Media release: Council of Trade Unions

A responsible Budget = spending more on public services

"The Budget Responsibility Rules announced by Labour and the Greens today demonstrates a commitment to maintaining much needed Government spending. But more investment is needed," said CTU President, Richard Wagstaff.

“We need a Government that has the vision to provide decent health, education, housing and other public services for all Kiwis so everyone gets a good start in life. This is impossible when Government keeps cutting funding. Maintaining funding is a start, but we need to keep improving the capacity of Government to support social and economic growth."

“If an incoming Labour/Green Government is serious about fixing the problems we have in our education, health, housing and other public services, if it’s going to correct the imbalances we have in terms of pay equity, if we are going to really tackle income inequality and our environmental challenges together as a nation, then it will need to be prepared to invest significantly. That will test these rules as they stand.”

“We support higher levels of Government activity and investment than these rules permit. There is an urgent need. Many countries who are more successful than us socially and economically have much greater government activity.”

“Of course, relief for working people and their families can also come from enabling better wages and salaries which can be achieved by having fairer employment laws," Wagstaff said.

ENDS

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