ALP leader takes leaf out of Ardern budget book

Tasmanian ALP leader is impressed with the Kiwi concept of incorporating ‘wellbeing’ into budgets.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White in Wellington.

Jacinda Ardern’s “wellbeing” budgets are spreading across the Tasman, with Tasmanian Labor Opposition Leader Rebecca White planning to adopt elements of the concept.

Ms White told The Australian she came away from a meeting with the New Zealand Prime Minister in Wellington on Tuesday impressed with the idea of focusing budgets on human wellbeing benchmarks, not just economic and fiscal indicators.

“I think there are elements of the wellbeing budget in New Zealand that could be applied in Tasmania so we better understand how people are doing and not just the economic conditions,” she said. “That (economic indicator ­approach) misses the fact we have an unemployment rate that’s far too high, youth unemployment far too high, more people sleeping rough than ever before, and people not getting the healthcare they need. Those things must be considered by government when framing a budget.”

Under New Zealand’s “wellbeing” approach, adopted from this year, ministers must show how budget initiatives achieve ­improvements to people’s lives in priority areas such as mental health, housing, employment and family violence.

Critics see it as largely rebadging a traditional budget but the ­approach has won plaudits for breaking down department “silos”, committing government to targets and creating a broader view of budget impacts.

“It’s something I’ll take back to my caucus,” Ms White said.

“Our treasury hasn’t done the same work theirs had when they took office but what we could look to is the OECD Better Life Index.

“(It) measures not just economic prosperity but health and wellbeing, education attainment, safety, child poverty, family violence, a range of matters that affect people’s daily living.”

Such targets came with political risk but were necessary to ­secure change. “There is risk associated with that — if you fall short you are held accountable,” Ms White said.

She and Ms Ardern also ­cemented their friendship, initiated by Ms White during the long wait for an outcome from the 2017 New Zealand election, discussing their young children and “inequality in the way women and men are perceived in politics”.

“It’s important to talk about these things and think about how we can learn from each other and what strategies we use to be supported in the job,” Ms White said.

Ms White was in New Zealand on a fact-finding trip as Tasmanian Labor re-examines policies.