New Zealand Political editor Audrey Young weighs in on the new 2018 budget.
Listen: Jacinda Ardern talks the 2018 Budget
THE POLICIES:
• Health: $3.2 billion injection over four years, including $2.2b more for DHBs and $126m for elective surgeries and other areas. $750m for hospital upgrades and rebuilds.
• Cheaper doctor visits for more than 500,000 people. Free GP visits extendedto 13-year-olds (56,000 more children). About 540,000 people eligible for Community Services cards will get $20 to $30 cheaper GP visits. Cost $385 m.
• Midwives: $112m more for community midwives, including 8.9 per cent fee increase to level them with DHB midwives.
• Housing: $3.8b to build 6400 more state houses by 2022 and $170m for emergency housing. Insulation subsidies for low-income families. HNZ to borrow $3b.
• Education: $395 million to build new schools and classrooms. Includes $62 million for Christchurch schools rebuild and $332m nationwide.
• Education: $650m for schools. Includes $204m more for a 1.6 per cent increase to schools' operational funding and to cover school roll growth.
• $370m to fund 1500 new teacher places 2021 ($70m more than National funded).
• Early childhood education: $590m to fund more places and a 1.6 per cent funding increase for ECE centres from January 2019.
• Police: $300 mill for 920 more police officers and 240 support staff.
THE MONEY:
• Surplus of $3.1 billion forecast to rise to $7.3 billion by 2022.
• Operating allowance $2.8 billion, capital allowance $3.8 billion
• Debt: net core Crown debt forecast to peak at $67.6b in 2021, up from $59 billion. Will remain at between 20-21 per cent of GDP and drop to 19 per cent in 2022.
