Mood of the Boardroom: Barbara Edmonds and Nicola Willis battle for business votes

New Zealand Herald · NZ Herald · 2026-10-21 20:27 UTC

CEOs have given their verdict on the Govt in the Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey.

Nicola Willis and Barbara Edmonds have pitched directly to the country’s business leaders to entrust them with leading New Zealand’s economic recovery.

The Herald’s 2026 Mood of the Boardroom survey, which attracted 150 respondents including 130 chief executives, 12 chairs and eight business organisation heads, showsconfidence in the New Zealand economy has climbed to 3.37 out of 5. That is up from 2.82 last year and above the nine-year high of 3.23 recorded in 2024.

Business leaders have rediscovered their optimism about the economy, but their verdict on the Government is much more mixed as New Zealand heads towards the November 7 election.

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