Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

National has worked hard to steer the country through the recession, the global financial crisis, and the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes.

We made a promise to responsibly manage the Government's finances and bring the books back into surplus.

We're on track to do this.

Budget 2014, which will be announced on Thursday, is about thoughtful targeted spending – not a spend-up.

We have already outlined our investment focus will be on the areas that matter most to Kiwis and their families: better healthcare, more effective education, safer communities and less welfare dependency.

We are sticking to a $1 billion budget allowance for the 2014/2015 financial year, because this is the responsible thing to do.

Ultimately, when we talk about the economy and things like GDP and the balance of payments, what it comes down to are people's jobs, wages, and the costs we all face in going about our daily lives and raising our families.

Everyone has different circumstances and I know some people are still finding it challenging.

But the benefits of a sustainable growing economy are real and therefore meaningful for hard-working New Zealanders.

During the last two years we've seen a $3000 lift in the average wage to $54,700 a year.

The average annual wage is predicted to increase by $7500 to about $62,200 by 2018.

Treasury expects the economy to grow between two and four per cent a year during the next four years.

These forecasts also show about 170,000 more people will be working by 2018. Together with a falling unemployment rate, this will build on the 66,000 jobs created in the last year alone.

Budget 2014 will continue to keep government spending under control during the coming years, which will help to restrict interest rate increases and make a significant contribution to family finances.

Interest rates are currently at a 50-year low. Every one percentage point movement in mortgage interest rates is worth about $40 a week for a family with a $200,000 mortgage.

So when you hear politicians promising to ramp up spending to pay for expensive election promises, remember this will come at a significant cost to New Zealand households and businesses.