Morning Report

Former National Party MP Jami-Lee Ross has used Parliamentary privilege to accuse his former party of receiving "large amounts of foreign donations" linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

Speaking in the debating chamber, the independent MP called on National to return about $150,000 which he said he'd learned originated from China.

A spokesperson for National said the party did not know what Ross was referring to. Ross and three Auckland businessmen are facing charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office over donations to National all have pleaded not guilty.

The Government moved quickly to change gun laws after the mosque shootings.

But while the initial changes went through with just a single opposing vote, the Government remains divided over the second tranche of reforms.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters can't say when agreement might be reached and that's ended any hope Labour had of getting the law passed in time for the March 15th one year anniversary.

New Zealand First is still negotiating three areas; an independent arms agency, rights for farmers dealing with pest control and exemptions for sporting shooters.

RNZ political reporter Jo Moir asked Peters how negotiations with Labour were going.

The Islamic Women's Council has told the Royal Comission into the Christchurch attacks that it's likely they would never have happened if the public service - including police and security agenices - had taken the warnings they were being given seriously.

In its submission - shared with RNZs Insight programme - the Council states the government had at least two years to properly protect and support the Muslim community.

Philippa Tolley asked Aliya Denzeison - who is responsible for the council's interactions with government - why they felt the public sector had failed.

Family doctors say it's important people who think they might have coronavirus call ahead before turning up for care, to minimise the risk of giving it to staff and other patients. A patient in Auckland who visited a medical centre was later confirmed as the second person to have Covid-19. The doctor who saw her is now also in isolation. Dr Samantha Murton is the president of the Royal New Zealand College of GPs. She speaks to Corin Dann.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Fifty years ago, New Zealand was in the midst of a watershed environmental battle.

In 1970, one in ten New Zealanders signed a petition opposing a plan to build a hydro dam that would massively raise the levels of Lake Manapouri and Te Anau.

The Save Manapouri petition was successful and this weekend many of the original campaigners will meet to reflect on the campaign.

Te Anau-based campaigner Ray Willett was one of them - he told Tess Brunton the community was against raising lake levels, not hydro electricity.

Norman Kirk's Labour Party opposed the plan to raise Manapouri's level by more than 20 metres and shelved the project after its landslide election win in 1972.

There have been several developments in the past 24 hours due to Covid-19. - The International Monetary Fund has announced NZ$80 billion dollars in funding for affected countries - Italy is closing all schools from Thursday for at least 10 days - Iran is also closing schools and universities until early April because of coronavirus - California has declared a state of emergency after announcing its first coronavirus death, a 71-year-old who had been a passenger on the cruise ship the Grand Princess. - That cruise ship with about 2,500 people on board is now being held off California. CNN is reporting at least 11 passengers and 10 crew members currently on board have developed symptoms., - UK regional airline Flybe has collapsed, saying virus is partly to blame. IATA, the International Air Transport Association, is saying the virus could cost the industry NZ$180 billion in global revenue this year.

The Australian women's cricketers T20 World Cup title defence is alive after they beat the weather and South Africa by five runs to reach Sunday's final against India.

The World Health Organisation says every country needs to be aggressively prepared to take on COVID 19, Maori authorities say the virus could make a half billion dollar dent in the Maori economy, and Elizabeth Warren quits the race to be the Democatic candidate for President.