Kiwis across the country are reacting to the Government's "no frills" Budget 2023, which comes amid a cost of living crunch and ahead of a general election later this year.
Kaitaia resident Mary Wharemate is a solo mum of four. She said times were tough with rising prices under the cost of living crunch.
"I like lowering the power costs. That'll be a major one for us. When we have to use the heating in the winter," she said.
The mother said a normal bill would get to around $400 a month with heating. The state house she lives in is often damp, she says, sometimes with flooding.
As part of the Budget, the Government has announced it will invest $400 million in additional efforts to reduce heating costs for households.
It said it would provide support for an additional 100,000 heating and insulation retrofits that reduce electricity use by 16% on average.
“It'll be good for everyone in this town
She said lowering the cost of childcare was "major" as she wouldn't have to worry about those bills. Meanwhile, removing the $5 co-payment for prescriptions would also "help".
"It'll be good for everyone in this town," Wharemate said. "It'll help."
In the Budget, Education Minister Jan Tinetti announced that the Government would extend 20 hours of free early childhood education to two-year-olds from March 2024.
Meanwhile, in Christchurch, solo mum Janelle Richardson said it was "disappointing" that the Budget didn't do more to help with skyrocketing food prices or petrol prices.
"There are costs that haven't been mentioned, like transport as far as petrol... Food prices still remain at a high, and they don't seem to be coming down.
Budget 2023's new transport initiatives include free public transport for children, an expansion of the electric vehicle charging network, and resilience upgrades to roads.
Half-price public transport will continue but only for people under 25. Reductions for everyone and discounts on the fuel excise duty will come to an end in June.
Both were initially announced as part of transport cost of living relief last year.
"You buy food because we have to eat," she said. "Which you take away from your power or from other areas of spending. To get it right is to get our basic needs met."
She said the additional subsidies for heating were a good thing.
"Everybody will be happy with that."
However, she wished there had been more money for education alongside the announcement of an extension of free early childhood education.
“Everyone deserves a roof over their head
"It's fantastic for the ECE. It will help parents," Richardson said.
But the mother said she wanted additional help for older kids as well.
Queenstown resident Kim Knight, 63, has struggled with the price of housing in the city.
She helps at a food bank but is struggling to find a place to live herself.
"Everyone deserves a roof over their head," she said.
"I think often, until you've actually experienced something first-hand, it's impossible to know what it feels like to be in that situation."
She said the Government's decisions needed to fundamentally have understanding and empathy towards people struggling under the housing crisis.
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