NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / New Zealand

Editorial: Budget 2022 aims for long-term vision, short-term support

NZ Herald
19 May, 2022 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌

Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson during his presentation at the Budget lockup at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Finance Minister Grant Robertson during his presentation at the Budget lockup at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Finance Minister Grant Robertson during his presentation at the Budget lockup at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Editorial

EDITORIAL:

Finance Minister Grant Robertson had said his Budget 2022 would be about providing economic security for New Zealanders - the Secure Future Budget.

"We do that in the here and now. We do that so New Zealanders know that they can pay the bills and do the things they need to do now. But we also have to do that for the future."

He said that's where the huge investments into emissions reductions figure, as well as the overhaul of the health system. But he also predicted a lot of his Budget would be about "making sure we support New Zealanders in this time that is tough for a lot of people."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Robertson was certainly armed to do all this with the Budget allowance for new operating spending at $6 billion - the largest in New Zealand's history and a long way over Labour's previous record of $3.8b.

Previously devised as a top-up for those most in need, Working For Families has become a mainstay to remain afloat for 60 per cent of families receiving the family tax credit. This has now been bolstered with a new temporary $27 a week payment for people who earned less than $70,000 last year in a $1 billion cost-of-living package. Fuel tax cuts and half-price public transport were also extended for another two months to the end of August

As Thomas Coughlan warned yesterday, inflation forecasts are crucial. In the UK, the Labour opposition is currently making merry in attacking the Tory Government with allegations of "stagflation" or stagnant GDP growth and inflation. Yesterday's Budget forecast a peak of around 6.9 per cent in the middle of this year before easing to 5.2 per cent in 2023 and dropping to below 3 per cent by 2026.

Start your day in the know

Get the latest headlines straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Some of the big winners are in emissions reductions, particularly research and development as we had already heard, and in healthcare, with the more detailed initiatives taking about half the new funding.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For this, $11 billion will go to clear DHB deficits over four years and catch up with cost pressures ahead of the rollout of the health reforms; $188m to the Māori Health Authority. $1.3b to upgrade hospitals, including Whangarei, Nelson and Hillmorton and $1.1 more funding for measures such as more ambulances and helicopters, GPs and Māori providers.

Other funding injections went into Pharmac, and in delivering long-promised dental support.

Discover more

Editorial

Editorial: In Australia's election, will the 'builder' doom the 'bulldozer'?

15 May 05:00 PM
Editorial

Editorial: Why the Prime Minister's US talks are crucial amid instability

16 May 05:00 PM
Editorial

Editorial: Red-faced over greenhouse reduction plan

17 May 05:00 PM
Editorial

Editorial: What Kiwis will look for in this Budget

18 May 05:00 PM

There were also the already announced packages of $100m for mental health and $562m for police. Amongst the surprises yesterday were in transport, not so much the $200m towards first stages of light rail project in Auckland, but feasibility studies for a new port in Manukau Harbour and for a dry dock at Northland's Northport, as well as $349m for new trains and wagons.

The choice of necktie for Robertson by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had a pattern of red bubbles bouncing on a blue background. It is unlikely this Budget will give Labour the bounce it wants in the polls.

That will more likely be attempted this time next year in a 4.5b Budget.

Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Person dies, several others stabbed in Hamilton - report

Education

How Māori and Pasifika roots helped these students get to Harvard

New Zealand
|Updated

'Disrespectful': Family slams dirt bike stunts at young jockey's funeral


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

'Heart feeling so full': Candy Lane on family, dance and new life
Lifestyle

'Heart feeling so full': Candy Lane on family, dance and new life

All Blacks dealt more injury blows after France series sweep
All Blacks

All Blacks dealt more injury blows after France series sweep

Person dies, several others stabbed in Hamilton - report
New Zealand

Person dies, several others stabbed in Hamilton - report

How Māori and Pasifika roots helped these students get to Harvard
Rotorua Daily Post

How Māori and Pasifika roots helped these students get to Harvard

'Offensive': Toilet plan near memorial seat sparks protest
Bay of Plenty Times

'Offensive': Toilet plan near memorial seat sparks protest

CEO caught on Coldplay kiss cam resigns
Entertainment

CEO caught on Coldplay kiss cam resigns



Latest from New Zealand

Person dies, several others stabbed in Hamilton - report
New Zealand

Person dies, several others stabbed in Hamilton - report

Police are asking the public to stay away while a scene exam is done.

19 Jul 08:39 PM
How Māori and Pasifika roots helped these students get to Harvard
Education

How Māori and Pasifika roots helped these students get to Harvard

19 Jul 08:29 PM
'Disrespectful': Family slams dirt bike stunts at young jockey's funeral
New Zealand
|Updated

'Disrespectful': Family slams dirt bike stunts at young jockey's funeral

19 Jul 07:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search