Split Enz ‘I See Red, I See Red, I See Red’
The National Government 2015 Budget is deficit everywhere, as Split Enz sang, “I see red, I see red, I see red”.
“We see red every time National gets up and promises to get on top of debt and reduce the country’s economic
vulnerability,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“Finance Minister Bill English has presented a budget with a $84 million deficit – his seventh Budget, but he still
can’t get out of the red.
“The National Government is hiding behind children in Budget 2015 – failing to address Auckland’s housing bubble, the
regions, and putting money into wasteful programmes like Whanau Ora.
“There’s also an admission of failure with $240 million for welfare, paying lip service to the thousands who are in real
poverty, even people earning a living. There’s been years of no increases while prices and costs, including rents, have
soared.
“What state has this government got us into when hard working Kiwis require welfare?
“The underlying causes have not been addressed in this Budget at all – where is job creation to get families off
welfare? Too hard for this National government.
“Extra funding of $1.7 billion for health over four years will go nowhere with record net migration at 56,000 putting
pressure on hospitals and GPs.
“This whole budget is a dismal story, it is only treading water, it is a deficit budget.
“Government finances are still in deficit and the balance of payments deficit is predicted to worsen,” says Mr Peters.
ENDS