Ardern sticks to Budget responsibility rules as costs rise

The government is trying to dampen expectations of a spending bonanza in next month's Budget. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the lack of investment in essential services by the previous government was worse than anyone realised. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says no one should expect one Budget to make up for nine years of poor decisions by National. But National says Labour's already looking for scapegoats. Its finance spokesperson, Amy Adams, says the reality of being in government is there are always going to be cost-pressures and unexpected events that have to be paid for.