Not sure

Well I've now had a couple of days to ponder the Budget so I thought I'd reflect on what was probably the most important budget politically since 2005.

This time of course Dr Cullen, albeit reluctantly, offered the tax cuts that politically at least should have probably come 12-24 months ago. While the amounts involved will never satisfy the media and those people who are dark about Clark and Co anyway, it is about $40 a pay extra for me - which I will naturally blow on something important like an album or DVD no doubt... er i mean save - which can't really be sneezed at.

But the old school element in me has also pondered what could have been - the total cost of this package was over $10 billion over four years. Now granted there was overwhelming political demand for the cuts and if they hadn't been delivered, Cullen may as well have handed over the cheque book to English straight away, but I think its important to reflect on what else $10 billion could have bought the country had we not all been sucked into the Nats campaign saying this was the way to higher wages and having more money in the pocket.

$10 billion could have delivered free primary healthcare (doctors visits) to all New Zealanders. Or it could have wiped student debt. It could have delivered free early childhood education, taken care of school fees and no doubt still made a pretty decent dent in our national skills shortage.

Higher wages will be achieved when we increase productivity, up our education and skill levels, move our focus to innovative weightless exports and improve our infrastructure - not by cutting taxes (you only have to do that again and again and again - while inevitably cutting services meaning household costs rise further). I guess if the Government hadn't waited 9 years to change the thresholds there would have been less demand and this year's spending could have been a little more intelligent and we could have avoided playing a short-term move.

Time will tell if it gets Labour back in the game and arguably John (Guy Smiley) Key did more damage to his party than the cuts with his dire performance on Campbell Live and Close Up. It would be nice if our wonderful intellectual media "Political Editors" could spend less time drinking with him at the Matterhorn and more time noticing his inability to deliver a decent speech or anything that looks like a policy.

But hey, I may as well roll with it and start planning how I'm to spend my extra $40 a payday.