Morning Report

Convicted double murderer David Tamihere wants the Court of Appeal to give him a chance to clear his name in a retrial after he was granted a rare Royal Prerogative of Mercy.

Tamihere served twenty years in jail after being found guilty of murdering Swedish tourists Urban Hglin and Heidi Paakkonen in Coromandel in 1989.

He's always maintained his innocence and yesterday Justice Minister Andrew Little referred his case to the Court of Appeal - it will be able to either uphold the convictions, quash them or order a new trial.

David Tamihere told our court reporter Anneke Smith much of the evidence that led to him being found guilty has unravelled in the years since.

In a late-night tweet, US president Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to temporarily suspend all immigration to the US because of the coronavirus.

Citing an "attack from the Invisible Enemy" he said he needed to protect the jobs of Americans.

Washington correspondent Simon Marks speaks to Corin Dann.

Simon Bridges has heavily criticised the Government's response to Covid-19, saying it didn't do enough groundwork to get the country out of Alert Level 4 restrictions this week.

He says work has only just begun on surveillance testing, and that tracing isn't up to scratch - and continues to say New Zealand should be following Australia's lead on what restrictions are necessary.

His comments came in a social media posting after Monday's news there'd be no move to Alert Level 3 until next week.

The post sparked a huge backlash online, even from his own party's supporters.

Bridges is on the line speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The Reserve Bank is considering removing restrictions on bank loan-to-value ratios - which require most new borrowers to have a sizeable deposit.

Economist Cameron Bagrie says there will be buyers who can take advantage of this, but amidst the Covid-19 crisis it won't prop the market up.

The Police have now charged nearly 4000 people with breaching lockdown restrictions, many in last weekend just before the Prime Minister announced the country will move next week to Alert Level 3.

To date the police have received more than 50,000 calls from the public about breaches.

As the countdown to Level 3 continues, there are increased reports of people stepping out of their bubbles, congregating in public areas and not obeying physical distancing rules.

Some local authorities are worried New Zealanders are starting to become complacent over lockdown restrictions.

Harriet Robinson reports.

After four weeks in lockdown, food banks around the country are seeing a dramatic rise in the number of people needing help to put food on their tables.

Demand for food parcels has jumped nine-fold in some areas and the Auckland City Mission estimates one in five New Zealanders can't get the food they need.

The number of food grants made by the Ministry of Social Development has skyrocketed under Alert Level 4 - hitting close to 70,000 in just a week.

As RNZ social issues reporter Sarah Robson explains, no one is expecting that demand to let up any time soon.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Government ministers arrived all but empty-handed when they fronted the country's online equivalent of Question Time yesterday.

Small Business Minister Stuart Nash, Employment Minister Willie Jackson and Finance Minister Grant Robertson were called to the Epidemic Response Committee to answer questions about the extension to the Alert Level 4 lockdown.

Instead of analysis and data the committee for the most part were given answers based on anecdotes and opinions.

RNZ political reporter Jo Moir has this story.

Food banks around the country say they have been operating at levels similar to Christmas during the four weeks of lockdown.

Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly says more and more people - some who have just lost their jobs or have had their hours cut - are needing help to put food on the table.

He spoke to RNZ social issues reporter Sarah Robson.

News from the rural and farming sector.