Jeanette Lewis is sipping a latte and looking out over a damp market square. She checks the buses as they pass down the high street.

Brian Fallow writes: "The economy has a soggier soft patch to pull out of next year after September quarter gross domestic product came in below market expectations and the statisticians revised down growth in the first half of the year."

"I want," the boy screamed, "I want a surplus."

If anybody thinks they did understand property markets and the link with financial stability, these conference papers will disabuse them of that notion, writes David Chaplin.

What skills and experience do you need to be a successful franchisee?

I'm not an economist, but I do understand what a net loss or a net gain is, writes Susan Chalmers. Most people will be familiar with the concept - at the end of the day, are you better or worse off?

Ports of Auckland has been ordered to pay $40,000 for deliberately breaking the law by employing contractors during industrial action at the port.

Food prices fell 0.8 per cent last month, with vegetables leading the charge. Food prices have now fallen 0.6 per cent over the past year.

The Government's climate change policy is a shambles and a disgrace, writes Brian Fallow. "Unless, that is, you are happy for the costs of the inevitable adjustment to a low-carbon future to be needlessly increased."

A salesman who fell foul of his boss over a blow-up alien doll has been denied compensation.

A government employee who was sacked after she accessed client records of Facebook 'friends' has won her job back until a full hearing can be held next year.