Checkpoint for Thursday 14 May 2020

5:07 PM.Thursday May 14 in New Zealand saw an historic Budget from the government to rebuild the economy after Covid-19, while at the same time the country moved from level 3 lockdown into level 2.

Finance… Read more Video, Audio

5:10 PM.A $50 billion rescue fund sits at the centre of 2020's "once in a generation Budget" as the country braces for the economic carnage promised by Covid-19.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the… Read more Video, Audio

5:20 PM.Queenstown rolled out the welcome mat to domestic visitors today as passenger planes flew in for the first time since April 1.

The district has been reeling from thousands of job losses, with more… Read more Video, Audio

5:24 PM.Eight more weeks of the wage subsidy is not enough for one of New Zealand's largest tour operators to stay afloat.

Pan Pacific Travel's Managing Director Matt Brady talks to Lisa Owen. Read more Video, Audio

5:33 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Video, Audio

5:37 PM.Tourism got a carry-on bag full of cash in Budget 2020, but industry leaders say it's nothing compared to what needed to keep them afloat.

The $400-million Tourism Recovery Fund includes a domestic… Read more Video, Audio

5:46 PM.Paul Button is the General Manager of Canopy Tours in Rotorua.

Canopy Tours is a bit of an adventure playground - ziplines, swing bridges and canopy platforms.

He joins Lisa Owen with his response… Read more Video, Audio

5:49 PM.Shoppers queued outside malls this morning to celebrate the start of level 2 with some retail therapy.

Businesses that have had to shut up shop for the entirety of lockdown could not wait to get back… Read more Video, Audio

5:53 PM.And thousands of unruly mops and overgrown beards finally got the chop on Thursday. Huge lines formed outside the country's hairdressers, but some shop owners are concerned business could drop off… Read more Video, Audio

6:06 PM.The 2020 Budget was turned on its head and the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Finance Minister to leave some things on the cutting room floor, among them was reducing the cost of going to the doctor and… Read more Video, Audio

6:14 PM.Brett O'Riley is the chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association.

He talks to Lisa Owen about the Budget and New Zealand's economic future. Read more Video, Audio

6:23 PM.Whether it was a much needed catch up with a friend for coffee, or a dash to ToyWorld for a belated birthday present, Wellingtonians were out in force on Thursday as retailers reopened for business… Read more Video, Audio

6:32 PM.The government will spend $900 million on initiatives to support Māori to deal with the fall-out of Covid-19.

The package includes $400 million on Māori education, a $137 million boost to Whānau Ora… Read more Audio

6:36 PM.Despite sourcing an extra 400,000 flu vaccines this year, New Zealand still might not have enough to cover all its vulnerable groups.

The Ministry of Health has admitted it's working to source… Read more Audio

6:45 PM.Wendy van Lieshout is the chief executive of Active Adventures in Queenstown.

Her business has been in operation for 23 years. She has unable to operate under Level 2.

She talks to Lisa Owen about… Read more Video, Audio

6:51 PM.Barbers clippers have been running hot and gyms pumping as the country swings into alert level 2, but it's clear some businesses are still waiting for their precious customers to return.

RNZ Taranaki… Read more Audio