‘Wellbeing Budget 2019’ on May 30

Staff Reporter

Finance Minister Grant Roberson has announced that he will present his Budget 2019 in Parliament on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

New Approach

“This year’s Budget will be the first to use the Coalition Government’s new ‘Wellbeing Approach,’ an evidence-based framework used to identify the Budget priorities and then assess which Budget bids should be accepted,” he said.

Mr Robertson said that the Approach demonstrates that Ministers and departments are focused on developing Budget bids and policies that will help them to deliver outcomes which in turn will make ‘real improvements’ to the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

“In December, the Coalition Government announced the priorities for Budget 2019. These were developed using the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework (LSF), evidence from sector-based experts and the Government’s Science Advisors, and through collaboration among public sector agencies and Ministers,” Mr Robertson said.

Five Priorities

The five Priorities for Budget 2019 are:

Creating opportunities for productive businesses, regions, iwi and others to

transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy

Supporting a thriving nation in the digital age through innovation, social and

economic opportunities

Lifting Māori and Pacific incomes, skills and opportunities
Reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing, including addressing family

Violence

Supporting mental wellbeing for all New Zealanders, with a special focus on under

24-year-olds.

“Ministers are collectively responsible for delivering on these priorities, and for the first time have been tasked from the outset of the Budget process with developing their Budget bids through the lens of these evidenced-based priorities. This is a more rigorous framework for assessing bids and ensures that the Government is focussed on the outcomes that matter most,” Mr Robertson said.

“The Government believes wellbeing belongs at the heart of policymaking. Economic growth is an important contributor to wellbeing but not an end in itself, and is not an adequate measure of what we value in our lives. We need to measure our success as a country, and develop our policies as government, using a broader range of indicators. These include how we support our people, protect our environment and strengthen our communities and culture.”