Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters called it the Budget in which capitalism would regain its human face.
So Herald data editor Chris Knox crunched numbers to see which areas won big in the Budget.
Among those whose appropriations increased in this year's Budget over 2017 include Health (the biggest winner - up 10.2 per cent or $1.68 billion), Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children (up 7.6 per cent, $67.5 million), the Ministry of Social Development (up 7.1 per cent or $1.79b).
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Education received a funding boost of 4.7 per cent, or $698m. But in this environment where much has been made of gender inequality, the pay gap and the #metoo movement, the Ministry for Women received an increase of only 1.9 per cent, or $101,000.
Still that was a bigger percentage increase than Justice, which received a paltry 0.3 per cent increase, or $4.4 million.
Another law and order service – police – receives a 5.5 per cent boost, or $98m. That's less than Corrections, which is receiving a 9.6 per cent boost ($43m)
In what has been dubbed the 'greenest Budget ever', Conservation has received a boost on last year of 9.6 per cent, or $43m. But the Environment Ministry has lost $14.9 per cent, or $141.9m.
Among the biggest winners in this year's Budget were Defence (up 25 per cent or $62.9m), Inland Revenue (up 22.1 per cent, $1.3b) and the SIS (up 19.3 per cent, $13.2m).
Flying in the face of the 'human face' of capitalism, other big beneficiaries included MBIE, The Office of the Ombudsman, Treasury, and the GCSB.
On percentage terms, the biggest loser was the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, whose funding dropped a massive $43.9 per cent in funding, or $60m.
And some of our watchdogs are among the biggest losers – the Serious Fraud Office, Education Review Office, State Services Commission, Internal Affairs and Office of the Controller and Auditor.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.