UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne describes this year's Budget 2016 as 'pretty boring”.

He says despite the lack of excitement, the Budget deserves credit for its focus on health, vulnerable families, and more effective social investment, issues UnitedFuture has long been interested in.

'I am delighted that at last the government is tackling the plight of vulnerable children and at-risk families head-on.

'It is great to hear it talking of putting children at the heart of social policy, and being prepared to make radical changes to existing structures, rather than just pump more money in to propping up a clearly failing system.”

'The Minister of Finance is right to challenge a system that has seen rising social expenditure, but at the same time tolerated deteriorating social performance.

‘That cannot be allowed to continue, and I hope the government will be prepared to match the rhetoric with ongoing action,” Peter says.

He says the Budget's more than $2 billion investment in health over the next four years is welcome, but says that will need to be sustained.

'Rapidly advancing medical technology, expensive new designer medicines, critical workforce shortages and rising public expectations will require nothing less, and this Budget's decisions should be seen as really a down payment on future health requirements,” he says.

Peter says he is disappointed the Budget is not as bold as it could have been for those struggling to get a foot onto the property ladder.

'I repeat my call for an all-sector National Housing Summit to develop an overall strategic plan to deal with housing affordability in New Zealand.

'The Budget recognises this problem, but we are yet to see a long-term national plan that recognises that this problem is multi-faceted.

'It is all very well to boost emergency housing benefits but that is a Band-Aid solution to the wider issues facing housing.”

'We need everyone on board to resolve this issue – it cannot continue in the vein of the political slanging match it has become in recent weeks.

Source: Office of Peter Dunne.