Was Grant Robertson's mini budget a triumph or did it simply fail to deliver? Corin, Andrea and Katie from the 1 NEWS' political team assess the Government's big announcement this week.
The coalition Government says about 384,000 families will be better off by $75 a week under its families package.
It's estimated 88,000 children's lives will be turned around by the flagship policy which will cost $5.5 billion over the next five years.
"On all of our modelling, it looks like we will reduce child poverty by almost half," said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
But National's finance spokesperson Steven Joyce says the previous government would have lifted more children out of poverty over the same period.
"The previous government's package lifted 50,000 young people out of poverty immediately when the package came into force. The Government are comparing that with 88,000. And that seems a lot better until you note the fine print - and they are not talking about till 2021," he said.
National has also criticised a $450 winter energy payment that'll go to all pensioners regardless of their wealth.
1 NEWS' Political Editor Corin Dann asked Political reporters Katie Bradford and Andrea Vance what they rated Grant Robertson's mini budget this week on Inside Parliament.
They all agreed they would score it between seven and eight points out of 10.
"What was National left to attack on? First of all no $11.7 billion hole that they could identify and say there is it but it is obviously tight," Corin Dann stated.
"They only need a shock, something to happen like an earthquake.. and they'll be in trouble," Katie Bradford added.
"I think National really missed a trick there. There are a lot of holes there. Not costing the coalition promises properly, the risks with upcoming pay equity claims, Kiwi build and the potential for any natural disasters," Andrea Vance said.
Was Grant Robertson's mini budget a triumph or did it simply fail to deliver?
However Corin argued, "the families package swamped it. It was just too big."
The 1 NEWS team rate Labour’s so called ‘mini-budget’ announcement this week.
The 1 NEWS political team delve into the MFAT issue that cost the tax payer $250,000.
Inside Parliament: Soundcloud , iTunes and Facebook .
SHARE ME