Waiariki MP and Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell. Photo/File
Te Ururoa Flavell, Waiariki MP and Maori Party co-leader
Mr Flavell said his party kept its promise with a $122 million package of initiatives to support whanau aspirations.
"While the dollar amounts differ every year, our relentless focus remains the same - whanau is at the heart of everything we do, and the Budget announcements underscore our belief in kaupapa Maori solutions - by us, for us, and for our future."
This includes $10m to extend Whanau Ora to more families, on top of $110m since 2015, and an operating budget of $73.5m per year, and $21m for Maori language and culture, including $5m to help make it easier for children to access kohanga reo.
"We are also committed to initiating home ownership trials for whanau, and to reducing the rates of family violence through facilitators able to support whanau."
• Whanau-centred family violence interventions with $9m over four years supporting facilitators to help whanau end violent behaviour.
• Rangatahi Suicide Fund with $8m over four years for suicide prevention work.
• Kohanga Reo - $5m over three years - increasing participation in kohanga reo and learning te reo Maori.
• Maori Land Service - $30.9m over one year - to support and advise Maori landowners.
Rotorua MP and Trade Minister Todd McClay. Photo/File
Todd McClay, Rotorua MP
This is a great Budget that delivers for workers and families in Rotorua from a National Government that is committed to helping everyday Kiwis get ahead.
This Budget sees more police on the beat, huge investment in hospitals and mental health services, and much more money for schools.
We're adjusting income tax thresholds so you keep more of your hard-earned money, increasing Working for Families and providing more for people on low incomes with high accommodation costs.
About 1.3 million families will get an extra $26 in the pocket each week from our $2 billion Family Incomes Package.
We are investing $7b of new funding in public services like health, education, law and order, and social development.
A further $4b will be spent on new public infrastructure including roads, rail and water storage. This will see 540 lane kilometres of new highways built and opened over the next four years.
After strong financial management from Finance Minister Bill English and now Steven Joyce, we are now in surplus, reducing debt and have expected annual growth of about 3 per cent over the next five years.
Labour Party Waiariki electorate candidate Tamati Coffey. Photo/File
"Te Ururoa and the Maori Party have failed to deliver for Maori in this Budget with crumbs amounting to 1 per cent of their new spend dedicated to Maori.
"The National/Maori Party Government will be hoping our whanau are distracted by this Budget enough to forget that our country is still critically short of houses with a crazily underfunded healthcare system.
"There is nothing in the Budget that deals with the huge issues that Maori face.
"Being 'at the table' for the last nine years, Maori statistics should have improved. However, Maori still have the worst statistics ever. Maori unemployment is twice the national average and there's no sign of things improving," he said.
"Things need to change. The controversial Ture Whenua reforms have been given $32 million, but Maori landowners are still none the wiser about what the new service will look like and what will happen to the Maori Land Court.
"The bill is great for the Maori elite, terrible for everyone else.
"Labour has a strong, fresh Maori team committed to backing Maori aspiration, getting more Maori into jobs, better housing, health and education - the basics that we need."
Labour Party Rotorua electorate candidate Ben Sandford. Photo/File
Ben Sandford, Labour Rotorua candidate
"This 'One Dollar Bill' budget proves after nine years, National have not only failed to deliver for New Zealanders, they've run out of energy to address the problems that actually matter.
"They had the chance to prove to New Zealanders they were serious about housing, mental health and education ahead of the election and they blew it.
"Even their highly hyped tax cuts fail to deliver more than pocket change for most Kiwis - it's just not good enough.
"As Labour leader Andrew Little stated 'This is simply cynical electioneering that does nothing to address the shortfalls in health, housing and education, and in fact makes them worse'," he said.
"This irresponsible Budget will not fix the housing crisis, or the unprecedented levels of homelessness in our community. Our DHBs need $200 million a year just to stand still, yet this Budget has them taking on water at a time when lengthy waiting lists are already causing alarm.
"Labour is committed to fixing the housing crisis. We will fund Kiwi education so that Kiwi kids have opportunity, and we will deliver a world-class healthcare system with accessible, top-quality mental health services."
New Zealand First list MP based in Rotorua Fletcher Tabuteau. Photo/File
Fletcher Tabuteau, Rotorua-based NZ First list MP
"Any fool can magic up a surplus by not spending on critically essential items of public need."
He said budgets were meant to be springboards for a philosophy and a vision "but this National Party has neither, aside from staying in power".
"Today they spent billions on problems they themselves created years ago and although the numbers sound incredibly large it won't make the difference that Kiwis want.
"Our media headlines now cry out almost every day for the Government to act on so many issues, in so many cities, and so many regions but the reality is people and communities are struggling with billions and billions of dollars' worth of social and infrastructure deficit.
"This Government has made countless promises and has failed to perform on every one.
"It is an election year and the people of New Zealand can now see that the National Party has never had a plan and are simply reacting to the problems of their own making. This country needs a vision, it needs a plan, it needs New Zealand First."
Green Party Rotorua electorate candidate Richard Gillies. Photo/File
Richard Gillies, Green candidate for Rotorua
Steven Joyce's Budget gives with one hand and takes away with the other.
National has always been long on grand announcements and short on real results.
All we've seen is more tinkering, with little difference made for those who need it the most, and no difference at all for our environment.
Working for Families credits will increase for some, but so will the severity of the abatement rates. Higher income earners will get the bulk of the tax cut benefit, while the lowest earners get just $5 a week.
With this Budget, National has once and for all admitted defeat in the face of the housing crisis. The Government expects rents to keep rising, and more people to require emergency housing.
There is nothing in here to dampen housing speculation or rampant investment.
There is a paltry $4m increase in funding to address climate change and a $300m increase in subsidies for polluters, and nothing that will clean up our polluted rivers, lakes and streams.
Overall, there's not much in it for Rotorua families, and no evidence that National deserves another three years in government.
Mrs Chadwick said the budget provided some opportunities for Rotorua in key areas.
"Rotorua is experiencing population, tourism, economic and business growth and that puts more pressure on infrastructure including roads, public facilities and amenities, and housing. These are key areas where we will continue lobbying for ongoing investment in our district from central government and its agencies.
"Useful partnerships with central government around these key infrastructure challenges are crucial.
"We'll also look for opportunities to tap into the likes of tourism, conservation and innovation funding that has been announced and we look forward to contributing to government social housing initiatives planned for Rotorua."
