Nau mai haere mai - welcome to this week’s newsletter.

From Thursday, we’ll all be able to leave our bubbles - and I’m probably not the only one to feel a mix of relief and trepidation. We may have brought the spread of COVID-19 under control in New Zealand, but the pandemic’s economic impact is far from over. This week marks the beginning of the recovery phase, and Norman Gemmell, a public finance expert at Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, writes that despite huge economic uncertainties, it’s good timing for the budget. As the economy begins to emerge from enforced hibernation, he says the budget should redirect spending towards immediate support for those businesses and households that will suffer most as a recession hits New Zealand.

Massey University historian Michael Belgrave argues the 2020 budget will be one of New Zealand’s most significant and define this government in ways that are critical for the country’s future. He looks back at the budgets of 1938 and 1991 - equally pivotal events that have changed the way we live.

But perhaps not everything should return to how things were before the pandemic. Massey University leadership expert Sarah Leberman and her colleagues explore women’s sports and the gains in commercial support and visibility they have made recently. They argue that now is the time for a reset to ensure equity in sports and active recreation for girls and women.

We also look back at the lockdown to shed some light on the discussion about its legality and to ask why alcohol continued to be sold, even though we know that it can make coronavirus symptoms more severe.

You’ll find much more in this newsletter and on the New Zealand page - thank you for reading and all the best for your transition to our new normal. Take care and continue to look out for each other. Noho ora mai.