Treasury Gives Willis Pre-Election Boost as Surplus Forecast Improves

The pre-election books have been opened. Do they bring cause to cheer?

Bernard Hickey on the Prefu numbers announced today – and the case for a ‘video assistant referee in the political game’. The finance minister, Nicola Willis, today hailed the “healthy economic growth and a distinct improvement in the government’s books” as the pre-election fiscal update landed ahead of the final sprint in the  2026 campaign.  Since the budget in May, forecasts have brightened, meaning the deficit in the year to July 2026 saw a …

Economy Strengthening, Books Getting Better

“Treasury’s Pre-election Economic & Fiscal Update shows the operating balance deficit shrinking from the $11.4B forecast at the Budget to $6.8B this financial year & to less than $1B next year," says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Treasury gives Willis pre-election boost as surplus forecast improves

Nicola Willis has been given a pre-election reprieve, with Treasury painting a brighter picture of the government's finances in the short term.

Treasury Forecasts Smaller Deficit, Surplus On Track

The government's books are in better shape than expected, with Treasury forecasting a significantly smaller deficit and a path back to surplus that Finance Minister Nicola Willis called "within a hair's breadth" of breaking even a year ahead of schedule. The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update, released Tuesday, put the