Is NZ’s productivity problem the real economic elephant in the room? – The Front Page

Chelsea DanielsThe Front Page podcast host·NZ Herald·30 Sep, 2026 04:00 AM4 mins to read‌University of Otago economics associate professor Dennis Wesselbaum reckons productivity is the economic elephant in the room this election. He joins The Front Page to discuss.For more than a decade, New Zealand’s productivity growth has been painfully weak – and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government.But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the election campaign. The parties are promising tax cuts, more housing, cheaper groceries, changes to