The economy of New Zealand is a highly developed free-market economy. It is the 52nd-largest national economy in the world when measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the 62nd-largest in the world when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). New Zealand has one of the most globalised economies and depends greatly on international trade, mainly with China, Australia, the European Union, the United States, and Japan. New Zealand's 1983 Closer Economic Relations agreement with Australia means that the economy aligns closely with that of Australia. Among OECD nations, New Zealand has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 21.5% of GDP.
Dunedin Hospital is the main public hospital in Dunedin, New Zealand. It serves as the major base hospital for the Otago and Southland regions with a potential catchment radius of roughly 300 kilometres, and a population of around 300,000.
The Third Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1972 to 1975. During its time in office, it carried out a wide range of reforms in areas such as overseas trade, farming, public works, energy generation, local government, health, the arts, sport and recreation, regional development, environmental protection, education, housing, and social welfare. Māori also benefited from revisions to the laws relating to land, together with a significant increase in a Māori and Island Affairs building programme. In addition, the government encouraged biculturalism and a sense of New Zealand identity. However, the government damaged relations between Pākehā and Pasifika New Zealanders by instituting the Dawn Raids on alleged overstayers from the Pacific Islands; the raids have been described as "the most blatantly racist attack on Pacific peoples by the New Zealand government in New Zealand’s history". The government lasted for one term before being defeated a year after the death of its popular leader, Norman Kirk.
The Student Loan Scheme (SLS), introduced in New Zealand in 1992, provides student loans and allowances for course fees, course-related costs, and living costs to tertiary students who meet StudyLink's funding criteria. StudyLink is the public organisation part of the Ministry for Social Development and is responsible for administering student loans and allowances. Eligibility criteria apply, and courses must be approved.
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund is a sovereign wealth fund in New Zealand. New Zealand currently provides universal superannuation for people over 65 years of age and the purpose of the Fund is to partially pre-fund the future cost of the New Zealand Superannuation pension, which is expected to increase as a result of New Zealand's ageing population. The fund is a member of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds and is therefore signed up to the Santiago Principles on best practice in managing sovereign wealth funds.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2012–2013 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 24 May 2012.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2013/14 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 16 May 2013. This was the fifth budget English has presented as Minister of Finance.
The Sixth Labour Government governed New Zealand from 26 October 2017 to 27 November 2023. It was headed first by Jacinda Ardern and later by Chris Hipkins, as Labour Party leader and prime minister.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2018/19 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on 17 May 2018.
Budget 2019, dubbed the Wellbeing Budget, was the name given to the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2019/20 presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on 30 May 2019. This was the second budget presented by the Coalition Government. Its release was complicated by the accidental publication of budgetary documents on a test website two days prior to its official release on 30 May, attracting significant media and public attention.
On 29 January 2020, the New Zealand Upgrade Programme was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The programme is a $12 billion infrastructure package to improve roads, rail, hospitals and schools around the country, of which $8 billion has been allocated and the other $4 billion is part of the infrastructure section of the 2020 budget.
Budget 2020, dubbed "Rebuilding Together", was the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2020/21 worth NZ$50 billion, presented to the House of Representatives by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on 14 May 2020, the third budget presented by the coalition government of 2017–2020. This budget occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand and on the same day that the country exited the lockdown brought about by alert level 3.
Budget 2021 is the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2021/22, presented to the House of Representatives by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on 20 May 2021 as the fourth budget presented by the Sixth Labour Government. This budget occurs after a year of several lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand and focuses on economic recovery.
Te Aka Whai Ora was an independent New Zealand government statutory entity tasked with managing Māori health policies, services, and outcomes. The agency was one of four national bodies that oversee New Zealand's health system since 2022, along with the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Agency, and Te Whatu Ora. They replaced a system in which a single Ministry funded services through 20 district health boards (DHBs).
Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM) was a proposed public media entity consisting of the New Zealand public broadcasters Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and TVNZ. After exploring the merger of the two media entities in February 2020, the New Zealand Cabinet formally decided to create the new media entity in February 2022. The Sixth Labour Government introduced legislation to create ANZPM on 23 June 2022, with plans for the organisation to be legally established on 1 March 2023. On 8 February 2023, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who succeeded Jacinda Ardern earlier in January 2023, announced that the proposed media entity and the merger of RNZ and TVNZ would be scrapped.
Budget 2023, titled "Support for today, Building for tomorrow", is the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2023/24 presented to the House of Representatives by Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, on 18 May 2023 as the fifth budget presented by the Sixth Labour Government. The budget was released in the midst of rising living costs and recovery efforts following the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in January and February 2023.
The 2023 New Zealand mini-budget, also known as Mini Budget 2023, was released by Minister of Finance Nicola Willis on 20 December 2023 as part of the Sixth National Government's plan to address the cost of living, deliver income tax relief, and reduce the tax burden. The Government's mini-budget delivered NZ$7.47 billion in operational savings by repealing or stopping 15 programmes launched by the previous Labour Government including 20 hours of free child care for two-year olds, eliminating depreciation for commercial buildings and dissolving the Climate Emergency Response Fund.
The first term of the Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand lasted between 2017 and 2020. It was formed on 19 October 2017 following coalition agreements between the Labour, Green and New Zealand First parties. Three years later, Labour won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election and was returned for a second term.
The second term of the Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand lasted between 2020 and 2023. It was formed following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the 2020 New Zealand general election. In mid January 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned and was succeeded by Chris Hipkins. During the 2023 New Zealand general election held on 14 October, Labour lost its majority to the opposition National Party. The Government remained in a caretaker capacity until the new National–led coalition government was sworn in on 27 November 2023.
Budget 2024 is the New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2024/25 presented to the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, on 30 May 2024 as the first budget presented by the Sixth National Government, ignoring the mini-budget they presented in December 2023.
