There were celebrations outside the High Court in Christchurch yesterday as the mosque gunman was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
It’s the first time such a sentence has been handed down in New Zealand and means the gunman will spend the rest of his days in jail without prospect of release.
Victims and survivors could be heard crying softly in the public gallery as Justice Cameron Mander described the horror of the gunman’s crimes.
The judge then rebuked the terrorist , saying he didn’t appear to be contrite or ashamed, and added he had “failed” in his attempt to perpetuate terrorism and racism.
“Your design was to divide, but the public’s response was to stand with the people of the community, with their fellow New Zealanders,” he said.
Abdul Aziz Wahabazadah, the man who chased off the shooter on the day of attack, was visibly jubilant outside court following the sentencing.
Gamal Fouda, Imam of the Al Noor mosque, also spoke outside the court to share a message of unity . He added “no punishment is going to bring our loved ones back”.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she hopes yesterday’s sentencing will be the last time the terrorist’s name needs to be uttered .
“His deserves to be a lifetime of complete and utter silence,” she said.
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Gunman's deportation unlikely
A special Air Force flight believed to be carrying the shooter touched down in Auckland last night as he begins his life sentence in prison at Paremoremo.
Soon after the gunman’s sentencing, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters called for Australia "to take this terrorist home", however, both Jacinda Ardern and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison say there are no plans to deport him .
It’s unlikely the Christchurch attacker will ever be sent back to Australia. Ms Ardern says it would be “a very complex undertaking”, given there’s no legal basis for it.
There are also issues around other potential prisoner swaps , which could prove costlier than keeping the Christchurch shooter in jail.
'Mini cluster' grows
It appears only a large increase in Covid-19 cases will stop Auckland moving to Alert Level 2 on Monday.
It comes as the mini cluster linked to a Mt Roskill church rose to eight confirmed cases yesterday. There’s concern up to 400 people may have been exposed to the virus at church services and a wedding.
The cases are still under investigation as authorities look for their epidemiological links to the main cluster.
Health authorities say a “number of leads” are being looked at, including church services that may have been held weeks before.
Stamping out the virus
Meanwhile, the Government continues to roll out measures to bring any further outbreaks of Covid-19 under control.
The guidelines for wearing masks on public transport at Level 2 were released yesterday and will see every Kiwi aged 12 and above required to wear the face coverings. Some exceptions to that rule were also outlined.
Not wearing a mask on public transport will be punishable by a $300 infringement notice or a fine of up to $1000 imposed by the courts.
Authorities are also working on further strengthening New Zealand’s contact tracing abilities.
A report released yesterday found the country’s contact tracing is in a stronger position since its April audit, but the role of technology in the process is being encouraged.
And the Government has announced it’s putting hundreds of millions of dollars towards accessing a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as one becomes available.
The exact amount of funding, which is coming from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, was not disclosed "due to commercial sensitivity".
Disbelief at school's funding
There is widespread dismay at the Government’s decision to give nearly $12 million to help an elite private school in Taranaki expand.
Associate Finance Minister James Shaw says the “shovel-ready project” would create 200 construction jobs and allow Taranaki Green School to expand its roll from 120 students to 250 – which could bring in $43 million a year to the region.
However, the Greens are asking Mr Shaw to explain the move given his party has a policy of opposing public funding for private schools.
Even Education Minister Chris Hipkins said he wouldn’t have done it and concedes those at public schools may find the move galling.
National’s Nicola Willis says the Government has serious questions to answer about the funding.
Police failures revealed
An Independent Police Conduct Authority report into the death of Alo Ngata has found the spit hood used during his arrest was "not applied correctly" - but police decision-making is believed to be the bigger issue.
Mr Ngata stopped breathing while in police custody two years ago. Yesterday’s report found a decision to leave him alone in a cell with a spit hood on was “unacceptable”.
TVNZ’s Sunday programme covered Mr Ngata’s cause of death several weeks ago. They’ll be speaking exclusively to his mother about the report this weekend.
Other news of note this morning:
One of the most powerful storms to ever hit the US has made landfall on the coast of Louisiana overnight, causing flash floods and severe damage to buildings.
New Zealand’s stock exchange says it’s doing everything it can to open trading after being hit by overseas cyber attacks for a third straight day.
Outrage over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in the US has seen a surge in boycotts in major sports leagues.
A bereaved mother who led her children's escape from an isolation facility in Hamilton has been jailed for 14 days , while a man who admitted breaking out of managed isolation to buy alcohol has been sentenced to community service .
National has released its policies for helping small business. Interest.co.nz details the proposed tax changes here , while Stuff reports the plans will see 90-day trials reinstated and mandatory rest and meal breaks scrapped.
A new poll has found overall support for Jacinda Ardern’s leadership hasn’t wavered much despite the second wave of Covid-19 and lockdown in Auckland.
And a same-sex penguin couple at a Spanish aquarium have become first-time mums after adopting an egg together .
And finally...
Singer Katy Perry and her fiancé Orlando Bloom have welcomed their first child together, a baby girl they’ve given the especially flowery name of Daisy Bloom.
But the way in which the news was revealed was a little different to the usual celebrity baby announcement .
As Goodwill Ambassadors for UNICEF, the couple used the public interest in their daughter’s arrival to highlight the global inequities that exist around giving birth safely and are encouraging people to make donations to the cause.
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