Better transport and more money for healthcare on public's Budget wishlist

The government is set to announce their 2018 Budget next week, and Te Waha Nui asked members of the public and students about what they want to see the government spend their money on.

The most popular suggestions for the budget were public transport and infrastructure, as well as healthcare.

Shop owner Jarred Albel wants the government to spend more on education and healthcare.

“I’d wrap the homelessness focus into healthcare, because a lot of homeless people are in desperate need of treatment,” he said.

Andreas Neef said, “I don’t feel that New Zealand’s public transport system works, so I would like to see more of the budget go into public transport,”

The Professor of Development Studies at the University of Auckland would also like to see the government allocate more funds to foreign aid, to help Pacific nations deal with the effects of climate change.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters announced earlier this week that $900 million will be allocated for foreign aid in the Budget.

Of the AUT students that Te Waha Nui spoke to, there was an overwhelming want for increased living costs and student allowances.

Keara Voigt, 19 said that living costs are “not enough to live on by any means.”

Engineering student Callum Brice said,“I don’t reckon you can live off of it, especially in Auckland.”

Although the students appreciated the Labour government’s first year of free study initiative, they wanted to see other students benefit as well.

“Second year students like me don’t really benefit from that,” said India Sebenik.

The NZ Union of Students’ Association (NZUSA) wants more money for postgraduate students.

This week the group delivered a petition with 2159 signatures to Green Party Education spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick, calling for the reinstatement of student allowances for postgraduate students.

The 2018 Budget will be announced by the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson on Thursday May 17 at 2pm.