Tax relief cut, personal rates up - critics say low-wage earners will hurt the most.

"Our estimates suggest this is the most aggressive period of fiscal repair since at least 1972," is one of the reactions....

Cutting debt - we'll be hearing plenty about that in next week's Budget, and the election campaign. But how deep in hock are we? Brian Fallow reports.

For 15 straight years until the recession of 2008-09, the New Zealand Government ran surpluses and paid down debt.