Budget 2025 – Get ready to fight back.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is pessimistic about the government budget, due to be delivered by Minister of Finance Nicola Willis next Thursday.

A fortnight ago, the Minister announced a $1b cut to the new money available for spending – a halving of last year’s operating allowance.

Te Kauae Kaimahi | New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Economist Craig Renney warned at the time that “$1.3bn in operating allowance isn’t enough to pay for cost pressures in health alone ($1.55bn). There is no money for cost pressures in education and other public services, or proposed defence spending. This is a Budget that will be built on cuts to essential services.”

This comes in the wake of a leaked budget briefing in February that was reported to indicate a $64 million dollar funding cut was in the works.

As Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Sandra Grey points out, “the government is giving us a lot to campaign around at the moment. This year’s budget will either deliver a funding adjustment well below inflation or an absolute cut. This will inevitably lead to course and staff cuts. We have to be ready to fight back hard.”