There’s a view that New Zealand's still a while away from being a 'rockstar' economy. 

Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update documents are coming out early this afternoon, carrying key economic metrics.

Treasury's also releasing a Budget Policy Statement outlining priorities for upcoming spending.

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Heather du Plessis-Allan it was a pretty average year for the economy, and next year looks to be better. 

Joyce says getting core spending below 30% of GDP is the goal, but it won’t happen overnight. 

He says Bill English spent eight years after the Canterbury quakes and the global financial crisis wrestling to get back into surplus. 

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