The 2005 Budget Lunch delivered few surprises and commentators agree that, while it was not the usual pre-election splurge of a Budget Lunch, it satisfied the needs of its key stakeholders with its close attention to detail and well-targeted programme.
Held in the Deloittes Gallery, overlooking the Wellington Stadium, Press Gallery journalists and government analysts were locked up for three hours - deprived of cellphones - while the Budget Lunch was delivered.
Service was excellent and ambiance was good, though the 1600-page placemats (labelled "The Estimates of Appropriations for the Government of New Zealand") were somewhat awkward. Light entertainment was provided by local act Michael "Doctor" Cullen, who was popular with the crowd.
Treasury officials waited on the rows of journalists, yum char style, offering media kits and supplements. Most of the ingredients had been left out in the open for weeks, and were dry and tasteless as a result.
Media interest, however, remained high. Nick Venter was overheard advising his comrades, on his way to the lunch table, "better hurry - or the Herald will scoop it all up."
The key features of the 2005 Budget Lunch:
* Corned beef bagels, the centrepiece for the budget lunch that delivers on promised saltiness and meatiness.
* Potato salad, a programme to assist the Government in reaching its goal to eliminate Press Gallery hunger by 13:45. Augmented by surprisingly sophisticated mustard seed and ham-bits sauce policy.
* Small programmes of tasty pastry innovations, including the pumpkin and feta pie and a fluffy initiative to support delicate multiflavoural pastries in New Zealand.
Overall, the Budget Lunch delivered beyond expectations. On the back of this Budget Lunch, I'd give the Government another term. Not on the actual Budget, though. That was shit.
Well, okay, I can't back that up. This has, of course, just been light relief in light of how boring the budget was. Seriously, though, the lunch was really good, but that should probably be credited to the caterers at the Stadium rather than the Treasury. And Cullen says that there's no such thing as a free lunch... ha!
Seriously seriously, though, I'm tracking down John Pagani for a chat about the budget. John was, once upon a time, Spin Doctor to Jim "Tax and Spend" Anderton. He is now director of PR firm Sugar Media and part-owner of Molesworth & Featherston, currently living it up in Paris.
(Will post John's budget analysis on Monday, when the working crowd comes back. Watch this space.)
Also, I guess my source was wrong about the election date being announced on Budget Night. I expect a full refund for that beer, Mr X. While on the subject of poor investments, I placed a $5 bet the other night on Kedgley pulling out of the Wellington Central race before election day. Ah, if only we still had FPP - betting on the election would be so much more fun.