Morning Report

The new national polytechnic is facing a bleak first year of existence after 11 of its 16 member institutes announced losses for last year totaling millions of dollars.

The polytechnics that now make up the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology collectively made a multi-million-dollar deficit for the third consecutive year in 2019 and many of them are expecting losses again this year.

RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen reports.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

Teachers at Marist College in Auckland are being criticised for tearing down Black Lives Matter posters at the school.

 

Nia Cherington' s mother Ani says her daughter has quit as the school's cultural leader over the way it responded to the students. 

Ani - who is Ngati Awa - says the students put the posters up after attending a Black Lives Matter protest on Queen's Birthday.

The Police Commissioner has admitted the police should have consulted earlier and more widely before starting its Armed Response Team trial.

The Commissioner has now scrapped Armed Response Teams stating New Zealanders have shown they don't want an armed police force.

The move has had support from both sides of the political divide with the Greens and the National Party in favour of the move.

Corin Dann speaks to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.

The government expects almost a million people to come off the $11 billion wage subsidy scheme over the next month.

But applications for an eight week extension open today, applying to businesses which are down 40 percent on last year.

Mike Treen is the national director of the Unite Union and Kirk Hope is chief executive of Business New Zealand.

They speak to Kim Hill.

A massive stocktake of the country's hospitals has reveal many intensive care units, operating theatres and Emergency Departments are in 'poor or very poor' shape.

The Government is releasing the report on hospital infrastructure today and puts the fix-it bill at $14 billion.

The Minister of Health David Clark is speaks to Kim Hill.

The All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett is excited by the news of bumper crowds building for the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa this weekend.

The Trade Minister, David Parker, has taken a swipe at the European Union's negative and protectionist stance on a proposed free trade deal.

Talks have been going on for about two years, but David Parker says the EU still wants to protect its own farmers and hit New Zealand exports with quotas and tariffs.

Farmers here say the EU made an insultingly low market access offer and is urging the Trade Minister to stand firm. Parker spoke to European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan on Monday night.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

The Auckland Business Chamber is describing a KiwiRail move as "unconscionable".

The state-owned enterprise is awarding a $371m government rail contract to two overseas companies.

The chamber says it's hard to understand such a decision when New Zealanders are all being asked to support local businesses.

KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller speaks to Kim Hill.

The way people will pay for the transmission of their electricity from now on is being revealed later today.

The Electricity Authority, which monitors the electricity market to ensure it is working in the interests of consumers, has wanted to change this for years.

Finally it looks as if it is going to do so.

RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford has been following the ins and outs of the transmission pricing review and speaks to Corin Dann.