Kia ora John, 

When we wake up tomorrow, the country will be at COVID-19 Alert Level 2. As we start the day, we’ll see a lot more of our country getting back to work. Shops, cafes, restaurants, and playgrounds will all be open once again, and we’ll be able to see friends and family from outside our bubbles for the first time in weeks.

Of course, there are still some necessary restrictions in place to help us all stay safe – you can read more about them here – and we mustn’t take these things lightly. We all have a job to do to prevent a second wave of the virus; we cannot risk going backwards.

But tomorrow, because we went hard and early, and because of the sacrifices you and others have made, New Zealand will really start moving again. From the outset we’ve said that the best economic response to the virus was a strong health response, and now our success on that front means our businesses can move forward – earlier and faster than those in many other countries.

Needless to say, we know that a lot of our businesses have been hit hard by the effects of the virus. Many have been, and many still are, in really tough positions. There are still significant economic challenges ahead, but as a Government we’re doing all we can to support businesses and jobs with our COVID-19 economic response plan. This plan - to respond, recover, and rebuild - is central to supporting businesses and workers to get back on their feet.

We’ll bring the same discipline and focus to the economic rebuild as we did to the health response.

Tomorrow, you’ll hear more about this. That’s because tomorrow isn’t only the start of moving down to Alert Level 2. It’s also the day that the Minister of Finance will deliver this year’s Budget. This Budget will, of course, be different. It’s not business as usual. It will present tailored solutions to a unique situation. It will be an important early step in our phased plan to grow our economy, boost jobs, and get things moving.

The name of this year’s Budget is ‘Rebuilding Together’. Its focus is on jobs. Jobs are the way we grow the economy. They’re the way we grow our businesses, and they’re the way we get food on our tables and fuel in our cars.

So expect to hear Grant talk a lot tomorrow about what we’re doing to create jobs, provide access to training opportunities, and support those whose jobs are under threat or who are currently out of work. I won’t give anything more away now - but I hope you’re able to read his speech (sign up to receive it here) or watch it live on Parliament TV at 2pm. 

Before I sign off, there’s one thought I wanted to share. The backbone of our economy - Kiwi businesses - have shown time and again that they’re innovative and resilient. That innovation and resilience, combined with the work we’re doing to enable their success, gives me every reason to believe that, together, we’ll build a better future for New Zealand. I hope that’s a belief you share with me.

Lastly, thank you again. As you go out tomorrow and catch up with family or friends, and perhaps go out for lunch, remember that we’re only here because of the great job we’ve done together. And now, let’s keep going, safely, together.

Kind regards,

Jacinda

PS: We’ve already made a couple of pre-Budget announcements, including one yesterday: the announcement of the largest-ever funding increase for District Health Boards. Click here to read more.