Abstract
Budget 2024 emphasises tax cuts, funded by spending reductions and increased borrowing, amid a recession. This situation results in reduced funding for health determinants, including health care, education, welfare, housing, environmental protection, and law and order, shrinking relative to GDP over the next three years. Public health, which requires long-term investments in areas like child poverty and housing to prevent future health issues, faces challenges due to the budget's short-term focus. Public health professionals must prioritise effective programs within limited funding and increase public understanding of the value of long-term health investments. Despite the tougher environment, their role in prioritising community health and future generations remains crucial, even as the budget constraints complicate their efforts. Budget 2024 was very much about tax cuts (as promised in the 2023 general election), funded by spending reductions and increased borrowing. It was all made harder because the New Zealand economy is in a recession, which reduces tax revenue and increases some spending (like unemployment benefits when people lose jobs). The spending cuts were widespread. When compared against GDP (to crudely account for population, prices and incomes), every broad area of spending is forecast to shrink over the