Jacinda Ardern has gifted her finance minister a tie on the morning of a health-focussed Budget as she watches from Covid-19 isolation.
The Prime Minister caught Covid at the weekend and is recovering after her fiance Clarke Gayford first came down with the virus, then her young daughter Neve.
But Ms Ardern still found a way to complete one of her Budget traditions.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson joined her in an Instagram Live to receive a new tie from his boss, just as they've done each year of their tenure.
"That's lovely. Thank you ... is there anything you'd like to tell me about your thinking behind this?" Mr Robertson said, holding up a dark tie with red bubbles.
"I'm not in your bubble but I'm next to your bubble," Ms Ardern replied from her "bubble of one" as she isolates alone in the Prime Minister's official Wellington residence.
Ms Ardern had cheese rolls delivered to Mr Robertson this morning and described hers as being "a bit beige" before saying she has lost all her taste due to Covid.
She will beam into Parliament virtually at 2pm to watch Mr Robertson unveil the Budget and later give a speech.
This year's Budget is titled "A Secure Future", and features multi-billion spend-ups in emissions reduction and health.
"The big focus of the budget today is health," Mr Robertson confirmed.
His new operating allowance is a whopping $6 billion and he has said around half will be going towards the health system.
The Government is abolishing the 20 regional health districts created by Helen Clark's government and centralising the health system.
It is also creating a national Maori health authority to help overcome health inequalities.
