Woman on cover of NZ ‘wellbeing budget’ moves to Australia over cost of living

The NZ government chose this picture to grace the cover of its new “wellbeing budget” — but there’s a big problem behind the sweet snap.

She’s the smiling face of New Zealand’s groundbreaking new Budget — but model Vicky Freeman has revealed she’s now moved to Australia because she can’t afford to live at home.

The single mum posed for the stock photo with her nine-year-old daughter Ruby-Jean, and was shocked when it was chosen by the New Zealand government to grace the cover of its newly-released “wellbeing budget”.

But in an ironic twist, it turns out the mum and daughter duo don’t even live in New Zealand anymore, after moving to Australia in December 2018 because they couldn’t afford their home country’s high cost of living.

The 40-year-old told the New Zealand Herald she had give up on her country after realising she was paying her daughter’s 15-year-old babysitter more than she earned herself after moving to Auckland to pursue a television career.

Budget Day tradition- cheese rolls, this time from Dunedin itself, specifically Starfish cafe. Really looking forward to delivering the #WellbeingBudget from 2pm pic.twitter.com/ycKDbk8FPI

— Grant Robertson (@grantrobertson1) May 29, 2019

“We moved to Auckland to do the TV thing but I couldn’t pay the rent … sometimes I would have to hire a sitter to look after my girl while I went and did some TV work and I was paying the sitter more than I was coming home with because I was passionate,” Ms Freeman told reporter Belinda Feek.

“I didn’t do it a lot because it made me feel kinda stupid, paying a 15-year-old sitter more than what a single mum is making. It was crazy.”

During that time, Ms Freeman was paying $500 per week in rent, although she struggled to come up with the final $200 she needed and to pay for groceries.

“I just said to my daughter I can’t do another year here … the TV stuff was going well, it was good but not great pay. It was hard.”

In fact, Ms Freeman said she also “didn’t get paid a lot” for the photo that now graces the cover of the budget, although she had hoped it would help her career.

“I’ve always wanted to be a model or an actress or be known. I did a lot of shoots for free and be taken seriously and I’m proud, I’m so proud,” she told the publication.

Vicky Freeman and her daughter Ruby-Jean fled New Zealand for Australia due to cost of living pressures. Picture: Boris Jancic/AAP Image

“I’m 41 next month and to finally have my childhood dream come true of being on a magazine. I’m blessed and grateful.”

She also admitted she didn’t follow politics and that she would be more inclined to vote Greens than New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s ruling Labour Party, which produced the document.

Ms Freeman previously lived in Australia for a decade during her 20s, which means she’s now eligible to claim benefits in the country.

WELLBEING BUDGET

While Ms Freeman’s story has dominated headlines, there has also been global praise for New Zealand’s “world-first” budget, which was focused on the population’s wellbeing over economic growth.

The budget prioritises mental health, family violence and child poverty in particular, with billions of dollars earmarked for initiatives in those areas.

It has become the first western nation to build a whole budget around wellbeing, with new, related government policies expected to follow.

How a sensible country does things: https://t.co/X0catMrgEQ#Budget2019 #NewZealand #WellbeingBudget #mentalhealth pic.twitter.com/kPWJGy24p8

— Jenni Miles 👩‍🎓📊🇪🇺🇳🇿💚🌱🏃🎼💃 (@JenniMiles) May 30, 2019

Apparently another country’s budget can move me to tears. Thank God for intrepid world leaders like @jacindaardern. #NewZealand #WellBeing #Budget https://t.co/UvPTzV28Fk

— Dr. Christine E. McCarthy (@CEMcCarthyPhD) May 30, 2019

Hey ⁦@ScottMorrisonMP⁩

You have a lot to learn from Jacinda Ardern.

NZ's wellbeing budget targets mental health, suicide, welfare.#auspol2019 https://t.co/9vh5oFvjef

— tracy walker (@thewollemipine) May 30, 2019

While Australia's govt is busy protecting franking credits, negative gearing &
other tax rorts for the wealthy...

New Zealand 'wellbeing' budget promises billions to care for most vulnerable.https://t.co/Od3VWHVcKw#nicework #auspol #Libfail

— 💧Tim Sims (@TimmySims2017) May 30, 2019

“We said that we would be a government that did things differently, and for this budget we have done just that,” Ms Ardern said yesterday.

“Today we have laid the foundation for not just one wellbeing budget, but a different approach for government decision-making altogether.”

Meanwhile, many Aussies have taken to social media to praise Ms Ardern’s groundbreaking wellbeing budget — with many calling on our own leaders to follow suit.

It has also caught the attention of people across the globe, with many congratulating New Zealand for putting people over profits.

However, some critics — including Opposition finance spokeswoman Amy Adams — have panned the budget as a gimmick.

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