Terence Harpur: Political leaders must back NZ's small business backbone

PremiumOpinionOpinion byTerence HarpurNZ Herald·1 Jul, 2026 07:00 AM5 mins to readTerence Harpur is CEO of the Takapuna Business Association.Takapuna proves that when you care for the local environment and those working within it, the local economy takes care of itself. Photo / Getty ImagesAs we edge closer to November’s general election, New Zealand finds itself navigating an increasingly volatile and unforgiving economic cycle.

You only need to walk down any main street to see the symptoms written clearly on the faces of our business community. While overall inflation metrics keep aggregate spending