The Government will deliver a 'wellbeing' Budget on May 30, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says - the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
Robertson announced in the 2018 Budget that the Government would be focusing on wellbeing in its future Budgets.
In a statement this morning, he said a wellbeing approach was an evidence-based framework used to identify Budget priorities and then assess which budget bids should be accepted.
“This means ministers and departments are focused on developing budget bids and policies which will deliver outcomes that will make real improvements to New Zealanders’ wellbeing.”
Speaking at a wellbeing forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said any minister who wants more money to spend in their portfolio would have to prove it will improve intergenerational wellbeing.
“So the Minister of Health might want to work with the Minister of Child Poverty and start delivering interventions that make a difference 30 years down the track,” she said.
In December, the Government announced its five priorities for Budget 2019. These were:
• Creating opportunities for productive businesses, regions, iwi and others to transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy.
• Supporting a thriving nation in the digital age through innovation, social and economic opportunities.
• Lifting Māori and Pacific incomes, skills and opportunities.
• Reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing, including addressing family violence.
• Supporting mental wellbeing for all New Zealanders, with a special focus on under 24-year-olds.
“These were developed using the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework, evidence from sector-based experts and the Government’s Science Advisors, and through collaboration among public sector agencies and Ministers,” Robertson said.
Ministers were collectively responsible for delivering on these priorities, he added.
“For the first time, [ministers] have been tasked from the outset of the Budget process with developing their Budget bids through the lens of these evidenced-based priorities.
“This is a more rigorous framework for assessing bids and ensures that the Government is focused on the outcomes that matter most.”
