Finance Minister Grant Robertson says Budget belongs to one Govt, not one party

Finance Minister Grant Robertson with his 2018 Budget hot off the press at PrintLink in Petone. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is continuing to dampen expectations of the Budget, saying New Zealanders don't expect him to blow the kitty in one go.

He visited the Petone plant where the Budget is being printed and said he was excited about delivering the Thursday's first Budget but he had a balanced approach.

"We do have a responsibility to plan for future generations," he said.

"We can't spend every single dollar that's in the kitty in one Budget. That would be irresponsible and I actually think that New Zealanders will understand that.

"They want a Government that is getting on with fixing the problems in our public services while still keeping a steady hand on the tiller. That's what this Budget does."

The Budget would lay the foundations for a more sustainable economy in the future.

Some policies were always going to be phased in.

"We have a three-year series of commitments. They will be kept to."

However he clarified that, making it clear that that did not mean all of Labour's election promises, or even most of them.

"We will be delivering all the things we have committed to in the Speech from the Throne, the confidence and supply agreement and the coalition agreement across the three years of our term in Government."

He said while Labour remained committed to its election policy, "we are now one Government and this is the Government's Budget - it is not one party's Budget."

The priorities in the Budget would be around health, housing and education, but the priorities of all three parties of Government, Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens, would be reflected in it.

Robertson said the 2018 Budget would be the last of its kind because from next year, he would be introducing what he calls a "well-being Budget" which will report against a wider range of measures than just the fiscal and economic ones.

He uses the term "plan" interchangeably with "Budget" and says it will be a plan.

"My view is that the Budget is a plan…this is a huge opportunity for us to show to New Zealanders what our plan is.

"I've been in Parliament for nearly a decade now. I've seen a lot of Budgets put forward and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity for us to show what our vision is and what our plan is for us to reach that vision."

Robertson's special Budget Day thing won't be a new haircut or indulging in a special pie before the delivery at 2pm. It will be deciding what tie to wear and he says he has several contenders.

"I'll make my decision tomorrow" he told reporters.