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Budget 2018: What the key sectors are expecting

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 17 May 2018, 8:27AM
(Photo \ Getty Images)

Budget 2018: What the key sectors are expecting

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 17 May 2018, 8:27AM

A panel of experts spoke to Mike Hosking about what the key sectors are expecting from this year's budget.

READ MORE: Budget 2018

HEATH

There are no shortage of areas in the health sector that'll be crying out for funding.

Otago University business dean Robin Gauld says the Budget could include reducing GP fees, boosts in primary care, fixing damaged hospital buildings and paying staff more.

He says the Government's earmarked around $2 billion a year over the next four years.

Gauld says it's a catch-up game and there are estimates the sector was $1.6 billion behind each recent year.

EDUCATION

Educational Institute president Lynda Stuart says a big injection's needed just to get back to basics.

"We won't every child to have access to a quality education, so that starts with ensuring that we have a teacher in every classroom."

HOUSING

A construction expert's doubting whether the Government's housing investment will ever get off the ground.

AUT Professor John Tookey says it doesn't matter how grand the Budget announcement is, the question is whether we have the people to carry out the plans.

He says it's a big ask.

"It took us 10 years to grow our housing sector in Auckland from 3000 units a year to just short of 7000 last year and now all of a sudden the Government want to magically create another 10,000 plus a year."

INFRASTRUCTURE

An infrastructure leader says we can't just keep asking the taxpayer to dig deep to pay for infrastructure projects.

Today's Budget will include almost $42 billion in capital spending over the next five years.

Infrastructure New Zealand's chief executive, Stephen Selwood is crediting the Government for investing more in the sector.

But he says it's not enough for our growing needs and there isn't enough tax money to pay for it.

Selwood says we must partner with the private sector here and abroad, who have money and the desire to invest it.

POVERTY 

Salvation Army social analyst Alan Johnson on the what they are hoping for from the Budget.

LISTEN ABOVE AS THE PANEL OF EXPERT SPEAK WITH MIKE HOSKING 

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