2. Budget 2018—PrioritiesWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour) to the Minister of FinanceBudget 2018—Priorities2. WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour) to the Minister of Finance: What are the Government's priorities for Budget 2018?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): When we announce the Budget on 17 May New Zealanders will see that we have a different set of priorities to the previous Government. Budget 2018 will focus on rebuilding critical public services and futureproofing the New Zealand economy. This starts with long-overdue boosts to health education housing and policies that make our communities safer. The Budget represents a major step towards restoring public services—[Chamber lights flicker]—like lights in Parliament—to the standard that New Zealanders expect and deserve. We are also making the investments necessary to ensure that our economy is fit for purpose for the 21st century—an economy that delivers a better quality of life for New Zealanders in the years and decades ahead. Willow-Jean Prime: Why is it important to focus on these priorities? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It's important to focus on these priorities because they are the priorities of New Zealanders—critical public services that allow them to lead safe healthy and fulfilling lives—and we only need to look at recent evidence to see why. Radio New Zealand reported yesterday that many emergency department staff have been stretched beyond their limits by unprecedented demand. Radio New Zealand have also reported early childhood centres are struggling to hire qualified staff. Newshub is reporting parents are being urged to be vigilant as winter approaches—SPEAKER: OK OK. Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: —because of reports showing that children have been hospitalised with asthma at nearly double the rate since 2002. There are huge challenges left behind by the previous Government but we have a plan to deal with them. Willow-Jean Prime: What choices has the Government made in investing in these priorities? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Oh we're taking the responsible approach of balancing the investment needed in our critical public services with our Budget responsibility rules. That means we will deliver a surplus in Budget 2018 and we will reduce net core Crown debt to 20 percent of GDP within five years of taking office. We have the resources to make the critical investments necessary to rebuild our services because we do have a slower debt repayment track than the last Government we are increasing revenue and we have reprioritised unfocused and poorly targeted expenditure from the previous Government. It will take more than one Budget to undo nine years of neglect but we have the plan to do that.Hon Chris Hipkins: Where's Amy?Hon Paul Goldsmith: How many extra students have enrolled this year—SPEAKER: Order! Sorry I'm just going to ask who made that interjection.Hon Chris Hipkins: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Thank you.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How many extra students have enrolled this year in response to the $2.8 billion tertiary education policy and why does that spending take priority over keeping an election promise to reduce the cost of GP visits this year?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I don't have the information on the exact numbers here but what I do know is of the 80000 people who would be eligible to benefit from that 50000 of them will be in trade training workplace training and apprenticeships—an area that that party neglected consistently during their time in office.