The Kākā by Bernard Hickey

The Kākā by Bernard Hickey

Budget 2025 highlights and invite to live chat session at 3.30 pm

Willis 'goes for growth' with slower GDP growth forecast, higher borrowing, less housing spending, lower KiwiSaver contributions & a net fiscal contraction of three percentage points of GDP

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Bernard Hickey
May 22, 2025
∙ Paid

Just briefly in Budget 2025 around the areas of housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy:

  • The Government said Budget 2025 was about ‘Going for Growth,’ but the Budget forecast slower growth, higher Government borrowing, less housing spending, lower KiwiSaver contributions and a net fiscal contraction of three percentage points of GDP over four years;

  • It included spending cuts that hit the young, the unemployed, young families and young savers hardest, while Goldcard holders got bigger rates rebates and businesses got a $1.7 billion per year tax break;

  • The Government is co-investing in gas fields; and,

  • It has given food banks $15 million of funding next year, but only for a year.

There’s more analysis below the paywall fold and in a 15 minute live chat for paying subscribers at 3.30pm.

The six key things from Budget 2025

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