Vernon Small: Robertson needs to make good on cost of living and cyclone help

It’s a truth, often overlooked, that a Minister of Finance in need of re-election can, in the final year of his term, splash this year’s cash and a fair chunk of next year’s too.

On that basis, Thursday’s promised “no-frills” Budget is not the end-all of election year promises Grant Robertson may stitch together.

Between the House rising at the end of August and the October 14 election, he and his Labour colleagues can promise quite a bit more ruffle and flounce to attract the voters.

But that is for another day.

For now, all eyes are on the cloth-cutting Budget.

Vernon Small: Strange decisions made in cabinet reshuffle

Last week was a tale of two opportunities for Chris Hipkins to fix past miscues.

The prime minister didn’t take full advantage of either. The minor reshuffle that promoted Rachel Brooking into the executive and Willow-Jean Prime into Cabinet was forced on him by Stuart Nash emptying his six-gun into his own foot.

It gave Hipkins a chance to right some wrongs that went almost without comment in his first reshuffle - was it really only 10 weeks ago?

But it only went some of the way.

Dr Vernon Small: What will you do now, Grant Robertson?

The Reserve Bank’s surprise - probably erroneous - decision to throw a 50 basis point official cash rate increase on to the cost-of-living fire has made the job of the finance minister that much harder, as he tucks his next Budget into bed.

The decision will make jobs more precarious, depress house prices even more and potentially create a higher summit for mortgage rates … just as the peak appeared to be in view.