Morning Report

Sports clubs around the country are gearing up for a return to action following new the rules allowing gatherings of up 100 people.

For hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders the lockdown has meant no organised sport or activities. As of this weekend preparations to return to the courts or fields can get back into full swing.

Sports editor Stephen Hewson reports.

With hospitality businesses reeling in the wake of travel ban announcements, and cancellations stacked up in travel company inboxes there's a push now to encourage people to holiday within New Zealand.

Cut-price campervan holidays are taking off, but hotels, motels and restaurants are not seeing much movement ahead of the long weekend.

RNZ's Tracy Neal reports.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing trouble from within his own party over his decision to stick by his advisor Dominic Cummings.

The top aide has come under significant criticism after it was found he had broken the lockdown restrictions by driving more than 400 kilometres to his parents house after his wife started showing coronavirus symptoms.

One junior minister, Douglass Ross, has resigned over the Prime Minister's handling of the situation, and over thirty Conservative MPs are calling for Cummings' resignation.

In response to a question from a member of the public Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said the Government would look into reviewing all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during the lockdown.

London correspondent Vincent McAviney speaks to Susie Ferguson.

While Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease domestically, fully opening up to the rest of the world largely hinges on the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Yesterday the government announced $37 million was being deployed in the search for a vaccine.

Research in New Zealand will get $10 million and $5 million will be set aside to invest in the production of an eventual vaccine.

A sizeable chunk of the remaining cash will go to research projects overseas.

James Ussher is an associate professor at the University of Otago.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

A consortium of disability groups bidding for a $30 million public contract has lost out to an American callcentre operator.

The seven year contract to run telecom and digital communications for thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people has been awarded to Concentrix.

Now some losing consortium members are questioning the Government's commitment to 'buy local' and critics say the US company has compromised similar services across the Tasman.

Phil Pennington reports.

Only a few days into the job and already new National Party leader Todd Muller is discovering how combustible the top role can be.

Instead of being able to focus on a Covid-19 ravaged economy, he has had to put out fires of his own making, such as a lack of Māori representation in his chosen front bench of MPs.

Muller speaks to Corin Dann.

The new National Party Leader Todd Muller has been criticised this week for putting only white faces on his re-jigged front bench. 

The highest ranked Māori MP in his caucus is former Deputy leader Paula Bennett at number 13.

It's raised questions over whether National - under Todd Muller - has given up trying to win over Māori voters. 

Māori political commentators Morgan Godfery and Khylee Quince speak to Susie Ferguson.

The Opposition has become embroiled in debate about its new look under new leadership - a startlingly white line-up on the party's front bench.

This week's reshuffle resulted in no Maori MPs in the top 10 and just two in the top 20 - Paula Bennett at 13 and Shane Reti at 17.

It's raised questions over whether National - under Todd Muller - has given up trying to win over Maori voters.

RNZ's deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

New documents reveal the police knew its controversial Armed Response Team trial was flawed from the beginning.

The police launched its six-month Armed Response Team trial as a way to tackle a rise in gun crime last year.

But a One News investigation has revealed that the police were repeatedly told trialing armed officers on a patrol would not be worthwhile.

Documents showed that researchers, who were in charge of evaluating the trial, had raised concerns about its length and the lack of baseline data before it had even started.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster speaks to Corin Dann.

Tens of thousands in donors' funds given to the New Zealand First Foundation were spent paying expenses, wages and bills for people closely associated with the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

The foundation, which has bankrolled NZ First using secret donations from wealthy business people, spent more than $130,000 on a company run by Brian Henry, who's the personal lawyer and close friend of Peters.

Earlier this year the police referred the foundation to the Serious Fraud Office over issues related to donations made to the Foundation.

RNZ In Depth reporters Guyon Espiner and Kate Newton have been investigating the foundation since last year.

Newton speaks to Susie Ferguson.