Finance Minister Nicola Willis is being forced to defend her first Budget after National U-turned on a promise to fund 13 new cancer drugs - leaving patients distraught.
Willis delivered the Coalition Government's first Budget on Thursday which included $3.7 billion per year for tax cuts.
The Government has also been forced to spend $1.77 billion towards Pharmac's budget after Labour left what the Coalition described as a funding "cliff". That funding cliff is the reason Willis is giving for National's failure to deliver on its cancer funding promises.
But for patients like Vickie Hudson Craig, who's paying $5000 a month for cancer treatment with one of the 13 promised drugs, it's devastating.
Craig told Newshub votes were given to National on the back of that promise.
Akhil Chaudray is also devastated - he's got stage 3 lung cancer
He's handing over the last $10,000 he's been able to fundraise on Givealittle on Friday for two months' supply of Osimertinib - again one of the 13 drugs promised and not delivered.
Speaking with AM's Lloyd Burr on Friday, Willis said she's still committed to funding the drugs - just not yet.
Despite the U-turn, Willis said it was a "Budget which delivered on campaign promises".
"People knew what those were and we've kept our promises and I do think there's virtue in that," the Finance Minister told Burr.
Willis said she would describe it as the "Goldilocks Budget" because it is "not too little, not too much and just right".
During the campaign, National promised $280 million over four years to fund the new cancer medicines. When Burr asked Willis why National didn't stick to that, she said, "We intend to keep that commitment".
"In this Budget, we had to find $1.8 billion to rescue the funding of medicines that were left unfunded by the outgoing government," she said. "Pharmac had been given what we call 'cliff funding' so it had been short-funded. So, as of June 1 this year, it would have run out of... money for listed medicines.
"So, our first job was to rescue those medicines and in future Budgets, we want to deliver on that commitment for more cancer drugs."
Burr then pointed out people "are going to die" because of the U-turn and asked Willis whether she was aware of that.
"The situation we are in is if we hadn't found the $1.8 billion for essential medicines then there would have been New Zealanders who rely on medicines - things like asthma inhalers, things like diabetes medication - who would have found those medicines delisted next month."
Willis said she understands how patients who voted based on that funding must be feeling, adding it's "really tough" and she "regrets" not being able to fund it.
"I would have... wanted to and it's a commitment that we hold dear and that we want to deliver on, and I understand how those people are feeling, I absolutely understand that."
But Willis said she "thinks" they will be able to find the money for next year's Budget.
She also defended the tax cuts which will see people who are earning about $62,000 per year get an extra $25 each week, higher earners on $150,000 get $20, minimum wage earners - working 40 hours per week - get $12.50 and a retired person relying solely on the pension only an extra $2.25 per week.
The Finance Minister said the New Zealanders "will be better off as a consequence of our Budget".
"It has been 14 years since anyone in New Zealand had tax relief - that is too long to wait.
"They've been paying a much higher proportion of tax; they haven't been getting the lift in services that you would expect... And I know for many Kiwis those few extra dollars every week will really make a difference."
