Treasury In response, the
New Zealand Treasury forecast that New Zealand would avoid a recession due to the rebuilding programme resulting from the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. The Treasury also forecast that
New Zealand's economy would not return to surplus for another year due to declining tax revenue and the Government's 2023 budget decisions.
Political Prime Minister Chris Hipkins defended Finance Minister Grant Robertson's handling of the 2023 budget, arguing that it would help New Zealand avoid an inflation. He predicted that inflation would return to between 1–3 per cent by the end of 2024 and reiterated the Government's focus on preparing for future climate-related "extreme events." The opposition
National Party leader
Christopher Luxon accused the government of "wasteful spending," labelling the 2023 budget "the blowout budget." National also criticised the budget's cost-of-living measures including free public transport, free early childhood education, and removing the $5 prescription medicines co-payment. The budget received a mixed response from the
Green Party. While the Greens welcomed several measures in the budget including public transport initiatives, and funding for early childhood education and warmer homes, Co-leader
Marama Davidson criticised the budget for falling short on supporting people, addressing climate change, and implementing a
wealth tax. Fellow Co-leader
James Shaw welcomed the budget's NZ$1.4 billion on climate change mitigation and the expansion of the country's electric charger stations but opined that the budget could have done more on addressing climate change and child poverty.
ACT Party leader
David Seymour stated that the Government was "running out of other people's money and excuses." While Seymour welcomed the Budget's infrastructure funding and medicinal support measures, he said that he did not support the Budget's increased overall spending and deficit, claiming that it would lead to a ten percent mortgage rates increase by the end of the year. The budget also received a mixed response from
Te Pāti Māori. Co-leader
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer welcomed the funding boost to the Te Matatini kapahaka festival but said that the Budget still favoured the wealthy and failed to reduce the cost of food by removing the
Goods and Services Tax.
The Opportunities Party criticised the 2023 budget for not addressing unfairness in New Zealand's taxation system, insufficient investment in young people, insufficient investment in the community housing sector, and the lack of long-term infrastructural investment plan.
Academics Economist
Shamubeel Eaqub welcomed the budget's emphasis on infrastructure, stating that New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit of NZ$210 billion.
Civil society groups Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand spokesperson Christine Rose criticised the 2023 budget for allegedly emphasizing corporate profit over addressing climate change and the cost of living. By contrast,
Federated Farmers criticised the Government for not investing in the farming sector and imposing "impractical, unpragmatic, and unfair regulations" on the farming sector in the midst of rising operating costs. The New Zealand College of Midwives praised the increased health spending within the 2023 budget, particularly the five percent increase for midwives. The college called for a strategic approach to job retention for midwives. The Free Fares campaign praised the Government's decision to introduce free public transportation for under-13 year olds and half-price fares for under-25 year olds. However, it criticised the Government's decision not to extend half-price fares to older age groups. ==References==