Craig McCulloch 
Covid-19 lockdown and alert level settings are being assessed today by cabinet. What decisions are they making, and when will those decisions be announced? This piece was first published on RNZ. Cabinet ministers will meet this morning to review the Covid-19 lockdown settings, but are not expected to make a definitive decision on whether to … Read more
Grant Robertson has just published the 2020 budget, drawn up in what the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, calls ‘the most challenging economic conditions faced by any government since the Great Depression’. Here are the essential elements, via RNZ. A $50 billion rescue fund sits at the centre of 2020’s “once in a generation budget” as … Read more
For the National opposition, a breakaway Christian party is a Hail Mary of the highest order, writes Craig McCulloch for RNZ. While to Roman Catholic faithful the Hail Mary is an essential prayer and path to redemption, most often nowadays the phrase invokes a last-ditch desperate play with little chance of success. National Party leader … Read more
The man accused of killing 50 worshippers at mosques in Christchurch will be going on trial this year, which means media organisations will have difficult decisions to make. Craig McCulloch reports in this piece first published on Radio NZ. Media outlets have begun discussions on how best to cover the court case of the accused … Read more
The Labour-led government has delivered a restrained and cautious Budget in its first year, keeping money in the kitty instead of a major spend up, writes Craig McCulloch in this summary via RNZ It is investing more money in health, education and housing while also forecasting a more than $3bn surplus this year. Finance Minister Grant … Read more
The PM gets the Backbencher treatment in DJ pose, Winston Peters gets a refit, but the publican is unsure whether it’s worth bothering with Simon Bridges yet, writes RNZ’s Craig McCulloch Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been immortalised as a puppet DJ at the Backbencher pub across the road from the Beehive. But National’s new leader … Read more