Budget 2020: Winston Peters tells Simon Bridges to 'get a haircut' after National leader slams 'pet projects'

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told Simon Bridges to "get a haircut" in Parliament on Thursday following the Government's Budget 2020 announcement.

Peters was responding to the Opposition leader's dig that the Government was spending money on "pet projects" such as rail, claiming it will result in "colossal debt".

"There's much that's good in this Budget; the business support, the extension in a targeted way of the wage subsidy but I note the priorities where $400 million in tourism for 400,000 jobs, and yet rail gets $1.2b [with] fewer than 4000 jobs," Bridges said in Parliament on Thursday.

"I'm disappointed because I don't see a plan for jobs and growth - I see pet projects; whether rail, or pest eradication and they may have worth, but added up they mean colossal debt and don't create sustainable jobs for workers from small to large businesses."

In Peters' speech after Bridges, the NZ First leader had some "advice".

"You know, Mr Bridges, my advice on level 2 - of the COVID crisis level 2 - is to get a haircut and get a real job," Peters said.

Earlier in Bridges' speech, he told Kiwis to prepare for the "greatest burden of debt" in New Zealand history. 

"We are seeing an extra $140 billion of debt," Bridges said. "That's $80,000 per household and it's our children and grandchildren who will be paying for it. 

"That's equivalent to a second mortgage on every house."

Provisions in the Budget include a targeted extension of the wage subsidy scheme, $1.6 billion in free trades and apprenticeship training, $1 billion to get Kiwis into environment-focused jobs and an additional $3 billion on infrastructure to stimulate the economy.