HEADLINES
SCOOP POLITICS - BUDGET SPECIAL
Sludge On The Budget - It’s Wrong!
GREEN BUDGET
ALLIANCE LEADER
Opposition Reaction
New Zealand National Party
ACT New Zealand
New Zealand First Party
United NZ
General Budget Reaction
Employer Groups
Unions & Students
Welfare & Health Groups
Ecological Groups
More On The Knowledge Economy
An Innovative Budget
Michael Cullen Delivers The Budget
Anticipating Today’s Budget
MORE POLITICS NEWS
Bob Harvey's Last Stand
ACT On Justice Reform
Getting Tough On Schools
Prebble On Closing The Investment Gap
IRD & Electronic Snooping
MP Pleas For Tattoo Laws
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Michael Cullen's First Budget Due This Afternoon
SCOOP POLITICS - BUDGET SPECIAL
Sludge On The Budget - It’s Wrong!
- CD and assorted Sludge have been locked up in the Beehive since 11.30am with a remarkably disappointing budget. True
it contains a new lingo. But as the government has already announced most of it - what is left comes as a bit of an
anti-climax. See... Sludge Report #13 - The Budget Is Wrong [1] in the Headlines wire.
GREEN BUDGET
- Green Party Co-Leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald today said they were pleased to announce the Greens’ Budget
Package – a series of measures totalling $15 million. Green Budget Package far reaching [1] in the Parliament wire.
ALLIANCE LEADER
- For the reaction of the coalition partner see... Jim Anderton Budget Speech Notes Parliament [1] .
Opposition Reaction
- As to be expected the opposition reaction to the budget was predominantly negative. Wyatt Creech filled in for Jenny
Shipley as National's acting leader.
New Zealand National Party
- Wyatt Creech - Govt. creates more gaps in social areas [1] - Wyatt Creech - A let-down for NZ families and businesses [2] – Wyatt Creech - Govt breaks health election promises [3] – Bill English - What a lot to spend on a boring Budget [4] - Nick Smith - Education gap between rhetoric and reality widens [5]
ACT New Zealand
– Muriel Newman - Maharey The Big Loser In The Budget [1] – Ken Shirley - New Zealanders Needing Healthcare Losers In Budget [2] – Richard Prebble - BUDGET 2000 SPEECH - Richard Prebble [3] – Donna Awatere - Maori Must Take Control Own Positive Development [4] – Rodney Hide - Lolly-scramble Budget with no strategic direction [5]
New Zealand First Party
- Winston Peters - Better Economics But Socially "Racial Apartheid" [1] - Ron Mark Law And Order – A Step In The Right Direction [2] - Ron Mark - Defence Needs Ignored [3] - Brian Donnelly - Brian Donnelly (NZ First) On Vote Education [4]
United New Zealand Party
– Peter Dunne - See... Budget Bad News For Defence [5] – Peter Dunne - Health Initiatives A Welcome Boost [6] – Peter Dunne - Dunne: Bandaid Budget [7]
General Budget Reaction
- What ever the barrow being pushed, every lobby group has a reaction to the latest budget, with responses ranging from
euphoria to total disbelief. The list, in a rough order of affiliation, will be updated regularly.
Employer Groups
- EMPLOYERS FEDERATION - Budget dislocated from economic growth [1] . - EMPLOYERS & MANUFACTURERS - Budget responsible, unimaginative [2] . - MANUFACTURERS FED - Another Budget... [3] .
Unions & Students
- PSA- PSA welcomes spending on quality public services [1] - UNEMPLOYED WORKERS - Gap Closing Budget Misses Vital Element [2] . - STUDENT UNIONS - Tertiary Institutions could spoil Fee Freeze [3] . - MAORI STUDENTS - Budget on Target for Maori [4] .
Welfare & Health Groups
- CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER - Commissioner Welcomes Budget [1] . - NZ MEDICAL ASSOCIATION - Hits And Misses [2] .
Ecological Groups
- FOREST & BIRD - Extra Green Budget Initiatives Welcomed [1] - ECO - More systematic approach still needed [2] .
More On The Knowledge Economy
- Some more statistics on the Government’s commitment to the knowledge economy worked out for the next financial year
only. See... Investing in knowledge (Budget) [1] in the Parliament wire.
An Innovative Budget
- The Ministry of Research And Development issues a summary of the most important points of the Cullen 2000 Budget.
See... What's In The Budget For Research And Innovation? [1] in the Science wire.
Michael Cullen Delivers The Budget
- “Mr Speaker. It is with a sense of honour and privilege that I present today the Labour-Alliance Coalition's first
budget”. Part One of the speech details how the Government will spend it's $736 million surplus on business assistance,
research & development and the Ministry of Economic Development. See... Budget Speech Part 1 [1] . Part Two continues a break down of R and also looks at education and training. Budget Speech Part 2 [2] . For information on employment, “closing the gaps”, health, law & order, environment, arts and revenue. See... Budget Speech Part 3 - The Rest [3] all in the Headlines wire. Get instant reaction [4] on the budget information in the Parliament wire. For a link to Treasury's page on the budget click here [5] .
Anticipating Today’s Budget
– The parties are preparing themselves for today’s budget announcement and have already engaged in some pre-budget
sniping. Topics on the political agenda include a hypothetical National budget, TVNZ’s fiscal status, and the growth
issue. - GOVT - Bill's Budget: No Dough - No Place To Go [1] . - ACT - TVNZ A Fiscal Basketcase? [2] . - NATIONAL - Budget Test Of Growth Forecasts [3] . The budget will be delivered at 2pm. To get instant updates on the budget information and reaction click here [4] on the Parliament wire.
MORE POLITICS
Bob Harvey's Last Stand
- Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that as President of the Labour Party Bob Harvey had played an important part
in getting Labour elected to government. See... Helen Clark thanks Bob Harvey [1] in the Parliament wire.
ACT On Justice Reform
- The Government’s reluctance to adequately address the growing crisis in our prison capacity and their rejection of
ACT New Zealand’s Truth in Sentencing Bill is further fuelling the growing anger and frustration amongst the 92% of New
Zealanders. See... Govt. Must Protect From Serious,Violent Offenders [1] in the Parliament wire.
Getting Tough On Schools
- National's Education spokesman Nick Smith is astonished that Education Minister Trevor Mallard is going to punish
schools because they did not take heed of his statements when he was in Opposition. See... Mallard resorts to Muldoon tactics [1] in the Parliament wire.
Prebble On Closing The Gap
- “How much investment is needed for the New Zealand economy to grow at four percent?” ACT Richard Prebble asks the
question and gives some answers. See... The New Zealand Investment Gap - Prebble [1] in the Parliament wire.
IRD & Electronic Snooping
- ACT Finance spokesman Rodney Hide said today that the IRD must place an electronic footprint on taxpayers’ files to
know who is accessing sensitive information and for what reason. See... IRD Must Tell Taxpayers and Tighten Up Security [1] in the Parliament wire.
MP Pleas For Tattoo Laws
- “The Social Services select committee ignored the pleas of many parents when it recommended that my private members
bill not proceed,” says Eric Roy, National List MP for Southland. See... Plea For Tattoo (Parental Consent) Bill [1] in the Parliament wire.
ENDS