Chrystal ball gazing isn’t the most reliable pursuit but we need to start somewhere when we consider the Budget which will be released tomorrow at 2.30pm in Wellington.

These are some of the issues I would like to see addressed:

*Job creation – incentives and investment for NZ’s tomorrow. Build some companies, let’s show some flair and use our imagination to grow manufacturing.

*A basic living wage – Let’s face it, prices keep on going up and wages are too low (who wants to live on $13.50 an hour, who can feed a family on this rate?) Why should workers stay in NZ if there is no incentive?

*Education – schools to have no more than 25 children in the classroom. For the Minister of Education to tell us anything higher is really Government not being in touch with education’s needs. No philosophy, just Treasury controlling the dollars or is it Quality versus Quantity?

*Youth Training and Apprenticeships – Greater incentives for work based training, a career path for the future.

*Reduction in company taxes – For smaller companies to weather it through these tough times.

*Measured development of our energy fields – No fracking, but let’s look at other options for growth.

*A cap on local government rates – they can’t keep going up when wages don’t keep going up.

-Doug Green