Get ready for what we now know will be a winter of discontent after the announcement by Nicola Willis that she is slashing government spending. 

Which shows us once and for all, that the income tax cuts were a dreadful mistake. Because it’s not just ideology driving these budget cuts - it’s need. 

The Government has much less money coming in the door through taxation - which means it’s got much less to spend. 

And, maybe conveniently, the Finance Minister’s announcement yesterday came 48 hours before 5,000+ senior doctors go on strike wanting more pay. 

But if the Minister was watching the news last night, she would have seen people asked in the street what they thought she should focus her spending on in next month’s budget. And it was clear, hands down, that most people thought it was health. And I’m the same. 

If there’s one thing that affects us all in some way, shape or form - it’s the state of the health system. 

I think the Government needs to take holistic view of the world when it comes to health and not just pour money into hospitals. But I think health spending or increased health spending needs to go into things from treating people who are really crook, people who need treatment to live productive and happy lives, but also things that help prevent people from getting unwell in the first place. 

The bigger issue for the Government though, aside from the state of the books, is maintaining public confidence. Winter is always the hardest time for us to keep our chin up and the Government will be aware of that. 

And no amount of cheerleading or writing-off its political opponents as moaners with no ambition is going to cut it anymore. Nor is some of the patronising talk we’re hearing from the Finance Minister, who is at-risk of becoming as patronising as Jacinda Ardern was by the end of her tenure. 

We don't need to be told about household budgets and credit cards being declined to understand that the country is in the shtook. Just like we don't need patronising talk about Toyota Corolla ferries instead of Ferrari ferries. 

Even if you think Nicola Willis is the best thing since Ruth Richardson, you must be getting tired of some of the talk. 

The other thing that gets me is that a lot of people bang on about us needing governments with business experience. 

You know, successful people who know how to run a budget. But it always seems to me that when these so-called successful people do get into government, they do the complete opposite of what people expect them to do. 

For example: when you run a successful business, yes, you do keep an eye on costs. But there’s another thing you do as well when you run a business: you try to get as much revenue in the door, as possible. 

But this government has done the complete opposite of that with its tax cuts. 

No one’s better off. And the Government has way less money to spend. 

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