Mike Hosking: Government's tilt at a second term starts with today's Budget

So it's Finance Minister Grant Robertson's big day. And it's a chance to further set the agenda as to just what this Government is trying to do with our economy.

It won't be one for the ages given they're six months into government and you never play all your cards two and a half years before the next election.

But this will be about a theme given this Government has a lot of work to do when it comes to convincing most of us they're any good with an economy.

And what they are looking to do with the economy is going to pay the sort of dividends that will see them gather up the sort of support they need to have a good stab at a second term.

The first feature will be the surplus. At its very core a Budget paints a picture of the robustness and stability of how things have been handled. The previous government had us at surpluses of $8 billion - $10 billion by now.

This Government will argue that came at the expense of the sort of expenditure that is desperately needed in areas like health and education. And that is the philosophical difference in the two approaches.

But this Government is running their expenditure against a back drop of decreasing growth, decreasing optimism and business activity. Indeed yesterday's poll had over half of all businesses thinking today's document will not be good for the economy.

So that leads to the very real spectre of less money coming in against a Budget with more money going out.

So how much is left by way of surplus? And what are the forecasts going forward?

We also need to think about the quality of the expenditure. Throwing money at things is not an answer, but I am not convinced this Government would agree with that.

And then we have the so called "wellbeing" aspect of the document. We need, apparently, to mark our success with wider measures than just things like GDP and bottom line numbers which is all very well. But how? It sounds woolly.

The world still operates on facts: Growth, tax, income, money in, money out, interest rates and statistics.

The 'feels' isn't quite registered yet as an economic indicator.

And never forget this is a coalition document which is the result of fractured thinking parties. Parties that want no oil exploration against those that do, parties that want massive aid expenditure on foreign aid and parties that don't.

It's a potpourri which makes it more political than economic.

My guess as we wait for today is there are more of us with questions than there are already sold on it.