Auckland businesses ask Finance Minister for more help

Auckland businesses will ask the Finance Minister for more financial support in a meeting this morning. As the region heads into another fornight in hard lockdown, business leaders say small and medium businesses in particular are hurting. 150,000 have claimed the wage subsidy nationwide - meaning they have lost over 40 per cent of their revenue. Businesses are also eligible for a resurgence subsidy to offset their overheads while in lockdown - but this is a one off payment, and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce is asking the government to extend it. Chief Executive Michael Barnett says in six hours, more than 15 thousand businesses signed a petition calling for more help with with fixed overheads such as rent, rates, hire purchase agreements and utilities. He'll meet Finance Minister Grant Robertson this morning to ask for that help.