If you work in the sectors below here are your cuts buried in this year’s budget:
- Agriculture, Biosecurity, Fisheries, Food safety (-$50m)
- Arts, Culture, Heritage (-$19m)
- Building and construction (-$188m)
- Courts (-$15m)
- Customs (-$50m)
- Environment (-$239m)
- Māori development (-$88m)
- Pacific Peoples (-$36m)
- Social Development (-$1.5bn)
- Sport and Recreation (-$15m)
You see only cuts at this Budget. But some changes in the Budget are harder to justify than others.
- We are spending $29m on new funding for Ministerial services and ministerial travel budgets. As a former Ministerial Advisor, I am slightly conflicted about that. But it is more than all the new money being made available to help elderly people with care needs move out of hospital – which is $24m
- Speaking of the elderly, much was made of the proposed rates relief package. The maximum amount claimable will rise by $15. A year. Or 29c a week. Don’t spend it all in one shop.
- We are spending $31.2m on more Military-style academies – known as Bootcamps. Despite all the evidence – including conclusive evidence from the government – that they don’t work.
- And if a bootcamp doesn’t work for you, the government is providing a $15m support boost for private schools. Meanwhile, Early Childhood Centres – have to make do with a 2% real terms cut in funding. Because the Family Boost programme of the government was doing so well!
- A 6% Increase in the cost of student fees this year – on top of the 6% last year. At the same time as the threshold for student loan repayments is held indefinitely – netting the government a very tidy $65m in new money.
- The account that we hold Tenancy Bonds in has built up $180m extra due to higher interest. Great! But rather than invest that say in housing inspections or homeless programmes – it’s just been taken by the government. Tenants – The Crown thanks you for your generosity during these hard times.
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