Rocket Man alright but not quite in the way Mr Joyce might think. Reminds one of the John/Taupin tune Rocket Man "burning out his fuse…and it's gonna be a long, long time till touch down brings him round again". This was a nothing Budget, tinkering with the fringes, primarily dishing out $2 billion in Family Packages but not kicking in until 2018 – way after the elections when National has probably been booted out. It is sticking plaster stuff, buying votes with sweeteners for a non-event economy based primarily on property said to contribute about $30 billion with associated appendages, adding $52 billion more to NZ's economy, giving a massive fillip of $82 billion way ahead of agriculture etc.

It's a fool's paradise – that why the polis want to keep it revving otherwise it's an empty tank. NZ has $191 billion of debt and survives on borrowing way beyond our means. National is not prepared to front up to big issues like immigration that costs NZ billions of dollars a year. We may be short of funds for the 'money-go-round' but National can still find $122 million for Maori interests. This nonsense will not get mainstream Kiwis onside, neither will the inane rantings of the Labour/Green coalition.

The photo shot of the front bench marching down the Beehive corridors of power to present the Budget has the look of the Charge of the Light Brigade headed by Cardigan Lucan and Raglan, and like them these lightweight fiscal fiddlers are headed for disaster.

R Paterson, Mount Maunganui.