Inflation, crime clouds

burgled recently. The clouds parted as Ardern arrived at the southern Victoria St site of the new Waikato Regional Theatre.

The project has received $12 million of Provincial Growth Fund support and was visited by Ardern a little less than a year ago when she turned the sod.

Visible yesterday was the concrete raft foundation upon which the $76.3m theatre will sit and the remnants of a beer cellar unearthed during excavations.

After Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr’s announcement on Wednesday that the central bank would increase the official cash rate by 75 basis points to 4.25%,

Ardern stopped short of warning Kiwis not to spend up big in the lead-up to Christmas.

‘‘Individual families will be making their own choices.

‘‘Our job is to support them through what is an internationally turbulent time.’’

A perfect storm of inflation, an engineered recession and interest rate hikes could prove bruising for a Labour Government coming into a by-election in which they are the incumbent.

Waiting for Ardern outside, it was clear the prime minister’s appeal has not waned with those beyond New Zealand’s shores.

Jonas McLallen, a film producer from Sydney, was with Japanese colleagues doing research for an upcoming production.

As Ardern departed, McLallen asked: ‘‘Can you come and run our country for a while?’’

To which Ardern replied: ‘‘I think just the one is enough.’’