A wounded Simon Bridges has congratulated new National leader Todd Muller after his ousting.

The new National leader says he expects to be Prime Minister after New Zealand's September election.

There are no new Covid-19 cases today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government on Monday will consider increasing the maximum size of gatherings under alert level 2.

The Government will reinstate the 100 per cent funding band for teacher-led ECE services after it was scrapped by the previous Government in 2010, PM Jacinda Ardern said.

There are no new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield will tonight be leading the New Zealand delegation at a World Health Organisation meeting

Budget 2020 Live Special: The Government will borrow an extra $50 billion in the June 2021 fiscal year to mitigate the hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government has backed down on rules under alert level 2 only allowing 10 people at funeral and tangi.

New Zealand has no new cases of Covid-19 and 93% have now recovered, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today.

The racing industry will get a $72.5 million emergency support package, Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced.

Alert level 2: Retail, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinema and other public spaces can reopen this Thursday. Schools will reopen on May 18 and bars on May 21.

The Government will invest an extra $202 million into family violence services.

The Government will bolster Pharmac's budget by an extra $160 million to ensure NZ has access to more medicines and vaccines.

There are two new Covid-19 cases today, one of which is an Auckland nurse who has tested positive for coronavirus.The nurse is linked to St Margaret's rest home and is being cared for at North Shore Hospital.

MP David Parker says farewell to Parliament in his valedictory speech.. Video / Parliament TV

Malls, cafes, bars, barbers and schools can open under alert level 2, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. Kiwis can expand their bubbles to include friends and family and travel "safely" around the country, Ardern said.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has revealed the Government will be running deficits for an "extended period" of time and its debt levels will reach an all-time high.

There are two new cases of Covid-19 and one person has died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours. PM Jacinda Ardern said Microsoft's announcement to build a data centre in New Zealand served as a signal to the world that we are open for business.

National would introduce a GST refund scheme for businesses badly affected by the Covid-19 crisis to help with cash flow, leader Simon Bridges said in a major pre-Budget speech today.

There are no new cases of coronavirus in New Zealand today. It is the first time in almost six weeks that testing has not uncovered a single case across a 24 hour period.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff speaks with Tim McCready about the impact of Covid-19 on 2021. Video / Supplied

Acting PM Carmel Sepuloni and Labour MP Kelvin Davis talk to the media live from Wellington.

PM Jacinda Ardern's communication style has been praised internationally, including by the World Health Organisation. Just how did Ardern manage to persuade New Zealanders into docility?

Graham Loh of Forest & Bird talking about the tītī colony on the Otago Peninsula. Video / supplied

There are three new Covid-19 cases today and no additional deaths. One of today's three cases is linked to overseas travel and one to a known case. The origin of another is still under investigation.

There are three new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today. The number of cases has remained in single digits for 12 days. There are no further deaths.

In a speech this afternoon delivered to reporters in the Beehive, Peters said the Government is considering its foreign and trade policy priorities, in light of the global pandemic.

New Zealand’s final days in lockdown saw an Anzac Day unlike any other, cautious optimism from leaders that we have eliminated the virus, and backlash from the opposition. Video / Chris Tarpey / Mark Mitchell / Kasun Rubasinghe 

National Party leader Simon Bridges says that lockdown 'has gone on too long' and that 'we don't want to flatten the economy'.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield has been front and centre at the daily Covid-19 briefings.

Gabby Wright, age 15, who has had her Make-A-Wish Wish trip to Disneyland put on hold due to Covid-19. Video / Dean Purcell