Rivals hand out scathing report

National finance spokesman David Carter

The Budget is tedious mediocrity. If this is as good as it gets, then we're in trouble.

This Government has presided over the best economic conditions in a generation, but has squandered the opportunity to lock in higher long-term sustainable growth rates. The Budget's own mid-term forecasts show that Mr Cullen and Labour have given up and are happy with growth rates just over 2 per cent.

Act finance spokesman Rodney Hide

The Fudge It Budget fails to prioritise spending or attend to the basics.

The top rate of 39 cents punishes the financially successful to the detriment of us all. There is nothing to combat crime in our homes, streets and places of work.

The Budget shows that there was no financial need to disband the combat air wing and cripple New Zealand's defence capacity. Everyone is paying more but getting less.

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald

This Budget is mechanical rather than visionary.

It does contain a number of positive initiatives, including the Green Party's own $23 million package, but the Budget is more a collection of half measures than a bold commitment to, for example, full employment or the elimination of child poverty.

The focus is on conventional economic growth, more foreign investment and taking New Zealand down the GE path next year.

The Greens give this Budget a C pass. We look forward to more Green input next year.

NZ First Leader Winston Peters

Labour promised changes to the New Zealand economy.

We have only seen an obsession with political correctness, sideshows and pet projects. Government attention is being concentrated on the fringes.

The real tragedy of this Budget is that it rejects those policies that have been hugely successful abroad in rapidly expanding economic wealth - sound tax and new technology policies.

United Future Leader Peter Dunne

Budget 2002 is little more than a disjointed collection of policy announcements with no overall theme.

It does nothing to enhance the role of the family as society's cornerstone and to recognise that when the family does well, the nation does well.

It gets a B plus for good economic numbers but a low D for vision, giving an overall C minus grade.

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