Finance Minister Bill English has unveiled his eighth Budget with few major surprises and barely enough room for tax cuts from next year. At first blush, it appears to be a ‘holding pattern’ Budget that keeps the Government on track to meet its surplus and debt targets, but with the flexibility (just) to announce income tax cuts before the next election, if the economy keeps growing solidly. It lacks the big bang announcements of previous years around benefit rate increases or new spending on doctor’s visits, and instead keeps the Government’s powder dry ahead of the 2017 election. Here are the key details: As ... (full story)