KEY POINTS:
The Government has allocated $4.3 million for a "Citizens' Forum" made up of members of the public to consider election financing, including whether political parties should be taxpayer funded.
The forum was one of the Green Party requests during the passage of the Electoral Finance Act as it pushed for greater public input into election finance rules.
One of the key issues the forum will consider is whether parties' election campaigns should be state-funded, rather than reliant on donations and fundraising.
The forum will work with a Government expert panel which will review election finance issues that are not dealt with in the act, including the structure of electoral agencies and options for funding of political parties.
The funding for the Citizens' Forum was among a raft of measures handed out to smaller parties in the Budget, which was Labour's last chance to meet its obligations to the smaller parties that prop it up.
The Green Party - which abstains on confidence and supply votes - is claiming its biggest Budget package ever, with almost $100 million funding going on Green-related initiatives.
The biggest was $10.26 million over four years for support to community organisations. There was also further funding for insulating state houses and making them more energy efficient, and $8 million for climate change research.
Sue Kedgley's drive for safer food has also netted $2.4 million for random testing of imported foods.
United Future leader Peter Dunne's main gain was to make more students eligible for student allowances. The package included lifting the parental income threshold upwards by 10 per cent, estimated to give 12,000 more students allowances each year.
The top age to which the parental income test applies also dropped from 25 to 24 - predicted to help more than 5000 students.
There was also a $5 increase to the living allowance, from $150 to $155, with the guarantee it will continue to rise with inflation.
NZ First was the big winner of the three small parties. As well as big wins in leader Winston Peters' ministerial portfolios - including more money for racing stakes and for foreign affairs - it gained extra tit-bits for the Super Gold Card, including free bus rides, and a promise of electricity rebates from 2010 to help cope with higher bills after the energy sector enters the emissions trading scheme.
There was also further funding for the final tranche of police recruitment under the agreement to enlist 1000 new police.
* Other budget benefits include:
Arts
The film industry took the lion's share of new funding for arts, culture and heritage as the Government moved to prevent an exodus of film and TV companies to Australia.
Prime Minister and Minister for the Arts Helen Clark allocated $27.4 million over four years for the New Zealand Film Commission to manage the Screen Production Incentive Fund for projects budgeted at $5 million-$15 million, with rules on New Zealand content.
Producers will receive a rebate of 40 per cent of money they spend locally for film and 20 per cent for television. The scheme will be welcomed by the New Zealand film industry which has complained that subsidies are focused on Hollywood and Peter Jackson.
The new fund matches one in Australia which the industry warned could draw New Zealand producers across the Tasman.
Justice
More consistent sentencing guidelines and a more efficient court process for Auckland and Manukau are among Budget promises for justice.
Sentencing and parole guidelines will be set up, with $5.8 million for a Sentencing Council.
Court capacity in Manukau and Auckland - where 30 per cent of District Court jury trials occur - will also be boosted with $6.3 million for a Greater Auckland Region Service Delivery Strategy. Corrections Minister Phil Goff said last year this would involve "significant" change but would increase court capacity by reworking existing facilities and building new ones.
The already-announced $251.9 million revamp of Mt Eden Prison is included in the Budget along with funding for an extra 89 probation officers.
Police will receive the final third of the 1000 extra staff promised in 2006.
Maori
Injecting $40.5 million into a new economic development institution is the major Budget item specifically targeted at Maori.
In March, the Government signalled it would divide the Maori Trustee's office - whose core functions include collecting and paying rent and keeping landowners informed - and set up a new entity, Maori Business Aotearoa NZ.
That will give business support, identify development opportunities and provide some loan facilities, regardless of whether Maori are beneficiaries.
However, $23.8 million will also double the operating budget of the Maori Trustee and will transform it into a standalone organisation.
The biggest non-government winners are the Maori wardens, who after 60 years of volunteer service will receive $17.2 million over four years.
Governor-General
Governor-General Anand Satyanand will have to move out of Government House in Wellington to allow a four-year restoration project to go ahead.
Helen Clark said the Budget put aside $46.6 million in capital and $800,000 in operating funding over the next four years to restore one of New Zealand's most historic buildings.
"It [Government House] has historically had very little investment in its upkeep. It now requires significant refurbishment to make it fit for purpose in the 21st century," the Prime Minister said.
Mr Satyanand and his wife would use Vogel House in Lower Hutt as their Wellington residence after work begins following the election.
Cabinet Minister Jim Anderton has been resident in Vogel House since 1999 and his spokeswoman said he was honoured to have the Governor-General replacing him as tenant.
