methanol maker will bolster its profits through selling rather than using its gas supply.
NZ Film Commission spends $16k on CEO events amid budget cuts
The Film Commission has thrown two parties apiece for its retiring and incoming CEOs.
Public Purse: Fixing a NZ Film Commission conflict cost $700,000
The NZ Film Commission's spending blunders: the price of self-preservation
Commerce Commission probe rolls on as boss sells benefits of merging Foodstuffs co-ops
The BFG: is supermarket giant Foodstuffs' merger move friendly or otherwise?
Commerce Commission remains unconvinced by Foodstuffs’ merger plan
ComCom statement highlights lingering concerns over Foodstuffs' proposed merger.
Foodstuffs North Island reports first loss in a decade
Merger costs of $7.1m help Foodstuffs North Island to a modest loss.
Former NZ Film boss paid over half a million dollars’ leave and severance for nine months' work
Film Commission boss David Strong's $437,000 severance, more than his annual salary.
Foodstuffs South Island posts $11m loss amid contentious merger proposal
Inflation bites grocery co-op Foodstuffs South Island.
Government’s $1.2b fund for the regions, who can tap it and what it’ll buy
The new regional infrastructure fund opens to applicants; who can apply, what it'll buy.
Former ANZ boss doubles his money selling house that once belonged to John Key
David Hisco sells John Key's former Ōmaha Beach bach for twice the purchase price.
A royal compromise: Why Covid inquiry chair is leaving
Government reveals an inelegant solution to an untenable Covid inquiry problem.
Meet the Government’s 'independent' fast-track consenting advisors, their connections and interests
The fast-track consenting panel advising ministers, and their connections and interests.
Public Purse: The $457,000 in exec’s severance pay Te Pūkenga declined to disclose until the Ombudsman investigated
OPINION: Te Pūkenga's brush with Ombudsman and public interest in exec's severance pay.
Te Pūkenga payouts: $163,000 for redundant chief executive
Golden handshakes topping $719,000 paid to Te Pūkenga execs in recent years.
Redundancy totalling $339,000 paid in shuttering the Productivity Commission
Redundancy pay went to all 21 staff at the Productivity Commission through its shutdown.
Kate MacNamara: Tony Blakely’s Covid advice and what it means for the inquiry he chairs
The chair of the Covid-19 inquiry advised government officials during the pandemic.
The Minister’s letter aimed at unseating Te Pūkenga chair and his rejoinder
Strong resigned on December 8 - three days after he received the letter.
Public Purse: Reinstating the Christchurch Cathedral and the wobbly numbers it relies on
Victorian Gothic: Christchurch's ruined cathedral and romancing the rebuild numbers.
Grocery commissioner on his fight to increase supermarket competition
Grocery dysfunction: Watchdog Pierre van Heerden admits he, too, stockpiles cheese.
Public Purse: Planned cuts to public service won't even wind back last six months of expansion
OPINION: Eight new agencies across the public service helped fuel record staffing levels.
Watchdog outlines case against proposed supermarket merger
Commerce Commission outlines objections to Foodstuffs merger, final decision to come.
Public service added thousands of new hires late last year
Public service hiring spree continued through the end of 2023 while outside spending fell.
Opinion: What Te Pūkenga’s four CEOs were paid to offer (and stop offering) their services
OPINION: The payments to send off Te Pukenga's leaders and the efforts to conceal them.
Shuttered Chateau Tongariro costing taxpayers $2.2m a year to sit empty
A year after closing, the future of the empty hotel is uncertain.
Public Purse: Why the Ministry for Regulation will be treble the size of the Productivity Commission
The old ministry had 22 staff, but the new one will have around 60.
Former Oranga Tamariki boss tapped to set up new regulation ministry
Controversial former head of Ministry for Children now establishing regulation ministry.
Public Purse: Can Govt unseat the chair of the Covid-19 inquiry - and at what cost?
The delicate art of politicians resetting an independent Royal Commission Inquiry.
Three Waters execs paid out $355k each after 10 months work
The former executives were each on the job for just 10 months.
Kate MacNamara: What did we get for the $3b spent on regional development?
OPINION: Lies, damned lies and ministerial briefings on regional development.
Buyer for insolvent Ruapehu Alpine Lifts skifield walks away
A buyer for the distressed skifield cites a short DoC licence, other factors in decision.
Kate MacNamara: Why govt funding for period products in schools is stopping
If free period products in schools was so progressive, why does funding run dry in June?
Kate MacNamara: Sacked minister Stuart Nash’s gig with global consulting agency
OPINION: Five of the top columns of the year from Kate MacNamara.
Power list: The top consultants and contractors who made the most money from the public sector
The top 10 consultants and contractors to core the then-Government agencies.
Kate MacNamara: Supermarket’s bid for consolidated market power should be blocked
OPINION: Marriage of the two Foodstuffs' should be stopped at the altar.
$36m job search platform for beneficiaries panned by the Treasury
Treasury warning: Where's the value for money in MSD's bespoke $36m job search tool?
Public Purse: Sacked minister Stuart Nash’s new gig with global consulting agency
OPINION: Robert Walters met Stuart Nash when he was Minister.
Power list: The top consultants and contractors making the most money from the public sector
The top 10 consultants and contractors to core Government agencies.
Public Purse: The final $5b of the Covid fight - and the half spent on other priorities
The $5b Covid fund top-up was spent at a record clip - on mostly unrelated plans.
Ministry of Health reviewing contracts with firm linked to Labour Minister Peeni Henare
PSC declines sweeping probe, but some contracts for Henare-linked firm under review.
Chateau Tongariro’s tangled web of cost traps taxpayers
What, we must ask ourselves, is the grande dame worth?
How Govt's Ruapehu lifeline curdled to a horrible hash of bad debt and new Crown spending
OPINION: How the Crown came to write cheque after cheque for Mt Ruapehu's ski fields.
What's Chateau Tongariro's future after sobering report?
The seismic report for the Chateau Tongariro throws its future into question.
Why many of NZ’s neediest children could be missing out on free school lunch
Opinion: Free school lunches and a side of rhubarb: Why we're missing NZ's hungriest kids.
Alternative plan for water reform ready for October election
Water cycle: Taxpayers' Union hopes a new government will pick up its water reform plan.
Public Purse: The new Three Waters bosses and why their pay is so extraordinary
OPINION: Money like water - the execs now presiding over diminished Three Waters fiefdoms.
DoC and the $3500 annual bonus for civil servants’ Māori language proficiency
Gov't defends Māori language bonuses for civil servants; opposition vows to scrap them.
Billion-dollar blowout for Three Waters ‘mega-bureaucracy’
Taxpayers, and potentially ratepayers, will foot $1 billion cost overrun for water reform.
$400m Progressive Home Ownership scheme under pressure
Pushing for targets the $400m shared equity home scheme under fire over priorities.
Three Waters: New mechanism for local control in reforms deemed diluted
There are more tweaks to the Government's water reforms in the new bill.
Kate MacNamara: Provincial Growth Fund - shadow of the long black cloud
Auditor General's damning review of the last $640m spent from the Provincial Growth Fund.
DoC tackles budget shortfall with a half-million-dollar spend on consultants
Budget shortfall prompts the Department of Conservation to call in the consultants
Big hopes but some doubts about new supermarket watchdog
Unprecedented interest likely in Commerce Commission’s grocery watchdog patrol.
Budget 2023: Scrapped car scheme proves costly for Kiwis
OPINION: The Government's 'scrap and replace' budgeting came at a sunk cost of $46m.
Cost of free school lunches a hungry hole in Budget 2023
Covid money funded free school lunches, now the chicken (wraps) are coming home to roost.
Revealed: Huge cost of Govt’s shelved Income Insurance Scheme
A trail of redundancies and contractor termination costs follow in its wake.
Nanaia Mahuta’s husband fails in bid for apology from DoC
Gannin Ormsby failed to win apology over terminated contract.
Revealed: Māori Health Authority's big spend up
What the doctor ordered? A $9m bill for outside help at Māori Health Authority
Revealed: New figures show extent of Three Waters consultant spending
Three Waters Reform a fountain of funds for the hourly crowd advising the government.
Official advice: Govt’s fuel tax reductions too broad, too expensive
Fuel tax reductions were Ministers' choice, Ministry of Transport preferred targeted help.
Claim and counter claim over conflict allegations
Alleged misrepresentation corrected, not material to $6m Creative New Zealand contract.
Red flags raised over couple's roles in $16.5m Covid health contract
The marriage at the heart of the conflict in evaluating U of Auckland vaccinator training.
Kate MacNamara: The unspent Covid money now paying for fuel tax reductions
Covid underspends: the long tail of emergency funding and fuel tax cuts.
Kate MacNamara: How to reform the Three Waters Reform
Reforming the Three Waters Reform will take more than a new(ish) ministerial face.
Forced sale of supermarket assets still on the table
Gov't declines to release cost-benefit case for supermarket break-up, but idea persists.
The repair movement and hopes for a hands-on fix to a mountain of waste
How a burgeoning repair movement hopes to mend our clothes and our throw-away habits
Kate MacNamara: Why Mahuta family contracts warrant scrutiny
Top five columns of the year from Kate MacNamara.
Kate MacNamara: Three Waters and a small window on what the big budgets buy
$2m and the riddle of how many consultants it takes to prepare for one interview.
Substandard processes but no bias with govt contracts linked to Mahuta family
Substandard processes but no evidence of favouritism in contracts with minister's family.
Concern over MfE process related to Mahuta family contracts
Public Service Commission advice unheeded in MfE review of Mahuta family contracts.
Embattled firm We Are Indigo gets new $5.3m contract
We Are Indigo wins multi-million dollar public contract despite past difficulties.