New Zealand budget: ‘no playbook’ for Covid-19 economic recovery, says Ardern
Prime minister promises a spending budget, calling cuts to essential services ‘immoral and economically wrong’
Jacinda Ardern has warned there is “no playbook” to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, as her government prepares to unveil New Zealand’s budget in what she said were “the most challenging economic conditions” since the Great Depression.
The prime minister’s remarks followed an announcement that New Zealand had recorded a second consecutive day of no new cases of Covid-19. Ninety-four percent of New Zealand’s confirmed and probable cases of the virus have now recovered, and 21 people have died.