The Government’s books are in a shambles with reports of the budget deficit spiralling well above Treasury forecasts. It’s so bad that even Grant Robertson is worried. Now he's even calling Public Service executives into his office to talk about fiscal restraint.

Government debt has reached more than $154 billion, or almost $79,000 for every household, according to official budget forecasts. But our sources at Treasury indicate that the real figures are much higher and New Zealanders are in for a shock when the Government books are updated again next month. 

But restraint isn’t enough to fill this colossal budget hole. We’re calling on Grant Robertson to commit to cutting unnecessary spending and reduce the number of back-office bureaucrats while he still can.