Morning Report

The Police Commissioner says the now-scrapped Armed Response Teams have shown New Zealanders don't want an armed police force.

Andrew Coster announced armed officers won't be rolled out nationwide - citing public feedback and consultation with community groups. Mr Coster told Checkpoint last night the police should have consulted earlier - and more widely - before starting the six-month trial.

He says the result doesn't mean the teams are a failure. Auckland councillor for the Manukau ward, Efeso Collins, and the Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, who were both outspoken critics of the trial, speak to Kim Hill.

The National Party got into something of a tangle yesterday after finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith said the Prime Minister should "stick to her knitting".

Jacinda Ardern had said she was angry The Warehouse Group was announcing 1000 job losses after having taken at least $65 million in wage subsidies.

Goldsmith responded that it was "not helpful" for the Prime Minister to criticise a struggling business.

Usually on a Wednesday morning, we speak to the leader of the National Party but Todd Muller is recovering from minor surgery.

Deputy leader Nikki Kaye speaks to Corin Dann in his stead.

New Zealand has lost some of its independence within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and been "drawn in a lot closer" to the US-led spy network, former prime minister Helen Clark says.

Her comments come in the RNZ podcast The Service where former prime ministers and intelligence chiefs reveal the workings of 'the club' of intelligence partners: the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Among them is former GCSB boss Sir Bruce Ferguson, who says any country outside the Five Eyes is fair game for spying and New Zealand should jealously safeguard its position in the club.

RNZ investigative journalist Guyon Espiner teamed up with Wellington writer and documentary maker John Daniell to produce the podcast. Guyon Espiner has the story.

It's the beginning of the end for the original Covid-19 wage subsidy, as the 12-week, $11 billion scheme draws to a close.

The government expects close to a million people to come off the subsidy during June. From today, those seeking further support must apply to the wage subsidy extension.

The new scheme only applies to businesses with revenue falls of at least 40 percent.

Jordan Bond reports.

The closest ever look at the country's hospitals reveals many intensive care units, operating theatres and Emergency Departments are in 'poor or very poor' shape.

The Government is releasing the stocktake of hospital infrastructure today, putting the fix-it bill at $14 billion over the next decade.

Phil Pennington has been going through the stocktake.

Beauden Barrett is prepared for plenty of feedback about his move north when the Blues face the Hurricanes in the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa this weekend.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

One year on from the beginning of the mass pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, protesters once again took to the streets yesterday, but in radically different circumstances.

An estimated 1 million people turned up on June 9th 2019, to speak out against a planned extradition bill. If made law, it would have made it possible for Hong Kong people to be extradited to China if criminal proceedings were deemed appropriate for crimes they'd committed.

Following on from the demonstrations, the bill was withdrawn by the Hong Kong Government.

But protests renewed a couple of weeks ago, after two pieces of legislation were passed in Beijing - the national security law, and the anthem law - which pro-democracy protesters say infringes upon their rights, and defies Hong Kong's unique status.

With Hong Kong still dealing with measures to prevent the transmission of coronavirus, the anniversary events yesterday looked vastly different to those a year ago.

Hong Kong correspondent Richard Kimber spoke to producer Harry Lock about the day's unrest.

Sweden, unlike pretty much all others, has avoided a lockdown during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Businesses for the most part have remained open - people still going for haircuts, or a post-work pint - and children under 16-years-old have still been attending school.

But the Scandinavian country has one of the world's highest virus mortality rates, significantly higher than their neighbours which did impose a strict lockdown.

As of Tuesday, just under 5000 people have died from the virus, with the number of infections topping 45,000.

Following on from a top scientist's acceptance that some of his decisions and advice to the Government may have been misguided, the Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, has come under heavy criticism from political opponents.

Linus Brohult, a reporter for SVT - the public broadcaster in Sweden, speaks to Kim Hill.

Businesses still suffering from the turmoil wrought by Covid-19 can apply for a further eight weeks of the wage subsidy from today.

The Government expects 230,000 employers will sign up for the extension to the initial 12 week scheme.

Employers will have to prove their revenue has dropped by at least 40 percent compared to last year to be eligible.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson told RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch businesses should not expect any more extensions after this one.