On the Tiles: The highs and lows of Budget 2023

Finance Minister Grant Robertson during a media standup after his presentation to the ANZ Annual Post-Budget briefing in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Free childcare and more EV charging stations are welcome highlights of Budget 2023, but the removal of the $5 charge for prescription top ups is “very silly” and “an election bribe”.

That’s the takeaways for the panel dissecting Budget 2023 on this week’s episode of On the Tiles, the NZ Herald’s politics podcast.

Host and deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan was joined by Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to break down the main figures from Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s sixth Budget, and which policies and funding decisions are the winners and losers.

For Walls, the introduction of more electric vehicle charging stations so there is hub every 150-200 kilometres was the highlight.

“The problem we have in New Zealand is we want to bring in more EVs, but we are such a long country that if you want to take a road trip, you are worried about running out of juice halfway through, you just aren’t going to do it.”

Tibshraeny praised the $1.2 billion going towards extension Early Childhood Education to include 2-year-olds.

“That helps parents get back to work, gives them more flexibility, and helps plug skills shortages.”

With it came to their least favourite policy, they were largely united in the removal of the $5 prescription co-payment. Coughlan labelled it “silly” and Walls called it “garbage”, with much of the focus being on the fact this policy applies to every New Zealander.

“I asked [Grant Robertson] why didn’t you consider means testing this, and he said ‘We just don’t means test medicine’, which I think is a peculiar answer,” Walls said, with Coughlan noting many parts of the health system are means-tested.

Coughlan said it seems “ill thought through and entirely untargeted”, with many holes and flaws in the welfare system but $618 million over four years is going to benefit everyone in New Zealand can get regardless of income.

“This is an election bribe, which is fair enough, it is an election year, but I think you have to call it for what it is.”

Listen to the full episode of the On the Tiles podcast for more reaction to Budget 2023, including the other high and lowlights, the Government’s approach to spending, and how this Budget compares to others.

On the Tiles is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are available on Fridays.