A double downer, focused but far-sighted, short-sighted, sugar-coated, a sedative before major surgery, boring in a positive way, safe, and a big zero - all terms used to describe the budget.
Despite the wide variety of reaction to a budget that delivered few treats and few surprises, Finance Minister Bill English's work was today widely condemned, and credited, as boring.
Cuts to KiwiSaver and Working for Families were met with criticism from some unions and community groups, who said the changes would widen the gap between rich and poor, and would force cuts to vital public services.
"Today's budget confirms the Government has no idea what families are facing to balance their budgets, to cut support for them and increase costs such as to KiwiSaver shows just how out of touch they are," Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said.
Salvation Army spokesman Major Campbell Roberts said changes to higher-income families eligibility for Working for Families were necessary, but that the savings should have been passed on to those on the lowest incomes.
KiwiSaver changes, including reduced tax credits, larger member and employer contribution, and an end to the tax-free status of employer contributions, were likely to hit businesses hard but Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly said employers would recognise that the moves would help secure the scheme's viability.
Mr O'Reilly applauded "slightly better targeting of Working for Families", saying reducing outgoings by 4 percent was a positive move.
"Although, given its current role in diminishing incentives to work and produce, more reductions and more targeting would have been desirable."
Law firm Chapman Tripp questioned whether the budget was focused, but far-sighted, while tertiary students, who will suffer under student loan scheme changes, said it was short-sighted.
Federated Farmers spokesman Philip York said the budget was boring, but that his reaction should be perceived as a compliment.
"For far too long, budgets have bribed the electorate with its own money, but here we have a sea-change. There are no electoral lollies or surprises and that's a positive."
Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott said the budget was a "double downer" for all New Zealanders, with visionless attacks on public services.
"The Government needs to come up with a better plan than simply cutting public services and throwing those who provide them on the scrap heap."
The health sector received the lion's share of increased funding, with an extra $2.2 billion over four years, which was received gratefully by the New Zealand Medical Association.
However, nurses were less welcoming, with the Nurses Organisation chief executive Geoff Annals saying the Government had "tinkered around the edges of an insufficient health budget, slashing some areas to apply a band aid in another".
While education was another budget winner, receiving an increase of $1.4m over four years, primary teachers' union NZEI was not celebrating, saying the sector's budget was "sugar-coated with a rotten core".
President Ian Leckie said things looked good on the surface.
"But the facts are that the cuts which have impacted so badly on early childhood services and families remain in place and the new funding simply meets expected roll growth and demand in the early childhood sector."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined a chorus of political objection to the Government's plans to partially privatise state assets.
Mr Peters said the budget was like giving a seriously ill patient a sedative before undergoing major surgery, with New Zealand set to hit the operating table when asset sales began after the election.
Green Party co-leader Russell Norman said the Government's refusal to raise revenue had left it with no other options but to cut, borrow and sell.
"By raising revenue in the right way, you can move the economy towards clean, green prosperity. But instead we're standing still, for lack of a better vision."
Labour leader Phil Goff also criticised a lack of vision in the budget.
"National has today delivered a budget that won't fix our dire economic situation but will hurt hard-working Kiwis struggling to get ahead," he said.
"National promised we'd come aggressively out of the recession. It keeps promising that good times are just around the corner. New Zealanders don't believe them anymore."
Fellow Labour MP and finance spokesman David Cunliffe told NZPA the Government's own "zero-budget" characterisation epitomised their budget.
"Zero out of 10, worst budget in living memory," he said.
"No credibility - built on smoke and mirrors, no strategy for growth or jobs and no equity. Zero."
