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Budget 2014
Budget 2014 headlines with summaries.
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POWER PLAY
16 May 2014The Government had to do two things in this week's Budget: deliver a surplus and reward struggling families. So did it deliver on the two politically important platforms?
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Funding 'only part' of housing boost
18 May 2014The Government has defended the level of Budget funding for social housing saying the $30 million allocated is just one of several ways it boosts the sector.
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Health money generous, says English
18 May 2014Finance Minister Bill English is denying the extra money for health in the Budget is in effect a funding cut, and says there is potential to spend more in future years.
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Child lobby sceptical of budget moves
18 May 2014A child lobby group says free doctors' visits and prescriptions will make little difference to reducing child poverty without also improving incomes and housing of the very poor.
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Social housing 'cut' puzzles sector
17 May 2014There's confusion in the social housing sector about what appears to be a drastic cut in government funding. The budget allocated $30 million over three years.
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Govt downplays migration warning
16 May 2014Senior government ministers are downplaying warnings about a spike in migration, saying it's due to fewer New Zealanders leaving the country. Audio
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Mana decries budget's value to Maori
16 May 2014Mana Party leader Hone Harawira says the budget is worthless for Maori, and the Government has its priorities wrong.
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Budget impresses farm lobbyist
16 May 2014Federated Farmers has given the Government's 2014 Budget the big tick, and is particularly keen on the promised return to surplus.
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MPI picks up $17.5m in budget
16 May 2014The Ministry for Primary Industries gets about $17.5 million more in this year's budget. It normally has total appropriations over over half a billion dollars.
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Labour says health changes political
16 May 2014The Labour Party says Budget health changes are highly political and will do nothing to ease pressures on hospitals.
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English blames decision-making
16 May 2014The Minister of Finance, Bill English, says the lack of decision-making and not money is the barrier to fixing Christchurch's flooding issues.
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Budget filip for kidney patients
17 May 2014The organisation Kidney Health New Zealand says extra funding in the budget for kidney transplants will be well used. Audio
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Backing for free children's GP visits
16 May 2014The extension of free doctors' visits to all children under 13 announced in the Budget is being welcomed but it's far from clear how many GPs will sign up to the change. Audio
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Key eyes stay-at-home kiwis
17 May 2014The Prime Minister says fewer New Zealanders are moving to Australia because it is more affordable to live here. Audio
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Government prescribes help for families
17 May 2014The centrepiece of the 2014 Budget is a $493 million package directed at families. John Key categorically denied accusations his Government was interested only in helping the rich. Video, Audio
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Business and unions split on budget
16 May 2014The business community has labelled the 2014 Budget as solid and generous, with help for construction and research and development, while unions say it won't lift wages. Audio
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More funding for earthquake recovery
16 May 2014The Government has assigned another $50 million to earthquake recovery in Christchurch, bringing its total spending to $15.4 billion.
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Deloitte bouyant on budget
16 May 2014The 2014 Budget signals the economy has turned a corner and it provides businesses with a greater degree of certainty, according to the head of a major financial services company, Deloitte.
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Tax breaks seen as "narrow"
16 May 2014The well foreshadowed tax breaks for start-up and research and development companies were confirmed in Thursday's budget.
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Building tariff cuts 'save little'
16 May 2014A publisher of building magazines says the dropping of duties and tariffs on construction products will knock only about 0.7 of a percentage point off the total cost of building a standard new home.
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Few education surprises in Budget
16 May 2014Education was the focus for the most expensive single initiative in the government's Budget, but beyond that there is no largesse for the sector.
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Some tertiary players slate budget
17 May 2014University bosses say the budget will have mixed results for them, but polytechnics, students and lecturers have slated it. Audio
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Protesters rally at Budget speech
16 May 2014About 80 people have protested outside the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland where Prime Minister John Key delivered his post-Budget speech.
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MPs debate Budget legislation
16 May 2014Parliament remained under urgency on Friday to debate legislation enacting major parts of the Budget. MPs debated provisions to extend paid parental leave.
