RELATED LINKS:
For the full text (when released) of the budget see...
TREASURY BUDGET 2018 WEBSITE
See also the BEEHIVE BUDGET PAGE

For previous budgets see...
[Labour's December 2017 Budget update - link] - BUDGET 2017 - BUDGET 2016 - BUDGET 2015 - BUDGET 2014 - BUDGET 2013 - BUDGET 2012 - BUDGET 2011 - BUDGET 2010 - BUDGET 2009 - BUDGET 2008 - BUDGET 2007 - BUDGET 2007 - BUDGET 2006 - BUDGET 2005 - BUDGET 2004 - BUDGET 2003 - BUDGET 2002 - BUDGET 2001 & BUDGET 2000

Gordon Campbell: On Budget 2018
To put it mildly, Budget 2018 has not been an outbreak of wild-eyed, tax and spend liberalism. “Unfortunately not,” says CTU economist Bill Rosenberg agrees laconically. “But what you're seeing and within the constraints [the government] have set themselves, ... More>>

Joseph Cederwall: On ‘Wellbeing Budgets', Corporate Handouts, Eudaimonia And Stoicism
The Government’s 2018 budget is the result of a balancing act between the demands of a sulking yet powerful corporate sector and a civil society shattered, bedraggled and desperate for change. The light on the horizon is the announcement of the Government’s wellbeing budget approach for the 2019 budget. More>>

Joseph Cederwall From The Budget Lockup: Foundations For The Distant Future?
Even the title of this budget 'Foundations for the future' sounds conservative. It may as well have been called 'don’t expect too much now'. A bit like Hamilton 'City of the Future' not so great now but wait a few years. What is clear is that it’s all about the long game here with an eye to 2020 and re-election. This first budget by Jacinda Ardern’s Government is more or less playing it safe. More>>

Radio NZ Analysis: Health Spending More Conservative Than Forecast
The government will extend free doctors visits' and prescriptions to under-14s and also make visits cheaper for people eligible for a Community Services Card. However, ahead of the election Labour promised to slash the cost of doctors' visits for everybody by $10 by July, but since conceded it wouldn't meet that goal. More>>
ALSO:

• Budget 2018: Is Robertson saving his firepower?
• Still more to be done for health despite funding boost
• Prison crisis: Govts stuck in system that doesn't work
• Questions remain over new broadcasting spending
• Multi-million boost for special education
• Budget 2018: Minister hits back over Māori criticisms
• Midwives say extra budget money won't fix problems
• How healthy is the government's Budget boost?
• Govt only putting bandaids on the problem - teachers
• More to be done on poverty - PM
• Big wins in housing will come from regulation, not budgets

BusinessDesk: Robust Economy Drives Higher Tax Take
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has found an extra $24 billion to spend over the next four years by taking in more tax, reprioritising existing expenses, and thanks to delaying the previous government's debt reduction target ... More>>
ALSO:

• Budget 2018 sets the scene for a trilogy of transformation
• MARKET CLOSE: NZ shares rise, led by A2 and Synlait
• BUDGET 2018: Bracket creep, wage growth fuel tax take
• NZ dollar holds above 69 US cents
• Govt sets aside $1 bln for R&D tax credit
• NZ capital spend shifted to health, education from transport
• NZ govt tilts debt profile to long-term maturities
• New watchdogs for election spending promises
• Mycoplasma bovis response likely to need ‘significant’ spend
• Construction sector bottleneck threatens growth
• ProdCom to investigate impacts of disruptive technology

The Conversation: Gains For Health, Housing And Education
Finance minister Grant Robertson had to achieve two contradictory aims when he announced the budget today: correct “nine years of neglect”, especially in health and education, and also produce a surplus and pay off public debt.
He has more or less succeeded, partly thanks to a reasonably buoyant economy and greater than expected revenue, for which the opposition is still taking credit. Nonetheless, this is a government that is still pinching itself to check that it’s actually in office, not dreaming it, and that carries a huge load of expectations and promises. More>>

Michael Mintrom, Monash University: Government Adopts Investment Approach
New Zealand’s Labour-led coalition government used its first budget to drive step changes in social and environmental outcomes. The investment approach to public policy has become the new orthodoxy for governance.
The investment approach can be defined as using evidence to quantify a public problem and then fund interventions that are likely to improve outcomes and therefore reduce future costs to government. More>>

Weekend Interviews:

The Nation: Finance Minister Grant Robertson

"Well, I’m certainly thanking the businesses and workers of New Zealand who’ve contributed to building up the economy over recent years, and, look, yes, New Zealand’s economic growth relative to the rest of the world has been solid. The issue that I think we all fought the last election campaign on was the distribution of the benefits of that growth — have we actually kept up with funding our public services...?" More>>
ALSO:

• Council of Trade Unions Economist Bill Rosenberg

Q+A: Grant Robertson Interviewed By Corin Dann

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is considering a fund to front foot an increasing number of bio security issues like the bacterial infection to cattle, mycoplasma bovis. More>>
ALSO:

• TVNZ - Q+A: Amy Adams interviewed by Corin Dann

21/5: PM On Mycoplasma Bovis, Prisons - Working On It
At her first post-budget post-cabinet press conference Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave an update on the response to the spread of Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand cattle. More>>
ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Farmers and Govt progress towards Mycoplasma bovis decision
• RNZ - PM not ready to admit defeat in cow disease battle
• BusinessDesk - Next step in M.bovis response likely to come soon

21/5: Teacher Shortages Worst Since Surveys Began
PPTA: “There is a wave of teachers about to retire and I’m embarrassed to say that we have reached the point where we are begging them to stay on… Young graduates no longer want to enter the profession, the pay is far too low compared to what they earn in other careers and, of the new teachers who do enter the profession, nearly half burn out and leave within five years.” More>>
ALSO:

• RNZ - Govt only putting bandaids on the problem - teachers
• NZ Govt - Hundreds of new classrooms and 1,500 new teachers
• National - Govt breaks early childhood education promises - Education Budget full of broken promises
• PPTA - Budget puts big challenges in secondary education aside
• NZ Principals' Federation - Budget only a Start for Education
• NZSTA - Budget builds strong foundations for the future of education

18/5: 600 New Prison Beds Not Enough - Corrections Officers
Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced 600 new prison beds to be built in modular units by the end of next year, but would not say whether the extension of Waikeria Prison would go ahead. More>>
ALSO:

• Lyndon Hood - PM's Post-Cab 21/5/18: Working On It
• The Nation - Finance Minister Grant Robertson
• RNZ - Prison crisis: Govts stuck in system that doesn't work
• Joseph Cederwall - On ‘Wellbeing budgets', Corporate Handouts, Eudaimonia and Stoicism
• NZ Govt - New focus on re-integration to reduce re-offending
• National - Reckless Govt willing to gamble public safety
• People Against Prisons Aotearoa - Budget pours more money into failed criminal justice system - Praise for JustSpeak’s new report ‘The Case Against Prisons’

From Parliament:

Government/Labour

• New funding to support Māori Wardens
• Good news on the drug front for Whānau
• Funds to tackle waste problems
• Investing in our rangatahi
• Weighty funding gain for NZ metrology service

National

• Govt cuts funding and opportunities for Kiwi kids
• Mental health sector short changed
• Reckless Govt willing to gamble public safety
• Govt breaks early childhood education promises
• Arrogant bluster no substitute for economic plan
• Education Budget full of broken promises
• Labour puts less into Health than National
• Pittance for MPI, biosecurity halved
• KiwiBuild forecasts slashed – fewer to be built
• Govt delivering fewer social houses than National
• Budget 2018: No plan beyond tax, borrow & spend

Greens

• James Shaw budget speech
• Marama Davidson 2018 Budget speech
• Greenest budget in living memory delivers for environment

NZ First

• Budget Delivers New Zealand First Promises

ACT

• No transformation in pillaging the taxpayer
• ACT’s Free Press May 21

Non-Parliamentary Political Reaction:

• Maori Party - Where’s Whānau Ora in Labour’s Families Package?
• Auckland Council - Phil Goff welcomes Budget spending for Auckland
• Wellington City Council - Mayor says Budget 2018 will complement Wellington's work
• Christchurch City Council - Budget good news for Christchurch
• Christchurch NZ - Christchurch welcomes Budget 2018 announcement - What the 2018 Budget means for Christchurch - ChristchurchNZ 2018 Budget commentary
• Kaikoura District Council - Council welcomes government funding for recovery
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Arts is a ‘nice-to-have’, NOT essential Budget spending - Just wait for the advisory group, Minister - Taxpayer-funded agencies join Budget Day propaganda - Treasury predict average working paying top tax rate by 2022 - New Green-tint corporate welfare scheme mistaken - Why just bloodstock? - A billion dollars a year for 900 fewer tertiary students - Budget win for the Taxpayers’ Union - Labour delivers predictable budget in sweet economic times - Megan Woods breaks word – gives into Callaghan self-interest
• The NZ Initiative - New Zealand Initiative welcomes new fiscal watchdog
• Peter Dunne - Dunne Speaks: Will the Stand-Pat Budget Be Enough?
• Local Govt NZ - Budget’s support for communities welcomed by LGNZ

SOEs, etc

• Statistics NZ - Extra Stats NZ funding will improve child poverty data
• Radio NZ - RNZ Welcomes Investment in Public Media
• EECA - EECA welcomes Government investment in warmer Kiwi homes
• NZ On Air - NZ On Air encouraged by boost to public media in Budget 2018

• Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Relief for public health in sight but a lot more needed
• The Royal NZ College of GPs - Good news for patients ahead of World Family Doctor Day
• NZ Private Surgical Hospitals Association - Private hospitals offer to cut surgical waiting lists
• Alzheimers NZ - Significant healthcare challenge ignored in Budget
• Alliance Health Plus - Health Budget Only 40% of Coalition Commitments
• NZ Breast Cancer Foundation - “Heartening news for breast cancer patients"
• PHARMAC - Uplift in PHARMAC’s funding welcomed
• Medicines NZ - Rationing medicines by stealth with budget announcement
• Pharmacy Guild - Pharmacy Guild on Budget
• George Ngatai - Ngatai pleased with Health Budget increase
• NZNO - No windfall but boost and direction welcome
• NZ Union of Students' Associations - Budget 2018: Let’s Work Together
• ACEM - ACEM statement on 2018 New Zealand Budget
• NZ College Of Midwives - Midwives: Budget Announcement Disappointing

Education Sector Reaction:

• NZEI - Education Budget a major disappointment for educators
• Early Childhood Council - Budget funding for early childhood education underwhelming
• NZ Kindergartens - Well-being of children and families a welcome focus
• Early Childhood NZ - Early Childhood NZ says Budget 2018 a small step
• PPTA - Budget puts big challenges in secondary education aside
• IHC - Learning support funding 'just tinkers around the edges'
• Universities NZ - Te Pokai Tara - Budget a missed opportunity, say universities
• NZ Principals' Federation - Budget only a Start for Education
• Tertiary Education Union - Budget forgets that tertiary education is the foundation
• NZSTA - Budget builds strong foundations for the future of education

Science and Tech Sector Reaction:

• Science Media Centre NZ - SMC: Budget 2018 expert round-up - Budget 2018: Science and research - Expert Reaction Update - Budget 2018: Science and research - Expert Reaction Update - Budget 2018: Science and research - Expert Reaction
• Science NZ - Greater science investment to grow NZ wealth and wellbeing

Union Reaction:

• Public Service Association - 600 new prison beds not enough, Corrections officers say
• E Tu - Budget invests in key priorities
• Public Service Association - PSA statement on remarks by Housing Minister Phil Twyford - 600 new prison beds not enough, Corrections officers say - PSA: Budget shows promise but more courage needed
• CTU - CTU: Independent Budget Analysis - Economic diversification for just transition underway - First Government Budget hits all the right notes
• Police Association - Budget cements critically needed extra police
• FIRST Union - Funding could protect thousands of migrant workers

Welfare/Poverty Sector Reaction

• People Against Prisons Aotearoa - Praise for JustSpeak’s new report ‘The Case Against Prisons’
• Te Matapihi - Budget 2018 and Māori Housing
• Community Housing Aotearoa - Budget delivers big first step in addressing housing crisis
• Child Poverty Action Group - A first step, but not a transformation for children
• Te Pou Matakana - Budget of broken promises for Whānau Ora
• Save The Children - Budget’s Positive Impact on Children Welcomed
• Social Services Providers Aotearoa - Essential child and family services miss out on relief
• Auckland Action Against Poverty - Protest outside of Jacinda Ardern’s Office - The Government’s Budget fails people on benefits
• Salvation Army - Budget Not the Big Hit Needed
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - Clothing allowance for children welcomed with open arms
• Variety - The Children's Charity - Variety response to Budget
• KidsCan - KidsCan government funding to continue for 12 months
• Barnardos - Barnardos welcomes Budget 2018 and its positive impact
• NZCCSS - Support for Many, But Social Services Will still Struggle
• Caritas - Caritas welcomes Budget direction
• Ara Taiohi - Budget ’18: a mixed bag for the young people of Aotearoa
• ANZASW - More could have been done to tackle urgent social challenges
• Accessible Properties - Accessible Properties Welcomes Budget Recognition

Finance, Tax & Analysis:

• Deloitte - Deloitte - Budget 2018: The gift that keeps on giving - our economy - Budget 2018: New spending for health - Recalibrating the Budget for wellbeing
• Staples Rodway - R&D tax credits good news in a construction economy
• MYOB - R&D businesses big winners from Budget 2018
• BERL - Fiscal responsibility but can we wait for wellbeing
• William Buck - R&D Incentive is ‘light on detail.’

Business Reaction

• ExportNZ - Budget impact on Exporters and Manufacturers
• EMA - Budget 2018: Long on welfare, short on productivity
• BusinessNZ - Budget 2018 and business
• Industry Training Federation of NZ - Budget 2018 has no action on skills
• Master Plumbers - Budget fails to fill plumbing pipeline
• The Manufacturers' Network - Budget 2018: Not bad, but not much for manufacturers
• Tourism Industry Association - Budget 2018 not positive for tourism
• Infrastructure NZ - Budget in line with infrastructure expectations
• Wellington Chamber Of Commerce - Budget 2018 - ‘as expected’ says business
• Employsure - ‘Underwhelming’ budget for business
• Colliers - Housing plan commendable, but more innovation needed
• Bayleys - Roading network announcement spurs big residential land sale
• NZCBIA - Budgeting for KiwiBuild

Environment

• Greenpeace NZ - Why is Govt subsidising agricultural pollution?
• Environmental Defence Society - EDS congratulates Government on DOC funding increases
• Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ - Budget 2018 – has some very welcome elements

Other Reaction

• Accessible Properties - Accessible Properties Welcomes Budget Recognition
• Better Public Media - Labour’s public media policies must not repeat mistakes
• People Against Prisons Aotearoa - Budget pours more money into failed criminal justice system
• Community Law Centres - Community Law Celebrates Government Top-up
• Peace Movement Aotearoa - Budget 2018: Military spending increases again
• 2020 Trust - Lack of Budget funding is a setback for Digital Inclusion
• Socialist Equality Group - Labour government’s first budget starves essential services

Lockup speech audio and questions:

The Budget Speech

Summaries

• Better lives for children a focus of Budget 2018
• Foundations for the future
• Strong Government finances and a strong economy

Fact Sheets

Infrastructure & Economy

• Growing a sustainable and productive primary sector
• Resource Management Act oversight unit to be established
• Provincial New Zealand wins big

Tax

• Cracking down on tax dodgers and restoring fairness

Sci/Tech

• Research and development key
• Science boost for key farm management tool

Employment

• Protecting our workers from exploitation
• Youth employment training places double

Maori

• Bringing back manaakitanga
• Focus on supporting Māori students and strengthening te reo
• Māori Development focuses on housing, training and whenua
• Investing in our rangatahi
• $7 million for Whenua Māori Programme

Education

• Hundreds of new classrooms and 1,500 new teachers
• Thousands benefiting from fees-free post-school education
• Early learning services get first funding rate increase
• Long overdue boost for learning support

Welfare

• Investing in our children
• Government ramps up drive to reduce child poverty

Health

• Fixing our hospitals
• $2 billion boost for District Health Boards

Housing

• Healthier homes for more Kiwi families

Law, Order, Defence & Security

• Focusing on community safety and targeting organised crime
• New focus on re-integration to reduce re-offending
• Better support for youth justice and victims of crime
• Strengthening our hand against migrant exploitation
• Stepping up to help survivors of sexual abuse
• Budget improves cyber threat response
• Protecting communities by targeting drug smugglers
• Enhancing Defence Force capability

Art, Culture And Sport

• Supporting quality public media in New Zealand
• Recognising the importance of our arts, culture and heritage
• Bloodstock tax rules to change
• Support for safe and healthy local communities

Trade and Foreign Affairs

• Stronger biosecurity to protect primary sector

Earthquake Rebuild(s)

• Taking action to sort out insurance and EQC Mess
• Delivering for Canterbury

Environment

• Budget backs nature
• Backing nature – funding a future for native species

Other Stuff

• New services to support refugees

Government Pre-Budget Announcements:

• Budget boost for young children with extra learning needs
• Backing Nature – funding a future for native species
• Budget 2018 to invest $42 billion in capital spending
• Significant funding boost for family violence services
• Budget strengthens trade effort
• New Zealand to boost development spending
• First Steps – restoring New Zealand’s Foreign Service
• Govt surplus above forecast as books remain strong
• $100 million to tackle homelessness
• Budget 2018 to set out plan to future-proof NZ economy
• Remarks to the Otago Chamber of Commerce
• Govt heeding call for unrelenting focus on child wellbeing
• Govt accounts show surplus above forecast
• Child Poverty reduction target unchanged following revisions

BusinessDesk Pre-Budget Coverage:

• NZ dollar climbs from 5-month low ahead of budget
• CA ANZ survey finds most oppose fuel tax
• Robertson affirms Budget 2018 includes $42B over 5 years
• Treasury still feeling way on govt's wellbeing' framework
• NZ operating surplus swelled by tax revenue
• PM Ardern appeals to business on transformative policy
• Robertson seeks further cuts to existing spending
• Strong govt books offer scope to meet infrastructure deficit
• Ardern warns some new policies 'reprioritised'
• NZ govt operating surplus still tracking ahead
• Robertson unmoved by call to scrap 'budget responsibility'
• Needs mean 'budget responsibility rules' too tight: CTU

Radio NZ Budget Previews:

• What to expect from the 2018 Budget - our experts weigh in
• Tertiary providers and unions hope for further funding boost
• Budget 2018: Can new govt keep promises on housing?
• ECE funding boost doesn't go far enough, govt told
• Budget 2018: Can new govt deliver on education?
• Budget 2018: Can the govt deliver on its health promises?
• Pacific aid boost must be spent well to be effective
• Pacific aid boost 'shows the lie' in govt's social deficit claims
• Govt finances $900m better than forecast
• Ardern speech aims to soothe businesses
• Budget the real test of new government
• Govt has freed up $700m in Budget - Minister
• National rubbishes claims it neglected govt books
• Govt expects '75% compliance' on foreign GST it can't police

From Budget Week:

• Multimedia report - PM's Press Conference 14/5/18: Acting Up
• The Conversation - NZ budget 2018: election promises and real-life tests
• Aaron Martin - The Government’s rock and hard place
• National - High expectations for education budget - Triple whammy broken promise on extra police - KiwiBuild houses $50,000 more than Govt claimed - Govt blame-game getting tired - When will they start listening? - Income gap with Australia about to widen - More focus needed on reforming learning support - Environment struggles with Winston’s diplomat win - Is that it Mr Robertson? - KiwiBuild looking like yet another broken promise
• ACT - How would a Bridges-led Govt be different? - Free Press: The ‘Boondoggle Budget’
• PSA - Children’s Village closures send a sad signal - "Think beyond Band-Aids", PSA urges Government
• Hapai Te Hauora - Māori Public Health Budget 2018 Wishlist - NZ agrees - increase tax revenue for better public services
• REINZ - REINZ calls for housing shortage to be tackled in budget
• Beneficiary Advisory Service - BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 4): Individuals
• Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Fingers crossed for the budget - Call to abolish capital charges on DHBs
• Chartered Accountants Australia and NZ - Fuel tax gets massive thumbs down in survey
• CTU - Government facing over $2.5 billion health funding gap
• Staples Rodway - Business leaders pessimistic about the Budget
• Child Poverty Action Group - A first step, but not a transformation for children - Budget 2018: Best opportunity to benefit all children
• Wellington City Council - Wellington Mayor backs Govt spending for predator control
• Forest And Bird - Big budget boost for nature - Ten-fold increase in predator control great
• NZEI - Education Budget 2018: Fixing the damage of the past
• Infrastructure NZ - Delivery key to record $42 billion capital programme
• Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show - Boat Show Unlikely to Be Affected by Distractions

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