budget 2001
Highlights and key points

- The operating surplus for 2000-01 is projected to be $641 million.

- Spending is at its lowest level as a proportion of gross domestic product since 1977.

- Net debt is forecast to fall to 17.8 per cent of gdp by the end of this electoral term, down from 21.7 per cent when the Government took office.

- $34.35 million package for economic and regional development

- An extra $467 million over four years for education, featuring boosts for adult literacy programmes, early childhood education and school principals' professional development.

- A commitment of nearly $62 million over four years on implementing the review of sport, fitness and leisure.

- An investment of $20 million in establishing centres of research excellence in tertiary institutions.

- A commitment of $100 million in the coming year to the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund so more businesses can be set on the path to global success.

- New health spending in the budget of about $1.4 billion over the next four years million, including $84.4 million a year for elective surgery.

- An increase of $173 million over four years for Child, Youth and Family Services.

- An extra $166 million for the police over the next four years.

- New spending of $46 million over four years on cultural and economic empowerment for Maori.

- The budget makes an initial contribution of $600 million to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>