All eyes will be on Grant Robertson this afternoon when he reads his fifth Budget in Parliament from 2pm.
Health reform and climate change have already been signalled as the big-ticket items.
The teaomaori.news Budget 2022 panellists in parliament, Tini Molyneux, Ngahuia Wade and Tina Wickliffe were ready to break down the budget this afternoon.
Molyneux isn't expecting the Budget to be a lolly scramble, with money being thrown to all corners,"but the pressure is on the government to ease the cost of living. I think that is something that disconnects politicians, and economists from the real people. The people that are watching probably won't understand what's going on because want they want to know is how much a litre of petrol going to cost me next week? How much is a loaf of bread going to be?"
Molyneux says the government will have been walking a tight rope trying to find the right balance. "The devil you do, the devil you don't."
She says the government needs to address the inequities in Aotearoa that are causing pressures on households, especially the lower-income homes.
"The people who have been helping the most are those supplying foodbanks. Not the government. The responsibility is on the government to lift their game and bring people up to a situation where they have a bit of dignity."
Every year, Māori look to see where the 'wins' are in the budget. Molyneux says despite more money targeted at Māori kaupapa in recent years, she says it's never a win for Māori.
"It's what Māori should have been entitled to in the beginning to get them on par with everybody else."
Molyneux believes only when the Budget truly addresses and relieves the pressure for those at the bottom end of the scale will it truly be a winner for Māori.
teaomaori.news will have full coverage on today's Budget from 2pm and on Te Ao Mārama at 4.30pm on our website and on Māori Television at 6.30pm.