Orr re-appointed to Reserve Bank amid strong criticism
Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has been reappointed for another five year term, but some aren't happy.
Tuesday, November 8th 2022, 12:00PM 
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Orr was unanimously recommended by the Reserve Bank Board, according to the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson.
Robertson said the Reserve Bank had been undergoing a lot of change during Orr's tenure.
“As the governor, Orr has been instrumental in leading this change and his reappointment will allow him to carry on and ensure these changes are bedded in,” Robertson said.
“In light of global conditions, this is also a time when stability and continuity are paramount for the bank.”
Robertson also praised Orr's handling of the pandemic.
The new regime administered by Orr required the bank to consider full employment as well as inflation. A further task was to protect and promote the stability of New Zealand’s financial system.
Under that last principle, the bank expanded its role to look at climate change and even to consider economic inequality. It also expanded its concern with Te Ao Maori.
The National Party has condemned Orr's re-appointment.
Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis said she was appalled a decision was made to re-appoint him without first completing an independent review of the bank’s actions during the pandemic.
“We have repeatedly urged the Government to conduct an independent review of the Reserve Bank’s performance before endorsing the governor for another five years,” Willis said.
“Re-appointing him without first completing such an inquiry is a serious mistake.”
In criticising this decision, Willis slated the cheap money created by the Reserve Bank to help fight Covid as a source of serious housing inflation and record bank profits.
Massey University banking expert David Tripe said he was surprised that there had been no cross party support for re-appointing the governor, since his position was non-political and could potentially span different administrations.
Tripe added Orr was not always receptive to the advice of other people, and this was reflected in the departure of many senior staffers in the last year or two.
“There have also been some policy mistakes made, some of them excusable, others less so,” Tripe added.
He cited persistence with the Funding For Lending programme and relaxation of LVR rules, both of which have been blamed for high housing inflation.
Financial Services Council (FSC) chief executive Richard Klipin said he welcomed Orr’s reappointment.
“The FSC has worked closely with the RBNZ over the past few years and they have a critical role to play in the stability and confidence of the financial system,” Klipin said.
“The past three years have been an incredibly difficult time for the country, our people and our businesses."
Orr became Governor of the RBNZ in 2018. He had earlier worked as an independent and bank economist, and at Treasury, and also served a stint as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank. He then worked as chief executive of the NZ Super Fund.
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Comments from our readers
We’ve got a lot right.
As to “ Orr also inexplicably lowered the LVR requirements for property investors temporarily which was like pouring petrol on a bonfire”.
That bonfire was first buyers finally getting a leg over with fewer cashed up investors beating them at auction.
Who’s keen to take on the RBNZ role in this market and take the hits???
Chill.
Just to clarify my earlier comment. Orr temporarily easing the LVR requirements for property investors baffled many people at the time and made an already heated housing market even more combustible. Investors suddenly had another incentive besides crappy bank deposit rates to go out and buy a rental property even if they hadn’t planned to. Orr did not do first home buyers any favours with this decision, and he quickly backtracked when it became obvious this was adding even more inflationary pressure to house prices.
Any way you look at it lots of first home buyers subsequently missed out on properties to investors or had to pay a premium to secure one. It’s one of those decisions which the Reserve Bank board should have said to Orr “no, that makes no sense whatsoever” but they didn’t. This is why people are now calling for a review of the decisions the Reserve Bank made during the pandemic.
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The board have endorsed Orr for a second term without showing any real concern about inflation now being at a 32-year high. If they understood monetary policy, they would know that thanks to Orr the Reserve Bank has massively overstimulated the economy causing consumer price inflation, asset price inflation, inequality, and now higher interest rates for borrowers. Robinson and Orr are still printing money to give the banks cheap wholesale funds to lend out. Under Orr we’ve also seen a record number of experienced staff leaving the Reserve Bank in part because Orr does not like to be challenged on the decisions that he makes.
Orr is too political for the role of Reserve Bank Governor. He’s been distracted by his implementing Te Aro Māori & Climate Change policy at the Reserve Bank at a time when the country is in the midst of an economic crisis. He is a stubborn individual who refuses to accept criticism & acknowledge that he has made mistakes. He refuses to admit the Reserve Bank has got anything wrong. These are not the personality traits of someone who should be the Reserve Bank Governor of New Zealand.