Budget 2010 Daily News Alert - Mond, May 24, 2010

In this edition: The aftermath. A roundup of post-budget reaction and analysis from over the weekend incl. Gordon Campbell, Bill English on Q+A & Pattrick Smellie on Labour's response

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BUDGET AFTERMATH THE HIGHLIGHTS….

Q+A On The Budget: English On Floated Floatings

- English says part-floating SOEs “may or may not work”, refuses to support idea of part-selling state assets - Wants New Zealanders’ money “back into investment”, not “sitting in the bank when it could be creating jobs” - The gap between rich and poor matters to the government and got “quite a bit of attention” in planning, but remains “about the same” after the Budget More>> [1]

ALSO:

• Labour - National lining up asset sales to pay for tax cuts [2]
• Labour - English’s cunning plan: Get Mum and Dad investors to fund tax cuts [3]
• Television NZ - Q+A’s Paul Holmes Interviews Maurice Williamson [4]
• Television NZ - Panel Discussions Led By Paul Holmes [5]
• Business Council for Sustainable Development - Poll: support for Budget capital investment plans [6]
• Business Council for Sustainable Development - Twice as many approve of Budget than disapprove [7]
• Full Scoop Coverage - Budget 2010 [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00250.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00383.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00396.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00251.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00252.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00264.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00263.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/features/budget2010.html

Budget: Scoop Coverage And Reaction

Grodon Campbell: Raising the level of GST – which will hit those on low incomes the hardest – and offering in compensation a package of tax cuts that will reward those on high incomes the most, is a very strange definition of fairness. Yet fairness and virtue have been central to the spin on Budget 2010. More>> [1]

[1] - http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/05/21/gordon-campbell-on-the-trade-offs-in-the-budget/

Also On Budget Day: Commission Says Welfare Bill Do Not Meet Basic Rights Standards

The Human Rights Commission wants substantial changes made to the Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill so that it does not discriminate against specific groups and it meets basic human rights standards. It has offered its expertise to help redraft the bill it considers fundamentally flawed. More>> [1]

ALSO:

• Frogblog Out-Link - Human Rights Commission slams Future Focus [2]
• North Shore City Council - Effective Social Policy Forum essential [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00236.htm
[2] - http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/05/21/human-rights-commission-slams-future-focus/
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00235.htm

BUDGET AFTERMATH THE FULL FEED…..

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BUSINESSWIRE
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Businesswire - NZ dollar gains as Germany approves Greek bail-out
May 24 (BusinessWire) – The New Zealand dollar gained after Germany's Parliament approved its contribution to the Greek bail-out package, helping settle investors' nerves about so-called riskier assets and lifting American stock.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00708.htm

Businesswire - SMELLIE SNIFFS THE BREEZE:How Labour might respond
May 21 (BusinessWire) - Remarkable in the tidal wave of approval for Bill English's second Budget is the irrelevance of the Opposition Labour Party.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00692.htm

Businesswire - NZ consumer confidence rises to 4-month high
May 21 (BusinessWire) – New Zealand consumer confidence edged up to a four-month high and more people deemed it a good time to buy a major household item, according to the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence survey
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00689.htm

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SCOOP COVERAGE
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Tom Frewen - The Week In Parliament 21.05.10
Finance Minister Bill English delivers his second budget.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00183.htm

Max Bowden - What Does A New UK Government Mean For NZ?
Britain's coalition between David Cameron's Tories and Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats is not a comfortable fit. They are old enemies on various policy issues. But they appear to be making it work. The coalition's first Budget on June 20 will ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00186.htm

Scoop Audio - Radio Adelaide: Budget A New Phase For NZ Economy
Manning & Godfrey: Taiwanese tourists have been charged with importing NZ$6 million worth of Chrystal Meth into NZ. Also, the budget heralds a new phase for NZ's economy. The impact on middle-low income earners is analysed as are state asset sales.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00189.htm

Television New Zealand - Panel Discussions Led By Paul Holmes
Well has Bill English made the most of his once in a generation opportunity? Now Dr Brash you said you we're hoping for quite a radical budget, and you said that if New Zealand is to catch Australia in economic performance by 2025.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00252.htm

Television New Zealand - Q+A's Paul Holmes Interviews Maurice Williamson
Neither government nor councils could afford to pay the full cost of leaky homes: “it's not possible, the government could not meet this sum of money, it's too big”.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00251.htm

Television New Zealand - Q+A's Guyon Espiner Interviews Bill English
English says part-floating SOEs “may or may not work”, refuses to support idea of part-selling state assets; Wants New Zealanders' money “back into investment”, not “sitting in the bank when it could be creating jobs”.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00250.htm

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MORE FROM THE GOVERNMENT
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New Zealand Government - Government Provides More Animal Welfare Funding
Agriculture Minister David Carter has announced the Government will spend an extra $8.2 million over four years to boost animal welfare activities. Budget 2010 allocates around $5 million for animal welfare enforcement and compliance.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00380.htm

New Zealand Government - Budget delivers for ethnic communities
“The 2010 Budget has delivered for ethnic communities through a fairer, more incentivised tax system and a commitment to creating safer communities” says Minister for Ethnic Affairs Pansy Wong.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00369.htm

New Zealand Government - Government protects Health's spending power
The National Government has protected public health services in yesterday's Budget and maintained DHBs' real spending power says Health Minister Tony Ryall.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00366.htm

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PARLIAMENTARY REACTION
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Scoop Blogwatch - Scoop BlogWatch: Puzzling questions on broadband
The Budget didn't appear to have any surprises in it around broadband, which was one of the National Govt's big election promises to deliver a new network, core infrastructure to NZ. A further $248 million announced as part of the pre-election ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00192.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Minister at odds with his own statements
Environment Minister Nick Smith is at least a year out on delivering the Environmental Protection Authority he promised, says Labour's water spokesman Brendon Burns.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00398.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Budget takes Women Backwards
While her Government is eroding choice for women in Budget 2010, the Minister of Women's Affairs Pansy Wong is wasting time doing research that has already been done on pay equity, Labour Women's Affairs spokesperson Sue Moroney says.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00397.htm

ACT New Zealand - Heather Roy: Budget 2010
The general feeling is that Mr English delivered a good Budget. As with any Budget, there are highlights, low-lights, winners and losers. But Budget 2010 received a five out of 10 from ACT Finance Spokesman Sir Roger Douglas.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00375.htm

ACT New Zealand - Act's Campaign Against The ETS Continues
"The backlash against the Government's ETS is continuing to build, with National scrambling to justify itself despite the fact that pushing ahead with the ETS no longer makes sense, ACT Climate Change Spokesman John Boscawen said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00372.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Household power bills up by $200-plus this year
Prime Minister John Key's admission on television this morning that National's ETS will add 5 per cent to household power bills on July 1 will pile even more pressure on family incomes, Labour's Energy spokesperson Charles Chauvel says.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00392.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Agriculture misses out in Budget
The National Government failed to recognise let alone assist Agriculture or the other primary industries in this weeks budget announcements, said Damien O'Connor, Labour's Associate Agriculture spokesperson.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00382.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Schools Funding Fails To Match Inflation
Operations grants for schools in Budget 2010 are funded at only two thirds the level needed to maintain programmes, Labour's Education spokesman Trevor Mallard said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00378.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Schools Funding Fails To Match Inflation
Operations grants for schools in Budget 2010 are funded at only two thirds the level needed to maintain programmes, Labour's Education spokesman Trevor Mallard said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00377.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - National Government Fails Housing In Budget
The Government has dropped the ball on Housing in Budget 2010, Labour's Housing spokesperson Moana Mackey says.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00376.htm

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MORE BUDGET REACTION
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Muriel Newman - Oily rag savings more than crumbs
The nation's Budget has been read and the annual debate over who won and lost has begun in earnest. The government has even set up an online calculator to make it easier for us ordinary folk to calculate exactly how much better off we will be. ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00187.htm

Pacific Economic Development Agency - Pacific EDA welcomes funding for Pacific projects
New funding announced by the government will help to focus attention on priorities for Pacific people, says the head of the Pacific Economic Development Agency, JR Pereira.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00268.htm

Rural Women New Zealand - Rural Women NZ welcomes new focus on bio-security
Rural Women New Zealand welcomes the budgeted $75.9 million of capital funding over the next four years for a new joint border management system.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00720.htm

New Zealand Association of Scientists - The 2010 Budget and CRI Culture
Government is engaged in the biggest shake-up of science funding and science management the country has seen for over 20 years. It's clear that the 2010 Budget will be a key component of setting the scene for the coming few years.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1005/S00054.htm

Ruahine Kindergartens - Ruahine Kindergartens to maintain teacher rate
Ruahine Kindergartens will maintain its 100 percent qualified teacher registration rate without families incurring additional costs despite cuts to government funding levels revealed in the 2010 budget.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1005/S00104.htm

Fiji Club Of New Zealand - Budget Decimates the Workers
“The government's 2010 budget decimates the lower and middle income workers by increasing the GST as it will result in inflation accelerating to 6%,” Alton Shameem the Founder and President of Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ) said today at Takapuna, ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00254.htm

Health Care Aotearoa - Proof Of Budget Will Be In “Front-Line Services”
Vulnerable community-based healthcare services represented by national network Health Care Aotearoa are hopeful that funding for primary health in this year's Budget will find its way to front-line services.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00246.htm

Montessori Assn of NZ - Budget 2010 And Montessori Education
Montessori NZ was relieved to see the 20 ECE funding retained in the 2010 Budget for children in early childhood centres.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1005/S00100.htm

New Zealand Labour Party - Dunedin parents will be hit by ECE changes
Parents of children under three in Dunedin early childhood education centres will be hard hit by the Government's Budget and face an increase of $42.50 per child per week, Labour MP for Dunedin South Clare Curran said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00371.htm

NZEI - “Please Explain” Over Drastic Budget Cuts
Early childhood teachers are demanding a “please explain” from the government as the reality and scale of yesterday's Budget cuts sink in.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1005/S00099.htm

The Secondary Principals' Council of NZ - Funding freeze on core utilities for schools
While it is encouraging to see the government recognise the need for an increase in schools' operations grant, a freeze on funding for such basic essentials as heat light and water will make budgeting much more difficult for secondary schools, ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1005/S00098.htm

Every Child Counts - Lost opportunity to address child poverty
Every Child Counts says that yesterday's Budget was better than expected with across the board income tax cuts a positive move for whanau and families.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00242.htm

Young Labour - Young Labour suggests budget does great disservice
With more than $12 million a year removed from kindergarten budgets; 3.4 million dollars sliced from schools and community groups and additional funding for fewer than 100 students in each of New Zealand's universities, Young Labour is seriously ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00241.htm

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BUSINESS REACTION
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JP Morgan - Australia and New Zealand - Weekly Prospects
Last week's plunge in the Aussie consumer confidence reading all but confirms that the pain threshold for many households has been crossed. It always was challenging to identify the precise timing of said crossing before the event, but we recognize ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00267.htm

Business Council for Sustainable Development - Poll: support for Budget capital investment plans
The Government has solid support for its plans for major new capital investment plans, specially for ultra-fast broadband and KiwiRail.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00264.htm

Business Council for Sustainable Development - Twice as many approve of Budget than disapprove
Nearly twice as many New Zealanders approve of the 2010 Budget overall than disapprove.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00263.htm

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - Nasty surprises revealed in Budget
A number of nasty surprises have emerged from yesterday's Budget, says the Council of Trade Unions.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00240.htm

ENDS

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