Budget documents are actually quite difficult to navigate around.  My experience working in government was that as we generally knew what was coming in the Budget and what to look for it was ok.  But it is hard if you are in opposition, the media or an interest group.  The government directs you where they want you to go, and does not make a song and dance about where they don’t want you looking.

An example, yesterday there were some in the research and tertiary education community who celebrated some increased funding for the Marsden Fund and HRC and some new PM Science Scholarships.  Goodo, important stuff.  But hidden within the documents are cuts to Centres of Research Excellence, the Encouraging and Supporting Innovation Fund, Enterprise Scholarships, and the biggie,  a $55 million cut to the  funding that would have given pay increases to university staff to help retain them in New Zealand.

Closer to home here in Wellington it seems that funding for the War Memorial Park in Buckle St has been cut, with perhaps a modest allocation to tidy up the vacant site.  Not a word from the Arts Minister about that yesterday.

So, that is how Labour MPs and many interest groups will be spending their long weekend. Trawling through the documents looking for the forgotten gems.  Wish me luck.