New Zealand households’ views on the economy have cooled again after a more positive start to the year. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index fell 2.6 points in June, taking it to a slightly below-average levelof 108.6. There’s no obvious political slant to the consumer confidence survey. Confidence initially fell after last year’s election, suggesting that consumers were apprehensive about how the new coalition Government would work out, but it reversed most of this fall by March. What’s more, the initial post-election reaction was mixed across household types, with some expecting to do better and ... (full story)