Mr Speaker, I move that the Appropriation (2018/19 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time. Introduction and 100-Day Plan I am delighted to present this Coalition Government’s first Budget. Budget 2018 sets out the first steps in a plan for transformation – a transformation of our economy, a transformation of our public services, and a transformation of the way we work together to improve the lives of all New Zealanders. This is a Government that does things differently. You can expect our Budgets to look a little different also. We are committed to being responsible – not just fiscally, but socially and ... (full story)

Budget 2018 has Treasury bedding in strong company profits and employment growth, predicting Labour will have billions more to spend over the next five years. Thursday's Budget was surprising for the lack of surprise, with no headline-grabbing initiatives, prompting some commentators to deem it underwhelming. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the scale of the surplus, which at $3.1 billion is $600 million more than previously expected. The surpluses only increase from here, to more than $7b in 2022. But Robertson is projected to spend $6.1b more over the next five years than he flagged in December, shortly after the ... (full story)