Finance Minister Grant Robertson remains proud of his South Dunedin upbringing and continues to look to his past as he starts to build his reputation in his new role.
On Thursday, Mr Robertson will release the Government's Budget policy statement. Those looking for a big spend-up at the expense of fiscal responsibility seem destined to be disappointed.
The Finance Minister said in a speech yesterday the Government's twin approach of investing to deliver social justice, while being responsible with finances, very much mirrored who he was and his background.
``I grew up in the cloak of a Presbyterian family in Dunedin. Today, I still live by the values my mother taught me - we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers; treat others as you wish to be treated; and if you work hard you will achieve your goals.''
He had also taken the extra precaution of having two associate finance ministers steeped in the background of parsimonious southern Presbyterianism in David Parker and David Clark, the latter being an ordained minister for good measure, Mr Robertson said.
``I also worked in the fifth Labour government as an adviser to [former prime minister] Helen Clark. I saw first hand how she and [former finance minister] Michael Cullen were able to lead a government that was fiscally disciplined, ran surpluses, paid down debt and had the lowest unemployment rates in the OECD, while also delivering progressive social programmes like Working for Families, 20 hours' free early education, interest-free student loans, KiwiSaver and more.
``We have done this before and we will do it again.''
There would be a different approach to the way Budget 2018 was shaped, he said.
There would not be a slew of new initiatives released in the weeks heading into the Budget. The plan was already out there.
The first steps towards Budget 2018 would come on Thursday.
The Government was formed early enough during the Treasury's forecasting and half-year economic and fiscal update cycle to be able to include officials' work on its 100-day plan costs into the half-year update, Mr Robertson said.
The likes of the Families Package, fees-free post-secondary education and training, paid parental leave, the $2billion capital injection for KiwiBuild and the plan to restart contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund were all included in the ``base projections'' the Government was starting from.
That was not to say there would be nothing to talk about at Budget 2018 or Budget 2019, he said.
The Budget policy statement would set out the operating and capital allowances set for the next few Budgets. The allowances provided the room for the rest of the Government's policy agenda beyond the 100-day plan.
