Reading some of the details about what was and what wasn't in the fascial update, it seems that some of the "missing money" was left out of it despite advice from the Treasury that it should have been included.
It's also interesting that despite the removal of the smoking regulations, figures today show that the current settings have still led to less people smoking. But as I've already said, I think the new government are totally wrong throwing out the legislation instead of reviewing it. If Luxon was so concerned about the reduction of places able to sell cigarettes, then alter that part of the law. If he was so concerned about 34 year olds being able to buy smokes but 35 year olds could, alter that part of the law.
However, I also hate the hysteria put out by some that removing the smokefree legisalation would cause 5,000 deaths per year. Smokefree is designed not to eliminate smoking all together but to reduce the smoking rate down from the current 6.8% to 5% of adults. Yet the figures released by the Ministry of Health today show that in the last year, 76,000 people stopped smoking or 1.8% of the adult population. If that decline continues, we would reach the SmokeFree in around 15 months without altering the current settings.
And reaching the SmokeFree threshold doesn't make smoking any healthier but the figure of saving 5,000 lives can't be justified when we currently lose 5,000 people PA to smoking or second hand smoke.
It's a pity there can't actually be a non-political debate about this topic.