KEY POINTS:
What would National do if it was delivering today's Budget? We asked National's finance spokesman Bill English.
Q: When will National unveil its alternative Budget?
A: Closer to the election.
Q: Does that mean in the election campaign?
A: Closer to the election.
Q: Can you confirm National would offer a tax cut of around $50 a week to an average earner?
A: We're committed to a credible programme of tax cuts. We understand the pressure on households, and we'll put forward tax reductions that we believe are affordable and credible.
Q: Would tax cuts be the centrepiece of a Budget that National would deliver in its first year in government?
A: Yes.
Q: Michael Cullen has already made a lot of spending promises this year, and says there will not be much left for National after the Budget. Are you keeping an eye on what he is doing, and have you made any decisions about which bits you will keep or not keep?
A: When we know more about what he's spending, we will weigh that up against our priorities. Clearly, reckless politically motivated spending we're unlikely to pick up. Where there is spending that's genuinely dealing with the pressure that people are feeling at the moment, we may adopt that.
Q: So you may keep some of this year's spending announcements, and some you may not?
A: That's correct.
Q: Will you have to raise debt to offer all you want to?
A: We won't be borrowing for tax cuts. We have floated the idea of infrastructure bonds as a way of getting more infrastructure spending.
Q: Will National vote against Dr Cullen's tax cuts on Budget night?
A: We'll wait until we see the tax cuts.
Q: Would National, in its first Budget, keep the extra $750 million that Labour has promised to put into health each year?
A: Highly likely.
Q: Has National decided whether it will keep KiwiSaver in its present form?
A: We're making our plans for KiwiSaver, and we'll announce them closer to the election.
Q: Will National need to cut spending more than it is currently anticipating to deliver tax cuts as big as it wants to?
A: We'll have to see exactly what the numbers look like in the Budget forecasts.
