Morning Report

Global voices are urgently calling for a "people's vaccine" for Covid 19.

Among them are former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

She has added her name to a letter from more than 140 prominent world leaders to Health Ministers at the World Health Assembly.

The assembly, the decision-making body of The World Health Organisation, is due to meet - virtually - early next week.

Clark speaks to Kim Hill.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

A new report on the nearly 40,000 people who signed on for the unemployment benefit during lockdown shows they're more likely to be first time beneficiaries, higher earners, recently returned from overseas, and Pakeha.

The Ministry of Social Development report covers Jobseeker data during April compared to the same month last year.

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni speaks to Corin Dann.

Yesterday's Budget prompted a range of views, after the Government revealed how it plans to spend to dig New Zealand out of the financial hole left by Covid-19.

RNZ political editor Jane Patterson and business editor Gyles Beckford speak to Kim Hill.

The National Party says New Zealand is in an economic hole, and yesterday's announcements make it worse.

It says that with an additional $140 billion in debt, the country is looking at nearly $80,000 of debt per household - levels not seen in decades.

It's also criticising the lack of detail and accountability about how money will be spent.

National's Party finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith speaks to Corin Dann.

The Government's big spending budget lays out $50 billion to fight the impact of Covid-19 and steer New Zealand's economy back on track.

While the numbers are big, not everybody is happy and there are questions on the detail.

Ruth Hill reports.

The Māori economy was worth more than $50 billion before Covid-19. 

But many Māori businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic - with more than $17,000 Māori estimated to have lost their jobs in the tourism sector alone. 

However the government has allocated nearly $1 billion to help Māori "restart and repair" their communities. 

Will it work? 

Traci Houpapa, chair of the the Federation of Maori Authorities, Matanuku Mahuika, the chair of Ngati Porou Holding group and Eastland Group limited and Chris Karamea Insley, the chair of Te Taumata and the chief executive of Te Arawa Fisheries speak to Kim Hill.

More than $6 billion has been flagged in the budget for capital expenditure on infrastructure, including $3 billion to jumpstart projects that are "shovel-ready."

There's also cash for two new Interislander ferries, as well as new trains and upgrades to New Zealand's roads and railways. The government is hoping that these projects will employ thousands of New Zealanders.

Paul Blair is the chief executive of Infrastructure New Zealand.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Those hoping for a further rise in welfare payments to feature in the budget have been disappointed, despite predictions that the Covid-19 outbreak will create tens of thousands of new beneficiaries.

But there is funding for a range of other social services, including a $220 million for the expansion of the government's food in schools projects school lunch program.

There is also money for 8,000 new public and transitional homes to be built over the next several years.

But is it enough for New Zealand's most disadvantaged families?

Liz Davies, general manager of SociaLink in the western Bay of Plenty, Mariameno Kapi-Kingi of Te Runanga o Whaingaroa and Scott Figenshow, CEO of Community Housing Aotearoa, speak to Kim Hill.

An update on our story from earlier in the week about an unapproved police trial of new technology using controversial facial recognition software.

It was used to conduct dozens of searches for people in New Zealand.

This week, RNZ revealed the police didn't have any of the necessary clearance from their bosses or the government to test American software Clearview AI.

Mackenzie Smith has more details.