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Scoop's Budget 2000 Coverage

For the latest headlines see..
PARLIAMENT WIRE...
and
POLITICS WIRE...
For the budget itself see...
TREASURY

SCOOP BUDGET/REACTION SUMMARY...
SCOOP BUDGET COMMENTARY:
- A WEEK OF IT - “A boring budget? Responsible, but unimaginative…..misses vital element?” The variety of responses to Michael Cullen’s first balancing of the books were often more interesting than the budget itself. A Week of It's Chris Holm writes on the budget reaction. See... A Week Of It: Is Anything Right With Budget 2000? in the Headlines wire.
- UPTON - The Government seems to have reconciled itself to a glum reception from the business sector to its first Budget. This is an ignominious defeat because the Government has, up until now, been comforting itself with hopes that the Budget would change ... See... Upton-on-line - June 16th - Budget Blues in the Parliament wire.
- HARD NEWS IS HERE!! - “GOOD DAY MEDIAPHILES Labour Finance Minister in boring Budget shock! Well, not quite ... Michael Cullen's maiden Budget was plenty interesting - not least in its disarming fiscal prudence.” See... HARD NEWS: Budget, Business and Bum-Tickle in the Headlines wire.
- SLUDGE - 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 in the Headlines wire.

A BUDGET 5-PIECE PACK - Finance Minister Michael Cullen’s first budget is has been divided into five easy pieces for public consumption.
- BUDGET ONE - budget 2000: Trust in Government .
- BUDGET TWO - Celebrating identity, defending freedom, fairness.
- BUDGET THREE- budget 2000: Closing the gaps.
- BUDGET FOUR - budget 2000: Developing an innovative economy.
- BUDGET FIVE - Budget 2000. Police Numbers Increase.

GREEN BUDGET - Green Party Co-Leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald yesterday said they were pleased to announce the Greens’ Budget Package – a series of measures totalling $15 million. Green Budget Package far reaching. The production of so much dissent between coalition partner the Alliance and the Greens, following is the Green budget – a last minute tag-on booklet. The existence of this document has purportedly made Alliance boss Jim Anderton furious.
- PART ONE - budget 2000: Nurturing the environment.
- PART TWO - Action on Environmental Education
- PART THREE - First step towards complementary therapy
- PART FOUR - Work to start on pesticide reduction.
- PART FIVE - Environment Centres acknowledged in Green budget.
- PART SIX - Greens give boost to NZ organic certification.
- PART SEVEN - Green accounting counts the environment.
- PART EIGHT - Greens give biosecurity much needed boost.
- PART NINE - $3m for energy efficiency from Greens.
- PART TEN - Stop-smoking boost investment in nation’s health.

Nandor & Legal Aid Injection - Green Party Justice spokesperson Nandor Tanczos said he was pleased that, for the first time, groups taking legal action on behalf of the environment will be able to apply for environmental legal aid thanks to a $1 million initiative from the Green Party. See... $1 million injection for environmental legal aid in the Parliament wire.

Fitzsimons On Awareness - A conservation initiative in the Green Budget Package is designed to build awareness of the environment and an understanding of the consequences of human actions, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today. See... Big boost for conservation awareness in the Parliament wire.

ALLIANCE LEADER - For the reaction of the coalition partner see... Jim Anderton Budget Speech Notes Parliament.

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
- Wyatt Creech - A let-down for NZ families and businesses
– Wyatt Creech - Govt breaks health election promises
– Bill English - What a lot to spend on a boring Budget
- Nick Smith - Education gap between rhetoric and reality widens
ACT New Zealand
– Muriel Newman - Maharey The Big Loser In The Budget
– Ken Shirley - New Zealanders Needing Healthcare Losers In Budget
– Richard Prebble - BUDGET 2000 SPEECH - Richard Prebble
– Donna Awatere - Maori Must Take Control Own Positive Development
– Rodney Hide - Lolly-scramble Budget with no strategic direction
New Zealand First Party
- Winston Peters - Better Economics But Socially "Racial Apartheid"
- Ron Mark Law And Order – A Step In The Right Direction
- Ron Mark - Defence Needs Ignored
- Brian Donnelly - Brian Donnelly (NZ First) On Vote Education
United New Zealand Party
– Peter Dunne - See... Budget Bad News For Defence
– Peter Dunne - Health Initiatives A Welcome Boost
– Peter Dunne - Dunne: Bandaid Budget

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 .
- EMPLOYERS & MANUFACTURERS - Budget responsible, unimaginative.
- MANUFACTURERS FED - Another Budget....
Unions & Students
- PSA- PSA welcomes spending on quality public services
- UNEMPLOYED WORKERS - Gap Closing Budget Misses Vital Element.
- STUDENT UNIONS - Tertiary Institutions could spoil Fee Freeze .
- MAORI STUDENTS - Budget on Target for Maori.
- VUSA - Extra Funding Welcome But Govt Must Do More
Welfare & Health Groups
- CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER - Commissioner Welcomes Budget.
- NZ MEDICAL ASSOCIATION - Hits And Misses.
Ecological Groups
- FOREST & BIRD - Extra Green Budget Initiatives Welcomed
- ECO - More systematic approach still needed.

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) 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? 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. Part Two continues a break down of R&D and also looks at education and training. Budget Speech Part 2. For information on employment, “closing the gaps”, health, law & order, environment, arts and revenue. See... Budget Speech Part 3 - The Rest all in the Headlines wire.
Get instant reaction on the budget information in the Parliament wire. For a link to Treasury's page on the budget click here.

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 .
- ACT - TVNZ A Fiscal Basketcase?.
- NATIONAL - Budget Test Of Growth Forecasts.
The budget will be delivered at 2pm. To get instant updates on the budget information and reaction click here on the Parliament wire.