A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. It may also be a junior minister in the finance department, the British Treasury, for example has four junior ministers.
Ruthanasia, a portmanteau of "Ruth" and "euthanasia", is the pejorative name given to the period of free-market policies conducted during the first term of the fourth National government in New Zealand, from 1990 to 1993. As the first period of reform from 1984 to 1990 was known as Rogernomics after the Labour Party Minister of Finance, Roger Douglas, so the second period became known as "Ruthanasia", after the National Party's Minister of Finance, Ruth Richardson.
Ruth Richardson served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, is credited for being the first Finance Minister to have published a modern public sector balance sheet. Following the work of the preceding Labour Government that initiated the financial reforms and passed the necessary legislation, she supported and carried on the reforms, and extended them in a significant way with the fiscal responsibility Act 1994. And more than the Labour ministers who initiated the reforms, she advocated for the merits of modern accounting and financial systems subsequently introduced modern accounting to the national government. These Public Financial Management reforms were part of her wider economic reforms that helped to take New Zealand out of its economic and financial crisis, including the Mother of all Budgets as the first budget was called. Many have noted the wide-ranging affects on New Zealand's social fabric including child poverty along with wealth inequality which were both exacerbated.
The New Zealand Treasury is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the Government on economic policy, assisting with improving the performance of New Zealand's economy, and managing financial resources.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen on 18 May 2006.
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 New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2014/15 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 15 May 2014. This was the sixth budget English has presented as Minister of Finance.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 20 May 2010.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 19 May 2011.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2009-2010 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 28 May 2009.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2007-2008 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen on 17 May 2007.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen on 22 May 2008.
The New Zealand Budget is statement by the Government of New Zealand, usually set annually, of the state's revenues and expenditures for the preceding fiscal year and years to come. It is prepared by the New Zealand Treasury for the Minister of Finance.
The Malaysian federal budget for 2016 fiscal year was presented to the Dewan Rakyat by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Najib Razak on Friday, 23 October 2015.
In Malaysia, federal budgets are presented annually by the Government of Malaysia to identify proposed government revenues and spending and forecast economic conditions for the upcoming year, and its fiscal policy for the forward years. The federal budget includes the government's estimates of revenue and spending and may outline new policy initiatives. Federal budgets are usually released in October, before the start of the fiscal year. All of the Malaysian states also present budgets. Since state finances are dependent on money from the federal government, these budgets are usually released after the federal one.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2016/17 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 26 May 2016. It was the eighth budget English has presented as Minister of Finance, and the eighth budget of the Fifth National Government.
The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2017/18 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Steven Joyce on 25 May 2017. It was the ninth budget of the Fifth National Government, and the first presented by Joyce in his role as Minister of Finance. This was the last budget presented by the Fifth National government which was defeated at the 2017 general election.
Ian Ball is a Professor of Practice - Public Financial Management at the School of Accounting and Commercial Law at Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand. He served as the Director of Financial Management Policy and Central Financial Controller at the New Zealand Treasury from 1987 through 1994. He is credited with being the architect of the design and implementation of New Zealand's financial management reform process, leading to the passage of the Public Finance Act of 1989. This made New Zealand first country to introduce modern accounting and integrate its balance sheet with the budget, as a tool for its budgeting, appropriations, and financial reporting. This public sector balance sheet was used to avoid a double down-grade to the Sovereign credit rating, under the stewardship of the then Minister of Finance Ruth Richardson.
