Budget 2018: Business leaders give their thoughts video

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Post-budget big business lunch devours Prime Minister Jacinda Arden's address.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says low business confidence is a "blow" to her ego, but what do the country's top executives think?

We went to the prime minister's post-Budget speech to business leaders hosted by the Trans-Tasman Business Circle and asked some of the country's top executives for their insights.

Watch the video, above.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended a lunch of businesspeople after the delivery of her government's first budget.
CHRIS McKEEN/STUFF

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended a lunch of businesspeople after the delivery of her government's first budget.

On Thursday, the coalition Government delivered its first Budget.Ardern said while all economic markers pointed to a good environment for business, but the "residual issue" of low business confidence remained.


 

"It's a blow to my ego, but not necessarily a blow to the economy," the prime minister said.

In the past, she's referred to low confidence as "the elephant in the room", a line NZ First minister Shane Jones repeated on Friday morning.