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We hear a lot at the moment that we live in turbulent times, but we shouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that the world is any more turbulent at the moment than it has been in the past.

The endless repetition and rapid transmission of events in the world (does not necessarily mean) much greater instability or much greater threat than there has been.

And when you’re at the end of the world as New Zealand is, we of course are the place where all the waves eventually wash up.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It’s a pleasure to be here today.

Can I start by acknowledging my Deputy Paula Bennett and paying tribute to the man who is responsible for pulling this year’s Budget together - Finance Minister Steven Joyce.

And can I say it’s a pleasure to lead a country that’s becoming more confident and sure of itself, and where we have so many positive choices.

New Zealand has an enviable international reputation.

Good morning.

Can I start by thanking the International Business Forum and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event.

And can I acknowledge your guests and my ministerial colleagues.

In particular I want to acknowledge Trade Minister Todd McClay, who along with Foreign Minister Murray McCully is doing an excellent job of promoting our interests overseas.

I think Todd and Murray would admit that some parts of that job are not too difficult.

After all, we have an enviable reputation around the world.

Honourable Members.

The National-led Government’s busy and ambitious policy agenda and legislative programme in 2017 will continue to back New Zealanders to succeed.

This is a Government focused on delivering more opportunities for people to get ahead.

It is a Government that backs New Zealanders who take risks to create new jobs and new businesses.

It backs New Zealanders who work hard so they can raise their families.

And it backs New Zealanders who need the Government’s support to improve their lives.

Kia ora koutou katoa

What a wonderful, diverse group of people we have here, reflecting the fact that Tamaki Makaurau is one of the most diverse cities in the world.

It’s great to be here with Ngati Whatua on Waitangi Day celebrating the achievement of so many iwi, and so many communities who have come to see that a treaty settlement, that an iwi that is part of their community, is a recipe for success for the future.

Honour and glory to God
Peace to the land
Goodwill to all people
Greetings to us all acknowledging Waitangi day
Here with our hosts Ngati Whatua of Orakei
At Bastion Point,
In Tamaki (Auckland)
I sincerely thank you Ngati Whatua for your warm and generous hospitality
And Invite us all to enjoy Waitangi Day.

Can I acknowledge Ngati Whatua, and thank them for their invitation to come here today.

Good afternoon,

My thanks to the Rotary Club of Auckland, and in particular President Andrew Aitken and the Rotary team for hosting this event.

I also want to acknowledge Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett and Finance Minister Steven Joyce, who are here today. Both of them are doing great work on behalf of New Zealanders.

Special guests, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming today.

The start of the year is the time to stand back and look at how we’re doing as a country.

Good morning,

I’m pleased to see such a good turnout for what is, I believe, a significant step towards better services for people, and better government for the country.

Over the last five years, we’ve talked about social investment and about doing what works in social services.

Throughout that time agencies have been developing and assembling the pieces of a system that will deliver on this promise.

Good afternoon and thank you for having me.

I wanted to take the opportunity today to stand back a bit from some of the day to day issues and pick one of two things which are forcing us to change the way we think.

But before I do that I want to cover the economy briefly.

New Zealand’s economic prospects are good.

There are a lot of events going on around the world that cause concern on any day of the week. We can’t do much about any of them.

Mr Speaker,

I move that the Appropriation (2016/17 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time.

It’s a privilege to present the eighth Budget of this National-led Government.

I recall our first Budget, delivered in difficult times, with Treasury forecasting never-ending deficits and ever-rising debt.

Today, however, I can present a healthy set of public accounts.

The Crown’s books show rising surpluses and falling debt.

Good afternoon everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with you again.

Thank you to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce for once again organising this pre-Budget lunch.

Budget 2016 will include a wide range of initiatives that build on the good progress we’ve made over the previous seven Budgets.

It will have a strong focus on investing in a growing economy – further advancing the work we’ve been doing to support a more productive and competitive economy through the Business Growth Agenda.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo

o ngā iwi o te motu,

o ngā tangata Pasifika

me ngā roopu hei āwhina i te Pani me te hunga Rawakore

tēnā tatau katoa

Aku hoa o te Whare Miere

me ngā Kaiwhakahaere, ngā Kai-takatu o ngā Tari o te Kawanatanga

Tēnā koutou katoa.

He huinga tangata he whakaaro kia rātau kua wehi atu ki te pō,

Te hunga mate ki te hunga mate

Good afternoon.

Thank you Michael and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and Steve and Massey University, for inviting me back to this annual event.

It’s a pleasure to be here again.

Today I want to take you through some of our initiatives through to 2017. I can tell you there is no letup in pace this term – we’ve got a busy policy programme, and there is much to do.

I also want to share with you some of our longer term thinking, particularly with ongoing reform of urban planning and the Government’s finances.

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon.

It is a pleasure to speak with you again, for what I make as my eighth time as Finance Minister.

One of the best parts of my job is the number of public servants and services providers I get to meet.

Overwhelmingly I find we’re all driven by the same thing - getting better results for New Zealanders, and doing our best for the most vulnerable.

Whether it’s social housing, health, education, welfare or justice, the goal is the same.

Thank you for inviting me today.

It’s a pleasure to speak to the Trans-Tasman Business Circle again.

Yesterday I announced that the Government had achieved one of its key fiscal targets, posting a surplus of $414 million in 2014/15.

That was the culmination of years of focus on a target that has brought discipline to spending.

But it is far from the end of the road for our programme of responsible fiscal management.

Thank you very much for the welcome.

I want to talk about the way that we approach economic policy in one area in particular – the housing market.

It’s certainly been topical lately.

The Government takes the approach that the best thing we can do for the economy is work to improve its resilience – its capacity to adapt.

That’s important because in New Zealand we have had times when our economy has not been resilient, when price signals have not been clear until it is too late – at which time they become extraordinarily clear.

Good afternoon, and thank you for having me here today.

It is a pleasure to launch this Treasury Guest Lecture Series focused on social investment.

As some of you may know, I actually started my public sector career at Treasury as a graduate in 1987.

It’s good to see so many people from other government agencies, tertiary institutions, NGOs and the private sector in the room.

I’m here today to talk about social services, particularly for the most vulnerable New Zealanders.

Thank you for coming along today.

It’s a pleasure to be here in Christchurch, for the launch of the Thirty Year New Zealand Infrastructure Plan.

Meeting New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges over the next 30 years will require coordination across central government, local government and the private sector.

So I would like to recognise our partners for the progress we’ve made together, their engagement in developing this Plan, and their commitment to meet New Zealand’s infrastructure needs over the next 30 years.

Thank you for inviting me tonight.

It’s a pleasure to be here in Australia.

What happens over here, and what people are thinking, affects New Zealand profoundly.

That’s why I try to visit here regularly and talk to as many people as I can.

I want to acknowledge the warm relationship shared between our respective Governments – and the constructive engagements we have with Prime Minister Abbott and Joe Hockey in particular.

Mr Speaker,

I move that the Appropriation (2015/16 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time.

It’s a privilege to present the National-led Government’s seventh Budget.

New Zealand has come through significant challenges and is now a more confident and resilient country than it was seven years ago.

Successive Budgets have sought to put New Zealand on a track to surplus and debt reduction, and as a result the Government’s books are in good shape.

Good afternoon everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with you again this year.

Thank you to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce for once again organising this pre-Budget lunch.

I also want to acknowledge the Chamber’s work in promoting the Wellington business community and in advocating policy to enable businesses in the capital to invest, employ and grow.

The Budget on 21st May will set out in detail the Treasury’s revised economic and fiscal forecasts as well as the Government’s decisions around new spending.

Good afternoon.

Thank you Michael and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and Steve and Massey University, for inviting me back to this annual event.

It’s a pleasure to be with you again today. I make this the sixth time I’ve spoken at this forum since becoming Minister of Finance.

With the National-led Government now into its third term, I’d like to update you on our priorities for the next three years.

We have three busy years ahead of us. And there is much to do.

Good afternoon.

This is my seventh opportunity to talk to this audience, which reflects both the stability of this Government and the opportunity provided by a clear election mandate to embed changes in public services.

I want to start by congratulating the public service.

While it maintains a necessary habit of self-criticism, the public service has achieved the targets this Government has set for it.

We have been able to live within small allowances for new funding.