It is hard not to notice when governments get close to revealing a new budget. As they near, there is always a vanguard of political announcements and policy trailers.
Alongside this political crescendo walks a quieter parliamentary parade. Annual pre-budget events in the House and Committees that act as less political signs of the budget to come.
Dr Rebekah Graham from Parents of Vision Impaired New Zealand gives evidence to the Finance and Expenditure Committee in response to the Budget Policy Statement. Her focus was on the failure to properly provide for the education of visually impaired and disabled children. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The Sunday Feature from The House notes three parliamentary budget precursors, in a compilation of this week’s weeknight editions:
On Tuesday we noted that as the budget nears Parliament flexes some muscle, going over the head of the Government to add into the budget a soupcon of funding for its own three watchdogs.
On Wednesday we noted that a committee inquiry into the Government’s budget strategy also acts as an early (and lone) opportunity for public feedback on those ideas.
And on Thursday (as if you weren’t already sick of all things budget), we looked at the main event inside the debating chamber over the last two weeks - something that needs tidying up before a new budget arrives. But this year, the tidy-up got messy when the governing side, defending the old count, lost count.
