New Zealand's economic recovery from Covid is 'a lot better than expected,' says deputy prime minister CNBC 2 hrs ago Yen Nee Lee New Zealand's economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic has been "a lot better than expected," its Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told CNBC in an interview. That has allowed New Zealand to spend "large sums of money" on helping its low-income population while still keeping its net debt in check, said Robertson, who's also finance minister. Robertson also discussed the possibility of China joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership or CPTPP. New Zealand's economic recovery has been better than expected: Deputy prime minister