The full submission can be read here

Submission to: Finance and Expenditure Committee
Subject: Budget Policy Statement 2024
From: New Zealanders for Health Research (NZHR)1
Date: 22nd April 2024
Recommendations
New Zealanders for Health Research (NZHR) recommends that BPS 2024:

1. Includes a set of authentic wellbeing objectives as required by the 2020 amendment
   to the Public Finance Act
   
2. Demonstrates how the Budget 2024 priorities contribute to the Government’s
   overarching goals for its term of office, including improved health outcomes in
   particular
   
3. Includes the following as priorities for Budget 2024:
   a. Improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life for all New Zealanders
   b. Increasing research and development investment so that New Zealanders’ health,
   wellbeing and quality of life is protected, maintained and improved
   
4. Amends the operating balance and government spending commentary to include
   analysis of the extent to which government expenditure can be considered an
   investment in New Zealanders’ future health, wellbeing, quality of life and
   productivity
   
5. Includes investment in R&D as one of the components of its fiscal strategy,
   including the government’s commitment to achieving its 2% of GDP target by 2030
   
6. Amends the commentary on debt so that there is recognition that high quality
   investments that provide benefits to New Zealand over time should include investment
   in New Zealanders’ health, wellbeing and quality of life, which will increase the
   productive capacity of the economy.
   
7. Recognises that sustained increased investment in health research is essential for the
   achievement of improved health outcomes, thereby providing a policy framework
   which will enable the 2024 Budget to commit to a ten-year 2.4% of government
   healthcare costs health research investment trajectory, representing increases of at
   least 15% per year