Budget 2011

Standard & Poor's has made no change to New Zealand's credit rating and says the Government must achieve its fiscal targets for its external position to improve.

The Government will spend $27.6 million over the next two years on developing its online services.

Students who head overseas after study will have to give more thought to the loans they leave behind following student loan scheme changes announced in today's budget.

Schools and early childhood education (ECE) will receive a $1.4 billion increase in funding over the next four years.

The cash-hungry health sector will get the lion's share of reprioritised money in this year's budget, with $165 million coming from cuts within the sector.

Key points from today's budget.

Finance Minister Bill English has delivered a budget that will bring the Government's books back into surplus by 2014/15, a year earlier than forecast, helped by public service savings, asset sales and KiwiSaver cuts.

Some last-minute cynicism has emerged in business circles as Finance Minister Bill English prepares to release his Budget this afternoon.

The November 26 general election will be a test about economic management and tomorrow's budget will show the Government is up to the challenge, Prime Minister John Key says.

Finance Minister Bill English goes to the printers this morning to watch his budget roll off the presses, and it's really only the details that still have to be revealed when he delivers it tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Budget day. David Clark sets out some strategies he argues will help build a stronger economy.

Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan's Budget last week provided several worthwhile ideas the New Zealand Government could do well not to ignore. After all, a constant refrain from the National Party and its Act ally is a desire to "catch up" with Australia, at least in terms of wages.

New Zealanders should prepare themselves for some hard times ahead, with next week's Budget likely to be the precursor of worse to come.