First look into coalition budget
On Thursday, May 17, the first Budget of the Coalition Government will be revealed.
It will show how we are laying the foundations for a better future with improved health services, properly funded schools, decent housing, and the building the infrastructure to support a growing economy that creates jobs.
We all want our country be a place where everyone lives in a warm dry home, where people have access to doctors and modern hospitals, and where kids can attend world class schools.
But this hasn’t been the case over the past few years.
In Hamilton first home buyers have struggled to enter the housing market, access to healthcare has been limited, and principals have experienced a lack of funding for new school classrooms.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson have set out a positive vision for New Zealand: a vibrant economy that delivers for everyone, with decent housing for all our families, good public services we can rely on, and a clean environment.
We promised to be a Government of change.
We’ve made a great start by boosting incomes for families through our Families Package.
From July 1, most families with kids will receive an average of an extra $75 a week through Working for Families and Best Start, while older New Zealanders and our most vulnerable will receive a Winter Energy Payment of $20 per week per person and $30 per week per couple.
In the Budget you will see a clear plan to build a better economy with accelerated investment in transport projects and other infrastructure.
You will see a strong focus on delivering economic growth, on running sustainable surpluses, and reducing net debt as a proportion of GDP.
The Government has committed to living within our means and creating an economy with more jobs and better wages.
Jacinda and her team are determined make the investments we need in the essential basic services that every Kiwi family relies on.
So, in this Budget, you’ll also see a real focus on health, education, housing, and police.
For too long, cost-cutting and neglect has undermined our communities.
That is going to change with more investment in doctors, nurses, teachers, cops, and new homes for families.
We won’t be able to fix nine years of neglect in one year.
But with Budget 2018 we’re taking positive and responsible steps forward, delivering not just for the next three years, but for the next 30.
I’m proud to be part of a team that believes New Zealand can be an even better place to live, and has the ideas to make it happen.
Budget 2018 is putting down the foundations to make that vision a reality.