Morning Report

Friends of a cancer patient have rallied to rent billboards in Auckland to help raise funds for a cancer treatment he needs that's not funded in New Zealand.

Andrew Speir was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bowel cancer late last year, and alongside chemotherapy was advised to try the tumour-starving treatment Avastin - which the drug-buying agency Pharmac does not fund.

At the start of the year he began a round of the potentially life-lengthening drug, costing at least $40,000.

Amy Williams has more.

Politicians past and present, from across the political spectrum, have been paying tribute to the former Labour Party Prime Minister Mike Moore who died yesterday at the age of 71.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Opposition leader Simon Bridges both agreed he was a great New Zealander who won respect on both sides of Parliament because of his commitment to the country and its people.

Jim Bolger, who defeated Mr Moore to become Prime Minister in 1990, praised him for his political passion and for his work promoting New Zealand trade, both as a trade minister and later as head of the World Trade Organisation.

Former cabinet colleage Richard Prebble said Moore constantly bubbled with ideas for other ministers to pursue.

The never-ending string of off-the-cuff ideas once led David Lange to describe Moore as being like "a pinball machine wired by a colour-blind electrician".

In 2017 RNZ journalist Guyon Espiner spoke to Moore for his series on former prime ministers, The 9th Floor.

Moore told him that when he lost the Labour leadership to Helen Clark, he wished he'd been like an Australian politician and been able to plan a comeback.

One of the themes of the interview was how his blue collar working class upbringing had shaped his political career - and how different today's Labour Party is from the party he joined as a teenager.

Guyon Espiner speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Firefighters in Canterbury working to control scrub fires are being challenged by the hot, dry, and windy conditions this morning.

Two helicopters and several crews are battling two fires in Loburn, near the Ashley River.

In Hurunui, a fire has spread across 14-hectares of stubble and stumps on Cascade Road.

Susie Ferguson speaks to FENZ rural fire manager Tim Mitchell.

A brief update on the movements in the financial sector.

Opposition leader Simon Bridges has taken perhaps the biggest gamble of his political career - ruling out a coalition deal with New Zealand First after this year's general elections.

He's following in the footsteps of John Key, who made a similar pledge in 2008.

It worked for Key, Peters lost his Tauranga seat and with New Zealand First gaining less than 5 percent of the vote, the party was out of Parliament.

Can lightning strike twice?

RNZ's political editor Jane Patterson speaks to Corin Dann.

The government agency charged with caring for children has been given a D minus in a Māori-led review.

A new report from Whānau Ora says Oranga Tamariki needs a complete overhaul because of systemic failure, discrimination and inexplicable breaches of human rights towards Māori.

Inquiry head Dame Naida Glavish wants the immediate resignation of Oranga Tamariki's chief executive.

Children's Minister Tracey Martin speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Politicians are beginning to arrive in Waitangi in the run up to the celebration of the national day on Thursday.

It's a time when leaders from all strands of Maori life gather in one area, and traditionally it's a time of tough questioning and serious conversation.

RNZ's Maori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan is in Waitangi.

A travel agent says the two-week ban on foreign nationals travelling from or through mainland China entering New Zealand will hit the airlines hard.

The Prime Minister announced the ban yesterday joining the US, Australia Singapore, Japan and Vietnam. 

It's a bid to stop the deadly Wuhan coronavirus which has killed more than 300 people since it emerged in China last month.

Brent Thomas from the House of Travel speaks to Susie Ferguson.

China is calling the New Zealand decision to bar foreigners who've travelled from or through China from entering New Zealand 'disappointing".

China's Consul General in Auckland, Ruan Ping, says the sudden decision could hurt the superpower's economy - and that would also be bad for New Zealand.

Ruan also says the ban isn't fair on the thousands of Chinese students who are coming to New Zealand to study.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Novak Djokovic is eyeing up Roger Federer's all-time grand slam tally of 20 grand slam titles after winning his 17th in Melbourne last night.