significant role in the process of electoral reform in New Zealand. Revolted by the spectacle of three elections in a row where the winning parties broke their promises and implemented unpopular market reforms, the electorate voted to change the electoral system from first-past-the-post to mixed member proportional (MMP) in 1993. MMP prevented any party from commanding an absolute majority, thus removing their power to implement radical changes in government policy. In the general elections of 1993 and 1996, several new parties benefited from the electorate's frustration, particularly the Alliance and New Zealand First. Benefit payments remained at low levels for the following three decades, across successive governments, until a large boost in the 2021 budget by the Sixth Labour Government. The finance minister Grant Robertson referenced the mother of all budgets in his budget speech stating that the benefit increases were to "right the wrongs" of Richardson's 1991 budget and would "address the most inequitable of the changes made 30 years ago". Richardson responded, defending her budgets legacy saying "Grant Robertson's budget is overtly driven by politics and the desire to pay off Labour supporters" as opposed to hers which was "...driven by a desire to lift economic growth and to make employment attractive." References 1991 in New Zealand New Zealand budgets New Zealand National Party 1991 in politics 1991 in economics New Zealand Political terminology in New Zealand