Kanav and Shruti Malhotra with daughter Kashish (4) feel more secure with their own home. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Kanav and Shruti Malhotra with daughter Kashish (4) feel more secure with their own home. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Last year the Herald spoke to people about what they wanted to see in the Budget. Today we catch up with two of them to see if anything has changed in the past year and what they are hoping for in today's Budget
The Malhotra family in Auckland were still hunting for their first dream home when last year's Budget was announced. Now, they are the proud owners of their first property in Lynfield - despite not benefiting from the last announcement.
Shruti Malhotra and her husband Kanav have been saving hard for a deposit for about six years.
The couple, who both hold professional jobs, have spent the past few years renting in the same area and had saved a 20 per cent deposit towards a house they expected to cost at least $450,000.
Mrs Malhotra did not want to say how much their home cost them in the end, but said they had been lucky.
"We got it about two or three months after last year's Budget. We were really lucky to get it at the time. We just happened to get something in the area we were looking in and it worked out."
The family - including 4-year-old daughter Kashish - had been looking at properties in the New Lynn, Blockhouse Bay and Mt Roskill areas in a bid to stay close to family.
They say they did not benefit from the last Budget, when Finance Minister Bill English offered a temporary suspension of tariffs and duties on building materials to aspiring first-home buyers.
The Malhotras' first home is not a new one, but they are happy to get a place so close to several schools and shopping outlets - as well as being close to motorway connections.
Mrs Malhotra's advice to those still hunting for their first home was simple: save hard and be prepared to lower your expectations.
Having a home to call their own was an incredible feeling, she said.
"It feels brilliant. The amount of freedom we have now is huge - but a lot of responsibility as well. Having a huge asset is the best thing for us."
The couple are planning to have another child in the near future and therefore hoped to see another good package for parents in this year's Budget.
In last year's announcement, paid parental leave was bumped up from 14 to 16 weeks this year and 18 weeks next year, and free healthcare was extended to under 13s.
"We're hoping this year that [paid parental leave] will go up again and that they'll introduce more weeks," Mrs Malhotra said.
"I hope it slowly goes up to six months' paid parental leave."
Mrs Malhotra said the dream was to be able to stay home for as long as possible with a new baby before going back to work.
Give us more free GP visits - family
The Government should halt the flag-change process and spend the money on free GP visits and prescriptions for high school-age children, says Nelson Harris of Randwick Park in South Auckland.
Nelson and Marama Harris with their children (from left) Te Hapuru, 12, Jayson, 10, Dakota, 4, Reiss, 9, Mari, 5, Tytan, 7, and Donna-Maree, 8. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The flag referendums and associated costs are expected to exceed $25 million. By comparison, the Government has budgeted $30 million for the coming financial year to extend the age cap to 13, from 6, for free prescriptions and medical visits including after-hours.
"I'm not sure what the purpose of that [flag-change process] was for. If we change the flag, we are still New Zealanders," said Mr Harris, a power company cable installer who, with his wife Marama has seven children aged 5 to 13.
He was glad of the free-under13s announcement in the last Budget, but said primary medical care should be brought into line with primary dental care, which is free until a person turns 18.
"It would give parents one less thing to worry about."
He said the family's GP did not charge for treating their younger children but closed early and they faced listed fees of $20 for 6-17-year-olds at an after-hours clinic.
The after-hours fees were financially stressful but did not deter the Harrises unless the illness was not serious and could wait until the following morning.
Mr Harris - a state house tenant whose rent has just risen to $380 a week, from $320 - said the Government needed to do more in housing.
