Auckland is falling off the pace in its natural tendency to produce disproportionately more economic output than the rest of the country.

WATCH: In an exclusive interview S&P chief economist Paul Sheard talks about weird times in world finance - and how NZ is looking.

Consumer prices rose less than expected in the June quarter as cheaper meat and domestic airfares offset a recovery in petrol prices

The Christchurch city council is facing a multi-billion dollar problem as it tries to find an insurer and options to cover the network of underground pipes.

NZ's skills shortage was highlighted in the Budget yesterday with the Govt allocating $256.5m to promote tertiary education and apprenticeships.

COMMENT: With a record net migration gain of more than 68,000 in the year ending April, it's a problem that looks set to get worse before it gets better, writes Barry Soper.

COMMENT: The problem of families with children forced to live in third-world conditions is eminently resolvable, writes Bryan Gould.

The NZ government posted a budget surplus in the first nine months of the financial year, against a Treasury forecast for a deficit.

COMMENT: Unless we make it clear that we are not prepared to accept this erosion of our reputation for probity, the bad news will keep on coming, writes Bryan Gould.

Prime Minister John Key has made an embarrassing disclosure of a link to a company specialising in foreign trusts.

Stressed-out mental health workers in Christchurch are expected to benefit from a $20 million government cash injection.

COMMENT: To increase military budgets as a justification to stir the pot in this region which needs to be demilitarised is questionable.

The amount of money being spent on health care for Auckland is dropping as the population grows and the problem is getting worse.

But Finance Minister Bill English says he won't make any spending changes.

New half-yearly forecasts by Treasury have seen the $176 million surplus forecast for the current financial year turn into a $401 million forecast deficit, but Finance Minister Bill English says he won't make any spending changes to try and maintain a surplus. "It's not disappointing; it's just another Treasury forecast,"

It is high time for the Government to go easy and give itself more room to manoeuvre in setting fiscal policy, writes Brian Fallow.

Legal expenses at the Mark Lundy retrial have topped $2 million and the bill for the entire case is three times that amount.

All has been revealed from Gerry Brownlee's $2100 a night 5-star hotel in Singapore to $15 for Tim Groser to have his shirt sleeves shortened.

We continue to live well beyond our means, and are likely to do so to an even greater degree in the coming years - hence our perennial need to borrow from overseas, writes Bryan Gould.

State house tenants from around New Zealand plan to march on Parliament against Government plans to sell 1600 houses in Tauranga and Invercargill.

Sue Henry is at the forefront of protests against the sale, demolition or removal of state houses.

ASG survey shows families struggling to keep up with schooling's extra costs.

In New Zealand, we discard 1.6 billion plastic bags a year, yet the Government is happy leave it to the industry to do the right thing, Brian Rudman writes.

The Conservative government's new budget cuts corporate, income and inheritance taxes while also cutting welfare.

People are concerned about rates - I am too. But as a result of our budget work and the adoption of a levy we can invest more in transport, writes Auckland mayor Len Brown.

More taxpayer money could be spent on a controversial demonstration farm in Saudi Arabia but nothing is planned at present, Prime Minister John Key says.

Millions of dollars in Government relief will be pumped into the flood-ravaged lower North Island, as authorities warn it could take weeks to clean up.

We need wonder no longer. Funding for the SuperGold Card will be frozen at $28 million plus inflation for the next five years.