Young families among 'winners'

The Government's plans to extend paid parental leave and provide children with free healthcare are being welcomed by some local political leaders - but others aren't convinced.

Finance Minister Bill English released the annual Budget on Thursday, which outlined a $500 million package that would see free GP visits and free prescriptions for children aged under 13, an additional $156 million put towards helping early childhood centres remain affordable and $33 million allocated to helping vulnerable children.

The Budget also included promises of a gradual extension of paid parental leave to 18 weeks, and an easing of criteria, among other things.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the Budget was good news for Rotorua families.

"Rotorua's young families and children are the winners of Budget 2014, with $500 million to help families as well as boosts for education, health and job support," he said.

Mr McClay said the National Government was prioritising spending so that families and children were among the first to benefit from the growing economy.

Mr McClay said the Budget showed signs of a recovering economy.

"This is a confident Budget for a confident nation. It's a Budget for an economy heading in the right direction," he said.

His view was shared by Waiariki MP and Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.

"I think what this Budget shows is that we are heading into better times. It shows we are turning away from the depression we've had for about the last five years," he said.

However, Labour Party candidate for Rotorua Tamati Coffey said he was unimpressed by the Budget.

"Overall it seems National has stolen all Labour's big policies, they've stolen our thunder," he said.

Mr Coffey said extensions to paid parental leave, increasing the parental tax credit and providing children with free healthcare had all been policies Labour had been pushing for.

"Basically they've made themselves look like heroes with Labour Party policies," he said.

Mr Coffey said he didn't think the Budget did enough to help the people of Rotorua.

"What concerns me is that for Rotorua, we are still going to lose 47 state houses, our police budget has been cut, there is no policy around job creation, putting Kiwis into homes, no support for the forestry industry or the wood manufacturing sector," he said.