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1News
22-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
PM and Finance Minister share home baking in pre-Budget tradition
Ahead of the Budget's release at 2pm, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have enjoyed some fresh baking made by one of her children. It continues a pre-Budget tradition of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister celebrating Budget Day before it is officially announced to the public. On Facebook earlier today, Willis said the cookies were baked by her daughter. Follow live coverage of the Budget on and TVNZ1's Q+A Special from 2pm. Historically, each government has had their own take on the yearly tradition, and for Willis and Luxon, this marks the second year the occasion is being celebrated with biscuits. Under the last National government led by Sir John Key and Sir Bill English, Budget Day was typically celebrated with pies. During the last Labour government, Dame Jacinda Ardern would celebrate with a cheese roll with then Finance Minister Grant Robertson. She would also gift a tie to Robertson ahead of the Budget announcement. In 2023, Chris Hipkins marked the moment with Ardern's cheese roll, along with a sausage roll, a snack he was known to enjoy. A tie was also gifted to Robertson by Hipkins, which belonged to the late ex-Labour finance minister Michael Cullen, who died in 2021. This year, the Government has indicated a constrained fiscal environment, with only $1.3 billion to play with in terms of new operational funding. Pre-Budget announcements have reached across education, health and other programmes that the Government wanted to be showcased before today.
1News
19-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
Live stream: PM Luxon gives post-Cabinet briefing ahead of Budget
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is holding a media briefing from the Beehive in Wellington after the weekly meeting of Cabinet ministers. It is the start of Budget week with Finance Minister Nicola Willis set to give details on Thursday of the Government's spending plans for the year ahead. Ministers have continued to make pre-Budget announcements over the weekend - allocating an extra $1.5 million to Māori Wardens and $164 million over the next four years to expand urgent and after-hours healthcare services. Meanwhile, the Greens alternative budget last week proposed extending free GP visits, dental care, childcare and introducing an income guarantee — funded by $88 billion in new taxes and billions in additional debt. Full coverage of the Budget on and on TVNZ1's Q+A Special from 2pm on Thursday. New ZealandPoliticsNational PartyChristopher Luxon
