Budget 2023: Rotorua mum speaks out on what the Government’s priorities should be

Shorter waitlists for healthcare, affordable food and less unnecessary spending.

These are three items at the top of Rotorua mum of five Sineaid Smith’s wishlist for the Government’s Budget announcement tomorrow.

And she doesn’t think they’re big asks.

“It would be nice for ordinary New Zealanders to get out of survival mode,” Smith told the Rotorua Daily Post.

Smith and her husband, Khan, have three sons and two daughters aged 5 to 15.

Her own experience with the health system has made Smith worry about the amount of time people who need treatment can spend waiting for lifesaving care.

At the beginning of 2020, Smith was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“I wasn’t functioning. I had no energy. I couldn’t get out of bed for months. Every single nerve I had was being pushed on.

“And every month with Auckland in lockdown, my surgery would be pushed out.”

Better healthcare, affordable food and less spending are at the top of Sineaid Smith's Budget 2023 wishlist. Photo / Andrew Warner

Smith said she wouldn’t be alive if her parents hadn’t been in the financial position to help her get the surgery she needed privately.

As a result of the surgery, Smith has been given a clean bill of health but lost hearing in one ear. She cannot afford a hearing aid.

“The healthcare system just feels broken to me,” Smith said.

“The nurses are so stretched it’s not funny. The wait times to even get checked or seen are so long.”

In terms of work, Smith’s husband was driving trucks but he had recently switched to lawn and garden maintenance, Smith said.

“I do the books for a logging company.”

Smith also owns Full of Posies, a pick-your-own flower farm.

“Three years ago, with what we were earning, we could buy our youngest girl a pretty dress or shin pads for the boys. It wasn’t a huge stretch.”

But Smith said the cost of “everything” had risen to “ridiculous” heights.

“Our power bill is up. Our mortgage has gone up $500 a fortnight. With a rates increase on top of that, that’s major,” Smith said.

“Essentially, everything we don’t need we’re doing without,” Smith said.

“I don’t care if the kids have mismatched socks. I’m not buying them any more when they lose one.”

The Smith children (from left) Mikayla, 15, Harper, 5, Oliver, 11, Julian, 9 and Mack, 7. Photo / Supplied

Smith said the family had felt the cost of living hikes hit their food bills hardest.

“Pre-Covid we would spend $550 a fortnight on food for all of us and I don’t tend to buy rubbish. We have fresh fruit and vegetables.

“Now we’ve gone to spending $600 a week with no luxury spending.”

Smith said the costs of home cooking were getting to the point where it was cheaper for her to “buy the packet”.

“It is so much cheaper to buy a pack of noodles than to cook a proper meal.”

She said she and her husband were prioritising healthy food for the children.

“My mum and dad give us a cow every year and we pay the butcher costs.

Rotorua mum Sineaid Smith wants ordinary New Zealanders to be able to get out of survival mode. Photo / Andrew Warner

“We go through a lot of eggs so we’ve got nine chickens. Everyone we know wants chickens, but the hope is we’re able to give our mum and brothers and sisters eggs.”

Smith said her 11 and nine-year-old sons grew all the vegetables for the family’s table last season.

“It’s cute watching them go from having a hobby to being proud of growing what we eat.”

Smith said she took the kids to the supermarket to see what vegetables cost in store as part of the project.

“This year fruit and vegetables have been so expensive. The price didn’t go down at all in the supermarket, all summer.”

She said her children didn’t always understand why they couldn’t have the same treats as their friends.

“We used to have play money, be able to take the kids out and do the cool things that Rotorua offers. Now we have to tell them we can’t.”

Smith said it was difficult to say no to her children’s excitement. But she’s more worried about their education and access to healthcare.

“I think Covid-19 shone a light on what teachers and doctors really do for us.”

Smith hopes the Government’s Budget 2023 will show a cut-down on “unnecessary” spending so that money can go to where it’s really needed.

“I’d like them to stop with all these focus groups and creating management positions to investigate where the money should go.

“The community knows exactly where the money needs to be spent. If they just talked to people they would find out.”