Budget dubbed woeful and insulting

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters described the Budget as "wilful, wanton, weak, wobbly and woeful". Photo / Jason Oxenham

The Green Party has slammed the Budget despite conservation-related funding that includes $21.3 million for the Battle for Our Birds pest control programme, $4m for climate change policy work and $1m for an iwi-based fresh water fund.

But the party claimed there is little included to stop pollution of waterways or combat climate change.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the funding continued a commitment to the Predator Free 2050 initiative, with specific initiatives to protect and restore threatened species, fight kauri dieback, increase predator, pest and weed control and marine protection, as well as respond to tourism growth.

Post Budget yesterday Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said the Maori Party had secured budget for a suite of initiatives covering whare, marae, kohanga reo, whenua, reo and Maori broadcasting - "all kaupapa that reflect our inherent faith in ourselves, to know what is best for us," she said.

"This year's Budget sees $21 million for Maori language and culture, including $5 million to help make it easier for tamariki to access kohanga reo," Ms Fox said. "This means $58.5 million since 2014 has been secured to help whanau connect to their language, culture and identity."

Meanwhile Act leader David Seymour said National was using Working for Families "to buy votes with other people's money".

"Paying people more money to have kids was never good policy. Now it's even worse, with stronger incentives for people to keep having children even when they're not in a strong financial position. It's an insult to the majority of parents who wait and save before having children. And, if God forbid, you're childless, the Budget snubs you."

He said National had forsaken its roots by "championing" Labour's Working for Families.

Tax reductions would benefit low income earners by only $1 or less a year, said Labour leader Andrew Little, who also criticised the "one dollar bill Budget".

Little said the facts had dawned on National after nine years in Government and four months out from a general election.

"This National Government has suddenly discovered that wages are too low, too many people are squeezed into our big cities, schools are overcrowded, congestion is choking our cities. And they have done nothing about it."

On health, Little said district health boards would not have enough money to address mental health shortfalls, and the Government didn't even know where the spending would go.

"This is a fudge".

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters described the Budget as "a wilful, wanton, weak, wobbly, woeful minister with a wilful, wanton, weak, wobbly, woeful Budget".

He said after eight Budgets "these people portray themselves as sound economic managers".

"Budgets are meant to be springboards for a philosophy but this National Party has none aside from staying in power for as long as it can hang on."

Tweets

• Andrew Little @AndrewLittleMP

Right now, tax cuts aren't what New Zealand needs. We need fresh ideas on health, housing, and education.

• Russel Norman @RusselNorman

There's a lot of good Govt could fund in #Budget2017 if they stopped spending $500m per year to pay for agricultural greenhouse emissions

• New Zealand LabourV@nzlabour

The 50 per cent of New Zealanders on the lowest incomes get just 20 per cent of the money from National's Budget tax cuts. #Budget2017

• RN@radionz

#Budget2017 NZ working hard to stand still, writes @RodOramNZ: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/331594/budget-2017-nz-working-hard-to-stand-still.

• New Zealand Labour@nzlabour

A property speculator on $200,000 a year gets $20 a week. The minimum wage cleaner they rent to gets $1. #Budget2017