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Scoop's Budget 2005 Coverage
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Scoop Analysis: Budget 2005 A Very Political Baby Indeed!
Asked if this was his best, worst or perhaps just a middling sort of budget in today's lock-up press conference Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen responded: Like my children I love them all equally, but not always simultaneously. Like each of his four previous efforts, Dr Cullens Budget 2005 is a mixture of fiscal conservatism, thriftyness and guile tied up with a bunch of promises of future benefits if we can but see the wood for the trees. See... Sludge Report #167 - A Very Political Budget and Budget 2005 - Scoop Photo Essay 
Cullen Details Key Points Of Budget 2005 - Budget 2005 delivers large increases in social spending together with significant cuts to business tax and a package to encourage New Zealanders to save, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today. Dr Cullen said the budget continued the governments commitment to maintaining a strong fiscal stance, supporting economic growth and building a fair and inclusive society. The savings and tax packages would encourage businesses and households to save and invest while the indexation of income tax thresholds from 1 April 2008 would give people a secure financial environment in which to plan. See... A budget for a more secure future
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Prime Minister Says Budget Builds Strong Foundation - Prime Minister Helen Clark says Budget 2005 is another important step in building strong foundations for sustainable growth, making social investments, and helping New Zealanders build a stake in their country. See... Budget 2005: fair, responsible, inclusive
Scoop Photo-Essay: Budget Day In The Lock-Up - Locked in a Logans Run type environment for two hours, more than a hundred lucky people where given the guts of Budget 2005 by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Michael Cullen. See... Budget 2005 - Scoop Photo EssayPARLIAMENT WIRE..., POLITICS WIRE..., BUSINESS WIRE..., EDUCATION WIRE..., HEALTH WIRE...
BUDGET 2005: HEADLINES
Scoop Budget 2005 Coverage Details - Scoop Media is providing extensive coverage throughout today on Finance Minister Michael Cullen's Budget 2005. Scoop co-editor Alastair Thompson and chief reporter Kevin List have been analyzing the detail and fine-print from within the Government's lock-up from mid-morning until early afternoon (May 19 2005). See... Scoop To Provide Extensive Coverage of Budget 2005
Budget 2005: KiwiSaver Represents Govt's Commitment To Retirement Savings - The creation of KiwiSaver complements the government's commitment to ensuring New Zealanders can enjoy a decent income when they retire, says Finance Minister Michael Cullen. See... A major advance for retirement savingsBudget 2005: Govt Announces Pro-Business Tax Suit - Budget 2005 reinforces the governments commitment to economic growth, delivering a multi-million dollar suite of pro-business tax changes, Finance Minister Michael Cullen says. He said the package more than delivered on the governments promise to recycle back to business any revenue received from the carbon charge. See Multimillion dollar suite of pro-business tax cuts
Budget 2005: Home Ownership Within Grasp - "The Kiwi dream of owning your own home will be brought within the grasp of thousands more New Zealanders each year as a result of Budget 2005," says Housing Minister Steve Maharey. See... A hand up to home ownership
Budget 2005: Saving Package Designed To Help NZers To Save - "Budget 2005 will help New Zealanders to save, giving them greater security and choice and strengthening the economy," says Finance Minister Michael Cullen. See... Securing Your Future: budget savings package
Budget 2005: Health Budget Gets $969million Over Next 12 Months - The governments commitment to effective and responsive health services for all New Zealanders is reflected in new budget spending of $969.7 million in 2005-06 and $4.09 billion over the next four years, Health Minister Annette King says. See Vote Health the largest ever
RELATED LINKS:For the full text (when released) of the budget see...
TREASURY BUDGET 2005 WEBSITE
See also the BEEHIVE BUDGET PAGE
For previous budgets see...
BUDGET 2004 - BUDGET 2003 - BUDGET 2002 - BUDGET 2001 & BUDGET 2000
C.D. Sludge
Asked if this was his best, worst or perhaps just a middling sort of budget in today's lock-up press conference Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen responded: Like my children I love them all equally, but not always simultaneously. Like each of his four previous efforts, Dr Cullens Budget 2005 is a mixture of fiscal conservatism, thriftyness and guile tied up with a bunch of promises of future benefits if we can but see the wood for the trees. See... Sludge Report #167 - A Very Political Budget
Keith Ng
The 2005 Budget Lunch delivered few surprises and commentators agree that, while it was not the usual pre-election splurge of a Budget Lunch, it satisfied the needs of its key stakeholders with its close attention to detail and well-targeted programme...See Keith Ng - 2005 Budget Lunch Special
Russell Brown
First, the government is now officially planning on a mid-September election. Second, this ought to be clear by now: Michael Cullen does not see tax relief as an end in itself, but as an overall policy instrument... See Russell Brown - Budget Blog: Short Version
Peter Cresswell
Helen Clark is saying this morning that all the talk of tax cuts prior to the Budget announcement was the result of journalists interviewing their typewriters. "Tax cuts don't do much for low-income earners," said a Labour Prime Minister offering nothing ... See... Peter Cresswell: Budget, and Tsunami Aid
Other Media & Blogosphere
NZ Herald - Budget 2005: Big tax secret turns into damp squib Stuff - Years before Budget delivers Just Left (Labour) - A solid budget Frogblog (Greens) - Of-pumpkins-and-hip-hop-tours Hidesight (ACT) - Budget 2005 Not PC Blogspot - Fisking the Budget No Right Turn - Sir Humphreys - Budget failure for Government ... See... Budget 2005 News And Web Diary Links
Cullen Snaps Back At National Finance Spokesman - Finance Minister Michael Cullen today welcomed John Keys acknowledgement that National would fund its tax cuts by cuts to spending, probably including health and education. See... Cullen welcomes Key lines
MORE DAY AFTER COMMENT FROM GOVT:
OPPOSITION COMMENT THE DAY AFTER:
BUDGET DEBATE SPEECHES
Parliamentary Reaction:
National
Progressive Party
Greens
The Maori Party
NZ First
ACT
United Future
Non Parliamentary Political Reaction:
Health Sector Reaction:
Education Sector Reaction:
Union Reaction:
Business Sector Reaction:
Other Reaction
(Note see also pre-budget announcements below)
The Budget Speech
Budget 2005: Cullen Full Speech Notes - I move, that the Appropriation (2005/06 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time. Budget 2005 is about securing the future. Securing the future for the nation as a whole and securing the future for New Zealand families and New Zealanders individually. See... Budget 2005 Michael Cullen Speech (Full Speech)
Leaders Statements
SUMMARY SHEETS
Economy
Education
Welfare
Health
Housing
Law, Order & Security
Research, Growth And Innovation Framework
Art, Culture And Sport
Trade and Foreign Affairs
Other Stuff - Maori, State Sector, Local Govt
Every Child Counts Org Identifies Key Budget Expectations - With Budget 2005 set to be delivered this afternoon, Every Child Counts has identified some key initiatives that would improve the status of New Zealand children and contribute to sustainable social and economic development. The Budget is a unique opportunity for the Government to resource programmes that will make a measurable difference to children, and to New Zealands future, says Every Child Counts spokesperson Murray Edridge. See... Hopes that Budget 2005 will make every child countALSO:
PRE BUDGET GOVERNMENT RELEASES:
Ian Powell: Trumpian Health Leadership
Eugene Doyle: Disruption - Historians Challenge Russophobic Propaganda
Ramzy Baroud: War, Doublethink, And The Struggle For Survival - Geopolitics Of The Gaza Genocide
Binoy Kampmark: Authoritarian Politics - Netanyahu’s War On Israeli Institutions
Keith Rankin: Learning The Correct Lessons From World War Two In Europe
Ramzy Baroud: Arab Failures - The Unspoken Complicity In Israel's Genocide