Damon Rusden Talking Point: 2018 Budget a Green success

Damon Rusden. Photo / File

The Budget was not perfect or hugely transformative, but it's better than what we've had in the last nine years. I would say there are fair criticisms, and some are completely unfounded. Political analysis will always have tribal bias and that's natural.

But as Grant Robertson said, it is one of a trilogy and this is laying the foundations. It is a clean-up Budget that increased spending in real terms in key sectors such as health and education.

And despite the claims to the contrary; a large portion of National's 'bigger' health spend in the last Budget which they use as a standard was because the court ordered them to cash out for the pay equity settlement and subsequent legislation.

I had to reiterate this many times on the campaign trail, because it was disingenuous then and still is now.

This Budget is not going to fulfil every promise made, but it's a damn good start. My personal excitement lies in what the Green Party has won for our first time in government.

We have been promised $100 million to kick-start a Green Investment Fund which will introduce the private sector and business community to grab seed funding for sustainable ideas – the beginning of a genuine green economy.

We have been allocated $10m to pilot school programmes which provide free access to mental health counselling for youth.

This is a great initiative given our youth suicide rate is by far the highest in the developed world. This has been a failure on us as a culture and as a Government, but we are determined to do better.

We have received $181.6m over four years for conservation; the largest increase for the department in 16 years to protect 82 per cent of native birds that are threatened or at risk of extinction, not to mention the 3000 species which face the same fate.

Our commitment to the environment is a promise to make sure humanity's excesses don't degrade the planet and other inhabitants even further than we already have. Collectively the Greens have secured $618m for a green future.

Some things that are genuinely transformational include $13.5 billion on alternative transport to reduce pollution, road maintenance/construction costs and integrate transport networks in congested areas like Auckland in the same successful models as overseas.

This includes a renewed focus on rail – with 70 per cent of freight being moved by trucks it's no wonder our roads need constant improvement. The economic and social benefit of the Wairoa-Napier rail line will be substantial to this region.

We must also recognise that the Budget is not a zero-sum game, nor is it the end of governance.

There is plenty of legislation which is helping reduce poverty, empowering workers, full employment targets, warm and dry homes, creating a framework for a zero carbon economy and providing for young families.

This Government has directed spending to core public services to rectify the erosion that has been allowed to happen. To adequately fund services that benefit everyone and the environment.

This Government will be criticised for the next three years (as it always has) as a "tax and spend" government, despite the fiscal restraint and debt level rules that were self-imposed. Nothing a Labour Government ever does will get rid of this archaic catch-phrase.

I don't think 'tax and spend' is inherently a bad thing, provided that money is being used for public benefit and the social improvement is better than the value of the dollar.

Nine years of neoliberal "cut and sell" has been a disaster, and we see the tangible results now. This Budget is about repair.

The next one will be about the future.

* Damon Rusden is a Green Party member who ran as a candidate in the 2017 election.