Herald economics editor Brian Fallow gives his thoughts on today's Budget

The Canterbury earthquakes, a string of state sector privacy breaches and the Novopay debacle have increased the pressure on New Zealand's three primary public watchdogs.

With today's Budget expected to herald a return to surpluses - skinny next year but plumper in the following years - it is time to start thinking about what to do with them, writes Brian Fallow.

Views from a businessman, parents, migrants, homebuyers, a retiree and a student.

PM John Key said one of the choices that today's Budget surplus would present was the possibility his party could promise tax cuts in the election campaign.

Finance Minister Bill English has paid tribute to frontline public servants for helping to get the Govt books back in surplus for the first time in six years.

More than $20 million in government research and development funding has been awarded to 15 technology firms.

Under the old first-past-the-post system National would romp home, but MMP neutralises such clear-cut outcomes, writes Bob Jones.

Kiwis shouldn't expect any changes to KiwiSaver to be announced in Thursday's Budget despite Labour's controversial proposals for the scheme.

The Budget on Thursday will include a more cheerful set of economic forecasts than the Treasury delivered six months ago.

Budget week in Australia and NZ normally finds the two countries in a similar economic condition, with Australia looking the stronger. Not this week.

This is a Budget that needs to be familiar and reassuring, writes Liam Dann. National will be banking on English reminding middle NZ that we've survived the GFC in good shape.

Bill English's backroom team will massage every number they can find to make good on their solemn promise to tax more than they spend, writes Rob Salmond.

Deloitte NZ chief executive Thomas Pippos with his thoughts on this week's Budget - is the surplus worth celebrating? What can business and the general public expect from this week's Budget.

A real estate agency boss has backed a call this week by finance minister Bill English to relax rules designed to stamp out so-called "shoebox apartments".

New Zealanders can look forward to only slightly better wages and jobs growth over the next four years than they have had over the past four.

Finance Minister Bill English has hinted at changes in the Budget to make it easier for housing developers to build smaller and cheaper.