Here we go again, everybody. They’re planning to build yet more houses on land that we know is partial to flooding.  This time, it's the Coalition Government, with three housing projects on its fast-track list in Auckland and Canterbury.  In 2022 it was Labour, they had 700 homes on their fast-track list that were prone to flooding.  You might think, well, if you want to go and build your house on flood-prone land after Cyclone Gabrielle, et cetera, that's your issue. You pay up.  But here's the problem with that: we have no hard and fast rule about what rate payers and or taxpayers might have to stump up for compensation. You know, do we buy these houses out? How does it work?   If they build and it floods, our collective insurance premiums go up. Just this week, we had a letter from big insurers to the Prime Minister and others saying we can't keep up with these payouts, with the increased weather events, et cetera – premiums are going to have to rock it up, stop allowing development on low lying land.  There's been a select committee report on this, saying we need rules from the government, we need certainty, and we do.  Who pays what to whom and when, we just don't know.   And in the meantime, you would think the land that might be at risk of flooding would be put on a slow, rather than a fast track. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fresh information for prostate cancer patients and their doctors to consider when making treatment decisions.  A UK study has found those treated with a highly targeted type of radiotherapy appear to have fewer problems with two major side effects, compared with those who have surgery.  Auckland Radiation Oncologist Associate Professor Giuseppe Sasso says the treatment is also more convenient compared to conventional radiation.  He says it's able to take care of their disease with five appointments, rather than a four week, Monday to Friday course of radiation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The issue of the Manawanui sinking is hanging over the Prime Minister as he attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. Christopher Luxon met UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last night, and will meet with King Charles and other leaders today. He says it's too early to talk about whether Samoa will get any financial compensation for the Manawanui.  But Political Editor Jason Walls —who's on the ground in Samoa with the PM— told Ryan Bridge Luxon has been full of praise for the Kiwi taskforce responding to the situation.  He says there was some initial estimates that thousands of litres of diesel could be leaking out into the ocean, but the PM is confident there's been little to no damage to marine life.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's meeting with Police and transport officials today over Wednesday's fatal stabbing in Auckland.  Police are expected to lay charges against a 37-year-old man who handed himself in to North Shore Police Station yesterday afternoon.  It came after a woman was fatally stabbed on a bus in Onehunga on Wednesday in a seemingly random attack.  Transport Minister Simeon Brown told Ryan Bridge he and Police Minister Mark Mitchell will be sitting down with Police and Auckland Transport today.  He says the key issue is to ensure they're using the resources they have effectively, keeping public transport users safe, and looking at what more they can do.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 25th of October, there are concerns about safety on public transport following the fatal stabbing of a woman on a bus in Onehunga. Transport Minister Simeon Brown joins the show to discuss the situation.  A new UK prostate cancer trial is looking good for patients - it aims to reduce side effects and treat the cancer in a more targeted way. Oncologist Giuseppe Sasso speaks to Ryan about what it could mean for Kiwi patients.  The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is getting underway in Samoa. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has already held a meeting with the UK's Kier Starmer and is set to meet the King for the first time today. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joins us live from Samoa.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is coming under fire for alleged comments he made about Adolf Hitler.   In an interview with the New York Times, Trump's former Chief of Staff, John F. Kelly claims the former president said that Hitler did some good things.   US correspondent Sally Patterson told Ryan Bridge the Republican presidential nominee allegedly praised Hitler on other things.   She says that includes praising Hitler's economic policy and military tactics.   A spokesperson for the Trump campaign says Kelly has made a fool of himself with the accusations and labelled them debunked stories.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The primary teachers’ union says there are other matters which should come before improvements to the measuring of student performance.   An Auditor-General report says there's a gap in the Ministry of Education's information on student performance before NCEA level.   It recommends better collection of progress reports on primary and intermediate students.  New Zealand Education Institute President Mark Potter told Ryan Bridge that there needs to be more investment in education across the board.  He says it’ll require new money to be invested, not just clip and cut funding from one part of education, and moved to another.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ambulance union says the Government's made the right call in increasing funding by 6% for Hato Hone St John.  It's putting an additional $21 million into the ambulance service, increasing the overall funding to nearly $357 million.  Ambulance Association Secretary Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that it hasn’t resolved the issues of pay parity, but it’s more than they were offered previously.   He says the pay increases take them above the inflationary pressures, as well as significant conditions around medical.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bit of life is coming back into the property market, but investors think the best is yet to come.   The CoreLogic October Housing report has found almost a quarter of the properties bought were by people who own multiple properties.   The Property Investors Federation says there should be a pickup mid next year as mortgage rates continue to fall.   Advocacy Director Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge there are some bargains to be had.  He says some investors are buying up run down homes and doing them up for a profit.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, a driver and fellow passengers all witnessed a stabbing take place, and the person died.  This is 2:30 in the afternoon on a bus in suburban Auckland, and someone is allegedly stabbed to death.  There's been beatings of passengers and drivers, I don't have to explain this, you've seen the headlines. The problem of driver safety seems to only be getting worse.  I was walking past the bus just a few weeks back, there was a guy, he looked wild in the eyes. You know the ones that I'm talking about, swearing and yelling and walking up to buses and kicking their doors.  So every time a bus would come along the guy would just kick the door and he did it to several of them. I didn't say anything. I was with other people; they didn't say anything because you're just worried he's going to go nuts at you.  But we could carry on walking down the road, when you work on public transport, you cannot escape the public.  And when the public is increasingly hostile, there are more and more bad eggs on the bus, where do you go to?  Nowhere. You can't go anywhere.  And the long-promised safety screens are finally being installed.  But, as we heard on this show a couple of months back, it'll take another two years to even get to 80% coverage.  There are plenty of safe bus journeys out there, plenty of drivers who love what they do. No doubt about that.  But the more you hear about these awful acts of violence on or around our drivers, you've got to ask yourself, is it worth the risk? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 24th of October, the Auditor General has told the Ministry of Education to get a better handle on inequality in our school children. NZEI President Mark Potter reacts to the report.  Property investors could be the ones to watch in the new year as interest rates continue to drop. Matt Ball from the Property Investors Federation joins the show to discuss.  St John have ratified their collective agreement; it comes as the government provides the ambulance service with more money - but is it enough? NZ Ambulance Association Secretary Mark Quin speaks to Ryan about what more needs to be done.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers appear hopeful their sales numbers will turn around.  Retail NZ's quarterly survey finds 65% of retailers feel confident or very confident their business will survive the next 12 months.  It finds 57% expect to meet or exceed their targets for the final quarter, even after 70% failed to meet their last sales targets.  General Manager of Normanby Fine Wines, Liz Wheadon told Ryan Bridge that they’ve started to see positive signs, and they see it as a good time to look at starting a new business.  She said that fine wines is a hard market to read, but it feels like there’s some optimism there.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor hopes a Crown Observer will help the city put more support towards water infrastructure.  Preparations are under way for a Crown Observer, announced by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown in a bid to help the council's 10 Year Budget.  The city's seeking cuts after reversing plans to sell its airport shares.  Wellington City Councillor Tony Randle told Ryan Bridge they need to cut some of their projects, and they are not funding Wellington Water as much as it's requesting.  He says water's not the top priority, but it should be, and he's confident they're going to get there.  Randle is also uncertain if Tory Whanau will be voted in as Mayor for a second term.  He says her record is not necessarily the best, but it depends who stands against her.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing is ever good enough for some people, is it?  You've got a centre-right government committing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to feed kids in schools, and they've managed to free up $130 million in savings in the process, and still, it's not good enough for some.  The Health Coalition Aotearoa, they're not happy, some dieticians say it's not nutritious enough.  "Simply cutting the amount of food that they are having and supplying a more processed, less varied diet is a complete lost opportunity for our health system."  I'll tell you what, it's more nutritious than nothing at all, an empty stomach.  Some said the food was too processed, it was one size fits all, it wouldn't appeal to the kids.  It's not meant to appeal to kids so much as feed them when they're hungry. I thought that was the point. And if they don't eat it, they're not hungry. It's simple.  Now, there are some bold claims being made by David Seymour which I am a little sceptical of like the fact that we can do this for $3 a meal. It sounds unheard of, but he gets the benefit of the doubt and my good luck for his cost saving crusade.  Guess where some of the savings are going, feeding 10,000 poor 2 to 5-year-olds.  David Seymour is the new Robin Hood.  In all the flurry of releases yesterday about this, there was one staggering number that stood out to me. Seymour reckons if Labour had adopted his model from the get-go when they launched this program five years ago, we would have saved $800 million dollars.  $800 million – they could have had that bike bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, or they could have had more rat tests, or whatever the hell they wanted.  It's true, there is no such thing as a free lunch, but thank the lord is at least now a cheaper menu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A principal's sceptical about the Government's ambitious school lunch budget.  The Government says it's saving $130 million a year by reducing the cost per meal from $8 to $3.  Schools preparing meals internally will get $4 a student to keep hiring people to prepare food.  Greymouth High School principal Samantha Mortimer told Ryan Bridge that hungry children will eat anything, but they deserve high quality food.   She’s questioning how everything will be done for that price, as it’s not just about the food, there are costs around production, wages, and transport.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 23rd of October, a Crown Observer is set to step in at Wellington City Council following mismanaged finances and big changes proposed for the city's Long Term plan. Councillor Tony Randle speaks to Ryan about what it means.  David Seymour has unveiled the Government’s new school lunch programme, with meals coming in at just $3 each. But what impact will this have on local suppliers currently working with schools? Greymouth High School principal Samantha Mortimer joins the show to discuss.  Retail business confidence is on the rise as we head into Q4. According to Retail NZ, 57% of retailers are expecting to meet or exceed their targets this quarter, up from just 32% in the last survey. Ryan talks to the manager of a new business opening next year who feels confident about where the economy is heading.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's calling on the Māori Development Minister to keep the Ihumātao deal as it stands. Documents seen by Newstalk ZB show that Tama Potaka is considering dissolving the committee dealing with the land. It was bought in 2020 with a promise to put Māori housing in the area, putting an end to ongoing protests. Māori Development Minister under Labour, Willie Jackson, told Ryan Bridge the Government should give them the space and honour the agreement. He's telling Potaka not to cut things before they're finished. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer believes locking people up for longer won't necessarily make communities safer. Thousands more offenders are likely to be captured under the Three Strikes rule, following changes by Cabinet to toughen up the new regime. It's lowering the threshold for a first strike warning from 24 months imprisonment to 12 months. Roderick Mulgan told Ryan Bridge offending is complicated. He says it's not cause they're bad people, they offend because of things like substance abuse and lack of family support. Mulgan says the idea of putting people away and forgetting where you left the key,  is a bit old fashioned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Three Strikes update for you this morning: the Government's basically lowering the threshold you have to meet in order to be hit with the new Three Strikes law.  Originally for the law to kick in, for you to get a strike, you had to commit a crime with a prison sentence of 24 months or more, and it was the same for each of the Three Strikes.  Now, it's being lowered to just 12 months for the first offence.  So basically, more criminals will be captured by the first strike.   And, if they go on to commit more serious crimes, it could mean they're locked up for good or an increase in the minimum sentence.  It's taking away the power from the judges and the discretion that they have.  They say the law doesn't work, this Three Strikes law, because we have had it before.  It's not proven to reduce offending or reoffending. It's not right. It doesn't rehabilitate criminals.  And yet somehow, I don't mind it.  If you can't sort yourself out after warnings one and two, then why would you miraculously stop offending after the third warning?  You probably wouldn't.  So, wouldn't we all be better off if that serious violent repeat offender was, rather than living next door to you, in jail? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An upgrade to a key Hawke's Bay road is expected to bolster the region.   The Hawke's Bay Expressway, which carries 29,000 vehicles a day, is being widened from two lanes to four.   The Government says starting work on the Road of National Significance early will bring construction forward 12-to-15 months.   Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge it'll massively improve access.   He says the Road of National Significance programme is designed to make better connections between the economic hubs of the country.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian politicians from both sides have denounced Independent indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe's expletive-laden outburst at King Charles' reception in Canberra.   Thorpe, a Senator for Victoria, began yelling as the King's speech ended and claimed he'd committed genocide against her people.   She says the King destroyed her land, and the country wants a treaty.   Australia correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge it's been labelled childish.   She says front-benchers from both sides say it was grandstanding and failed miserably.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 22nd of October, the Government is toughening the three strikes law to catch more offenders. Criminal Defence Lawyer Roderick Mulgan speaks to Ryan about what it means.  Tama Potaka has warned the group tasked with deciding the future of Ihumatao to come up with a solution or be shown the door. Labour's Willie Jackson was the Māori Development Minister at the time the government purchased the land, joining the show to discuss.  Work has started on the Hawke's Bay Expressway, the country's first new road of national significance. The EMA's Head of Advocacy and Strategy Alan McDonald talks to Ryan about its significance.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Couple of stories in the news today, one of them and I'll just read you the first line from this story. "Ministry of Social Development officials warned their minister that using payment cards as a sanction for beneficiaries can be stigmatising and open to exploitation." What? So either the poor things will stigmatise them, will tarnish their good reputations or those bludgers that will just exploit the hell out of the cards, which is it? Are they bad? Are they good? It just seems a very confused piece of advice from the Ministry for Social Development, in my eyes at least. They're going to flog them off these cards on Facebook, sell them, or are we tarnishing their good reputations by giving them to them in the first place? When you design a system, a safety net like this, it should be done for the dignity and the simplicity of those who desperately need it. I think we can all agree with that. However, you need to have enough hoops and barriers and checks and balances for those who would exploit the system. We're good people, we're fair minded people us Kiwis, but there are dicks among us who rip systems off, who don't look after their kids, who don't use the money for the purpose of feeding their families, et cetera. Those people do exist and treating them with free cash and no consequences is not going to change that situation. Surely not. Why would you change when everything is just handed to you on a silver platter and whether that's cash or whether it's a card, you're not going to solve that problem. It is a balancing act, but you have to design a system that is there for people who need it, but also can't be exploited by those who would seek to do so.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand have held their nerve to record one of their best wins in almost 95 years of test cricket. The loss of their skipper from the second ball of the fifth day didn’t worry the tourists, nor the probing of a fearsome Indian attack buoyed by a frenzied atmosphere in Bengaluru. Instead, two players with a combined 25 tests’ experience coolly and methodically worked their way towards a 107-run target to secure an eight-wicket victory, the Black Caps’ third from 37 matches in India. Will Young (48no) and Rachin Ravindra (39no)survived a new ball that was seaming and swinging then negated a deteriorating pitch offering variable turn, seeing off a unit boasting three of the top six-ranked bowlers in the world. And they did it with barely a scare – one batter in the team only owing to an injury for Kane Williamson and the other playing his first test in the city of his parents’ birth. It was a victory built on an outstanding initial four sessions, skittling the hosts for 46 before piling on 402 in reply. But India responded by plundering 462in their second innings, setting up a tricky chase exacerbated by the loss of new captain Tom Latham and fellow opener Devon Conway in the first hour. No matter – Young and Ravindra, putting together an unbeaten partnership of 75 runs from 92 balls, made it appear easy. History suggested that was hardly the case. This was New Zealand’s first triumph in India since Sir Richard Hadlee took 10-88 – his fifth-best match figures – while leading a 136-run victory at Wankhede in 1988. That win came 19 years after their first in Nagpur, a 167-run success during their third trip to the country. Now, with two tests to play, the tourists have a chance to avoid a series defeat in India – a feat they have managed twice in 14 attempts. They are far from alone in their struggles. India have lost four of 48 tests at home in the last 10 years, twice to Australia and twice to England. This Indian team currently lead the World Test Championship, having won eight of 11 matches in the current cycle, while the Black Caps entered on a four-test losing streak that spurred a captaincy change. Add in the absence of Williamson alongside the side’s recent struggles offshore – earning only seven test wins away from home in the last decade – and this triumph would be bettered by few since New Zealand played their first test in 1930. The way the day began emphasised the degree of difficulty in securing such a treasured result. After surviving a huge shout from Jasprit Bumrah’s third delivery of the innings on the fourth night, Latham was less lucky from an unplayable second ball on the fifth morning. That ball was moving about in a manner to quicken Kiwi pulses, while a boisterous crowd joined the players in appealing anything close. The Black Caps were under pressure from Mohammed Siraj. Photo / Photosport The first half-hour disappeared in a blink as the Black Caps crept within 100, Young soon flicking Mohammed Siraj off his pads for the first boundary of the innings from the 48th delivery. The unflappable right-hander was batting with a level of composure that belied his international inexperience, carving Siraj through backward point before pulling him for a second boundary of the 12th over. But just when the crowd had been quietened, Bumrah angled one in to beat Conway, clip his back pad and, upon review, send him back to the pavilion. New Zealand never missed a beat. Ravindra was under way with two boundaries in three balls, having cracked in second test hundred in the first innings and having proven at last year’s ODI World Cup he thrived in the big moment. After pulling within 50, Kuldeep Yadav was introduced as the second of India’s formidable spin trio. Young ended his first over by coming down the track and flicking him over the fence. The 31-year-old did escape on 34, when Ravindra Jadeja put down a tough return catch, but that fortune was well deserved. As was the boundary he then cut to collect the winning runs. - by Kris Shannon, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The meat processing sector is being encouraged to evolve to ensure it captures future demand. Alliance Group's confirmed Timaru's Smithfield meatworks will shut by the year's end due to declining sheep numbers – cutting up to 600 positions. BusinessDesk reports rival Silver Fern Farms wants to be constructively involved as Alliance works through a capital raise. Chief Executive Dan Boulton told Ryan Bridge he doesn't believe this downward trend will continue forever. “Our sheep, beef and venison farmers deserve to thrive, but to do that, they’re going to need a really strong, efficient, and viable processing sector and that’s going to require investment.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The voice of the America's Cup says returning the event to New Zealand shores will deliver more than just sailing. Previous editions have all been held in Auckland, but Mayor Wayne Brown says the hosting decision is in the hands of Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton. Brown says he'd welcome it back, but has concerns over its cost. Sailing commentator Peter Montgomery told Ryan Bridge people aren't aware of its positive flow-on effects, like creating jobs and incomes. “More than the whole industry, more than just the tourism industry and fans coming to fill hotels rooms or whatever. There’s been a byproduct that’s come out of it that no other sport brings.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 21st of October. Team New Zealand have made history in Barcelona, winning the America's Cup for the third time in a row. But where to now for the auld mug? Sailing Commentator Peter Montgomery speaks to Ryan about the win. A huge loss for Timaru with the Alliance Smithfield meatworks set to close by the end of the year - will Silver Fern Farms be involved in the restructure, and what does it mean for the meat sector? Chief Executive Dan Boulton joins the show. A busy morning for Kiwi sport - The White Ferns are facing South Africa in the T20 World Cup final, and Liam Lawson takes to the track in Formula 1. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pilot shortages in the aviation sector has some sounding the alarm, concerned that flights could be grounded in four years.  There are calls for the Government to intervene, to encourage more young people to pursue the profession.  Ardmore Flying School Chief Executive Irene King told Ryan Bridge the financial strains are to blame, with their income not keeping up with costs.  She says they're trying to operate with the same income as in 2013.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Collins says race shouldn't be a factor in prosecution decisions.  Solicitor-General Una Jagose KC has been under fire after advising prosecutors to "think carefully about particular decisions... where a person is Māori".  Collins —in her capacity as Attorney-General— is refusing to endorse the directive.  She told Ryan Bridge all prosecution decisions should be carefully thought about, but based on circumstances, not on race.  Collins says it's not just about whether someone can be prosecuted, but whether they can be prosecuted in those circumstances.  The HMNZS Manawanui’s navigation book has also been found by the crew of a British ship.  A New Zealand Defence Force spokesman has confirmed Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tamar was able to recover the book  The navigation record book and black box are expected to be key evidence in the Court of Inquiry.  Defence Minister Collins told Bridge the HMS Tamar has found good information.   She says the ship was in the area to see what they could do to help, and that information will be part of the investigation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Party delegates have voted to ask Speaker Gerry Brownlee to remove the now independent Darleen Tana from parliament.   It's now down to Brownlee to decide if Tana's resignation from the party —but not Parliament— affects the proportionality of the House.   Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls told Ryan Bridge the party was previously against the legislation even being in place.   He says it's remarkable for as many delegates to come together and agree, and it draws a line under the situation.  He said former co-leader Metiria Turei being involved was a surprise move, as even Chloe Swarbrick had no idea she would be contributing to the call.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of former One Direction star Liam Payne have broken their silence following his death.   The 31-year-old has died after a fall at a hotel in Buenos Aires.  He's famous for his role in One Direction, the boy band being one of the bestselling groups of all time between their formation in 2010 and their indefinite hiatus in 2016.   UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge Payne's family has released a statement addressing the death.   It says they are heartbroken, and Liam will be remembered for his kind, funny, and brave soul.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 18th of October, the Green Party has voted to invoke the waka jumping legislation against former party, now independent, MP Darleen Tana. Political Editor Jason Walls has the latest on what comes next.  The NATO Defence Ministers meeting is underway in Brussels amid ongoing global tension, and Defence Minister Judith Collins speaks to Ryan live from NATO.  The aviation industry is warning of a looming shortage of pilots. Ardmore Flying School Chief Executive Irene King explains what it could mean for the industry.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup lead has been halved.  Ineos Britannia claimed the wins for races five and six, leaving the score at 4-2.  ZB Sport Journalist Adam Cooper told Ryan Bridge that it’s more exciting than it is concerning for Team NZ.  He said that the wins were the result of two mistakes from the Kiwis, and although people are fearful of a shock loss, at the most part everyone is still confident.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation is expected to keep easing in the months to come.  Overall inflation is back within the target range at 2.2% due to falling prices for imports like petrol and diesel.  Domestically-driven non-tradeable inflation remains much higher at 4.9%, due to a sharp rise in rents, council rates and insurance premiums.  ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge that inflation is expected to remain close to 2% over the next few years, with a chance of it edging below towards the end of 2025/26.  He says it would take something quite drastic to push it back up.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A timely reminder, an important one too, for me last night. I'm in Wellington, flew into the schmozzle storm yesterday for an event.  It's easily one of the most beautiful cities in New Zealand, is it not? Can we all agree on that? With the hills jutting out of the harbour, all of the bush surrounding it.  It is stunning and the weather was good, so that helped.  It was absolutely beautiful flying in, and then you land and there's the road cones, and there's the Uber driver not happy, and the mayor's in meltdown, and the government's taking over, and the council is all over the place.  Shambles, schmozzle, all that stuff.  But then this event last night featured and honoured a couple of Wellington business people.  Among them was Brian McGuinness, whose family have either built or refurbished basically half of Wellington – including Government House, which I found fascinating.  Doug Hauraki was a name you will know, he was on there as well. Great Wellingtonian.  Many were honoured there, but the speeches particularly got me last night, got me right in the guts.  These are guys who have seen it all – Wellington at its best, Wellington at its absolute worst. When it's the crown, the jewel, when it's the butt of our jokes.  And their message essentially was politics is temporary. Like any city, the real pulse, the Real Engine Room is private enterprise. Always has been, always will be.  And there was a tech guru, John Daniel Trask, who spoke last night, he said we shouldn't always look to the Council, to the Government, to fix our problems or to make things better because for the most part, we can actually do it on our own, we can solve problems on our own.  Sure, there are some issues that only government and council can look after that only government and council have a purview over, but for most things, we can actually do it ourselves.   And so that is true of Wellington, Wellington is no exception.  Wellington will come back, and probably doesn't help that people like me sit in front of microphones in Auckland and bleat about the place. But you know, it's fun from a distance, quite different up close. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister in charge says ACC needs to lift its game.   The government agency has reported a $7.2 billion deficit, just a year after posting an almost $1 billion surplus.   It says the cost of services and compensation rose 16% over the year.   It's proposing to hike levies for vehicle owners, workers, and business owners.   Minister Matt Doocey told Ryan Bridge he doesn't expect levies to be used as default.    He says they have to focus on their rehabilitation rates, which have been lower than expected.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of October, ACC has recorded a $7.2 billion dollar deficit just a year after a $911 million surplus. How has it become this bad, and what does it mean for the levies we all pay? ACC Minister Matt Doocey discusses.  Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is set to meet with the local government Minister today following the threat of government intervention. Councillor Ray Chung speaks to Ryan about the situation.  Inflation is back within the target range of 1-3%, what does it mean for the November OCR decision? ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley joins the show.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tauranga businesses are furious about what they label harsh outdoor dining fees following a tough winter.  They've been waived for the rest of 2024, but in the new year businesses must pay an annual charge based on outdoor dining area.   In Mount Maunganui it will be $150 per square metre used, which compares to Auckland, where the highest fee is $154 a square metre.   Black Orchid Collective Cafe Owner Veronica de Oliveira told Ryan Bridge she understands the council wants to control the outdoor areas a bit since the summer is quite busy, but it’s also the only time of the year that they’re actually very busy.  She thinks that a lot of people will rebel against the fees, and quite a few alfresco set ups will be lost, making the city quiet.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an argument in favour of setting a maximum term for Supreme Court Judges. A report from New Zealand Initiative suggests the Supreme Court is getting an exaggerated view of its role and straying into Parliament's domain. Former ACT MP and lawyer Stephen Franks says there's been grumblings about it among some lawyers. He told Ryan Bridge that at the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court this year, a leading KC presented a paper aligned with this belief. He says it read that the law is ceasing to be predictable as the Supreme Court's changing it according to their social values. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK's announced a fresh wave of sanctions against extremist settler groups in the West Bank.  The measures target three outposts and four organisations which provide or promote support for violence against Palestinian communities.  British Foreign Minister David Lammy says the inaction of the Israel Government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge it's the third set of sanctions imposed since February.  He says the previous Government had also been prepared to sanction two Israeli Ministers over comments about blocking aid to Gaza.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many forecasters are expecting inflation to be around 2%, well within the Reserve Bank's target range.   The latest Stats NZ Consumer Price Index number will be released this morning.   The Reserve Bank was confident last week inflation is now below 3%.   Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge that imported things like petrol and electronics have fallen in price, but rates, insurance, and services have increased.   He says the average of more than 2% reflects divergent trends.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So Luxon is out of touch apparently.  Name me one politician, one Prime Minister, one President in the world who's in touch, doesn't matter which side of politics they're on.  Albanese, Australia's Prime Minister and Labour leader, he's just bought a $4 million cliff top mansion north of Sydney.  Keir Starmer, the UK's Labour Prime Minster, he's worth NZ$10 million, excluding all the donor freebies.  Kamala Harris is worth NZ$13 million. Tory Whanau won Lotto, Rishi Sunak is a billionaire, Jacinda Ardern gets $300,000 per speaking gig. Chris Hipkins has multiple properties. So, they're all rich.  The question is, does it really matter, and why the question in the first place?  Would we rather they only got rich through public office, as Albanese seems to be admitting. He says I'm fortunate and much better off as Prime Minister.  Personally, I'd rather they managed to build a business, run a company or do something productive first to earn their wealth rather than just walk into a job as Prime Minister and get rich that way, or win Lotto.  If somebody had experience running a charity or something like that and wasn't paid very well, but was skilled and motivated and strategic, then I'd vote for them too.  It's about experience. It shouldn't be about how wealthy you are or how poor you are, what matters is how well you can run an economy so that hard working people can get ahead.  Just ask Donald Trump. He's about to be re-elected despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth for exactly that record under his last watch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 16th of October, inflation numbers are out today and forecasts are pointing to 3 year low within the target range of 1 to 3%. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold joins the show to discuss.  An NZ Initiative report is suggesting changes to stop the Supreme Court getting an "exaggerated view of their role". What could it mean for our judicial system?  Tauranga businesses are paying increasing fees for alfresco dining - what impact is it having on them and the price you're paying for cafe food? Ryan speaks to a Tauranga cafe owner.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s Northern Territory is reintroducing a controversial device in its efforts to get tough on crime.  Police Commissioner Michael Murphy says that spit hoods will once again be used to restrain children.  Murphy says that over the last three months 68 police officers were assaulted, with 20 counts of spitting.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that it’s in opposition to the UN Committee against torture recommending last year that Australia take all necessary measures to end their use.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been yet another call to shake-up how Pharmac funds drugs in Aotearoa.  Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand's independently commissioned report recommends the Crown entity adapts a cost benefit model.  That means funding decisions would be made not just on the cost of a drug or medical device itself, but on the wider fiscal impact the decision would have on our society.  President Neil Woodhams says that currently, Pharmac doesn't take into account the total economic costs —or costs to individuals— when making the call.  He says the failure to do so gives a distorted view of the benefits from proposed new medicines.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest 1News-Verian poll was out last night. There wasn't a lot of change, other than a dip in the personal popularity of both Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins.  Nothing really major is going on, is it? And it's been that way for a couple of polls.  Now, what I find interesting is just the vibe, the energy levels that you're picking up off these guys.  Luxon, he's like the road runner. You ever watch the Road Runner, the Looney Tunes thing? And he's beep-beep, beep-beep, running around in a cloud of dust. Just in a hurry to get everything done.  And then there's old Hipkins. Is his heart still in it?  What do you really think when you see him being interviewed?  I've interviewed him over many years now and it must be hard to maintain a level of enthusiasm, but I just think he's sort of outwardly showing it now.  He'll be dusting off his CV, no doubt he'll be thinking about what's next.    He doesn't want to be there for the next election, does he?  The problem at the moment is no one else really wants to take the job either, because it's a bit of a poison chalice.  But I look at Chris Hipkins and I think there's a man who doesn't want to be there.  That's why you go and spend two weeks over in the UK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief more redundancies are causing a rise in work ready Jobseekers.  The Ministry of Social Development's September figures show a yearly increase of 29,000 people on a main benefit, a rise of 12%.   Minister Louise Upston describes rising unemployment as a consequence of years of high inflation, high government spending, and economic recession.  Employment specialist Jennifer Mills told Ryan Bridge there's also been a 33% drop in job advertisements in the last quarter, which shows there's not enough jobs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China appears to be testing the waters around Taiwan in an effort to quell its independence.   The superpower has been holding military exercises off the coast of the self-governing island.   Taiwan says it's detected 34 naval vessels and 125 aircraft in formation around it.   Otago University International Relations expert Robert Patman told Ryan Bridge China ideally wants Taiwan to fall into its lap without the use of force.   He says it's an attempt at political intimidation having these drills involving war ships and fighter jets, but Taiwan's condemned the drills and is holding its positions.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 15th of October, Jobseeker numbers are in, and it's not looking good. The number of people on the benefit has risen by 12% since last year, Employment Specialist Jennifer Mills joining the show to dig into the numbers.  There are calls to change the way Pharmac makes funding decisions. Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand has commissioned a new report which found the drug buying agency should be looking at benefit as well as cost.  China is conduction military drills with ships and aircrafts, completely surrounding the island nation of Taiwan. Robert Patman talks to Ryan about the reasons behind the escalating tensions.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're all living much longer, aren't we? At what cost? That's my question for you this morning. A report out over the weekend found human life expectancy has just about peaked globally. It's lights out. Goodbye.   New Zealand men, you'll make 80, women, you'll make 83, which is great, longer life. Everyone wants one right now. We're told that we also have a health system in crisis. People waiting in waiting rooms, they can't afford to see a GP. Over the weekend, I read about a family man, a carpenter from Westport who was sent home, hours later he was dead. In Rotorua a month ago, remember a man died in the waiting room at the emergency department while waiting. So we don't have enough resources for health or we're not optimising the resources that we do have to meet the needs and we're being overwhelmed by them. We have a huge aging population, the number of people 65 and over which was around 700,000 a few years back, that will quadruple by mid-2024. The number of people 90 over 31,000 that will quadruple in 20 years. So, we'll have 125,000 90 plus year olds in New Zealand. Now, if you're a doctor, you've got two people, both as sick as each other, one's 40 one's 90. One might die if you treat the other first. What do you do? Serious question? I mean, to me, the obvious answer is one person has had 90 years on this planet. You treat the young one first, don't you, because the older ones had more life to live. Am I saying let's stop treating patients based on need and discriminate against the elderly? No, because I love my grandmother. We have to do it on who's sickest, who's closer to death, all that sort of stuff. But I am curious, for those who work in healthcare, is there a touch of bias on who you might treat first? I know you've got the Hippocratic Oath, et cetera, but if you're presented with a situation like that, how do you respond to it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles III is bringing two doctors and a supply of his blood on his tour of Australia and Samoa starting later this week. The King has been dealing with cancer since February. It will be his first visit to Australia as King - New Zealand was believed to be dropped from the itinerary on medical advice. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the King is taking a pause on his chemotherapy treatment during the trip. “We believe that there are no evening engagements, he has days off during his tour which is more than a week.” Grey says the King was gutted not to also visit New Zealand, but his clinicians thought it was a bridge too far. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Statistics show there's been more gun crime in Auckland this year than the last. RNZ reports there were 879 gun crime offences across Auckland in the first six months of the year - 28 more than the same time last year. Just 18 of those were committed by people with a firearms licence. Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime Chair Sunny Kaushal told Ryan Bridge New Zealand is fast becoming a violent society. “It’s crucial that the decisions around firearms policy are shared by those who deal with the gun violence directly. That’s the Police and affected communities, not just policymakers in Wellington.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gates are opening for foreign investors looking at New Zealand companies and property. The Government's reforming the Overseas Investment Act - allowing any investment that doesn't threaten our interests. Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Toby Williams says he supports the change. He told Ryan Bridge overseas buyers are interested in large farms - that Kiwi farmers can't afford to begin with. Williams says foreign owners wouldn't be interested in those that first farm buyers would be after  - so he wants to see some rules around the levels of investment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Christopher Reive in Barcelona In the days before the America’s Cup match in Barcelona, Team New Zealand starboard helmsman Peter Burling made it clear the team would take necessary risks to defend the Auld Mug. “When you get to the top level of any sport, you see people really getting punished for mistakes. In saying that, you can’t be afraid to take risks either,” he said. “You don’t want to come through it with a conservative mindset, that’s for sure, and we definitely will not be doing that. But we can fully expect if one of us makes a mistake, the other one will punish them.” In the third race of the Cup match against Ineos Britannia this morning, an aggressive move in the pre-start to draw a penalty against the Brits set the Kiwi crew up for a 52s win to take a 3-0 lead in the first-to-seven series. It was the only race of the day, with light winds seeing race management bring a halt to the day’s action, with race four postponed to tomorrow; initially scheduled as a reserve day. The two teams came into close quarters moments before the race proper began, to the point where their foils were overlapping. Both teams launched a protest with the umpires for the other not keeping clear. It was the Kiwis who were judged to be the fouled boat, with Ineos Britannia having to fall 75m behind Team NZ off the starting line. That allowed the defenders to choose their side of the course and dictate the race. “We tried it yesterday and they just got past us. It was a little bit uncomfortable with how close the boats got,” Burling said after the race “It’ll be interesting to see. The umpires obviously ruled we were clear there, so great to get a penalty and control the race from there.” Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead in the America's Cup match. Photo / Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup The pre-start battle was among the biggest areas of interest coming into the Cup match, but through the opening three races, it has been the Kiwis coming away better from the starting line. In the third race of the series, Team NZ were able to control the course and make life tough for the Brits with their match-racing tactics and making them sail in dirty air. A mid-race comment from Ineos Britannia port helmsman Dylan Fletcher summed up the situation for his team: “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, lads.” While the two boats were almost identical in their average speeds both upwind and downwind, the Kiwis had a slightly better average VMG, sailing about 800m less than the Brits. Racing is set to resume at 1.10am tomorrow (NZ time) with a one-race schedule. America’s Cup match results Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 41s. Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 27s. Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 52s Emirates Team New Zealand lead the America’s Cup first-to-seven series 3-0. Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 14th of October. Changes could be on the way to make foreign investment easier in New Zealand - how could it impact our rural sector? Gun crime is on the rise in our biggest city, and most of it is from unlicensed firearms holders. Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime Sunny Kaushal joins the show. New Zealand is up 3 - 0 in the America's Cup - can we make it to 7 wins without a loss? Andrew Alderson has you weekend sport wrap. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday marks the start of a big week ahead for Emirates Team New Zealand as they face Ineos Britannia in the race to retain the America’s Cup.  The first team to win seven races will take the Cup, the first two races taking place Sunday morning if weather permits.  Richard Gladwell, Editor for Sail World NZ, told Ryan Bridge that it’s always the defender's to lose, and Team New Zealand would have to screw something up to lose the Cup.  He said that they’ve had three months of development on top of Ineos Britannia, and they can certainly do a lot in there.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says the current state of Government books shows it went too hard and too fast with public service cuts.   Treasury documents show the Crown's deficit has grown $3.4 billion dollars in the year to June, to $12.9 billion.   Spending is outpacing income, despite revenue increasing by $14 billion.  Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds told Ryan Bridge the Government could have kept public sector jobs if it ditched tax cuts.   She says public funding flows through the economy to help during a cost of living crisis.   Edmonds says the Government's decisions have made the annual deficit worse than at the height of COVID.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida residents are being warned not to visit areas hit by Hurricane Milton as clean up and rescue operations continue.   There's still flooding in many areas, and NBC is reporting there have been 10 deaths in various parts of the state.   More than three million properties remain without power.   US correspondent Mitch McCann in St Augustine, Florida, told Ryan Bridge that in many parts of Florida, it wasn’t as bad as it was forecast to be.  Some areas have been hit very badly, such as St Petersburg, where a baseball stadium had its roof ripped off, and a crane toppled into and destroyed a building just a few streets over.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If these new TradeMe numbers are to be believed, and I have no reason not to believe them, then the biggest problem that we have with property and getting a foot on the ladder is not price.  We're not too poor, we're too fussy.  So TradeMe has done a survey; 44% of buyers were willing to compromise on the size of a section. Only 40% on the size of the property. Only 40% on the size of the garden. Only 33% on the condition of the property, and 28% on the location.  If you flip those numbers, around 55% of people won't compromise on section size. I'll have the section size I like and nothing else.  60% - no compromise on the size of the property. 60% - none on the garden. 67% - it must be new or near new and 72% won't travel or leave their favourite suburb.  I mean, hard to please much?  I bought a house with holes in the floor and the walls, there were plants growing from the ground up into my bathroom.  The shower pooled; I had to use a bucket to empty the shower every morning.  This carried on for two years.  The shower was so small and the showerhead was fixed, so I had to duck every time I got in the shower, and it would only get me from my nipples down. I had very clean nipples and very filthy hair.  Anyway, the point of the story is I lived like that for two years. I fixed it up, on you go.  Things are okay, but you have to compromise. Property is not a perfectionist game, is it?  It's about compromise and it's about trade-offs. Like any good negotiation, surely everything must be on the table. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 11th of October, the Government's books have sunk further into the red in the year to June, with the deficit $1.8 billion worse than forecast in the budget. Labour Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds joins the show to discuss.  Hurricane Milton has hit Florida, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. US Correspondent Mitch McCann is on the ground in St. Augustine with the latest.  The America's Cup final gets underway this weekend with Emirates Team New Zealand facing Ineos Britannia. Richard Gladwell talks to Ryan ahead of the race.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The air quality in New Zealand has increased across the country, but some areas are still dealing with high levels of pollution.  The Our Air 2024 report shows the level of key pollutants —largely produced by transport and home heating— has reduced across most monitoring sites.   However, it also says air quality isn't good everywhere, and in some urban areas the pollution is above national standards and international guidelines.   Director of the Air Quality Collective, Dr Guy Coulson told Ryan Bridge that we’re headed in the right direction, improvement is just happening rather slowly.   He said that an estimated 3000 adults die each year from air pollution.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland's power network is being zapped into action in the wake of the pylon collapse outage.  In June, a contractor unfastened three legs of a pylon at once, putting around 88,000 homes and businesses out of power.  Northland MP Grant McCallum revealed a regional energy package, with Transpower and contractor Omexom putting one million dollars towards it.  McCallum told Ryan Bridge that it's not enough to make up for the financial damages, but it is something.  He said that it’s a goodwill payment and an acknowledgement that they did actually cause some harm to the people of Northland.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know, I know we're celebrating this morning, the OCR, the money back in your pockets that's coming, inflation coming down.  But MBIE has warned the government that electricity prices are likely to rise significantly over the next two years – this is a story from BusinessDesk.  See, we have all seen the spot prices market increase, skyrocket even, but we haven't felt that at home because our gentailors, the guys that we get it off, insulate us by hedging.  However, getting power to us is expensive and we've just been talking to Grant McCullum from Northland about this exact point.  40% of our bill is distribution and transmission.  Forget your weather, whether the wind blows, you know, the sun shines the rainfalls, whatever. Just getting it to us costs almost half of our total.  And that job is done by essentially monopolies: the distributors, the lines, companies, Transpower.  So the Commerce Commission regulates their profits, we would expect them to do.  The contracts last five years, the next contract up for renewal in March.  Your household bill for electricity could go up $15 per month or $180 per year, for some households that will be $20 per month, $240 per year.  MBIE say there is a serious risk that some homes won't be able to afford heating.  And we know what happens when people can't heat their homes, the hospitals fill up, industry and business feel the squeeze, and our thin growth forecasts could also be squeezed by something like this.  So what's the moral of the story? Well, basically, go and buy yourself a nice warm jumper, get a hot water bottle. And if you are single and living alone, you have until April to find someone to cuddle at night. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An OCR cut could be behind an incoming boost in property market activity.  The Reserve Bank's cut the Official Cash Rate by 50-basis points to 4.75%.   Banks have lowered home rates in response to the cut.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is celebrating the move as fantastic news and sees it as a sign inflation is under control.  LJ Hooker's Campbell Dunoon told Ryan Bridge this year's market has been cautionary  He says the stock has been there, and this will give buyers a nudge to participate.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are urging people in the path of Hurricane Milton to follow advice and evacuate.   The Category 4 Hurricane is expected to hit overnight in the state.   The core of the storm is expected to pass over west-central Florida, and storm surges of three to four and a half metres are possible.   Outer bands of the Hurricane are already impacting some areas.   US correspondent Sally Patterson told Ryan Bridge it will bring winds of up to 233 kilometres per hour.   She says it's expected to weaken before it makes landfall, but still could be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for the area.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 10th of October, the Reserve Bank has dropped the Official Cash Rate to 4.75% - what does it mean for the property market and your mortgage rates?  Transpower has released a new resilience plan for Northland's power grid following the transmission tower collapse in June - will it make a difference? Northland MP Grant McCallum joins the show to discuss.  Our air is slowly getting cleaner, but the pollutants in it are worse for our health than previously thought. Dr Guy Coulson talks to Ryan about the potential impacts of unhealthy air.  Hurricane Milton is closing in on Florida's west coast, with tornados making landfall ahead of its arrival. We're live to the United States for the latest.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has been cleared of separate rape charges.   47-year-old Christian Brückner was acquitted of five offences of sexual abuse in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.   German investigators identified Brückner in 2020 as a suspect in the disappearance of McCann from Portugal in 2007.   But UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the judge found the witnesses weren't reliable enough to convict him of the rape charge.  He said there’s crossover in some of the witnesses in the sexual abuse case and the McCann case, which means that they’re likely to be seen as unreliable in both cases.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More interest rate cuts are on the horizon.  The Reserve Bank expected to cut the Official Cash Rate again this afternoon.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner is tipping a 50 basis point cut to 4.75%,.   She says it's what the market and most economists are predicting, and it’s become the default.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The marine life around Samoa is likely in danger in the wake of Manawanui sinking.  The $100 million naval ship struck a reef off the south coast of Upolu on Saturday, before sinking Sunday morning.   About 950 tonnes of oil is onboard.   Diesel leaked out of the vessel when it capsized and has coated the surface of the water.   Waikato University ecology expert Nick Ling told Ryan Bridge much of the material released would have evaporated, leaving behind these heavier components we can see.   He says marine animals interacting with the surface —like turtles coming to the surface to breathe— will have to interact with it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand's pointed to nursing recruitment to explain its ballooning deficit, but health experts aren't buying it.   Newly released documents show the agency went from expecting a half a billion dollar surplus to a $1.4 billion deficit in April.   That's now expected to blow out to $1.76 billion.   Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Malcolm Mulholland told Ryan Bridge there's no way we have too many nurses in New Zealand.   He says everywhere he goes in the community, people are saying we need more nurses and doctors.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Complaints, backlash, outrage, divisive, sad, there's been strong reaction to the Tui billboards poking fun at old Polkinghorne – who’s not guilty of killing his wife, by the way.  The billboards read, if you haven't seen them: "Back to being a respectable meth smoking, sex worker loving doctor then. Yeah right.”  It's quite good. It's not breaking any rules, and I say good on them for getting back to this.  We need good humour to cut through the crap that seems to proliferate our society at the moment.  Kiwis are straight talkers, we love taking the micky out of people, we're not mean generally.  I think we've lost our ability to laugh together and these billboards, while pitched by some as divisive, I think will actually do the opposite. They should bring us closer together.  I was heartened to hear the DB Marketing Director's statement which he gave to the papers. He said: “While we haven't set out to offend anyone, we are happy to push the boundaries and say the things that we've all been thinking.”  Great. We need to talk about how we really feel because when we share it, especially with humour, we connect with one another as a society. We grow closer together and we are less divided.  Long may the Tui billboards last. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of October, it's OCR day, and all of our big banks are forecasting a 50 basis points drop, bringing the rate down to 4.75%. ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner talks to Ryan about what to expect at today's announcement, and where to from here for the economy.  Te Whatu Ora has released over 400 pages of financial documents, laying out exactly the situation the agency is currently in. It comes as the lower South Island is voicing its concerns about regional health. Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland joins the show.  A big cleanup is getting underway off the coast of Samoa following the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. What could he potential environmental impacts be, and is it similar to the Rena disaster? Waikato University's Nick Ling analyses the situation.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A media commentator says TVNZ appears to be doubling down on what it's good at.   The state broadcaster's latest business proposal will see its website shut down in February while more investment will be put towards news on its streaming platform TVNZ+.   The company is hoping to save $30 million.   Spinoff founder Duncan Grieve told Ryan Bridge it could work, but it’s not guaranteed by any means.   He said that individual clips from the news can already be accessed from the TVNZ+ homepage, and it’s clearly where they’ll be focusing their energy in terms of digitising their news offering.   The plan will go through two weeks of consultation before a final decision is made.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a tale of two islands when it comes to the economy.   The Westpac Regional Roundup shows many businesses and households are suffering from the slow economy.   Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says feedback from the North Island was more downbeat, with Wellington being the worst off because of a shrinking public service.   He says there was a rosier picture in the South Island.   Ranchhod told Ryan Bridge they’ve got a mix of tourism and agriculture among other industries helping to support a positive sentiment in the South.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation is still the dominant force in global politics, no doubt about it.  We've got the United States election next month, the Aussies are going to the polls by midway through next year, so are the Canadians, we just had the UK, we've just had France, and inflation rules the roost.  Bad news for ol' Albanese in Australia. There's a new poll out this morning that has him neck and neck with Dutton and the coalition.  But here's the really bad part: 44% of Aussies think the economy will worsen in the next six months.  What's more, Dutton and the coalition are favoured on the economy 38% to 26%. And more people blame the Government for causing inflation, rather than global issues.  So he has an uphill battle, doesn't he?  For New Zealand, inflation should be a distant memory by the time we hit 2026 in our next election – it's expected to be inside the target range by Christmas.  GDP should have picked up, unemployment should have fallen, tourism, agriculture, we've already heard this morning are showing promising signs, but there's always a defining issue in a political campaign, isn't there?  What will ours be in 2026?  A smart government will always try to define what that issue is ahead of time and try to control the narrative, control the language around it, control the debate.  I think the biggest risk for the National Party at this point, this far out I know it is a bit far for predictions, crystal ball gazing, but I think at this stage is probably public service cuts, you know, Dunedin Hospital, public transport, health education, et cetera.  The reality is probably most of us will give them another go, but it wouldn't hurt them to keep an eye on what comes next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief executive of Ngati Toa agrees a robust debate is needed on the Treaty of Waitangi.  Helmut Modlik will debate ACT leader David Seymour tonight, two months after Modlik called him out.  A draft of Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill will be ready for public release and discussion next month, but National says it will support the bill no further than the first reading only.  Modlik told Ryan Bridge the country needs a national conversation about the treaty, which is why he agreed to debate Seymour.  He says the country was only getting curated sound bite versions of one position.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 8th of October, Ngati Toa's Helmut Modlik is set to face David Seymour in a much anticipated debate on the Treaty of Waitangi. Modlik speaks to Ryan ahead of the debate.  A mixed bag in Westpac's Regional Roundup, but things are looking good heading towards the New Year and Wednesday's OCR decision. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod joins the show.  TVNZ has proposed closing the 1News website from early next year as the state broadcaster tries to find $30 million in savings. Media Commentator and Spinoff Founder Duncan Grieve speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the French President's demands for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza is a "disgrace". He says "Israel will win with or without their support".  UK and Europe correspondent Gavin Grey says it came as a surprise since France is known to be a supporter of Israel.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why? It's the question we all want answered this morning. But what we'll get is a bunch of speculation. The first most important question has been answered. Is the crew safe? Yes. Thankfully. And by the sounds of it, it's thanks in large part to help from others, the decision to abandon ship and a dose of good luck. Some of the crew spent five hours in life rafts battling the conditions to make it to shore. One capsized before getting there. But we have so many questions. How come? We've just lost our first Navy vessel since WWII worth $100 million. Up in smoke. Why did the Manawanui hit a reef? Was it human error? Was it mechanical failure? What happened on the bridge in the moments leading up to the collision? Where was the officer of the watch? Were there no alarms sounding? Was it the weather? Why was it surveying so close to a known reef at night? Why did it catch fire? We so far have zero answers. We know the sea was rough and the wind was strong, but that's about it. The Navy and the Minister both say wait for a Court of Inquiry. But is that good enough? Surely they have some idea of what went wrong by now. What's the harm in the public knowing what they know? Can we not handle the truth? We've been here before. Remember the Interislander grounding? There were crickets till New Zealand First started tweeting. We learnt from the Northland pylon debacle that officials pretty much know straight away what went wrong, but we wait for inquiries and reports and courts to tell us the truth months later. This is more media management than investigation integrity. The problem with this strategy is the void gets filled with a bunch of speculation rather than facts, at least as established thus far. And a little bit of accurate info is surely better than a whole bunch of the opposite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belief the Government's fast-track list will reap more benefits than environmental problems. The Government's listed 149 projects for its Fast Track Approvals Bill - including nine mining projects. The Bill still needs to go before the Environment Committee, then each project will be assessed by an expert panel. Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal told Ryan Bridge the previous system fixated on the environment — but now it considers the economic effects as well. She says New Zealand needs to rely on science, technology and facts — not emotion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cameron Munster has vehemently denied biting Penrith’s Paul Alamoti as the Melbourne five-eighth nervously awaits the outcome of the NRL’s match review committee. Munster will find out on Monday morning if he has been charged by the NRL after he was accused of biting Alamoti in the final 10 minutes of the Storm’s 14-6 grand final defeat on Sunday. The Melbourne five-eighth was tackled by Alamoti as he attempted to lead his team upfield and the Penrith centre’s arm came across Munster’s face. Replays were unclear if Munster bit down on Alamoti’s arm. Referee Ashley Klein initially let play continue before halting the game and placing Munster on report. “It can’t be certain, it’s on report,” Klein said. “They [the match review committee] will deal with it later ... I just saw saliva.” On the field, Munster was insistent he did not bite Alamoti and told reporters after the match “there was nothing in it”. “I spoke to Ash about the allegation and he pretty much just told me that if someone alleges a certain thing, they have to put a report and it’s up to the judiciary,” Munster said. “But honestly there’s nothing in it ... So I’m very confident I’ll get off.” Munster was wearing a mouthguard during the game and said after years of pushing the boundaries, he was a reformed character. “He [Alamoti] said he felt pressure and I said I didn’t bite him. That’s footy … I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Munster said. “I’ve done a lot of silly things in the game and put my hand up for it. But I can put my hand on my heart there’s definitely nothing. “I put my hand up with certain things that I definitely do in games and I’m a very honest person. “I can definitely put my hand on my heart with everything I’ve spoken about and [say] there was no malice or even trying to bite. “So I’m pretty disappointed, I’m trying to get that all of those grubby little incidents out of my game that I’ve obviously done in the previous years.” Regardless of his belief that he is innocent, Munster’s fate is now at the mercy of the MRC. St George Illawarra’s Kyle Flanagan received a five-match ban for biting earlier this season. Alamoti, meanwhile, declined to expand on his on-field claim as he savoured his maiden NRL premiership. “Whatever happens on the field, stays on the field, we’ll leave it at that,” Alamoti said. “I’ve just won a premiership so that is the last thing on my mind, I’m worried about partying.” - by George Clarke, AAPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A search for answers over the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui - off Samoa's southern coast. The $100 million naval ship was running a survey off the area when it hit a reef on Saturday night. All 75 people onboard were rescued - it caught fire and sank yesterday morning Former Defence Minister Ron Mark told Ryan Bridge he's gutted as his team fought hard to bring the refurbished ship from Norway in 2019. He expects the Court of Inquiry to be very quick. “They’ll want to ascertain exactly how and why the ship ended up in peril and sinking the way it did.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 7 October. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The British government announced it will hand sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in a settlement that ends decades of disputes over Britain’s last African colony, while maintaining a key US-British military base in the archipelago. Europe correspondent Vincent McAviney says the UK keeping its military base for another 99 years marks a landmark deal for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's several possible reasons behind a rise in the number of homes empty on Census night.  The latest data shows just more than 110 thousand homes were empty, up from just under 100 thousand in 2018.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says part of that could be due to Cyclone Gabrielle flood levels, and high levels of construction.   He told Ryan Bridge that some of the biggest areas with the largest increase in “ghost homes” were Auckland, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding and landslips are keeping officials busy in Otago.   The area is in a State of Emergency due to heavy rain, with downpours expected to continue into the afternoon.  Fire and Emergency NZ have responded to 31 calls between 6pm last night and 5.30am, with around 70 people evacuating to welfare centres.  Dunedin Civil Defence Manager Scott MacLean told Ryan Bridge their advice is for people to stay home and stay safe.  He said that people should avoid going out driving unless they absolutely have to, as it causes problems for emergency responders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kudos to Qantas for introducing a wellbeing zone on the cattle class of the aircraft.  Airlines are cramming us in like sardines, anyone who's travelled will know this.  They serve you booze, you recline your seat, the planes dry you out and then as a natural consequence, people go nuts.  Unruly passengers ripping open the emergency doors, running up and down the aisles screaming like mad people.  Globally, physical assaults on aircrafts are up 60% post-pandemic. Air New Zealand alone deals with 200 reports a month of abusive behaviour.  People are responsible for their behaviour, yes, but the airlines are responsible for the environment which you travel in. The world is full of nutty people, and you have to cater for nutty people on aircraft, don't you?  So good on Qantas. From 2026 they will have a dedicated wellbeing area at the front of economy, they've got sculpted wall, integrated handles for exercise, stabilising you in doing some squats or whatever you want to do.  They've got a cabinet of healthy snacks, fruit juices, smoothies, self-service.  Now, here's the kicker - It's for their 20-hour flights. Would you do it?  Would you do it, even if there's fruit smoothies and integrated handles for stretching and exercise?  The answer for me is a resounding no, but at least they're trying something. Others should follow suit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is confident their support of frontline Police is coming to fruition.  Recruitment numbers have soared in the past year, with almost 1,400 applicants in July – the highest since 2014.  It's seen around five and a half thousand applicants in the first eight months of the year, more than double across the same period last year.  Associate Police Minister Casey Costello told Ryan Bridge it's encouraging, but there's still some work to do.  She says their attrition rate is still low at 4.8%, while other public sectors have rates of up to 54%.  Costello also assures that the surge in recruits won't compromise the quality of the training, as nothing will change in their approach.  She says they’ve totally committed to ensuring the same standards are maintained.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is expecting its financial deficit for the past financial year to be near a billion dollars.   The agency's released its report for the June quarter.   Earlier in quarter three, a $299 million surplus was forecast - but the preliminary financial result for the year to the end of June is a $934 million deficit.  Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge services and departments are going to be dealing with significant cuts.   She says some of it will impact staffing levels, and some the ability to implement digital solutions that'll make staff and systems more efficient.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of October, Dunedin has declared a state of emergency following significant rainfall overnight and surface flooding. Civil Defence Controller Scott Maclean has the latest.  Police recruitment wings will be expanded from next year following record applications to join the force. Associate Police Minister Casey Costello speaks to Ryan.  Health New Zealand has gone from a forecast surplus to a nearly $1 billion deficit. What's gone wrong? The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists are on the show to discuss.  Ghost houses - more than 100,000 empty houses found in 2023 census data; do we need a tax on them?  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mood of the boardroom survey, more than 100 of our top business leaders have had their say on the government, its ministers and the economy today. CEOs ranked the performance of the Cabinet Ministers with ‘1’ being not impressive and ‘5’ - very impressive. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon scored with 3.73 whilst keeping his cabinet focused on delivery and education, Minister Erica Stanford was top of the class for Minister Performance resulting with a score of 4.01. Simeon Brown, Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop came closely behind Stanford, Brown resulted with a score of 3.89, Willis and Bishop tied on 3.88. Managing editor for NZME Duncan Bridgeman says that after a year of having a new government, he believes there's some uncertainty around the delivery that Christopher Luxon and his team can pull through when coming down to economic growth with the business community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are on strike Tuesday against the nation’s East and Gulf Coast ports. They are demanding a $5/hour increase in pay every year for the next six years. Mitch McCann, US Correspondent says that New Zealand exporters are likely to be affected by congestion and delays. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at home advises exporters to stay in contact with the freight companies to see what options are available for them. McCann told Ryan Bridge while the strike continues, they're also advised to keep in touch with the US customers to inform them about potential delays in the coming weeks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The real proof will be in the pudding – if smoking rates come down, does it matter how she did it?  If it was a non-tobacco company getting a tax cut to provide a product that was less harmful than ciggies would there be outrage?  Or are we blinded by the fact it's a multinational whose legacy has been peddling cigarettes that clouds our judgement?  Are we being rational about this?  Isn't the ultimate goal to reduce smoking rates?  Are the ‘try anything, do it differently’ policies she's pushing going to bring smoking rates down?  Time will tell.  She should have been more on to it and open about the advice she had received on heat not burn products, sure. It's being released this week, we're told.  But calling for her to resign and labelling her as corrupt and in the hands of the tobacco lobby are a bit much.  Costello's own father died of smoking related respiratory disease. She's a Māori woman herself.  Can you imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and National was accusing a Māori wahine toa minister, who's dad had died of cancer, of being in the pocket of big tobacco and actively trying to cause genocide on her own people, what the reaction would be form the left?  If the argument is that she should be more open and transparent, half of Labour's last cabinet should have resigned in their first term too,  So far, no smoking gun. Let's see what she's achieved once the smoke clears. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 3rd of October, Air NZ has made more cuts to regional flights, and we still don't have a plan for an Interislander replacement. Do we have a transport problem in New Zealand? Former Transport Minister Maurice Williamson joins the show to discuss.  The PPTA are now allowing charter school teachers to join the union in what David Seymour has called a "come to Jesus moment".  The New Zealand Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey for 2024 is out - what do business leaders have to say about the government? NZME's Managing Editor of Business Duncan Bridgeman speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran has sent up to 350 missiles and drones into Israel, setting off the sound of explosions and sirens. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the US Navy destroyers stationed in the Mediterranean Sea intercepted Iranian missiles. He says it was a significant escalation from Iran and it was equally important they could step up to defend Israel. Habib Baar, Journalist and founder of Beirutreport.com speaks to Heather du Plessis-Allan saying he believes Israel has no incentive to stop as they have the full backing of the Western allies of the United States. Israel says nobody was killed because the iron dome worked. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions in the Middle East are on a knife's edge in the aftermath of Iran's barrage of missiles on Israel.  The Israeli defence force says there's been no reports of casualties and most of the around 180 projectiles were intercepted.  Iran has confirmed the attack and says it's targeting Israel in response to deaths of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah.  Reuters Bureau Chief for Israel and Palestine James Mackenzie told Ryan Bridge it’s a big deal despite there having been an attack from Iran back in April.  He said that the first time there was limited damage and a sort of tacit agreement to let it slide, but with it happening again, the stakes are definitely raised.  They’ve already seen a really sharp uptick in essentially the beginning of a war in Israel.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Bio-Refinery at the Marsden Point Energy Precinct is being proposed. Channel Infrastructure NZ Limited announces it has entered into a conditional project development agreement with Seadra Energy Inc, who is partnering with the likes of  Qantas, Renova Inc, Kent Plc, and ANZ. It would utilize some of the decommissioned oil refinery assets which would be refurbished and reconfigured- taking up approximately 18-20 hectares of land on the site. Brian Cox, Bioenergy Association Chief executive shares his thoughts with Ryan Bridge. “The aspect is we could use the natural resources that New Zealand is rich for. The biggest part is biomass from trees,” says Cox. He states that it could be processed to be used as either fuel or plastic. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JD Vance and Tim Walz are set to do battle for what looks to be the final debate of this US presidential election.  The vice-presidential candidates will meet for their only debate in New York today, which gets underway at 2pm NZ time.  US political commentator Danielle McLaughlin says the buzz could reach the levels of Joe Biden vs Sarah Palin in 2008.  She told Ryan Bridge vice-presidential picks are normally safe, but Walz and especially Vance are really out of the mainstream.  McLaughlin says Vance has been attacking cat ladies and Taylor Swift and has repeatedly spread crazy rumours about Haitian immigrants eating pets in the mid-west.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So Luxon is back in the news. Bryce Edwards written a piece saying our members of parliament own 2.3 homes per MP - more than most of us.  Jacinda made $330,000 on her property while Prime Minister. Luxon has made close to half a million dollars on his properties.  Now let's really talk about a capital gains tax, because we essentially have one on investment property - the bright line test.  You can argue over how long that should be, and governments have changed this from red to blue, from 10 to 2 years.  But let's sideline property for a second and talk about business.  Do you really think it's fair to tax capital gains on the sale of business?  Business owners take huge risk, work incredibly hard and have to deal with stress, late nights, untold hours of lost sleep.  They also employ people, pay them, pay tax on earnings, help support jobs, grow the economy, provide tax base of hospitals/education etc.  Then when they finally are either burnt out or wanting to move on grow something else, bang! We hit them with a tax on their earnings.  It doesn't seem fair to me. We need people to invest confidently into their businesses and grow them for the benefit of all of us.  I don't think a capital gain tax on business will achieve that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2nd of October, Iran has started firing missiles towards Israel with the iron dome defence system working to stop them. We're live to the Middle East for the latest news.  Tim Walz and JD Vance will take to the stage for the US Vice Presidential debate in New York tomorrow. It could be the final debate ahead of the election in just a few weeks time. Political Analyst Danielle McLaughlin speaks to Ryan.  Marsden Point could soon be home to a refinery again. Channel Infrastructure announced a proposal to open a biorefinery on the site using some of the old infrastructure. Brian Cox from the Bioenergy Association joins the show to discuss.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 1st of October, The Government has released its action plan for the fourth quarter of the year. ACT MP and Under Secretary to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform Simon Court is on the show to discuss the new targets.  The Insurance Council wants people to stop building in “dumb places” where there is a higher risk of a natural disaster. So how do you know you're building in a safe place? Urban planner Bruce Weir speaks to Ryan.  Air New Zealand's regional route between Wellington and Invercargill will stop operating from mid-January 2025, how could it impact tourism in the region? Great South's Chief Executive Chami Abeysinghe joins the show.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's moving into its next quarterly plan - with infrastructure the focus. It achieved 39 of its 40 goals in the third quarter - largely targeting law and order. This quarter's 43 actions include passing the first Resource Management Amendment Bill and introducing the second RMA reform Bill as well as a National Infrastructure Agency. Under Secretary to the Minister for RMA reform, Simon Court told Ryan Bridge that he doesn't know how much the agency will cost - but it's needed. Court says it's vital that there's an agency that can coordinate funding from the private sector needed for the public private partnership projects. He shares that there's a number of parties lining up to make submissions when the agency is open. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's refusing to say if it will designate Hezbollah's political wing as a terrorist entity.  In a statement to Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, our Terrorism Designations Working Group says the Iran-backed group's military wing was declared a terrorist entity in 2010.  "Designations are considered based on recommendations from the National Security Board, on the basis of advice from the Terrorist Designations Working Group. The Working Group considers a variety of entities regularly, through a long-standing and well-established inter-departmental process."  It basically says they won't talk publicly about whether they're considering going further with Hezbollah.  "To maintain the integrity of the process it is not standard practice to confirm publicly which entities are under consideration."  This all comes of course after Israel killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah. The United States called his death "justice".  The group itself actually makes no distinction between its military and political wings.  What's interesting here is two things:  1. Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters designated Hamas a terror group in its entirety back in February, after years of making a distinction for the political wing. Will they do the same with Hezbollah?  2. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is cracking down on protesters in New South Wales and Victoria who were seen waving Hezbollah flags and allegedly chanting violent verses.  If such a thing were to happen here would the lack of a designation stop our authorities from taking action?  Leon Goldsmith told me yesterday Australia and Canada don't make any distinction like we do.  Ultimately what we do is not going to stop war in the Middle East, but it could affect how we deal with the fallout here at home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a debate over who should be responsible for the consequences of building in high-risk areas.  The Insurance Council is asking the Government to ensure natural hazard changes to the Resource Management Act mean people don't build in what it's calling "dumb places". Urban designer Bruce Weir told Ryan Bridge if building on a risky site comes down to personal responsibility, there needs to be a paying factor holding people accountable.  Weir says if someone drives drunk they lose their licence and know they aren't insured.  He questions why people should be bailed out when it comes to knowingly doing stupid things when it comes to property.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's direct flight between Wellington and Invercargill will soon be no more.  It's being scrapped, with its last service in mid-January.   Great South chief executive Chami Abeysinghe says customers are still able to fly to Wellington via Christchurch, and the airline's adding more flights between Christchurch and Invercargill.  She told Ryan Bridge there's multiple factors for the decision including softening domestic demand and engine issues.  Abeysinghe says one of the key factors is ensuring accessible flights between the main centres.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grumbling and discontent in regional New Zealand is growing louder and louder, and Wellington ought to pay attention. The latest was in Dunedin. 35,0000 locals turned in protest, waving signs with Nicola Willis swinging atop a wrecking ball. The wrecking ball was Luxon's head. The reason the government should heed and listen is because of the size of the protest. 35,000 is huge - and it wasn't just your usual mob of rent-a-crowds and serial protesters. Dunedin normally votes red so do you bother listening if you're the government? Problem here is it's not just Dunedin, It's everywhere. Give me a region and I'll give you a grievance. Central North Island: Plant closures. Marlborough: Ferry cancellations. Tararua: the Manawatu Gorge. West Coast: uprising over health cuts Now I think the government will compromise on Dunedin, but for most of the rest of regions waving placards and marching the message will be simple - Blame Labour. They spent with gay abandon during and after covid. Inflation ran rampant and now we're having to come in and clean it up. That's also why we need to toll roads to get these things finished, that's why we need downsize new hospitals, why we have to cut this bridge or that school or this funding. The question for the government is, are these people going to turn around and vote Labour in anger? The answer is probably not. People understand why we're in this mess and most are just trying to sway the current government, not change it completely. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big changes to consenting processes could be on the way. Currently, 67 building consent authorities receive and approve consents – with each one taking a slightly different approach to the rules. Building and construction minister Chris Penk has proposed creating larger regional authorities to help standardise the process and reduce costs for builders. New Zealand Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcom Fleming tells Ryan Bridge there is a lot of pressure on the system right now and moves towards quickening building consent processes are supported. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austria’s general election could see the far-right opposition Freedom Party (FPÖ) top the polls for the first time as voters head out to cast their ballot. The party’s leader describes himself as Volkskanzler (people's chancellor), which was used to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. UK & Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan Bridge the party has promised to build a fortress to restore security, prosperity and peace. And, a former Russian spy and his daughter, who were victims of the Salisbury poisonings, will not be called to give evidence at a UK public inquiry out of fears for their safety. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ZB Sports Adam Cooper joins Ryan Bridge to recap the weekend in sport. The Silver Ferns faced a series-opening 59-58 loss to the England Roses. The Taini Jamison Trophy series got underway in Auckland on Sunday and the teams will meet again on Wednesday in Porirua. The Black Caps suffered a heavy defeat in their test series in Sri Lanka. And, the All Blacks managed to go the full 90 minutes to beat Australia 33-13 in the final match of the Rugby Championship. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears of major escalation in the Middle East are high after Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Otago University Professor for Middle Eastern and Comparative Politics, Dr Leon Goldsmith tells Ryan Bridge the leader is rarely seen in public and it is clear killing was planned for a long time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 30th of September. Big changes could be on the way for the building industry with an overhaul of the consenting process proposed by the government. Could it help the industry lower costs? NZ Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming joins the show. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, among other senior leaders from the group. New Zealand has only declared Hezbollah's military wing a terrorist organisation, but not he political wing - so where do we stand on the issue? Dr Leon Goldsmith from the University of Otago speaks to Ryan. Grumbling and discontent in regional New Zealand is growing louder and louder with possible cut backs coming for the new Dunedin hospital. Why Wellington need to listen. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A weather expert says creating one state weather forecasting system is the right decision.  The Government's announced it's agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring MetService - merging the two.   Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says streamlining the two will make it easier to access information from a single trusted source and improve response to severe weather events.  WeatherWatch head forecaster Phillip Duncan told Ryan Bridge that it’s been a bit of a weird journey to get to this point, but it’s definitely the right thing.  He said that a government having two opposing agencies doing weather forecasts and saying different things is a recipe for disaster.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks kept their grip on the Bledisloe Cup last week, beating the Wallabies 31-28 in Sydney. However, they still have another test to play, the second Bledisloe Cup test being the All Blacks’ final home test for the year. Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby, told Ryan Bridge that the team needs to get their “20 minute jinx” sorted out as it’s becoming a real problem for the team. He said they were still good enough to get the win against Australia last week, but they need to sort that out, and find some points in the last twenty minutes of the game. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland principal says teaching isn't a job, it's a service. The Government's instructing schools to have Stepped Attendance Response plans by 2026. It's also instructed them not to take teacher-only days in term time, unless authorised by the Minister. May Road Primary School principal Lynda Stuart told Ryan Bridge that it’s a complex situation because she knows that in her school, teachers are basically just limping towards the end of the term. She says that teachers need time in the holidays to recuperate before they’re back in their classrooms preparing for next term, and they don't have as long of holidays as some people think. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thank God the UN General Assembly is underway in New York. Nothing solves global conflict like a good UNGA session.  I've been to one of these before, back when John Key was the Prime Minister – there was a resolution on Iran.  A lot of sitting around talking and listening, which as Winston Peters pointed out yesterday, is quite important!  Netanyahu's enroute. Zelensky's there. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Putin the Pariah obviously won't be, but does anybody hold out any hope that the UN will fix the big issues? Magically solve the wars and conflict?  As we reported to you on Thursday's show, China's launching missiles into the South Pacific for the first time since the 1980s. A Japanese warship’s just sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time overnight. Israel's hammering Lebanon - today they said "no thanks” to a peace deal.  Putin's lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons. Trump says Ukraine is dead, and delegates are talking over the top of Winston Peters at the Security Council, which he wasn't happy about, calling for the room to be quiet.  "Maybe a third principal, when somebody's addressing you, the rest of the people in the room keep quiet.”  Some would say these are challenges the world can face together, united as one United Nations, but most of the time it's about as useful as ashtray in a motorbike, and most countries and their leaders know this.  But off they go to the off to the Big Apple, to do their dance and thump their fists and have their say, while the rest of world largely ignores and carries on - business as usual. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 27th of September, David Seymour is cracking down on school attendance as new numbers show it's improving. But will the new moves, which could see parents prosecuted, work? May Road Principal Lynda Stuard joins the show. The two government owned weather forecasters NIWA and MetService could soon be one, with an agreement in-principal signed for NIWA to acquireMetService. Weatherwatch Head Analyst Philip Duncan speaks to Ryan about what the move means for our forecasting. The All Blacks will face Australia in Wellington this weekend their final home test this year. Can they make it the full 90 minutes? Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith joins the show. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is being recommended to find a long-term vision for its infrastructure. The Infrastructure Commission's released a new report on long-term spending demands ahead of next year's National Infrastructure Plan.  Infrastructure New Zealand CEO Nick Leggett says we need to better understand the wide benefits of infrastructure if we're to succeed long-term.  He told Ryan Bridge that when compared with the rest of the OECD, the quality of our spending is letting us down.  Leggett says we're in the bottom four in the efficiency we get from infrastructure, and how we manage our assets is also poor.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump says an attack on a former President is a death wish for the attacker.  The former president's campaign team claims he's been briefed on a suspected Iranian assassination plot.  It follows a man being formally charged for an assassination attempt near Trump's Florida golf course and a shooting in July.  Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that Trump's campaign sees the Iranian threats as real and specific.  He says these are different from other attempts on his life.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a push for New Zealand to follow England's lead in combating obesity rates.  NHS figures suggest England's turned the tide on rising obesity rates for the first time in two decades.  Obesity rates in adults have remained stable for the past five years.  Auckland University nutrition expert Boyd Swinburn told Ryan Bridge rates will keep going up in New Zealand until something changes.  He says we've been told by WHO and panels across the world on what to implement - but the country hasn't listened.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins is doubling down on the idea of a shake-up to the tax system.  ANZ boss Antonia Watson says the "time has arrived" for a capital gains tax.  Both Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis rejected the call, joking that the boss of a big Australian bank just wants to take more money off Kiwis.  The Labour leader told Ryan Bridge New Zealand's tax system's loaded against working people because we're not taxing other forms of income.  He says salary and wage earners end up paying a disproportionate share of tax.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 26th of September, Chris Hipkins joins the show from the UK where he met the new Labour government and attended their annual conference.  Obesity rates in in England have stabilised for the first time in two decades. How do we use their numbers and lessons as an example to improve our shocking obesity rates here?  How do we make sure our long term infrastructure is up to scratch? Infrastructure NZ Chief Executive Nick Leggett gives his thoughts to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swedish authorities have accused Iranian intelligence of hacking into a text messaging service last year.  In 2023, several individuals in Sweden set fire to the Quran in public, prompting outage. The events were followed by 15,000 people receiving text messages calling for “revenge against the Quran-burners".  SAPO, the country’s Security Service, says the texts were sent by the Iranian Intelligence Service, connected to the Revolutionary Guards.  Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that although they think they know who’s behind the mass-text, authorities are unable to do anything about it as there’s no extradition treaty.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s relief from the bus drivers union as the Government announces new measures to improve workplace safety.   It includes new aggravating factors in sentencing for attacks on transport workers and a $15 million injection into safety precautions.   Tramways Union President Gary Froggatt told Ryan Bridge that it’s another weapon in the armoury defending against this type of crime.  He said it will make some passengers think again before assaulting a bus driver, however it’s not going to be a solution on its own, and the sooner things like safety screens can be installed, the better.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a suggestion facial recognition isn't the sole factor behind a drop in supermarket retail crime.   Foodstuffs North Island —which owns Pak'n'Save and New World— says early results from its six month trial show it prevented about 130 serious incidents.  It also reported around 4,700 incidents across all stores in April to June – an 8% drop quarterly.  First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge there are other elements too.  He says there's also a new Police Minister, a new letter of expectation with Police, and more determination around the sector, which have had a ripple effect.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel says it has killed a senior Hezbollah commander as fighting in Lebanon continues.   The Lebanese health ministry says strikes have killed around 500 people.   The Israeli Defence Force says its mission is to stop the Iranian-backed group from firing rockets into Israel's north and to push them back from the border.   International relations analyst Stephen Hoadley told Ryan Bridge he expects air and artillery attacks will continue, and hopefully Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israel will stop.   He says that would cause a lull, but a repeat of the cycle of violence is possible in another year or two.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time I reckon we started sending bills to those protesters for wasting police time and resources.  I watched yesterday with growing anger as a couple of Greenpeace people climbed on top of an awning on The Terrace in Wellington.  They were just one floor up, they stood there looking like numpties with their overalls and their helmets on.  Nothing wrong with protesting, but there were eight first responders on the scene, at least three police cars, a fire truck – they even had to use their cherry picket to get these guys off the roof.  The cars were at a standstill, and instead of solving crime a poor cop was marshalling traffic to allow the fire truck to position itself in place. What a waste of time.  Just hang your banner and piss off. Please don't waste any more of our time.  It's like those crazy ones that used to block the motorways in Wellington, remember that? Thank goodness they seem to have given up and gone away. Good riddance.  The motorway protesters made people late for their cancer appointments. I do hope they're ashamed of themselves for that.  This lot though on The Terrace, they can just jog on.  If the court's initial reaction to the motorway ones was anything to go by you can expect another slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket for this lot.  I say send them the bill for the police, the use of the police cars, the communications centre, the fire truck fee, the cherry picker fee, the firefighters charge out rate, double it and make them pay it.  And if the individuals won't pay for that, then send the bill to Greenpeace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 25th of September, could facial recognition help reduce retail crime? Foodstuffs North Island’s trial of the technology has just ended, and they say it's helped. First Retail Groups Managing Director Chris Wilkinson speaks to Ryan about what this could mean for retailers.  Conflict is continuing to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah. International Relations expert Stephen Hoadley joins the show to talk about the reasons behind the conflict.  A new aggravating factor for offences against public transport works has been introduced, as well as new funding for security measures. Tramways Union President Gary Froggatt speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's consumer watchdog has launched legal action against the Australian arm of Woolworths, and its main rival Coles.  The ACCC's accusing the supermarket giants of breaching consumer law by misleading consumers, raising prices by 15% at times before dropping the price as part of a promotion.  The watchdog claims the price of hundreds of products were affected.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge the ACCC is taking both retailers to federal court in separate cases and will be seeking significant penalties.   She said they’ll also be aiming to impose community service orders on both Woolworths and Coles, which means they’ll have to fund a registered charity to deliver meals to Australians in need.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer says the Polkinghorne verdict isn't a surprise.   Eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne was found not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of his wife Pauline Hanna at their Remuera home in April 2021.   The verdict —given at the High Court in Auckland yesterday— followed 10 hours of deliberations over two days.   Criminal defence lawyer Roderick Mulgan told Ryan Bridge if there's doubt, there has to be an acquittal.   He says even though many people were suspicious, it's not enough. There's a high bar and it's difficult to convict people on circumstantial evidence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwifruit exports are on the rise, with values now at their highest point ever.  Exports for the fruit were worth $3.1 billion in the year to August.  It's an increase of just over half a billion from 2023, with gold kiwifruit rising by 24%.  Green kiwifruit were up 9.9%.  Motueka grower Evan Heywood told Ryan Bridge the number of Ruby Red kiwifruit exported is also increasing.  He says it's early days, but the demand is there for a good future in the market.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington businesses could reap the benefits of calling public servants back to the office.  Public sector agencies are being told to enforce stricter Working From Home guidelines.  It's suggested the move could help Wellington's struggling economy, as well as boost productivity and collaboration.  Backbencher Pub owner Alistair Boyce told Ryan Bridge it will absolutely make a difference.  He says they've been missing key public sector clients.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a travel advisory for the city of Wellington: do not travel to New Zealand's capital. Environment considered dangerous.  Basic necessities like flat whites and pints are difficult to find.  The government-ordered a crackdown on civil servants is currently in action. A warning other civil servants may be hiding inside homes and not immediately visible on city streets.  Risk of political turmoil and unrest is extreme. Infrastructure is in a perilous state.  Access to fresh water is limited, burst water and sewerage pipes scattered across the city.  Check for faeces before swimming in the harbour, water’s freezing too. In case of an emergency - carparks are difficult to find.  There are cycleways aplenty, but treacherous weather and wind conditions make use incredibly difficult.  The city is in a state of utter chaos with little to no control by lord Mayor Tory Whanau.  Specific populations asked to avoid Sky Stadium include the All Blacks - they've lost six tests in a row at the venue, chance of further losses highly likely. If the All Blacks are unsure which venue this bulletin refers to, please look for urine-yellow coloured seating.  Locals refer to the venue as the Cake Tin.  If travel is essential, please exercise extreme caution. Take your own water, coffee, alcohol, body armour, a pen, paper, calculator, and Chat GPT to help decode the mayor's mixed messaging.  Dress for disappointment, pack for evacuation, and if somebody tries to sell you a cheap car - run. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 24th of September, a jury has found Auckland eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne not guilty of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna. Criminal Defence Lawyer Roderick Mulgan gives his analysis.  The Government wants public sector workers to stop working from home and return to the office. What has the impact of working from home had on central Wellington businesses? Backbenchers Pub Owner Alistair Boyce joins the show to explain.  Kiwifruit exports have reached a new record value, hitting $3.1 billion in the year ending August. Are growers seeing the returns? Motueka grower Evan Heywood speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes to a four year term please. Our politicians are too short sighted.  Think about infrastructure, think about productivity, think about immigration settings, basically take your pick at any long term problem in this country.  We need longer terms.  Yes, it will suck if it's not the party that you like in at the time that it's introduced, but it needs to happen for the better of the country, doesn't it?  The government's looking at this because it is in the coalition agreements with both Act and New Zealand First.  There's no strict timings in those coalition agreements, but on Friday, Luxon was talking to a Bloomberg Q and A and seemed to indicate that we might have a referendum on this at the next election.  It's a no brainer, we have big problems in short terms in this country.  The big question is who will get the first one? Will it be that lot, will it be your lot?  Those are the big questions, and also will it be a binding referendum? Which is what New Zealand first is pushing for.  I say just do it, get it done.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of families living in emergency housing has reduced by 57%, according to new figures from the Ministry of Social Development and Housing and Urban Development.  Community Housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Paul Gilberd tells Ryan Bridge getting children out of motels is fantastic.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The far right could be on the brink of it's first election victory in Germany. Brandenburg, close to Berlin, has been governed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) ever since German reunification. But two million voters are heading to the polls today for a tightly fought regional election that Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) stands a chance of winning. Plus, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accepted tens of thousands of British pounds in gifts, hospitality and tickets to events since becoming Labour leader. This includes nearly £66,000 over the last year for accommodation, clothes and "multiple pairs of glasses". UK & Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan Bridge the PM has now said his top team won't accept any more clothing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ZB Sports Andrew Alderson joins Ryan Bridge to wrap the weekend in sport.  Lando Norris eased to a Singapore F1 Grand Prix win despite twice hitting a wall.  The win lets Norris eat further into Max Verstappen’s lead in the overall championship.  Plus, the Black Caps chances of a test cricket win over Sri Lanka remain alive heading into the final day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research has revealed New Zealand lawyers and law students are the unhappiest professionals globally.   Compared to international lawyers, those in New Zealand revealed higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress and psychological distress.  Law Association Vice President Julie-Anne Kincade KC tells Ryan Bridge lawyers are needed in high stress moments and deal with a lot of pressure.  Kincade questions the small sample size of the survey with just 800 of NZ’s 10,000 included.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of September. The government says there has been a 57% reduction of families living in emergency housing motels since December, so what are community housing providers seeing on the ground? Community Housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Paul Gilberd joins the show.  A new study has sound New Zealand's lawyers and law students are the unhappiest in the world. Law Association Vice President Julie-Anna Kincade speaks to Ryan.  McLaren have extended their lead in the F1 constructors championship with a win from Lando Norris. Andrew Alderson has your weekend sport wrap.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former department store owner is said to have raped and sexually assaulted a string of women who worked for the chain.  More than 20 women have claimed they were sexually assaulted by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, five of whom have said they were raped.  The women say the assaults were carried out at the company’s offices, in Al-Fayed’s apartment in London, or on trips overseas.   UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that Harrods not only failed to intervene, but also helped cover up abuse allegations when Al-Fayed was in charge.  The department store’s current owners say they’re “utterly appalled” by the allegations, and the store sincerely apologises.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are coming up to a big test this weekend, facing off against Australia in the first match of the Bledisloe Cup.   It’s been almost two weeks since their back-to-back losses against South Africa, so what went wrong and do they have the time to fix it?  Former All Blacks captain Ian Fitzpatrick told Ryan Bridge that if the All Blacks can start like they did against the Springboks in Johannesburg, then they’ve got a good chance.  He said you can say what you like about the previous games, but this is a different beast altogether.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are expectations that cuts to the Official Cash Rate are now going to keep on coming.  Yesterday's Stats NZ figures show our GDP contracted 0.2% in the three months to June.  In the March quarter, 0.1% growth was recorded.  ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley says the numbers show inflation's falling within the Reserve Banks expectations.  He told Ryan Bridge they're now going to continue cutting the OCR to get it from 5.25% to around 3%.  Tuffley says if they cut a quarter every meeting, we'll reach that target by October next year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A barrister has doubts about increasing the threshold for the right to a jury trial.   Currently a defendant can choose between a jury or a judge-alone trial in cases where the maximum penalty is two or more years in jail.   The Government's seeking feedback on increasing this to three, five, or seven years, in a bid to address court delays.   Philip Morgan KC told Ryan Bridge he questions the number of jury trials that will drop because of the threshold change.  He says that's because he thinks the number of jury trials where the maximum penalty of the offence is two or three years in jail, is very small.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've not seen Luxon this tetchy and brassed off before.  "Guys, no disrespect, but it's not about the frickin targets, it's actually about the outcomes, and the outcomes here are actually reducing violent crime."  He was being asked about the national gang list which the cops have been sanitising. Hygienically cleaning it apparently to remove the dead and those who've said goodbye to thug life.  The reason he's worked up is the targets: they're off track and he's being peppered, or assaulted, depending on how you look at it, with questions.  This morning in the Herald, beneficiary numbers are projected up, not down. The Jobseeker target is a reduction of 50,000 people, but the forecast is an extra 11,000, which is set to peak in January 2025.  So the question for the government, and all of us, is whether the targets are worth it?  Politically for Luxon they're clearly causing some frustration. Is the political cost of constant updates and inquisition worth the end result? The answer is of course yes.  Ask anyone who's successful how they got there and they'll usually say small, intentional planned steps in a particular direction.  Things don't just happen in life - you make them happen.  We all have targets in our own lives. Where do you want to be in ten years? I want to run a marathon by the time I'm 40, I want to retire at 55, whatever. If you don't set a target, it'll likely never happen – that's what happened with the last lot.  Make no mistake, these targets will be the making or breaking of Luxon. The key issue that will unseat him 2029.  He's set the goals, now he needs to meet them, and perhaps be a little more relaxed about the questions along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 20th of September. New Zealand's GDP has dropped, but it's not quite as bad as the forecasts. So where to from here and when will we start to see growth? ASB's Chief Economist Nick Tuffley joins the show.  A new solution to tackle backlog in the count system - the Government wants to reduce the number of jury trials to save time. KC Phillip Morgan speaks to Ryan about the proposed changes.  Former All Blacks Captain Ian Kirkpatrick speaks to Ryan about NZ's chances of winning against the Wallabies this weekend, following two back-to-back losses against South Africa.  Christopher Luxon's getting a bit tetchy and brassed off by questions about his targets - he's set the goals, now he needs to meet them, and perhaps be a little more relaxed about the questions along the way.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology is at the forefront of priorities for the new Retail Crime Advisory Group.   The group will offer the Government ideas on law and order legislation.   Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has appointed four sector leaders alongside dairy and business owner group leader, Sunny Kaushal.   They include Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young.  She says enabling facial recognition technology is of particular interest to the sector.   She hopes it can be implemented with robust privacy safeguards.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says another GDP contraction today would be in-line with the idea we've been in a rolling recession for almost two years.   The March 2024 quarter showed just 0.2% growth.   BNZ is picking a 0.4% contraction in the second quarter.   Chief Economist Mike Jones told Ryan Bridge the Reserve Bank's anticipating a 0.5% contraction, so it would take a real clanger to throw it off course.   He says the bigger piece of news for interest rates in New Zealand and the Reserve Bank might be what the US Federal reserve does with interest rates.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House says it wasn't aware of the simultaneous pager explosions across Lebanon before the attacks.  Thousands were injured and at least 12 killed when pagers, used by political group Hezbollah, detonated yesterday.   Today —a day later— at least nine people are dead and 300 injured after walkie talkies exploded.   Hezbollah believes Israel is responsible   US correspondent Benji Hyer told Ryan Bridge there was a quick phone call between the defence secretaries of Israel and the US minutes before pagers started exploding.  He says Israel told the United States they would be conducting an operation in Lebanon, but no further details were shared.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The eight week murder trial of Philip Polkinghorne is nearing a verdict, with the jury beginning deliberations this morning.  The judge summed up the case yesterday.  The Auckland eye surgeon's accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hanna; his defence argues she took her own life.   Herald reporter Craig Kapitan told Ryan Bridge the jury only has two decisions - if it was murder or suicide.  He says it likely won't be a quick decision, and if the jury need to deliberate past today, court won't sit tomorrow.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau's admission she sold her car to help keep on top of the bills is ironic, given she's the mayor of a city now famous for its double-digit rate hikes.  Wellington City Council saw an 18.5% rise this year and 13% the year before. Wellington Regional Council is up 25% this year.  They reckon over the next four years many will be paying an extra $3000 a year.  I hope the Mayor's got a bike she can sell, or some furniture, or a nice handbag - something she can whack on Trade Me to stay afloat.  People are commenting that a salary of $190,000 a year is more than enough to live on in Wellington. I don't know her personal information and frankly I don't want to, this is not about her. This is about us, voters. Taxpayers and ratepayers.  We're all in this forced ship being sailed by captains half of us didn't vote for on what can sometimes feel a bit like the Titanic.  We can all work more, work smarter, invest more, grow our eggs a bit more, and many of us do. The median net worth of a kiwi household in 2021 was around $400,000.  Some take great risks to grow theirs, and they deserve the rewards. Many fail and we don't talk about that much.  Many have mortgaged their family home, and you'll find them inside there at night time, light on in the bedroom, not sleeping with the stress of how they'll make it work. Keep the lights on, innovate, keep staff on, hire more staff, even.  Others work one, two, three or more jobs to improve their lot.  And most people aspire to create more wealth, not out of shear selfishness, well some do, sure. But for most it's about providing for their family. Leaving something behind for their kids. Being set-up so their husband or wife is taken care of if they die early.  For most, wealth is not evil, it's actually the act of loving those around you, those you care for.  Which is why when politicians come knocking, demanding the so-called 'wealthy' pay more not just in income tax, but also taxes on imaginary money i.e. wealth taxes and the like, we get so tetchy.  We're like my dog when you try get close while she's eating dinner – bark. Get away. It's mine. Hands off.  The irony in this story is that Tory Whanau is part of the Greens who advocate for exactly this type of approach.  They say tax is love, not wealth is love. And sure, when money is spent well and services delivered, maybe tax is love.  But cycle bridges to nowhere, half a million-dollar bike racks, contractor and consultant money scrambles, they don't feel like love to me. They feel like abuse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 19th of September, GDP data is coming out today, and the forecasts aren't good. Ryan speaks to BNZ's Chief Economist Mike Jones.  The jury is out on the Polkinghorne murder trial. When could we see a verdict, and what are the chances of a hung jury? NZ Herald Court Reporter Craig Kapitan joins the show to explain.  The new Ministerial Advisory Group for retail crime has some new members, so what are their plans and how are they going to make a difference? Retail NZ's Carolyn Young speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an urgent need to promote resilience among Aotearoa's youth.   A new paper from Auckland University's think tank Koi Tū reveals 21% of 15 to 24 year olds are experiencing high levels of psychological distress.   It highlights suicide as the leading cause of death among youth and notes our suicide rate is one of the highest in the developed world.   Researcher Seungyeon Kim says we need programmes and spaces that help our young people to connect and feel safe.   She says parents and caregivers can focus on having interactions that are warm, attentive and responsive to the young person's need.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief the economic climate is to blame for more youths fronting court over criminal charges.  The Ministry of Justice's annual criminal convictions and sentencing statistics reveal more than 1,700 youths between 10 and 17 years of age had charges finalised in court.  It found theft was the most common offence type.  Youth Development worker Aaron Hendry told Ryan Bridge a key driver is poverty, and the Government's policies are creating an environment where these crimes would increase.  He says more young people are being pushed into hardship, so it's not surprising to see the data.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report has found Government vastly overestimated the cost of new home insulation standards.  Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk is considering rolling back the H1 insulation requirements brought in last year amid reports they add up to $40 thousand to build costs.  But research by New Zealand Certified Builders and others, shows the requirements can add as little as $2,200 to the cost of a three-bedroom house.  Research author Nick Clements told Ryan Bridge the Government's approach looked at the very maximum, which isn't realistic.  He says they instead looked at the minimum they could do to meet the standard.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's why we should care about what sounds like a bit of an obscure trip from some U.S. officials to Beijing this week.  They are going to meet to talk to their counterparts about a wave of Chinese goods flooding world markets.  China, obviously, has enormous manufacturing capacity and enormous machine behind it, and the output has gotten too large for the world to absorb.  The strategy by China, they reckon —and this is why the U.S. officials are going there— the strategy is demand at home is a bit weaker for them, so they pump up production and they ship the excess offshore.  The idea is they would build more resilient supply chains throughout the world, they'll get us hooked on cheap goods.  I mean, we're like crack addicts at a dollar store, aren't we?  Think about Temu, Shein, those types of websites. In the process they are squeezing other manufacturers around the world – including the United States, which is why they're sending a delegation to go and say “stop that please”.  It's also why you're seeing a tariff response from Europe, from the U.S., even some friendly Asian states like Indonesia are starting to put tariffs on China.  The goal seems to be to subsidize these manufacturers, flood the market around the world, build resilient supply lines, hook us in on these cheap goods and in the process, destroy the competition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 18th of September, Kiwi youth are facing more criminal charges according to the latest justice figures. Youth development worker Aaron Hendry joins the show to discuss the findings.  New insulation standards could cost as little as $2,200 extra for a new build 3-bedroom house, but why is that so much lower than the $40,000 to $50,000 the building and construction minister says it would cost? YourQS author Nick Clements joined Ryan to explain.  New research has found that in 2022 and 2023, more than one in five 15-24 year olds experienced high levels of psychological distress. So how do we build resilience in our kids? Research author Dr Seungyeon Kim explains.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not just New Zealand who’s been experiencing an icy start to Spring.  Australia has seen record low temperatures across the southeast, with an icy blast catching several states unaware.   Canberra marked its coldest September morning on record, with Monday hitting –6.9C, and many regions were hitting below 0.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that the system has come almost from Antarctica, and the temperatures are sitting about five to eight degrees lower than average.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More children in this country are being hospitalised for preventable diseases.   A new Cure Kids report reveals hospital admissions for respiratory, skin and rheumatic conditions, mental health issues and dental diseases, remain unacceptably high.   It identifies social factors —like child poverty, housing conditions and inequitable access to care— as key drivers, and notes Māori and Pasifika children are disproportionately affected.  Chair of Child Health at Auckland University Stuart Dalziel told Ryan Bridge that we need to look at which children we’re failing, and if there is a failing on the basis of race, we need to ask why.  He said that the answer may not be specifically race-targeted policy, but there does need to be policy, and we need to be very clear about where there is failings so they can be corrected.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More profit appears to be on the horizon for dairy farmers, with conditions faring better than expected. Dairy NZ's lifted its revenue forecast to $8.84 per kilogram of milk solids, with a break even of $8.09. Head of Economics Mark Storey says the combination of improved farmgate milk prices and declining interest rates show a healthier situation for the sector. But he says the costs of electricity, feed, and maintenance have kept driving farm working expenses up. He says overall expenses are staying stubbornly high, so the inflation hasn't come out of the system just yet. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says the Government's achieving nothing with its reforms to sentencing laws.  The Government's first quarterly report on public service targets shows rates of people victimised had risen by June, by 30 thousand people.  It aims to reduce that by 20 thousand within the next six years.   It's bringing sentencing law reforms to Parliament this week to reduce discounts and add aggravating factors.  Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb told Ryan Bridge there's no substance to it.  He says they're simply giving the rules a quick coat of paint and adding nothing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon has reason to smile this morning – there are two sets of data to cheer about.  First, the poll. He's shaking off that slightly cringe CEO moniker and cementing himself as a man with a plan, in charge, across most of the issues, and not allowing himself to become too distracted by the inevitable noise that comes with running the ninth floor.  The latest taxpayer's union curia poll is out, it has National up 1.4 to 39%  That's an extra seat from National, NZ First also get another, while there's also no change for ACT. Safe across the line for the coalition, with 67 seats.  Preferred Prime Minister is getting interesting.  Chippy's gone off a cliff, the trend is down, but this result’s a shocker – he's down 6.1 points to 12.6%.  Luxon? 32.7%.  Chippy is now almost within margin of error with, not Luxon, but Chlöe on 7.2%.  The other numbers today, NZIER's quarterly consensus data.  Not so great for us, at least in the short term. Big fat zero GDP growth in the year to March.  That's depressing. We've had almost two years of recession, or close to now, and people just want this country firing again.  That's where Luxon will be happy to see this prediction: 2.2% growth expected in the year to March 2026.  And we know what else is happening in 2026, right? An election.  It's humble, not runaway, but after these past years it's electoral fairy dust.  People don't generally vote on race relations, the politics of envy or climate change.  They vote on how rich they feel and who might make them richer.  Luxon, at least on these numbers, would appear to have the upper hand on that front. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of August, the Government's first quarterly target check is out, and it's not looking too good. The target to reduce crime is at risk, and Luxon's blaming the previous government for making it harder to achieve. Labour's Duncan Webb speaks to Ryan about the results.  Cure Kids’ State of Child Health report paints a grim picture – Stuart Dalziel joins the show to explain what the report found.  Things are looking up for our dairy farmers according to Dairy NZ's quarterly economic forecast. Head of economics Mark Storey takes us through the numbers.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, Labour's leader was using private donations to pay for his wife's wardrobe. She had personal shoppers, clothes and alterations for campaign events and after the campaign as well. Keir Starmer's wife, Victoria, was dressed to the nines, apparently. It wasn't declared as a donation, but has now been declared as a donation.David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has been wheeled out to explain it. "In our country, there isn't a budget for the Prime Minister's clothes, or his wife's clothes. In some countries, there's a substantial budget. I've just come back from America, where there is a substantial budget to ensure that the US President and the First Lady, their appearance, can never be challenged." I think we should publicly fund our leaders wardrobes. I'm just going to put it out there, I think we should. It's important how we look on the world stage. In the world of geopolitics and diplomacy you need to look good. You need to look sharp and you need to need to look smart. We don't want to be looking like some crackpot banana republic when we're going to these events, do we? I think it should be publicly funded, and the rules for politicians at the moment aren't really clear on on whether you are allowed to use your allowance for clothing or not. I think just as a they're representing us, we need to look good. I'm not against publicly funding their wardrobes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eight people have died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England in a rubber vessel. It's the second deadly incident involving a migrant boat in the Channel in as many weeks. UK correspondent Gavin Grey rescue services identified 60 people on the vessel.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The race ended behind a safety car after a collision between Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez as they fought for third. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson recaps the race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes worrying new figures can help the health sector improve the outcomes of respiratory disease. A report has found more people suffer from respiratory diseases than previously known, going from one in seven to one in five Kiwis each year. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Medical Director Bob Hancox says while it shows New Zealand's not doing well, the new research is important. He says it gives experts a better understanding of how big the issue is. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A union's labelling the Education Minister's changes for reliever teachers a knee-jerk reaction to the current shortage. Erica Stanford's changing who can gain a Limited Authority to Teach - allowing about 200 teachers who no longer hold registration to work as relief teachers. It means both experts who aren’t qualified teachers and previously registered teachers, can come into classrooms as relievers. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says the change is essentially just putting in warm bodies to fill the gaps. "They're looking after kids, not teaching kids or educating kids, not helping them - they're just looking after them. These kids deserve more." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 16th of September. The PPTA aren't happy with short term changes the Education Minister has made to the sector. President Chris Abercrombie speaks to Ryan. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation say more Kiwis are being diagnosed with respiratory diseases, so what's causing the rise? The foundation's Medical Director Professor Bob Hancox joins the show. Oscar Piastri takes first place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the America's Cup challenger series wraps up and the Black Ferns lose to England at Twickenham - Andrew Alderson has your weekend sport wrap. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The use of coal and gas to generate energy has increased sharply due to falling hydro lake levels.  Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment data from April to June shows that coal produced 883 gigawatt hours of electricity.   That's a more than a 500% increase on the same time last year, and it’s the first time since 2021 that coal produced more electricity than wind.   Low hydro lake levels mean electricity generated from renewable sources dropped to 81% of total generation, an 8.6% drop compared to same time last year.  Otago University Senior Research Fellow Kimberley O’Sullivan told Ryan Bridge that while we do have to go somewhere, it’s time to stop looking underground for the solution to our problems.  She said that we need to get smarter about the things such as housing, and we could solve a lot of problems by increasing insultation and making homes more energy efficient, as well as adding solar panels.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Space milestones are only going to keep on coming, with the first ever commercial space walk mission.  Billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis have become the first civilians to walk in space.   The Space X mission also put the total number of people currently in space to 19, tying the record set in 2021.  Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director Chris Jackson told Ryan Bridge the number's only going to increase with SpaceX and NASA's future plans.  He says they want to populate the Moon, which will put a lot more people in space across a lot of different places.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris was wearing audio earrings during the debate this week.  Did you hear about this? Yeah, she was cheating.  They looked like pearl earrings, but they also look like audio earrings. You can buy them, and you can have your staff feed you information in real time during a debate, they can coach you live.  Yeah, it's real, I read it on the internet.  That's the problem, isn't it? On some corners of the internet there's the dog-duck-immigrant conspiracy thing, there's the trans migrant prisoner sex change thing, and now there's the Kamala earrings thing.  Misinformation, disinformation, conspiracies, whatever they are, they seem to be everywhere at the moment.  Kamala Harris is pushing the conspiracies too, remember she said during the debate that Trump would implement project 2025 if elected, he says he won't.  Isn't that the same thing? Just lies, just making stuff up?  Don't get me wrong, I do love a good conspiracy, especially the bizarre ones you get out of the States, but I would never go nuts online trying to prove one.  The internet's screwed our brains in that way, what would have once just been a word of mouth, rumour, or gossip now spreads and presents itself as real news and is lapped up by millions of people.  The biggest problem I reckon, we have two cohorts of internet users, ones who have lived the most of their lives without the internet and they place a lot of faith and trust in what's being written and said because that's how we used to operate, remember?  And then there are those who are URL natives who know full well the absolute crap and the shite that you get online – which is not to say it's a generational thing because, you know, people at both ends can get caught out.  But we are supposedly living right now in the enlightened age where the internet would democratise information, make it accessible to all of us.  We'd all be better informed and better off with all the knowledge of human history available at the click of a finger.  And what have we done with that?  Cats, dogs, ducks, and audio airings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The nurses union says there's not enough health staff to meet health targets.   The Health Minister's laid out his plans for delivering health targets set in March.    Dr Shane Reti's discussed increasing public hospital beds and operating theatres and using private hospital capacity more.   He's confident the Budget and resources are already in place to deliver them.   Nurses Organisation President Kerri Nuku told Ryan Bridge the whole workforce is understaffed and chronically underfunded.   She says it's fine to have ambitious plans, but if there aren't the people or resources to implement them, it'll fail.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 13th of September, the government's revealed how they will reach its health targets, but health workers are raising concerns. Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation joins the show to discuss.  Extra coal and gas was needed over winter to generate electricity with low lake levels in the South Island, should we be concerned about the reduction in renewable generation? The University of Otago's Dr Kimberly O'Sullivan talks to Ryan.  The first privately funded spacewalk has ended successfully. Is this the start of space tourism? University of Auckland's Head of Space Operations Chris Jackson joins the show.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks the anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in the United States.   23 years ago, nearly 3000 people died at a number of sites across the US, and memorials and moments of silence are held on the anniversary every year.  US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that a number of political figures were in attendance at this morning’s memorial at the World Trade Centre in New York, including Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A heated exchange between the two US presidential hopefuls - with many saying Kamala Harris got under Donald Trump's skin  The pair faced off over inflation, abortion and foreign policy in a high stakes debate in Pennsylvania.  US Pollster Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge that debates in the past have had a minor effect on the polls, but this race is so close that even a minor effect could transform Harris from an underdog to the favourite.  This debate could have an impact on the polls, he said, but we won’t know for at least another week.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People seem to think Kamala Harris made a fool of Trump in the debate, but real fool was us, New Zealand.  Within 24 hours of the debate we got news of 230 jobs lost due in part to an energy crunch caused by moral grandstanding on climate change.  That's 230 jobs, but up to 1000 people including families. That's half the population of Raetihi and Ohakune.  Shane Jones calls it the hollowing out of regional NZ, and there's much more to come.  We also had news Methanex is consulting on mothballing, indefinitely, one of its two remaining plants.  Why? You guessed it - in part it's moral grandstanding on climate change.  More on that in a second, but first back to the debate. This is the most left, progressive political leader in America, Kamala Harris, boasting about fracking.  "I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. And in fact, I was the tie breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act which opened new leases for fracking."  And here, Kamala Harris boasts about record domestic oil production while she and Biden were in charge.  "We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history."  Drill baby, drill.  Meanwhile, we're basking in nuclear free moment bliss down here at the bottom of the Pacific. Sending manufacturing jobs and regional jobs off to the slaughterhouse.  And yes, climate change is real, etcetera.  But why would we cut our noses off to spite our faces, when the most progressive, climate conscious contender to run the world's largest economy, and biggest user of oil, is boasting about drilling for it?  Sitting watching that debate yesterday it wasn't Trump I thought looked stupid, it was us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another blow for regional New Zealand and the manufacturing industry is being seen as potentially devastating.  Methanex is proposing cutting staff and moving from two plants to one.  Earlier this week Winstone pulp confirmed plans to shut, putting more than 200 jobs on the chopping block after soaring energy prices.  Energy Resources Aotearoa's John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge the system is going from crisis to crisis - something he believes is predictable following the oil and gas ban.  He says it leaves a hole in the confidence of investors.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global shortages of orange juice is good news for our local growers.  The world's largest grower Brazil has been hit by drought and disease, bringing juicing orange yields down by at least a third.  That, combined with lower yields on the East Coast due to Cyclone Gabrielle damage, has left New Zealand with a shortage of orange juice.  Orange grower and Citrus NZ board member Matthew Carter told Ryan Bridge it's been quite profitable for those growing here.  He says juice grade fruit usually would be worth around 50 cents a kilo, and that's nearly doubled over the last couple of years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 12th of September, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have faced off in their first debate, less than two months out from the election. Famous pollster Henry Olsen joins Ryan from the U.S. to discuss it.  Methanex is proposing to scale down operations to just one plant - what does it mean for the energy sector? John Carnegie from Energy Recourses Aotearoa joins the show to give his thoughts.  Have you noticed a shortage of orange juice in the supermarket? We check in with a grower and ask what's happening with the industry.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Major Electricity Users' Group says consumers are grossly over-paying for power.   Electricity prices have risen over the years, both businesses and average citizens struggling to afford their power bills.  Chair John Harbord told Ryan Bridge the companies are producing the same amount of electricity, while making record profits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief a social media ban could benefit young people.  Australia's holding an age-verification trial in coming months, but it's unknown what the cut off age will be, or how it will be enforced.   Christopher Luxon has also expressed interest in the idea.  Parenting expert Nathan Wallis told Ryan Bridge there's a correlation between social media and youth mental health issues.  He says if things like social media are banned, it may be revealed as the major cause of the country's mental health crisis in teens.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US presidential debate looks to be a chance to get to know the candidates.  Vice President Kamala Harris is facing off against Donald Trump for the first time at 1pm our time in Pennsylvania.   No notes are allowed, and microphones will cut off when each candidate's not speaking.  Former US Ambassador to New Zealand under Barack Obama, Mark Gilbert told Ryan Bridge many polls show people still don't know Harris.  He says this will be an opportunity for her to be seen, as more than 50-million people are expected to tune in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wild, bizarre, and highly entertaining media scrum took pace in Wellington yesterday, culminating with an MP saying he didn't mind swimming in other people's sewage. Yes, human waste.  A chaotic caucus run with Labour's Ōhāriu MP Greg O'Connor.   He was asked why Wellington's dying - with cafes closing down, etcetera:   "There's not enough to do along that waterfront, there's been stopping things from happening. You can walk a long way there, there's no cafe, there's nowhere to actually get a coffee."  Greg, Greg, Greg. Why don't they just put more cafes in?  These things require business investment and a profit to be had. Could the reason there aren't enough flat whites at Queens wharf be because 1) Labour hiked minimum wage beyond affordability, 2) helped drive inflation sky high through unrestrained government spending, and 3) told everyone to stay home and out of the CBD and the office.  So far so normal, an MP struggling to grasp the realities of running a small business.  Here's where it all gets a bit messy - literally. He says the solution is get more people, tourists, residents, whoever, down to the waterfront and even in the water.  A reporter kindly points out the water's often not safe for swimming due to human waste from bad pipes.  "Are you talking about the same harbour that gets polluted when there's heavy rain due to the bad pipes?"  "It doesn't stop people from swimming in there does it?" O'Connor replies.  Another reporter asks, "Would you swim in the harbour if there's sewage in there?"  "Yeah I do, I do swim in the harbour."  Okay, so don't worry about the faeces in the water. Jump in!  Then, here's the best part, lets' blame the journalists for reporting on the wastewater.  "Is there a warning at the moment? I don't know."  "No, you are allowed," one of the reporters says.  O'Connor replies: "You are allowed, so why bring this up then? So a Wellington positive is that you can go and swim in Wellington Harbour today, is that what I'm hearing from you? Good, report that. Well done guys."  The world according to Greg O’Connor: you can't beat Wellington on a good day.  A good day being one with no wind or rain, no poo in your harbour, and perhaps a coffee cart down at the waterfront.  There's a new slogan in that somewhere. Wellington - take a chance on me. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 11th of September, the Electricity, gas, waste, and water services industry saw a 36% rise in sales in Q2 compared to the same time last year. It comes on the same day that Winstone Pulp International announced their closure due to soaring energy costs. What does it mean for our big electricity users? John Harbord from the Major Electricity Users Group speaks to Ryan.  It's a big day in the U.S. as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in what could be the only debate ahead of November's election. We're live to the U.S. with Democratic Party Member Mark Gilbert.  Our Aussie neighbours are looking at banning social media for kids, and Christopher Luxon says he's open to doing the same here. Could it work, and how would parents police it? Parenting expert Nathan Wallis joins the show to give his thoughts.  Would you swim in polluted water? Labour MP Greg O'Connor says yes, and Ryan has some words of advice for him.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A global manhunt is underway for a man who allegedly poured boiling hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby in Brisbane.  Police say the 33-year-old has fled the country since the August 27th incident in a Stones Corner park.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge detectives believe the man escaped less than a day before he was identified.  She says the man was aware of police methodology and was conducting counter-surveillance activities, making the investigation very complex.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a drive for change in the construction industry on the back of a spike in suspected suicide rates.   In 2023, 80 construction workers died from suspected suicides - a jump from previous years.  MATES in Construction Research Manager Lauren Donnan says mental health across the board is improving, but high workloads, job instability, and a lack of support remain key stressors.   She says 15 to 24-year-olds and Māori workers can be particularly vulnerable.   Donnan says we need to understand there are key pressures and groups within the industry at higher risk, where we need to target more support.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International technology stocks are being credited with the New Zealand Super Fund reporting another record-high investment return: up 15% in the year to June.  Super expert Jonathan Eriksen told Ryan Bridge the results make up for a poor return when markets fell in 2022.  He says they've always gone into a wide range of assets but they're playing it extremely well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes have been revealed to the Treaty Principles Bill.   The Bill's architect David Seymour confirmed that Cabinet discussed the Bill yesterday and agreed to its broad outline before it goes to Parliament's drafters.   He says it'll now acknowledge the rights of hapu and iwi at the time of the Treaty.  Labour's Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson told Ryan Bridge it's interesting he's made some type of concession.   He says it's a backdown, because Seymour hasn't ever acknowledged the rights of hapu and iwi before.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IRD is giving your data to Facebook – taxpayers' data to Facebook, that was the headline yesterday.  We give them our data in trust and confidence. Well, we don't actually, we give them our data because the law says we must file our tax returns and tell them who we are and how much we're earning.  But perhaps you assume that the law says that they must keep it to themselves. Not so.  I think this is a scandal.   To be honest when I read the headline, I thought IRD must have been hit by one of those phone scams. You know, they've been cold called by Nigerian prince and handed over our private data.  But no, the RNZ report says they give Facebook and the big tech guys some of our information because it's anonymised. They're calling it hashed. So they can't see who you are when they hand it over.  And it's only for the purposes of IRD placing ads on these platforms like Facebook, et cetera, so don't worry about it.  Sorry, I am worried, and I reckon most Kiwis will hate this.  The reason is pretty simple: it's trust.  Do you trust Facebook? No.  Do you believe they will keep your data secure? No.  Do you believe they won't marry up your private data that our government has just handed them on a silver platter with the profiles they have on you already? No.  No one trusts these guys.  I don't want some government department sending my data to some Silicon Valley server so that some tech guy can bug me with intrusive ads about what undies to buy.  I actually think there's more to this story, and there will be because they have a life of their own. It won't just be the IRD that's doing it. There will be other government departments, there'll be other private data, there'll be more of us affected.  Luxon should get ahead of this and just say let's have some kind of little review because otherwise you're going to get these headlines ticking over and over and over, and I think people will be sick of it.  Also, as citizens, we need to have faith that when we give our data to the government that it is kept secure and safe, and even a perception that it's not is not good enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday10th of September, slight changes were made to the controversial Treaty Principles Bill in Cabinet yesterday. Labour's Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson joins the show to discuss.  Superfund has reached a value of $76.6 billion - a record for the fund. But what does it mean for the government and New Zealand's markets? Superfund expert Jonathan Eriksen speaks to Ryan.  There were 80 suspected suicides in the construction industry in the past year, so what is the sector doing to improve mental health and wellbeing? MATES in Construction researcher Dr Lauren Donnan joins the show to talk about her latest research and what the industry could do to reduce the number of suicides.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzales has arrived in Spain after fleeing the country after its presidential election.  Gonzales had an arrest warrant issued after he disputed July’s election, which was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro.  The US, EU and Latin American countries have also questioned the election results after Venezuela refused to publish official election data to prove the result.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge he arrived on a Spanish Royal Air Force plane near Madrid, where he’ll be granted political asylum after having stayed at its embassy in Caracas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a high level of suspense when Peter Cowan crossed the finish line in the final of the men’s single va’a VL3 200m canoe sprint race in Paris.  In his Paralympic Games debut, the 29-year-old from Hawke’s Bay flew out of the blocks in the final to battle for the early lead.  As the contest went on, it looked to be a case of two races for medals; Ukrainian Vladyslav Yepifanov and Jack Eyers of Great Britain contesting the top two spots on the podium, while Cowan, Australian Curtis McGrath and China’s Pu Yi were locked in a race for bronze.  The eight-strong race was over in about 50sec. It was a further 45sec before Cowan got word that he would be the third man on the podium.  “It feels unreal,” Cowan told TVNZ of winning a medal in his Paralympics debut.  In tough, windy conditions, the Kiwi stayed the course and might have been a bit fortunate that McGrath drifted in his lane toward the final stretch of the race, with Cowan crossing the line just 0.06sec ahead of the Australian who beat him in their heat.  Because Cowan finished second in his heat, he had to qualify for the medal race through the semifinal rather than get direct entry into the medal race.  Cowan finished second to Eyers in the semifinal to secure his place, and left everything out there in the final; a look of elation – with perhaps a hint of disbelief – on his face when he finally heard that he had claimed the bronze.  “Coming into the race all I really focused on was the performance itself and not jumping the gun,” Cowan said.  “There were times this week when I would think about the podium, but me and my coach are pretty grounded in our goals and that’s just to focus on every performance as they come; every breath, every stroke in every race.  “In the start gate, I was just thinking about what I needed to do to build into that finish line because I never know where I’m coming in the races. I do believe the performance will give the right result at the end of the day, so to find out I made the podium, I was mind-blown.”  Yepifanov won the race with a Paralympic Games best of 47.49sec, with Eyers second in 47.87sec. Cowan finished in 48.28sec. The three medalists were all first-time Paralympians.  Cowan’s medal took New Zealand’s haul to nine in Paris, with one gold, four silver and four bronze.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interesting op-ed from The Conversation by Chris Gledhill, Professor of Law at Auckland University of Technology.  It's about the Government's new gang legislation and argues that the changes that are being made in some last-minute ones could impinge on the Bill of Rights, and it makes some good points.  It says people join gangs for various reasons for some it's a matter of family connections, for others gang membership may arise from being marginalised from society.  The Royal Commission on Abuse and Care highlighted that abuse was also a pathway into gang membership, and in 2018 a report highlighted that imprisonment feeds gang recruitment. So, you don't have a choice?  If you are poor, if you have family in a gang, if you went to jail and they recruited you in jail, that's on society, not on you. You don't have a choice in the matter?  It's a crucial part of the puzzle because it sets up the entire system of response to dealing with the problem.  If you're not responsible or capable of saying no to a gang life, how can you be punished for that association?  Is the expectation that if you join a gang, and you've been raised in a household that is associated with a gang, that you are impoverished, that you don't know what is right and what is wrong?  And if so, how can you be punished?  I interviewed a guy called Puck out of Hawke's Bay, he was with the Mongrel Mob. This was years ago, and he was done for a homicide and spent time in prison, but then turned his life around and had a positive role model.  I sat down with him for a good couple of hours, had a good chat. He knew what he had done was wrong and was remorseful and really sorry and wanted to apologise to the people that he had hurt.  I found out about a year later he was back in jail. He had turned his life around, and the then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had used him as an example of somebody who could turn their life around with a positive role model.  He then did some horrendous domestic violence stuff, dealing meth in prison. I mean, you name it.  So there's a guy who I know, who knows what he did was wrong, and he had bad influences growing up all of that stuff.  But he knows what he did was wrong and did it anyway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mayor of the Ruapehu District wants the Government to step in to save two businesses facing closure.  Hundreds of jobs are on the line - with the Kariori pulpmill and Tangiwai sawmill both under pressure, as energy costs have gone up significantly in recent years.  A meeting on the fate of hundreds of workers is expected tomorrow.  Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton told Ryan Bridge this is not a new issue - as Tiwai Point was bailed out.  He says the Government can cap electricity prices to allow the mills to get over the line  until the issue evens out.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer says it's very rare to see the public caught in the crossfire of a homicide.   Since the start of August, Police have launched 11 homicide investigations around the country.   One has since been deemed not a homicide and has been referred to the coroner.   Lawyer John Munro told Ryan Bridge Police may be stretched.  “The promising thing is that we have a very, very good Police force. They’re very well-equipped, they’re good Police, they’re competent.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 9 September. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will this week bring redemption for the All Blacks? Last week saw them lose to South Africa, the Springboks taking the win at Ellis Park.  This Sunday will see them facing off again in Cape Town, and Coach Scott Robertson has made a few changes to the lineup in preparation.  Former Springbok and Rugby Commentator Kevin Putt joined Ryan Bridge to preview the match and give his thoughts on the changes to the squad.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes New Zealand can help lead the effort to clean up space.   Space Minister Judith Collins has announced we've joined a US-led multi-national space initiative: Operation Olympic Defender.  International space expert Maria Pozza told Ryan Bridge that as well as defence, it will see New Zealand contribute to reducing space debris.  She says in recent decades space junk has become a key issue, and sustainable use of space is becoming increasingly important.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France has a new Prime Minister, ending the country's months long political limbo.   President Emmanuel Macron has named conservative Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister.  It comes two months after a snap election ended with a political stalemate.  Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that Barnier was the EU's former chief Brexit negotiator.  He says they'll see whether it gets France going again after the truce they've had through the Olympics.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's making changes aimed at bringing down the cost of building homes.   It's introduced new legislation to make it easier to import building supplies from abroad.   It'll enable recognition of overseas standards and Building Consent Authorities will need to accept products already certified offshore.   Building Industry Federation Chief Executive Julian Leys told Ryan Bridge this will impact a number of supplies.  He says they're looking at products with the biggest costs - like internal linings, external claddings, windows, plumbing products and insulation.   The Bill will have its first reading later this month.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 6th of August, overseas building supplies could soon be introduced to the market to help lower building costs. Building Industry Federation Chief Executive Julien Leys speaks to Ryan about what it means.  New Zealand has joined the multinational space programme Operation Olympic Defender. How could it benefit us? Space law expert Dr Maria Pozza joins the show.  Can the All Blacks recover from last week's loss to the Springboks? Rugby commentator and former Springbok Kevin Putt speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Semi-professional rugby tours may soon be back on the table.  New Zealand rugby is reportedly close to signing off a three-test, eight-match itinerary away against South Africa in 2026 - the Springboks would reciprocate in 2030.  Former All Black Ian Jones told Ryan Bridge it's wonderful news.  He said that it’s an absolute trip of a lifetime, and wonderful news not only for the players, but for the fans if they’re able to make their way over to watch.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a difficult retirement outlook for many Kiwis.  The latest Financial Services Council Money & You research reveals 94% of Kiwis worry about money, and one in five don’t have enough in their retirement savings to get them through the next year.  Many are dipping into savings to cover basics, with some having to juggle priorities.  Simplicity Founder Sam Stubbs told Ryan Bridge that a couple of things need to happen with KiwiSaver.  He said that we’re getting to the point where it needs to become compulsory, as it’s all very well that 79% of people are saving, but that still leaves 21% who’s retirement will be funded by the taxpayer.  The other thing, Stubbs said, is that the contribution needs to go up.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the group who are upset about the monopoly-duopoly that's happening in our grocery sector, you could save, at most per person, about $74 per year. That's if they were to have perfect competition in the sector, which obviously would be very hard to achieve.    Do you know what else costs you $80 a year?  A friend and I were chatting at the gym the other day and he showed me his rates bill, which he had kindly brought to the gym to encourage him to run faster.  There's an $80 targeted rate for the food compost bin. He said, what's that for? And I was like, it's the green bin that's on the street that no one uses. Then he was running faster than I've ever seen him run on the treadmill.  So apparently 60 to 65% of us don't use them. I know they have them in other parts of the country, in Auckland we've only got them just recently, so we're all getting a bit used to them. But $80 a year is what you have to pay.  And I got quite angry because if you're on a fixed income, $80 a year is a lot of money. If you're a pensioner and you cannot opt out of this service.   Who else can charge you for a service that you don't want or need?   What about a pensioner who does their own composting in the backyard? They can't opt out of it. They have to have this bin, and they have to pay $80 per year for the privilege.  It's like a barber giving a lady a beard trimmer and saying here, I'm going to charge you for that. I don't need it. Oh, well, you have to have it. Why? Just cause.  And you know what? They're all made of plastic, these bins, so how's that for the environment? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Grocery Action Group wants more regulation in our supermarket sector.   The Commerce Commission's first annual report on grocery shows competition has not meaningfully improved.  Foodstuffs and Woolworths could now face hefty fines for failing to treat small suppliers fairly or breaking a new wholesaler code.  Group lead Sue Chetwin told Ryan Bridge we need structural change to split up this big duopoly.  She says the Government has to bite the metal here and say we need more regulation to address the state of the industry.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 5th of September, the grocery commissioner says the sector has no meaningful competition and retail margins have increased. Grocery Action Group's Su Chetwin chats to Ryan about what it means and what to do from here.  The All Blacks and South Africa could be resuming full tours from 2026, and NZ Rugby say there won't be any changes to rules preventing Kiwis playing overseas from representing New Zealand. Former All Black Ian Jones joins the show.  One in five Kiwi retirees don't have enough savings to get them through the next year - that's according to the Financial Services Council. They also want a review into KiwiSaver to make sure New Zealanders are getting the most out of it. So, what needs to change? Simplicity Founder Sam Stubbs speaks to Ryan.  Mitch McCann has the latest on the U.S. election - new polls in battleground state are showing mixed results for both Harris and Trump.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least 12 people have died after the capsize of a migrant boat in the English Channel.  The French Coastguard has rescued more than 50.  It's the deadliest disaster in the Channel so far this year.  Downing Street is labelling the disaster "truly horrific", and says it's determined to further crack down on dangerous people-smuggling operations.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that more than 20,000 people have made the crossing from France to the UK this year, but the number of deaths has also risen significantly.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have zero issues with foreign visitors paying more to visit New Zealand. The tax hike that is being touted is big – $35 up to $100 per visitor, and that is substantial.  Crucially though, our Aussie mates are exempt, and they make up 40% of our market. So that's a good chunk who won't be contributing and shouldn't be affected in terms of numbers visiting us here.  The impact, the overall impact still quite unclear.  The Government on one hand says they've got MBIE advice, which is always good advice, saying that it won't be a significant impact. The industry says we will have 48,000 fewer visitors coming here and they'll take their almost $300 million spend elsewhere. The industry says this is alarming.  It's possible they're both right here. The total tourist numbers visiting in the year to June is 3.2 million. So, 48,000 is both not significant if you're the Government, but alarming if you're the industry.  The cold, hard reality is we're not as hot as we used to be when it comes to New Zealand as a destination, not as sexy, you could say.  Post-Covid, our recovery has stalled. I think we're at about 73% of pre-Covid levels in terms of visitors.  Largely, this is about cost. It’s not because our mountains are any less beautiful, our lakes less attractive, it’s largely about the cost of getting here.  But those issues, you know, the plane supply, the routes, et cetera, should subside. And when that happens, don't we want the extra money to maintain our walking tracks and to give the Germans somewhere to go to the loo?  I would have thought so.  And if it's going to put anyone off, wouldn't it be the low spending, high infrastructure using smelly backpacker variety? Of which I have been one, I'm not disparaging them, and, well, I suppose I am disparaging them a little, disparaging myself.  But don't we want sort of higher spending, higher yield tourists coming here? Using less of the country and less of its resources and infrastructure but spending more? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel experts believe that now isn't the time to push up the fees for overseas tourists.  The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is rising almost 200% from next month, from $35 to $100.  The money raised will go back into services and infrastructure used by visitors to the country.  Intrepid Travel general manager Eve Lawrence told Ryan Bridge New Zealand's tourism recovery is still lagging behind other countries.  She says we're only sitting at 80% of pre-Covid numbers, while Australia is expected to hit 100% by the end of the year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A terrorism expert says New Zealanders need to be more aware of the threat of terrorism.   The SIS identifies a person acting alone as our biggest terrorist risk and warns of a small number of people subscribing to violent extremist ideologies.   It's also concerned about foreign interference and how many young people are engaging with violent extremist rhetoric.  Massey University International Security Expert John Battersby told Ryan Bridge that locals need to wake up to the realistic possibility of an attack.   He says New Zealanders tend to not take potential risks seriously.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 4th of September, visitors to the country will soon have to start paying a $100 levy, up from $35. Eve Lawrence from Intrepid Travel talks to Ryan about what it means for the tourism industry.  The SIS has released its second annual report detailing security threats to New Zealand. Massey University’s John Battersby joins the show to discuss the findings.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of New Zealand's general practices is being dubbed a crisis.   A GP Owners Association survey of about a quarter of GPs reports they're being squeezed by rising costs, high patient demand, and staff shortages.  It found nearly 60% have doctor and nurse vacancies, and about 70% are financially worse off than a year ago.  Chair Angus Chambers told Ryan Bridge that Government funding doesn't keep pace with running costs.  He says the Government must urgently overhaul the out-of-date funding model.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People appear to be getting a better handle on their financial situations.  The latest Centrix figures for July show overall the number of people behind on their payments fell month-on-month by nine thousand to 456 thousand.  Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey says there's also positive signs when it comes to those who are several months behind.  She says that number is decreasing too, which indicates people are starting to manage their financial positions quite well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tiger handler remains in hospital after being attacked by a tiger at Dreamworld on Australia's Gold Coast.  Investigations are underway after the trained handler was set upon by one of the theme park's nine Sumatran and Bengal tigers yesterday morning.  It follows a fatal tiger attack on a keeper at Hamilton Zoo in 2015.  Correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Ryan Bridge the attack seemed to come out of nowhere.  She said the incident is now being thoroughly reviewed.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country could be driving towards a need for cross party agreement on transport.  The Government's National Land Transport Plan will see almost $33 billion pumped into roading, public transport, and maintenance.  Employers and Manufacturers Association head of advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge there should be a broad agreement on what the main priorities are.  He says that's critical if we want to get value from these projects and keep costs down.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is the country's largest organisation by far, it employs more than 80,000 people.  Roughly the same number of teachers are employed by state schools in our education system, and these numbers dwarf any private enterprise that's currently operating here.  Fletcher buildings has about 18,000 staff, Woolworths about 18,000, Fonterra about 16,000, the Warehouse in New Zealand, Kmart, they're up there too.  Here's a question for you: which of these organisations provides a quality or even adequate service to us?  When a private airline says they'll fly you somewhere on a certain date at a certain time, it generally happens. When you go to the supermarket, you generally know you can reliably leave with some milk and some bread in your hand.  And when you go to Kmart, are you ever told you must wait 18 months for that $12 lamp that you've been eyeing up in the latest catalogue? No.  So why does this happen with our healthcare system?  Why are we constantly told you must wait, you must line up. It's never good enough.  Is there a reason we have students failing exams, teacher shortages, low pay, hospital wait times, and a lack of access to quality care?  Is the reason for this because they're all run by the state?  I know, big question for a Tuesday.  The workforces are never happy, but they heavily unionised too. Is that part of the problem or is that an attempt at a solution?  Don't get me wrong, big Corporates have their own issues. We hate to see them profit and I don't imagine that we would stomach big profits off our kids' education or grandma's hip replacement. We consider these things to be basics, right?  International examples of privatised healthcare don't exactly scream success, good day America, but if we're paying taxes, and an adequate service for basic needs is not being provided, is it not fair to ask whether the fact that they're public entities might just be part of the problem? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 3rd September 2024, the Government has allocated $32.9 billion dollars in transport funding over the next 3 years. How could it improve our roading network and the economy? Alan McDonald from the Employers and Manufacturers Association speaks to Ryan.  Nine out of ten general practices say they are looking at raising their prices due to difficult economic times, and 70% of them say they're in a worse financial position than last year. General Practice Owners Association Chair Angus Chambers joins the show to give an insight into the situation.  Company liquidations are on the rise as consumer arrears continues to ease. What does it all mean? Centrix Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey chats to Ryan about the situation.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we squabble over toast for new mums in hospitals and funding for street dance performers in Auckland, we are penny pinching a lot lately, aren't we? We're bickering about all sorts of things, should nurses be getting the free toast in the smoko room if they're doing a night shift? The insignificance of all of these debates is being laid bare this morning. There's an article in the Herald, it's a bit of a truth bomb from the Treasury boss. She's leaving the job, the data is not really new, but the way that she is speaking so openly and frankly is quite new. Her name is Dr Caralee McLiesh. You probably don't know her name, she doesn't do many interviews, she doesn't want to be in the press. She's Australian, she's apolitical, and her five year term coming to an end. She's actually going back to Australia to be the auditor general over there. So, what has she said? Well, she said the chickens are coming home to roost after covid, we have a structural deficit and it is so bad that the penny pinching or the pinching pennies, whatever you want to call it, is just not going to cut it. "Significance concerns about underlying fiscal sustainability of our operating model" she says. Our net core crown debt is at 43% of GDP. Yes, that is still within a prudent level, but it is well up on the sub 20% of pre covid. This is the problem. And so what do we need? She says capital gains tax, more comprehensive than the one we've got, and a change to the pension age. Boy, did we screw the pooch during COVID, right? Everyone said, oh, don't worry, we're going to spend all this money so we don't have a recession, but we've still had recessions. So it doesn't really matter how much penny pinching, though, we still need the penny pinching.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officials are being told to take a clear look at the financial impact of our ageing population. Outgoing Treasury boss Dr Caralee McLiesh [Cara lee Mick Leesh] has made it clear there's a need for a Capital Gains Tax and superannuation changes, as her five-year term comes to an end. She says with an ageing population, an increasing share of government transfers are going to the wealthy. Independent tax advisor Geof Nightingale told Ryan Bridge more of the population will be taking the national super and needing more healthcare. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final moments of the deadly sinking of the superyacht Bayesian have been revealed by crew members. New Zealand-born captain James Cutfield is being investigated for possible manslaughter, after seven people died in the disaster. Ship engineer, Tim Parker Eaton, and watchman Matthew Griffiths are also under investigation. Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge everyone was thrown into the water when the ship tilted, according to Griffiths. He says they were walking on the walls of the boat, trying to save every passenger. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 2nd if September 2024. The outgoing Treasury Chief Executive has called for a capital gains tax and rise to the retirement age to stop future budget deficits. Could it work? Tax expert Geof Nightingale joins the show. Lambing season is underway and our red meat exports are down 2% from last year. What does it mean for the industry? Silver Fern Farms Chief Executive Dan Boulton chats to Ryan. The All Blacks lose 27 - 31 to the Springboks in South Africa, and team NZ are back on the water just days after damaging their boat when their crane failed. Andrew Alderson has your weekend sport wrap. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a big weekend for the All Blacks as they’re set to face South Africa at one of the toughest rugby venues.  They’re playing the Springboks in the Rugby Championship early Sunday morning.  Former Springbok and Rugby Commentator Kevin Putt told Ryan Bridge that the All Blacks will be walking into a really confrontational, hostile place, but that’s the reason they play the game.  He said there’s a reason someone like Sam Cane was brought back, as that experience of playing there with success will be key.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roading advocates say a sudden shift to widespread user charges would be relatively straightforward.  Petrol cars could be hit with road user charges from 2027 under the Government's Revenue Action Plan.   It's also exploring tolling for all new roads, including the Roads of National Significance.   Auckland's Rodney Local Board member and roading campaigner Geoff Upson told Ryan Bridge it's a tried and true system used by diesel and electric vehicles.   He says no matter the engine size, drivers will be paying per kilometre driven.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is rethinking its policies after facing backlash for allowing patched gang members into a meeting.   Images were posted online with the patched members after the council voted to retain Māori wards.   Ministers David Seymour and Simeon Brown are frustrated it isn't the forcing the new patch ban.   The council's chair, Hinewai Ormsby, told Ryan Bridge it was the first time something like this happened in its chambers.   She says a gang patch policy hasn't been in place, but one is needed now.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've got an amazing wonder drug to tell you about New Zealand, and it saved me in the last couple of weeks.  People are talking about it from top of the country to the bottom and it's not Ozempic.  No, I'm not taking Ozempic, though, I wouldn't mind trying it. I think a lot of people are curious.  David Seymour made this drug a priority. Yes, I'm talking about pseudoephedrine.  I felt sick, I took it, the symptoms disappeared.  I had a wedding recently and people said they wouldn't have come without it.  What must it be doing for our productivity as well?  Fewer sick days.  I spoke to a friend of mine who's a mum, she's got young kids, and you send your kid to daycare, they get all the bugs under the sun, they bring the germs home. The kids are gross and they pass it on to mum and dad.  Mum and dad go down like flies, they take time off work, et cetera, et cetera. And then bam, pop the miracle drug. Pseudo mums and pseudo dads.  So they are absolutely over the moon about this. It's the drug we forgot we needed, isn't it?  I said to my friend, what about the meth addicts? Because that's the argument, you know, the meth addicts will get it and then they'll cook it up and it could be stolen.  It's the precursor to p and she said, I don't care, they'll find it anyway. And I just need to get through my work week and get the kids to school.  So thank you David Seymour for Pseudoephedrine. And thank you to Big Pharma. It's really underrated Big Pharma, a lot of people give it a hard time.  It's like big oil, you know, just sometimes they do good things.  So cheers to whoever it is that makes it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 29th of August, the Government says all vehicles could face road user charges as soon as 2027 to help pay for more transport infrastructure. Rodney Local Board Member and Road Safety Campaigner Geoff Upson joins the show.  Hawke's Bay Regional Council are under fire for letting patched gang members attend their vote on Māori wards. Council Chair Hinewai Ormsby speaks to Ryan about what went down.  And the All Blacks will face the Springboks in South Africa over the weekend. Will they have an advantage being on home soil? Former Springbok Kevin Putt shares his predictions.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris has finally agreed to her first interview.  The Democratic nominee has agreed to an interview on CNN alongside her running mate Tim Walz.  The interview is set to air at 9pm eastern time, or 1pm Friday afternoon in New Zealand.   US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that Donald Trump has released a press release containing potential questions for Harris to asked.  Some questions he wants asked are if Harris knew about Joe Biden’s cognitive state, why she decided to stop building the border wall, and why she abandoned her “radical rural position”.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's optimism from the sector over the prospect of more effective infrastructure development.   The Infrastructure Minister's launching a National Infrastructure Agency from December to manage funding and proposals and facilitate private investment.   Infrastructure New Zealand says the current system is complex, time-consuming and expensive.   Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Ryan Bridge that priorities change from one government to the next, but the system itself needs to be sound and pretty secure.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A reassurance that students failing new NCEA pre-requisite tests will still have options to get their qualifications.  Less than half of the 55 thousand students who passed the tests passed numeracy, with 59% passing reading, and 56% passing writing.  Students must pass all three tests to start receiving NCEA qualifications.  PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Ryan Bridge there's no real time limit on this.  He says students could do it in their last year of school and there are still dual pathways.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes a revamp of emergency service communication will streamline responses.   Five hundred radio towers and 15 thousand units for first responders are being switched out to make way for a new digital, and encrypted, radio communication system.   Politicians and experts say the current analogue system is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.   Next Generation Critical Communications Director Steve Ferguson told Ryan Bridge it's worked well, but it's time to move on.   He says a digital system will mean better co-ordination between Police, Fire and Emergency, and ambulance services.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the Auckland High Court this morning at 10am, Darleen Tana will be seeking an interim injunction.  It's been sought to stop the Greens from meeting to try and waka jump her, and that meeting is meant to go ahead this weekend. There's also going to be a judicial review.  The saga continues, and we all know why this is happening, don't we?  Because her husband's business is in the hole. The creditors are owed money. I think there was around $100 in the till when they went in there and tried to clean things up.  So let's think like the Greens for a second and take a step back. Here is a wahine Māori, she has fallen on hard times.  She's made mistakes, sure. Though not proven in a court of law, just a party report at this stage. A party with white privileged elites at the top of it, including Chlöe Swarbrick, a party with resources, a power imbalance. Her actions may have resulted from structural racism, for all we know. This is how the Greens generally approach issues like this.  And what does Chlöe and Co. do to this victim, what do they do?  They boot her out on the street. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.  Despite Chlöe saying this:  "We are being careful about the statements that we are making publicly. We have continued to follow process as best as we possibly can to centre our Green Party, kaupapa."  Green party kaupapa.  If this is the kaupapa of the Green Party, I don't recognise it.  Number one, it doesn't sound very greeny, and doesn't sound very in line with how they approach other victims.  And number two, and this is the kicker for us. I think we're on the hook for the legal bills here, aren't we? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 29th of August, the Government has a new plan for national infrastructure, could it stop political interference from stopping major projects? Infrastructure NZ's Nick Leggett speaks to Ryan.  The rollout of a new radio network for our emergency services has started. How is the $1.4 billion dollar project tracking? Director of Next Generation Critical Communications Steve Ferguson joins the show.  Thousands of students have failed new NCEA tests, leaving secondary school principals calling for a complete rethink. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie takes us through the latest.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNZ is picking our house prices to rise after the new year.  They forecast an increase of 7% over 2025, following a flat 2024.  Brad Olsen, Infometrics Chief Economist, told Ryan Bridge that while 7% is a little bit higher than what most expect at the moment, everything is quite uncertain.   He said that we’ve got a little bit to get through in 2024 before we get too close to understanding 2025.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s another option that could help us fill the gaps in the energy crisis: solid biofuel.  It makes use of forestry slash, burning it to generate heat and electricity as a cheaper alternative to gas.   New Zealand exports around 20 million tonnes of wood per year, and we would only need to divert around 30% of those export logs to decarbonise every industrial gas and coal boiler in the country, Solid Bioenergy Group CEO Rob Mallinson says.  Mallinson told Ryan Bridge that it’s renewable, half the cost of LNG, and we need it to be part of the solution for the current energy crisis.   He said he’s not saying it's the silver bullet, but it’s a huge potential part of the solution, especially for the North Island.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s pressure from the Police union to speed up the process to seize gang assets.   In a major win for authorities, the High Court released a decision yesterday ruling the Head Hunters must forfeit $15 million in assets, including its Mount Wellington gang pad.   It follows a decade of investigation and court processes.   Police Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge it shouldn't take that long.  He hopes the milestone decision will mean a new standard in the gang crackdown.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Awful for the family to see – this is the people who were filming that tragic fatal accident on the southern motorway.  The news media will cover it, they will film it go out to a story. They will film if the bodies in the accident, they will film the accident aftermath, but they would not show it to the audience.  Here we have social media, everyone's got a camera, it's the new word of mouth. You film what you see, and you post it online. It's the Wild West.  The cops are upset with this.  "I thought that was disgusting. It really was. I mean, I saw some of the footage, it was filmed before emergency services arrived. There were close ups of people deceased in the van and injured lying on the road."  Yeah, close ups are people who are injured, lying on the road, not a nice thing to see or to experience.  But so long as you're not driving and filming, isn't it actually potentially useful evidence? Couldn't it help with an investigation if police are able to review some of this footage of a crash or the immediate aftermath of a crash?  Was that safety barrier strong enough?  By the way, how often does a truck's tire blow out? I mean, that sounds like a horrible thing to happen, and frightening, but it obviously happens, then what? You've got no control and it's all over.  Back to the filming. It is the new word of mouth; people don't just tell each other what happened anymore. They need to show me. I mean, this is just the way I think that society is going.  I'm not saying that I'm on board with it at all, but it's the way it's going, isn't it?  There's very little chance we will turn that ship around now and trying to do so may be a little futile.  In society we are increasingly desensitised to stuff and insensitive to the feelings of those around us.  That's just, that's just who we are now, isn't it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 28th of August, a win for police in the gang crackdown. A court has ruled they can take assets and property from the Head Hunters worth almost $15 million. Police Association President Chris Cahill speaks to Ryan about what the decision means.  Could solid biofuels be an alternative to gas and help out our struggling energy supplies? Rob Mallinson from the Solid Biofuels Interest Group joins the show to give his thoughts.  BNZ are predicting a 7% rise in house prices over 2025. Could it cut first time house buyers out of the market? Infometrics Chief Executive Brad Olsen chats to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers in Australia can now legally refuse unreasonable contact from their employers outside of work hours.   A legislated right to disconnect has come into effect and is expected to majorly reduce the number of unpaid work hours.  The law change offers some flexibility around the employee's role and responsibilities, the nature of the contact, and how disruptive it is.   Australian correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Ryan Bridge the laws apply to businesses with more than 15 employees.   She says it means people don't feel like they need to be on call 24 seven.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The energy sector is questioning how long new reform will really last.   Cabinet has agreed to cut regulation stopping New Zealand bringing in foreign Liquefied Natural Gas in efforts to boost energy supply and ease power bills.  Energy Resources Aotearoa is urging Labour to support the changes.   Chief Executive John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge the change must outlast the current political cycle.   He says businesses want certainty their investments won't be for nothing when a new Government comes into power.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An energy expert is confident New Zealand can do without oil and gas exploration.   Cabinet has agreed to cut regulation stopping New Zealand bringing in foreign Liquefied Natural Gas in efforts to boost energy supply and ease power bills.  Labour Leader Chris Hipkins is refusing to support the move, despite urges from the Prime Minister.   Massey University Sustainable Energy Expert Professor Emeritus Ralph Sims told Ryan Bridge there are no guarantees natural gas could even be found.   He says it's a chance to develop renewable energy generation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A ruling against Uber is likely to benefit all drivers.  The Court of Appeal has ruled that four Uber workers were employees not contractors.   It means they will have access to certain entitlements like minimum wage and sick days.   Uber's appealing the decision, claiming it will create greater confusion for those on contract work.   Employment lawyer Alastair Espie told Ryan Bridge it will have ramifications for other drivers.  He says the majority of drivers will have the same argument - that they're an employee.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of decent hard working Kiwi provincial Union jobs are hanging in the balance today.  Electricity spot prices peaking at $1000 per megawatt hour in the last couple of weeks. Power companies, they are basically cancelling deals for Kiwis to heat their homes this winter, and businesses are literally shuttering operations, rationing power, producing less.  Think of the ports that will be affected by that in provincial New Zealand, think of the competitive advantage that we are losing.  What's the problem? Not enough sun, not enough rain, not enough wind for our renewable energy sources, plus we have a gas shortage.  This problem will continue, in part, because Labour cancelled oil and gas exploration into the future.  Now the rubber has hit the road. The oil and gas investment and exploration has gone through the floor, investment confidence has gone through the floor.  Where are our leaders in this crisis? Well, Jacinda's in Chicago doing Kamala mania, probably still dining out on the nuclear free moment. James Shaw, Grant Robertson, they're both in very cushy 1% jobs, probably not worrying about putting the heat pumps on.  Megan Woods was the Minister of Energy who signed off on the ban and she is still in parliament, she is the shadow Energy Minister.  So where is she today? The Government yesterday issued a challenge to Labour to help dig our way out of this crisis at 4 p.m. Major announcement. What has been the response? Not one tweet, not one Facebook post, not one press release from them.  They were unavailable to our producers for an interview at 5:45 this morning.  Folks, this is spray and walk away politics.  It's a classic case and it looks a little bit now that they aren't talking like it's cowering in a crisis too.  And they were warned, MBIE told them a ban would cost $1.2 to $23 billion in lost royalties. They told them that Methanex would up and leave if this went ahead. She disagreed, she sprayed and then she walked away.  I'm sorry, if you've got the energy and resources to boot this sector up shit creek at least have the decency to front up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 27th of August, big changes for our energy sector - a new LNG terminal will be built for importing gas and extended resource consent periods will be introduced for renewable electricity. Ryan speaks to Massey University professor Ralph Sims and John Carnegie from Energy Resources Aotearoa to get their thoughts.  A win for Kiwi Uber drivers as the Employment Court has ruled that four drivers are employees, not contractors. Employment Lawyer Alistair Espie breaks down what it means for contractors.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fast track approvals bill, it's been in the news in the last couple of days. Fast track - I was thinking fast food, like drive through, how quickly we can get infrastructure done in this country. Something we haven't been able to do very well for a very long time. Like you would drive into the McDonald's or whatever it is to get your speedy infrastructure done. What would you like, sir? I'll have a housing development, I'll have a bridge or perhaps I'll have a mine on the west coast. Drive straight to 3 pay there, Uncle Shane, there's cousin Simeon ready to take your card and then, oh, lo and behold, Chris Bishop gives you a free Sunday, he's on the milkshake machine. Great. Everybody's happy. Bam, bam, bam and you're straight through. But no, not anymore. Now they are going to revise it and they're going to take away some of those quick decisions making power. So the decisions will now be made by, you guessed it, a panel of experts, not ministers. There's a new process that involves environmental experts, Iwi authority representatives, Māori Development and Te Ao Māori experts extended time frames. So this is not fast food anymore people, this is like a long lunch for infrastructure construction in New Zealand. Why can we never just get on and build stuff? Who cares about a bit of corruption, just build it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mining industry wants the latest changes made to the Fast Track Bill, to be its last.   Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announced Cabinet will recommend changes to the proposed law, to the Environment Select Committee.  It includes changing who has the final say -  from ministers to an independent panel.  Minerals industry association Straterra calls it a watering-down of the scheme.   Chief Executive, Josie Vidal told Ryan Bridge she doesn't understand why ministers can't make the decisions, which they are elected for.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire - signalling an escalation in hostilities. Israel says it pre-emptively destroyed thousands of rocket launchers across Southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah says it fired 320 rockets and drones at Israel - in the first phase of a retaliatory attack for the killing of its leaders. Otago University Middle East expert Leon Goldsmith told Ryan Bridge Hezbollah had wanted to wait until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza before acting. He says the group had been under a lot of pressure to do something over the assassinations. He says they called the operation Arbaeen which is Arabic for 40 days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 26th of August. Changes have been made to the fast track approvals bill - what does it mean for our mining sector. Straterra's Josie Vidal speaks to Ryan. Israel and Hezbollah have traded strikes in the Middle East. Otago University Expert Dr Leon Goldsmith joins the show. Team NZ have won the America's Cup Prelimenary Regatta. Andrew Alderson has your weekend sport wrap. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rugby world is reeling from Leon MacDonald’s abrupt departure from his role as assistant coach of the All Blacks.   NZ Rugby announced the news yesterday, Scott Robertson telling the media that their coaching techniques didn’t quite click.  Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Ryan Bridge that there’s a couple of schools of thought surrounding the departure.  One is that the issues that saw MacDonald leaving his role as assistant to Robertson in 2017 arose again, this time proving irreconcilable.   Another thought is that there may be too many voices on the coaching panel, which NZR denies.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s relief over imminent changes to resource management rules on private farmland.   The Government has announced a second amendment to the Resource Management Act, which will set new national directions for areas such as infrastructure, energy, and farming.  Federated Farmers resource management spokesperson Mark Hooper told Ryan Bridge this change is less significant than the first but gives more freedom to the primary sector.   He says the fact the government is addressing specific concerns within the highly productive land national policy statement is good to see.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate's under house arrest following damming new allegations.  Tate and his brother are being investigated by Romanian authorities for allegations including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons.   One of the 35 alleged victims is as young as 15 years old.  UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge the brothers have called the claims as "made up" and "pathetic".  He says despite their claims of innocence, they'll have to remain under house arrest in their compound near Bucharest for 30 days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A curve ball has been thrown for Kamala Harris as she's about to accept her presidential nomination.  US media is reporting the independent, and former Democrat, Robert F Kennedy Junior is planning to pull out of the race and endorse Republication nominee Donald Trump.   It coincides with the final day of the Democratic National Convention, where Harris is expected to accept the nomination.   FSN Correspondent Simon Marks told Ryan Bridge it'll be a big help to Donald Trump with so many eyes are on the Democratic campaign.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resource and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones has given quite a fiery speech in the House taking aim at the Greens over Labour's oil and gas ban, calling out their opposition to using Kiwi coal.  "We can power up New Zealand by using our domestic coal resources. But that party would rather see New Zealanders thrown on the unemployment scrap heap as we've witnessed this week. They would rather see people cold, they would rather see people in their retirement years too afraid to put the jug on or the sleeping blanket just so they can cover themselves in an ideological blanket of piety and self-righteousness."  That was not scripted, that was just Shane Jones going hell for leather in the House. A very enjoyable speech, he's easy to listen to, isn't he?  He makes a point, doesn't he, about the workers who are being affected by all of the closures that are happening around the country at the moment.  I flicked off an email to Methanex yesterday because they've shuttered operations at their plant until October and I just wanted to check are you definitely going to reopen?  They said yes, we are looking forward to restarting operations in November. So that is good, but they do say this about our current electricity system, and I think it just sums it up.  "Our highly renewable electricity sector is increasingly reliant on intermittent renewable power generation which needs to be supported by thermal generation to provide energy security when the rain doesn't fall, the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine."  During the last three years, they've operated at reduced rates or shut plants over high electricity demand periods during winter to ensure there's enough gas for everyone to go around.  Now, this is the interesting part:  "While the government has recently signalled positive policy changes like reversing the offshore oil and gas ban, we believe additional support policies are urgently needed for New Zealand's incumbent upstream companies such as OMV, Todd and Greymouth to help improve confidence and enable the development of future gas supplies to prevent the deindustrialisation of our economy." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 23rd of August, All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald has left the team a week before they head to South Africa - what does it mean for the team? Ruby commentator Tony Johnson talks to Ryan.  It's the final day of the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris will formerly accept the Democratic nomination for President. We're live to Chicago for the latest.  More changes for the Resources Management Act, but will it make thing easier for our farmers? Mark Hooper from Federated Farmers joins the show to give his thoughts.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anticipation is building over Government announcements at the second day of the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington today.   It comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ruffled feathers yesterday with an address telling councils to cut back on wasteful spending.  Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is expected to speak to the delegates today.  But Local Government Business Forum Chair Matt Cowley told Ryan Bridge the Government won't be offering a handout.  He says it wants the big infrastructure issues addressed but ratepayers will have to chip in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transpower will today decide whether it'll take the next big step in combatting the current power shortage.   Spiking electricity prices have forced Winstone's central North Island pulp and sawmills to propose closing, with more than 200 jobs on the line.  Transpower will make a decision on if generators can take more water from the hydro lakes - creating more power.   Major Electricity Users' Group Chair John Harbord told Ryan Bridge he'd be surprised if they don't tap into them.   He says we have this water set aside for emergencies, and there's no doubt the crisis we're in is anything but a critical issue for our communities.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns over the impact of Covid-19 on children's spoken language skills.  The Education Review Office research shows more than two-thirds of parents report their child had language difficulties before they started school last year.  It found a similar number of teachers blame the lockdown period for its impact.  New Shoots Children's Centre director Kelly Seaburg told Ryan Bridge it's the result of multiple factors in the last few years.  She says children were more isolated, with parents trying to work from home, so teacher and peer interaction reduced.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The reactions overnight to Luxon's broadside to the mayors and the local councils in Wellington yesterday should be telling him that he's pretty much on the right track.  He got stuck in overspending on dumb stuff, his words, like convention centres, at the expense of basic stuff like leaky pipes.  "I think the building that we're in today is a classic example, with pipes bursting and quite literally this morning pipes bursting on the streets not far from here. And it looks very nice and it's great and it's very nice for us politicians to have a wonderful space to make some great speeches in. But can anyone seriously say that was the right financial decision?"  It was a spin doctor’s wet dream yesterday. The contrast between all of the mayors and the councillors sitting in $180 million gold plated convention centre while you know, ordinary Joe and Jane, like you and me are trudging through lakes to reach the bus stop. It was pretty good from a PR perspective.  Not good for the Tory Whanaus of the world, the Wellington mayor. She said Luxon was punching down on mayors, the Green councillor Thomas Nash called it “mana diminishing” for those gathered.  Really? What about the mana of ratepayers? Who's literally, who's poo floats in the ocean when it rains, who's streets become lakes when a pipe bursts, and who's driveways, streets are littered with potholes.  What about the mana of the ratepayers? Rather than just thinking about yourselves and your nice cushy little convention centre in Wellington.  Anyway, Luxon will know that and it's pretty much what he knew going in.  This wasn't a speech for the mayors and for the councillors, but rather it was aimed over their heads to the rate, and more importantly for him, the taxpayers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 22nd August 2024, Local Council leaders have been told by the Prime Minister to reign in their own spending before asking central government for more money. Local Business Forum Chair Matt Cowley speaks to Ryan about what local economies need.  The Education Review Office has found Kiwi kids are not starting school with the language skills needed, saying Covid has had an impact on development. New Shoots Children's Centre Director Kelly Seaburg joins the show to give her thoughts.  Transpower will decide today whether to allow power generation companies to use contingent lake levels to boost our power generation. Major Electricity Users Group Chair John Harbord talks to Ryan about the impact the power crisis is having on large industry.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rescuers are still racing to find survivors from the sunken superyacht near Sicily.  The yacht's Kiwi captain James Catfield has survived, along with Christchurch lawyer Ayla Ronald and her partner.  But correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge others are still believed to be trapped in the boat's hull.  Among them are Ronald's colleague Christopher Morvillo and his wife, jewellery designer Neda Morvillo, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and British tech tycoon Mike Lynch.  The body of the on-board chef has been formally identified, and British investigators have now arrived on the scene.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There could be a battle brewing between Green Party MPs and grass root party members.   Independent MP Darleen Tana has written a letter to the Greens which says they will vote with the party, which will mean proportionality stays the same.   The Green Party leadership will take the proposition to use the Waka Jumping legislation to the wider party membership on September 1st.   Political commentator Brigitte Morten says told Ryan Bridge they'll be hoping members agree.   She says if they vote against the plan, the leaders face being out of step with the wider party membership.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief the Government could make part of Kiwibank public-owned.   The Commerce Commission's market study shows there's little competition between the big four banks, and they take high profits by international standards.   It recommends giving Kiwibank access to more capital to better compete and become a disruptor.  Massey University's banking expert David Tripe told Ryan Bridge that money could come from the New Zealand public.   He says it would take some time to absorb a large amount of capital, so it's better done as a relatively slow process.  Tripe says trying to grow a bank rapidly is usually a recipe for disaster.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour, you might have seen him on the news last night or in the Herald yesterday, basically calling Christopher Luxon and the government undemocratic for refusing to support this Treaty Principles Bill passed the first reading when it gets to select committee.  This is what he said on the news last night.  "Well, I think it is disrespectful and anti-democratic to tell people that no matter what they think, you're not open to changing your mind."  Is this the issue you want to die in a ditch over?  Let's face it, the Treaty Principles Bill is dead in the water anyway.  A couple of reasons for that. Number one and most importantly, your coalition partners have said, nah, we don't want to support it past the first reading.  Even if they agreed to it, the debate and the media attention would surely from a political perspective, purely political perspective would drown out the next two years of potentially good headlines about economic growth and all the other stuff the government's trying to do.  And even if, as you say, it's a principled thing to do it for democracy to have the debate, et cetera, the next government will just undo it anyway, won't they? Whoever, and whenever that government might be, the more oxygen you give this, the sooner that day might arrive.  In reality I don't think David Seymour is a stupid man or a stupid politician. He's not. And he knows this is going nowhere.  It's probably more about positioning for a plank to balance a campaign on in 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 21st August 2024. How can Kiwibank become a better competitor for the big Aussie Banks? Banking expert David Tripe takes us through the options.  AA has found our learner driver licensing system is much more relaxed than Australia's - what improvements can we make to keep young drivers safer? Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson speaks to Ryan.  Darleen Tana has formerly said they won't leave their seat in Parliament - what is the next move for the Greens? Political commentator Brigitte Morten joins the show to give her thoughts.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A coordinated response between the Police and Auckland Council is being credited for a steep drop in retail crime in the CBD.   The number of thefts and burglaries has fallen 50% since January last year.   Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says while some haven't seen it yet, there's been a noticeable decrease.   She told Ryan Bridge the next step is tackling anti-social behaviour.   Beck says there needs to be more mental health and health resources thrown at the problem.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Hato Hone St John ambulance workers are kicking off a day of nationwide rallies following pay negotiation breakdowns.  More than two and a half thousand officers are taking part in staggered four-hour withdrawals of labour until 4am tomorrow.  Christchurch staff will march from 8am.  Ambulance Association Division Chairman Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that St John will be operating at 70% capacity today.  He says some areas aren't even noticing the staff withdrawals as they become accustomed to operating with so few staff.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden's expected to dominate the first day of the Democratic National Convention.   It starts in Chicago today and is where Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Governor Tim Walz will accept their presidential and vice presidential nominations.  Biden's expected to give an address and make a symbolic handover to Harris.  FSN Correspondent Simon Marks told Ryan Bridge they're getting the uncomfortable bits out of the way on the first day.   He says President Biden will be the main speaker, alongside First Lady Jill Biden and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton.  Harris will be looking to ride her wave of momentum into the convention.  She currently has a six-point lead over Donald Trump in the latest Fox News poll, Marks saying that Harris will be wanting the convention to go flawlessly over the next few days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered what the funniest joke in the world is?  Well, I can tell you because the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has declared the funniest joke.  It's a ship gag, a gag about a ship, as in like a vessel that goes in the ocean. To be honest, it's not that funny and maybe I'm just getting older and mingy about life.  I don't know, maybe I don't find things as funny anymore.  Have you tried to find a funny movie lately? Have you managed to find one?  No, because they don't make them anymore and they certainly don't make jokes that are actually funny at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  And I should preface this by saying that, look, I'm not funny. So, you know, it is a hard thing to do. I get it.  But I just wonder whether we're not being a little too safe with our comedy. Something Jerry Seinfeld spoke about when he was in New Zealand recently, people can't push the boundaries anymore.  Let me just read you a few in the top 10 funniest jokes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  And actually, you can try and guess is this a joke, you know, is this from a comedy festival or is this from a Christmas cracker?  "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship, but I bottled it."  That was literally the funniest joke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And maybe because I'm reading these from a story it's the delivery that's funny, maybe that's what's missing.  "I've been taking salsa lessons for months, but I just don't feel like I'm progressing. It's just one step forward, two steps back."  That was the second funniest joke.  "Ate horse at a restaurant once, wasn't great. Starter was all right, but the mane was dreadful."  Do you want me to keep going?  "I sailed through my driving test. That's why I failed."  These are not Christmas cracker jokes; these are from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  What ever happened to the really good ones? My favourite comedian was Joan Rivers. She was rude and shocking and outrageous, hilarious and actually a real pioneer and a trailblazer for women in her field as well.  But, you know, well she's dead and so are good jokes, it seems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 20th August 2024, it's day one of the Democratic National Convention. We cross live to Chicago to get an insight into what’s going down.  Crime numbers are down in our biggest city, but are businesses on the ground actually seeing any difference? Heart of the City's Viv Beck speaks to Ryan.  St John ambulance workers are on their first day of a withdrawal of labour strike - what does it mean for people needing emergency assistance? Mark Quin from the New Zealand Ambulance Association joins the show to explain.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB's quarterly report reveals economic pressure and inflation showing signs of easing. We're seeing early signs of a turnaround for the economy... ASB's quarterly forecast shows signs inflation will fall below 3% over the second half of this year and remain well contained beyond 2024. They're also expecting GDP to remain flat-to-down over the rest of the year. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge even though mortgage rates have started to come down, for some, it'll take time until they see a change in their pay packet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outrage at the weekend over the Human Rights Commission.  The Chief Human Rights Commissioner has been announced as Dr Steven Rainbow and he was once accused of being transphobic or anti trans.  And it's one of those terms that can quickly change the tone or the perception of an article that you're reading.  I remember this from the university college campus protests over in the States.  You would read the CNN copy on the story and it would say they were pro Palestinian protesters, then you would read the Fox News version and it would say they're anti-Israel.  Who decides what you are? If you're pro one thing, does it automatically make you anti the other?  Women's rights campaigners, and this was the point that I think was being made about Dr Steven Rainbow, the women's rights campaigners, do they hate or are they anti trans people, or are they just pro women's rights as they would claim that they are?  And equally just because you want a ceasefire in Gaza, it doesn't mean you're anti Semitic, does it?  There seems to be a polarization happening here. You're this you're that or you're all your, or you're nothing or it's black and white and we do it in the media all the time - we're probably the most guilty of it.  And whoever is shouting the loudest I think tends to dominate the news cycle.  But then again what's that based on, tweets? Is that really how you decide or define what someone feels about an issue?  I always found it odd when it came to abortion, which is a very divisive issue, obviously, people feel very personally about this issue.  Are you pro life or anti abortion? Are you women's choice or pro abortion?  Is anybody really pro abortion? You know what I mean?  You might want women to choose but surely nobody's actually pro abortion.  I've really got no idea how to resolve this problem of labelling in the media, other than when somebody's labelled anti something nowadays, I'm inclined to find out why, how and if to my mind at least, their motivations aren't just pro something else.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details of the government's $1.3 billion dollar road policing investment programme have been revealed. It includes new targets for roadside breath and drug tests. Police are expected to carry out 3.3 million breath tests per year. 65% of those have to be done in high risk areas or during high risk times. $72 million of the funding will be put aside as a performance incentive. Police won't receive the money unless they meet the targets. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge police currently have a target of around 3 million, which they've only hit twice in the last 10 years.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 19th August 2024. New cash for police, but they have to meet targets for roadside breath and alcohol tests - are the targets achievable? Police Association President Chris Cahill joins Ryan.  ASB say economic relief is on the way. Chief Economist Nick Tufley has the latest from their quarterly report.  The All Blacks have recovered from their loss against Argentina a week ago and the America's cup starts in Barcelona this week. Adam Cooper has your weekend sport wrap.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the All Blacks redeem themselves after last week’s loss?  This Saturday they’ll be facing Argentina in a rematch at Eden Park, a week on from losing to 30-38 in Wellington.  Scott Robertson has made some major changes to the Kiwi side, including the return of former captain Sam Cane.  Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge the All Blacks need to bounce back, which they traditionally do when they lose to Argentina.   He said that it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen tomorrow night, but you would hope there’s some form of response from the All Blacks after last week.  Smith said that last week seems to be a bit of a reality check for Robertson.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

501s will be the hot button topic in Christopher Luxon's meeting in Canberra today with the Australian Prime Minister.  Anthony Albanese's government has pulled a recent u-turn on the common-sense approach he'd agreed to with former Prime Minister Jacinda Arden in 2022.   Australia is no longer considering a person's ties to the country before deporting them, making the safety of Australians the top priority.  Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Ryan Bridge Luxon's comments in Sydney yesterday hinted he wasn't expecting to make much headway.   He says Luxon had said they would agree to disagree on the issue - but he'd continue to voice New Zealand's displeasure.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Dotcom could have his fate sealed by early next year.   The tech mogul may soon find himself on trial in the US after Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed he'd signed his extradition.   Former Auckland University Professor of Law Bill Hodge told Ryan Bridge Dotcom's penultimate step is a judicial review, but he can't precisely predict how long this would take.   He says if it's a typical judicial review, it could ideally be done within six months, and wonders if the court will expedite it.  Hodge says his Kiwi family may be his strongest defence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a reason politicians can't agree on much of anything.  Luxon is in Australia at the moment, he's on an infrastructure whistle stop tour.  The question - why are we so bad, and the Aussies seemingly so much better at it?  There are many reasons like public, private partnerships and user pays. In New South Wales, they've used asset sales to fund this stuff, but it's also crucially bipartisan agreement on what to build.  Luxon says that the Nats and Labour need consensus on what projects will get cash.  "The challenge in New Zealand is you get a change in political cycle or economic cycle, and you get on off, on off, on off and nothing's happening."  So the construction industry, they need to know the pipeline of work that's in front of them or it's not going to be viable. You know, the roads of national significance they were on and then they're off, and they're on and then they're off.  And another example was Energy Resources Aotearoa on this show calling for bipartisan Agreement on Oil and gas exploration.  But here's the thing, it's not going to happen in either case, which sucks because it's us the voters that ultimately pay the price in the form of electricity prices or traffic.  The reason? Well, our political system is based on the Westminster model which is purposely adversarial. We encourage competition. We literally have an opposition party to oppose the government.  It's set up to fail when it comes to agreement.  So I won't be holding my breath for our parliamentarians to suddenly start singing from the same song sheet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 16th of August, Kim Dotcom's extradition order has been signed by the Justice Minister, can he fight it? Former law professor Bill Hodge joins the show to give his thoughts.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is meeting with his Australian counterpart today. Geoffrey Miller talks to Ryan about what could be on the agenda.  Is it redemption time for the All Blacks? They face Argentina in Auckland on Saturday, a week on from their shock loss in Wellington. Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith speaks to Ryan ahead of the game.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kamala swing continues. New polling out today shows Harris is leading slightly or tied in six of the seven swing states. Back in May, Former President Donald Trump was leading in almost all swing states. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge it illustrates just how much this race has changed.  He says Trump is trying to take back the narrative.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a chance your home-reno could keep you from selling your house.  A couple in the UK was recently unable to sell their home after installing spray foam insulation.  The way the foam is installed and how much ventilation it has could cause damage to roofing timber, particularly in colder climates, and New Zealand installers have to produce a statement saying the work complies with the building code.  Healthy Homes Cooperation Director Damian McGill told Ryan Bridge that there’s nothing wrong with spray foam per se, and it can be a great product when used correctly.  But he said that when you add retrofit insultation, you have to improve the ventilation as well, otherwise there’s a risk moisture could build up in the cavities.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions remain over how blocks of methamphetamine in lolly wrappers made their way to the Auckland City Mission.   The mission distributed the Rinda pineapple lollies in food parcels over several weeks.   The hand-outs could affect up to 400 people, and at least three people, including a child and teenager, have received medical treatment.   Drug Detection Agency chief executive Glenn Dobson told Ryan Bridge a lot of techniques are used to smuggle methamphetamine.   He says it's often suspended in liquids or pill form - disguised as lollies isn't unknown but isn't overly common.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis won't be drawn on the Reserve Bank's sudden change of tune on the Official Cash Rate.  It's lowered the rate to 5.25% due to further signs of falling inflation.  Economist Brad Olsen says the central bank needs to take accountability for radically changing its forecast without a radical change in circumstances.  Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge it isn't appropriate for her to get involved in the debate.  She says the economy has slowed down and seeing interest rates come down is logical, but this is ultimately an independent decision for the Reserve Bank.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've got to ask yourself who's running the show. There's been another example of bureaucracy seemingly undermining the government on its cost cutting plan which, remember, from outset they said wouldn't impact the front line.  A Health New Zealand manager has done a PowerPoint to 90 staff about upcoming changes, and they indicated that jobs could be cut including 470 doctors and 1400 nurses.  Who on earth thought that was okay?  Did they do it on purpose? Is it a middle finger to the government and to the Commissioner Lester Levy?  The truth is we don't really know at this point, Levy asks is this reluctance, is this resistance, or is this sabotage?  Fair question. He's promising consequences. It's totally unacceptable, but it's not an isolated incident.  Oranga Tamariki is another agency cutting funding left, right, and centre to services.  The stories get in the press and then there's a back down.  And we've had public service leaking against the government, loads of examples. At least six major leaks that I could recall.  There was a Cabinet paper on the foreign housing investors, also the treaty principles bill.  You can't know for sure the motivations in each case, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that there is huge resistance to the coalition government's agenda within pockets of the bureaucracy.  They need reining in, examples here need to be set.  And if the message falls on deaf ears, well, maybe they need to be marched out the door. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 15th of August, the Reserve Bank has cut New Zealand's Official Cash Rate. Ryan gets the thoughts of Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  Spray foam insulation - could it installing it incorrectly prevent you from selling your house?  Meth has been found in lollies given out by the Auckland City Mission - Glenn Dobson from the Drug Detection Agency talks to Ryan about where it could have come from.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A thirteen-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to threatening unlawful violence during a protest in the UK.  The event took place during a week of unrest over asylum seekers and illegal migrants, and follows two twelve-year-old boys pleading guilty to other offences in a similar riot.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the girl was among a crowd gathered outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers, and was seen punching and kicking at the entrance of the hotel.  He said that a police officer was injured when disorder broke out at the demonstration, and there was roughly 200 protestors there.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an important call today for the Reserve Bank as they decide whether to drop the Official Cash Rate.   Bank economists are divided, Westpac, ANZ and Kiwibank anticipate the Reserve Bank to hold the OCR at 5.5%.   BNZ is expecting it to go down, as is ASB, who predicts it'll fall by 25-basis points to 5.25% , which would be the first drop since 2020.  John Carran, Jarden Economist and Investment Strategist, told Ryan Bridge he’s erring on the side of hold.  He said that although they may hold today, they will signal that interest rate cuts are coming much sooner than they previously indicated.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists believe there are great applications for taking gene-editing research outside - under new regulations.  The Government's planning to introduce legislation this year to let researchers develop and commercialise gene tech products outside laboratories.   Genetics expert Michael Bunce at Australia's Curtin University says under current laws, useful research for New Zealand has been hampered by red tape.  He told Ryan Bridge the solution to problems like wilding pine trees is a good example.  Bunce says making pine trees sterile keeps them in one place and stops the spread around New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's tourism recovery has seemingly hit a snag.  Overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.2 million in the year to June.  That's up 27% from 2023, but still down 17% on pre-pandemic peaks.  It comes as visa charges rise and hikes to the International Visitor Levy debated.  Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director, Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge while other countries continue to recover, New Zealand appears to be stalling.  She says the coming summer's airline schedule expects just 2% growth.  O’Brien says it will bring fewer tourists, and it's counterproductive to steeply increase visa costs at the same time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buying a house is hard, but still worth it.  There's new CoreLogic data out this morning, it's a housing affordability report looking at median property values versus median income for households.  Let's put all the detail aside for a second and cut to the chase. Basically, the good news for you, houses are worth 7.9% household income – they were worth 10 times.  So that is good news.  Also good news: the time it takes to save for a deposit is now 10 years. It's better than the 13 years that it took in 2021.  So that's the good news.  The bad news from the start of this morning: mortgage payments, 54% of your median household income, that is 10% above the average.  So there's good news and there's bad news.  It's hard but not impossible for most people, and still very much worth it.  Long term values go up, there's the stability of owning your own place and there's great stories, like this Auckland 20-year-old Lewis Pollock who was in the news the other day. He left school early, worked in retail, became a manager.  He works hard for his money and he saves, had no help from his parents and he's bought his first house at 20.  He's a homeowner and he's saying to other young people, you can do it if you put your mind to it.  Now, I know this is not possible for everyone, some circumstances just wouldn't allow you to be able to put the money aside to save.  But for most young people it's hard but not impossible, and well worth the effort. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 14th of August, it's OCR day - will the Reserve Bank cut our official cash rate? Jarden's John Carran joins the show to discuss.  NZ's 30-year gene editing ban is set to be lifted, taking GE out of just the lab. Michael Bunce speaks to Ryan about what it means for new products, productivity, and our economy.  Tourism numbers are out for the June quarter and they’re still down from pre-pandemic times. Airline and tourism groups aren't happy about changes to visitor visa fees.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government is facing calls to go further with proposed restrictions on gambling ads.  It's looking to ban ads during sports broadcasts, during children's programming, and online.  But a 60-strong alliance —including former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, and prominent figures from across the political spectrum— are calling for a complete ban.  Australia correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge minor parties are also backing the ball, particularly the Greens.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA says the devil will be in the details when it comes to “time of use” charging.   Transport Minister Simeon Brown says he'll introduce legislation by the end of the year which will see drivers taxed to use some sections of road at certain times.   AA Policy Director Martin Glynn says while there are benefits, there are also kinks to be worked out.   He says certain tweaks to the charge will likely be needed.   Martin Glynn says people going to work or school at set times with no access to public transport need to be catered for.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's being accused of failing to learn from past mistakes with its new benefit sanctions scheme.  It's announced new rules requiring beneficiaries to reapply more often.  People who fail to follow the rules could see half their benefit put on a payment card can that only be spent on essentials.  Youth justice consultant Shirley Johnson told Ryan Bridge we've had measures like this before and claims they didn't work.   She says it feels foolish to go back and re-do what didn't work before, when other measures are already working and are very effective.  Johnson said that while accountability's important, many young people are grappling with a challenging job market.   She told Bridge that unemployment's going up, and it's currently twice as high for young people.  Johnson says many young people are doing it tough and punishing them won't help.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every government is thinking ahead to when they next need to be re-elected.  There's a risk here that the government is taking when it goes for sanctions on beneficiaries, when it goes for tougher requirements and criteria when it comes to social housing, for example, and you're starting to see some kick back already in response to some of these changes.  If you're a centrist voter you might think those are reasonable expectations to put on social housing providers, to put on emergency accommodation criteria, to put on beneficiaries through sanctions or obligations.  You might think those things are reasonable.  On the other hand, you might think that seems a bit cruel. And actually, in an economy like this where jobs are hard to come by, I might find myself in that position. I don't want to have those types of obligations; I don't understand what those obligations are.  So, there is a political risk to doing it stuff, but it's bread and butter for National and it's bread and butter for ACT, this is exactly what their base want what their supporters want and so they are doing it, but it does come with some political risk.  One thing that the Government need to get on top of is retail crime.  The Dairy Owner's group, this is based on police data, say that retail crime is up 17% under National.  This is the coalition government that has said ‘we're going to crack down on retail crime’.  The first five months of this year versus last year theft was up, robberies were down 5%, burglaries down 10%, but here's the one you need to worry about: acts intended to cause injury were up 4%. That is very bad, and you're seeing it with hammers and all sorts of things being used as weapons in shops. That, the Government needs to get on top of because they made a big promise, Mark Mitchell has talked a big talk, the numbers so far aren't tracking in their direction, and they need to turn them around. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a waiting game for the construction sector as the economic downturn continues to bite.  The latest EBOSS Builder Sentiment Report shows 67% of builders are seeing less demand for their services.  70% feel industry conditions will continue to decline in the next 12 months.  Construction Industry Council Executive Director Tommy Honey told Ryan Bridge everyone is waiting for economic conditions to pick up again.  He says people are holding off selling their homes, which has resulted in fewer people renovating or building new homes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 13th of August 2024, new requirements and a traffic light sanction system have been introduced for beneficiaries, but what does it mean for our jobless youth?  Congestion charging is on the way for our busiest roads. AA Policy Director Martin Glynn talks to Ryan about what it means for you.  Construction confidence is down, and builders believe the slowdown in jobs will continue for at least another year. The Construction Industry Council's Tommy Honey speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift's upcoming London shows will go ahead after a foiled plot to attack her now-cancelled Vienna concerts. A 19-year-old with Islamic State ties has been arrested and confirmed they planned a terror attack involving explosives and knives. Two other teen suspects have also been arrested. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge there's major security concerns for Swift's five Wembley Stadium shows, which kick off Thursday. “Naturally as you can imagine, high alert here in London as those teenagers are being questioned in Austria.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are we to believe when it comes to kids in motels? It’s undeniably a disaster. At its worst, we had 4000 kids living in motels and emergency accommodation in New Zealand. And the last lot who said it was a complex problem that required complex solutions, they said it would take time, and we sort of bought that argument because it does seem incredibly complex. And then yesterday, the Government comes along and claims to have cut the number of households living in emergency housing by a third in six months. What’s more, they said in Auckland, they’ve almost halved the number of people living in emergency housing in three months. How can you halve the number of people in emergency housing in three months? Does that make sense to you? In Christchurch, it's gone from 285 to 183 in three months. They said they’d used intensive work to cut the numbers. I don’t know whether I’m just cynical but, do you believe that? Or do you think there’s some trick, some fudging of the numbers here or the categories that they're using, something like that. If all we needed was a bit of intensive work, surely we could have cut through that long waiting list a lot earlier. Kieran McAnulty on Three News last night had a crack at the Government. “They're both claiming credit for something they didn't do and they're also crying about something when they've made it harder for people to access it.” He then went on to say this: “The honest way to deal with the issue of emergency housing is to build more social houses. And that's the very thing the Government has pulled back on.” Wrong. There is another way that you can deal with the problem of an increase in demand for social housing, that's to grow an economy to get people into well paid jobs. Not everybody wants to be at the mercy of a failed social housing system, do they?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Kris Shannon in Paris Ellesse Andrews has confirmed what this week already seemed clear – she is the world’s fastest woman on two wheels. The Kiwi claimed a second gold medal on the final day of the Paris Olympics, her victory in the individual sprint even more commanding than an earlier triumph in the keirin. Andrews won all nine sprint races she contested inside Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome. The 24-year-old eliminated the reigning Olympic champion, two former world champions and a rider who last year proved superior in the discipline. And Andrews accomplished it all with a level of ease rarely seen at the top level. That’s not to suggest there was anything simple about her achievements. But right now, Andrews is simply too fast, too strong and too self-assured to be beaten. That was the case in the keirin final earlier in the week, when Andrews led from start to finish and was never seriously threatened by any potential attack. The same was true in the individual sprint, whether riding from the front or recovering a deficit depending on her starting position. The two gold medals added to a silver won in the team sprint and left Andrews in elite Kiwi company. Only paddlers Lisa Carrington (three golds in 2021 and 2024) and Paul MacDonald (three golds in 1984) have recorded better medal hauls at a single Games. It also meant New Zealand would finish the Paris Olympics with 10 gold medals, after a record-setting penultimate day saw the team surpass the previous best of eight. With age on her side and considering her progression in the last 12 months alone, it’s safe to assume Andrews will return to the podium in four years’ time. In today’s final she swept aside Lea Friedrich, a rider who beat Andrews 2-0 in the sprint semifinals at last year’s world championships. Following the keirin final, coach and father Jon Andrews said he had expected a greater challenge from Friedrich in that event, after the German had been eliminated in a semifinal won by the Kiwi. It came a few days later but didn’t last for long. Gold medalist Ellesse Andrews celebrates her win in the sprint. Photo / Getty Images  There was a brief moment in race one when it appeared Friedrich held the advantage. After the bell, she came around the bend high, and with a boost from the bank looked to be erasing the lead. Then Andrews rose from her seat, powered through the back straight and the race was over. The second was barely a contest. Starting behind her opponent, Andrews easily executed the manoeuvre attempted earlier by Friedrich, speeding clear as the German conceded defeat. Andrews glanced once over her shoulder, saw clear track and was able to raise one arm in celebration, the crowd rising to salute a new queen of the velodrome. Friedrich had set a new world record in qualifying, a mark Andrews previously lowered. But her coach said his rider was a different proposition when racing, and so it proved Andrews progressed to the final with seven wins from seven, eliminating Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell in the 1/8 finals before sweeping former world champions Emma Hinze in the quarters and Emma Finucane in the semis. That brought more revenge for being beaten by Finucane and Britain in the team sprint final, the only time in Paris that Andrews has been conquered. Friedrich, meanwhile, needed a third ride to reach the final, as Andrews barely watched from her stationary bike. But no extra energy would have helped the German. Andrews, as she has been all week, was unbeatable. Kris Shannon has been a sport journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade Minister Todd McClay is visiting India this week for the fifth time in nine months. He’ll meet with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, for talks around forestry, agriculture and trade between the two countries. It follows Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s visit here last week. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joined Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Paris Olympics is coming to a close. Dame Lisa Carrington and Finn Butcher are leading out Kiwi athletes as the flagbearers for the closing ceremony, getting underway now. New Zealand now has 20 medals, including ten gold after a Bronze for Ally Wollaston and another Gold for Ellesse Andrews in the velodrome overnight. New Zealand Chef de Mission Nigel Avery told Ryan Bridge it's one of our best Olympic campaigns ever. “45 of our team will walk around with a piece of tin around their neck to get back to New Zealand. That’s huge — that’s about 20 percent of our total competing body, and so, it’s awesome.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Council-controlled water organisations will be able to leverage up to 500% of their operating revenues through the local government funding agency. The Commerce Commission will oversee it to make sure there is appropriate investment, maintenance, and delivery of water infrastructure for consumers long-term.  Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman joins Ryan Bridge on Early Edition to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia, as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued on Wednesday.  Taylor Swift has been forced to cancel three concerts in Vienne, Austria, after a bomb and knife attack plot by a teenager who had pledged allegiance to ISIS.  More marches across the United Kingdom has led to more arrests for disturbances, with tough sentences handed out.  UK and Europe correspondent Vincent McAviney joins Ryan Bridge on Early Edition to discuss all this and more.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 9th of August, The Government's plan to replace Three Waters is out, it will allow council controlled organisations to borrow and invest in their local water infrastructure. Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman joins the show. New instructions for Oranga Tamariki - but is it going to make a difference? Charity BlueLight speak to Ryan. Would Government intervention make a difference to our struggling energy sector? Energy Resources Aotearoa have some suggestions and Chief Executive John Carnegie shares with Ryan. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity prices in New Zealand are about six times higher than Australia, this week sitting at around $700 per megawatt; while in late 2021 they were $100 per megawatt. Multiple large scale businesses are proposing the idea of shutting down as a result of the high prices, and the Government is now looking at possible intervention. Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie joins Ryan Bridge on Early Edition to discuss what that may look like.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour has handed Oranga Tamariki a new set of instructions to keep the agency accountable and transparent.  Chhour has outlined five new measures she expects to be reported on every quarter, including the number of children able to to access a social worker. Bluelight Operations Manager Rod Bell joins Ryan Bridge on Early Edition to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a world that is seemingly spilling over with hate and division at the moment. You don't have to look far to find it.  Just in the past few days, you've got this 19-year-old Isis inspired terror suspect, planning to kill himself and as many Taylor Swift fans as possible.  There's rioting and division on the streets of the UK. Australia has raised it's terror threat level.  Remember that 16-year-old teenager who stabbed a religious cleric in Australia, suspected religious extremism behind it.  You've got Trump's assassination attempt, remember this was only last month.  It's almost like we've forgotten about that, because there's so much going on.  They all have one thing in common - The internet.  This 19-year-old is I would be mass murderer, he and his two alleged teenage accomplices, they were serious. They had chemical explosives, detonators allegedly, they were radicalised online.  The UK riots, fuelled by false information about that stabbing suspect.  They were all racked up, fired up by being on the internet.  Where did it all happen? Online.  Remember those seven teenagers arrested in April in Australia for alleged extremist ideology - all happened online.  I could go on, but you get the point. Young impressionable minds, endless scrolling on social media and it's the wild west of content.  Every kid has a mental health problem these days. Have you noticed that? Turn on the news, everyone's sad.  And it's obvious, isn't it? The internet. Our phones.  And what are we doing about it?   This is what happens when you scroll on a phone and you argue with somebody and you don't look them in the eye. You don't talk to them face to face.  You don't moderate your thoughts with body language and facial expressions and all those important things that I think help to make our debates a bit more human.  We lose all that when we go online and when we scroll endlessly. Apparently we will spend between 10 years and 17 years of our lives scrolling on our phones. How sad is that? And for kids it's worse.  What have I done about it? Well, I've deleted the social media apps, and not that I'm saying I'm going to solve the world, but I'm just seeing if I'll feel better about the world.  And I wonder why more people aren't doing it.  Maybe you are.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems like it's virtually impossible for families on a benefit to afford healthy food.  Research shows two-children families receiving financial assistance would be 200-dollars short if they bought low-cost nutritional kai.  Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesperson Sally Mackay told Ryan Bridge it's clear low-income families are doing it tough, with drastic increases in food parcel demands.  She says they're most concerned about the impacts on children's learning when they arrive to school hungry.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief the US Democrats have a renewed sense of momentum and energy in the lead up to the Presidential election.  It follows Democratic nominee Kamala Harris confirming Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.  US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge thousands of supporters have packed out a Philadelphia auditorium to hear from the pair jointly for the first time.  He says those in the crowd described the atmosphere as electric and compared it to Barack Obama's 2008 campaign.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's police spokesperson is calling out the Police Minister for refusing her request to meet with an Auckland police inspector.   Ginny Andersen asked to visit the Albany police station, but Mark Mitchell's office said no.   In a statement, Mitchell says he cannot support a generic request to visit a station, with no context, with a week’s notice.   Andersen told Ryan Bridge she followed what she considers a well-established practice, which Mitchell himself has followed before.   She says she and Chris Hipkins never made any attempt to block Mitchell's visits when he was in opposition.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been an increase in businesses asking for advice around redundancy and resizing is being seen by the Employers and Manufacturers Association.  Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in the June quarter, up from 4.4% the previous.   It's one factor the Reserve Bank considers when weighing up whether to cut the Official Cash Rate.  The EMA's Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge businesses are asking them the right way to downsize because they don't have the work for employees.   He says he'd expected it to start heading the other way, but they just hit a record 163 calls in the month of July.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 8th of August, the number of people who lost their jobs in the June quarter are up. Ryan speaks to the Employers and Manufacturers Association to see how businesses are feeling on the ground.  A dispute between Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Anderson - why won't National let Labour visit an Auckland police station? Ginny Anderson joins the show.  The cost of groceries has risen at historically high rates over the past six years, and the cost of healthy food even more so. Health Coalition Aotearoa explain the research, and its impact on Kiwi kids.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for the Government to reconsider privacy laws when it comes to retail crime.  The Motor Trade Association is asking for bold changes after a rise in smash-and-grabs and drive off fuel theft.  First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge retailers should be allowed to publish CCTV video of thieves on social media to deter the crime.  He says currently it's against the law, and thieves are hiding behind it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank will be keeping a close eye on this morning's employment data as it mulls over next week's Official Cash Rate decision.  Most economists expect the unemployment rate will rise.  But they're now divided on whether the central bank will cut the OCR next week, next month, or in November.  ASB senior economist Mark Smith told Ryan Bridge this morning's data should give them a steer on how inflation is tracking.  He says as the unemployment rate rises and wage growth slows, inflation is likely to come down, meaning interest rates need to come down as well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Prime Minister is in a war of words with Elon Musk as far-right protests continue across the country.  Almost 400 people have been arrested following last week's stabbings at a dance class that killed three girls and left several wounded.  The tech billionaire posted on his social media platform X saying civil war is inevitable, to which the Prime Minister's spokesperson says there's no justification for the comments.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that Elon Musk has continued with his criticism of Sir Keir Starmer and his government.  He says Musk posted a video of someone reportedly getting arrested for offensive comments online, asking if it's Britain or the Soviet Union.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smith and Caughey's has found a way to stay afloat.   The long-running Auckland department store has revealed new measures to remain open, despite announcing a closure in May.   It plans to reduce staff and pull back its operations to the Queen Street ground level store and online offering only.   Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says it's a real sign of confidence in the future of Auckland's city centre.  She says the area is evolving as we speak, and it will help people to see the confidence and investment.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The power was cut to my place last night.  Don't worry, it was expected. It was a maintenance thing from one in the morning or midnight through till 5 a.m. The heating was off, it was chilly. I think it was six degrees in Auckland last night, not as bad as your zero in Christchurch, granted.  But boy, does it make you think how important electricity is.  You don't know what you've got till it's gone, you wake up, you know, freezing, you've got a cold foot hanging out the bed, you're fumbling around in your undies, trying to find undies because it's dark.  It's quite important to have electricity, and you don't know how good it is till it's gone.  So too for major Kiwi industries who are feeling the cold, hard reality at the moment of life without energy, without gas.  There are two stories in the last couple of days that caught my attention.  One was Methanex, which produces Methanol. They've got 270 staff, $640 million is what they're worth to the Taranaki economy, and closer to a billion to the national economy. 8% of Taranaki's GDP, and they are reviewing operations in New Zealand. They're running at half capacity.  Why? A lack of gas.  Dwindling supply from existing gas fields. The spot market is shooting up, going through the roof, wholesale prices are up. You can't get a contract. The business is the equivalent of stumbling around in the dark at the moment.  There's no certainty, they can't get affordable contracts, so business is suffering.  The other story: the largest employer in Ruapehu district, 250 people employed at this pulp mill and sawmill, they've paused their operations.  Why? Energy costs, up 600 percent since 2021. There's a 14 day pause going on there while they consider their future. This is not good.  Some are talking about a manufacturing exodus; this is what we're seeing. It will hurt small town, New Zealand and these are good jobs, these are jobs that feed families.  Is this a surprise? No.  In 2018 MBIE rang the alarm bells about the government's oil and gas ban. Quite loudly, I might add.  This is a briefing paper from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment given to then Energy Minister Megan Woods.  It said Methanex would not be able to operate at full capacity from 2021 and would stop completely after 2026. Methanex will require a new discovery if it is to continue operating in New Zealand over the medium to long term.  So, we had the warning, now it is happening, and the government promised a just transition at the time.  Where is that? Show me the jobs to replace the potentially hundreds that are on the line right now.  Feels a little bit like we're fumbling around in the dark. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 7th of August 2024, labour market data is out today. All of our major banks are expecting a rise, but by how much? ASB's Mark Smith joins Ryan.  The Motor Trade Association thinks they have a plan to help the Government to reduce retail crime - but are they asking for too much? Ryan speaks to First Retail Group.  Iconic Kiwi brand Smith and Caughey's has backtracked on its plan to shut down all operations next year, what does its future look like?  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Presidential Election is less than 100 days away.  Kamala Harris is expected to announce her pick for Vice President today ahead of their first public appearance together in Pennsylvania tomorrow.  Presidential Historian Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted almost every US Election since the 1980s through a process called ‘The 13 Keys to the White House’.  He told Ryan Bridge that while he hasn’t made a final prediction yet, a lot would have to go wrong for the Democrats to lose the election.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lift in the terror threat level in Australia is in response to an increase in extremism, fuelled by conspiracy theories and anti-authority ideologies.   Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the level is lifting from ‘possible’ to ‘probable’ - meaning there's now a greater than 50% chance of an onshore attack in the next twelve months.  Australian correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge the Prime Minister is adamant there's no intelligence of an imminent attack, but there is a need for a higher level of preparedness and alertness for agencies and the public.   The Security Intelligence Service says New Zealand's threat level is low.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. stock markets had a bit of a panic attack overnight, I think that's the best way to describe it.  Investors have been selling off, especially in tech stocks.  The U.S. job data that came out on Friday seems to have freaked the horses. Losses are being clawed back slightly this morning, but everyone is on edge.  Why? Well, it's the largest economy in the world. It affects us all, and it feels like we're all sort of teetering on the edge of an economic cliff at the moment. We're all at the mercy of our central banks and their rate cut decisions.  Will they cut? Won't they cut?  In this case you've got no cut last week from the Federal Reserve in the U.S. and you've got some bad data and oh, America's going to recession.  If our Reserve Bank doesn't cut soon, then we'll probably have the same issues here.  Bank of England, the European Central Bank, they have cut.  Here's the thing I was thinking about this morning: we've got a mortgage at my house. We're going to refix, so, when the cuts happen I'm not going to be running out and splurging on the credit card. There'll be no new TV or couch at my house, there'll be no new car in the driveway, and I won't be going to fancy restaurants all the time.   I won't be going to the clubs and making it rain cash, just because the rates have cut.  This cost of living crisis, coupled with the technical recession that we went through, it's got me feeling a little sensible. I'm thinking more about saving, I'm thinking more about strategic investing.  You never know when the next Government or Reserve Bank splurge might fuel the next big thing. You know, the lockdowns, then the loose purse strings, the prolonged high interest rates.  So you got to be prepared for stuff.  What does that mean for retailers who are falling over to their knees all around us?  I think, sadly, things won't suddenly bounce back once Adrian Orr blows his whistle, it'll be a long hard slog yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An education expert says we should be worried about low maths results.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon revealed data which he says shows that four out of five Year 8 students aren't at the expected level.   He's bringing forward a new math curriculum to Term 1 next year, assessing twice yearly, and a $20 million boost for teachers' professional development.   New Zealand Initiative researcher Michael Johnston told Ryan Bridge it's likely things have been like this for some time.  He says the Government's action is necessary, but time will tell whether it's enough.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambulance workers say the call to strike boils down to ensuring their voices are heard.  2,500 members from First Union and the Ambulance Association have voted on industrial action.  Labour will be withdrawn for four hours across two days —August 20 and 24— amid calls for the Government to fulfil an election promise to renegotiate funding.  First Union spokesperson Faye McCann told Ryan Bridge 95% of its members voted to strike.  She says it's unfortunate and not the ideal situation.  The Government says it will continue with the current contract for now.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 6th August 2024, more changes are on the way for our education system, but what's the thinking behind the policy decisions? NZ Initiative's Dr Michael Johnston joins Ryan to discuss.  The U.S. Presidential Election is less than 100 days out, and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate by tomorrow. Ryan speaks to Allan Lichtman who has correctly predicted almost every election since 1982.  St John union staff have announced further strike action later this month, including a "withdrawal of labour".  Australia has raised their terror threat level for the first time in a decade. We cross to Australia correspondent Donna Demaio.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 5th of August - the Government has unveiled their maths action plan, a new curriculum for primary and intermediate school students from next year. Ryan speaks to a principal about the changes. Kidscan have the longest waitlist in their 19-year history. Chief Executive Julie Chapman is on the show. It's been another busy weekend in Paris - Andrew Alderson has the latest in weekend sport. Violence is continuing in the UK after the Southport stabbings. We cross live to UK and Europe Correspondent Kay Oliver. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland principal isn't hopeful a new maths action plan will address the root problem. The Government is bringing forward a new curriculum to Term 1 next year, assessing twice yearly and establishing a $20 million boost for teachers' professional development. Laingholm Primary School principal Martyn Weatherill believes this isn't going to fix decades of under-funding. "Political interference in the teaching practice has caused the problem. Now politicians are saying political interference in the teaching practice will solve the problem. I don't see how that's possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's calls for the army to be deployed in the UK, where violent demonstrations are escalating for a seventh day. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has labelled the outbreaks as 'far-right thuggery'. They've continued to escalate since last week's stabbing rampage at a dance class left three children dead and several injured. This morning, 10 police officers have been injured trying to stop a group storming a Rotherham hotel housing asylum seekers. UK correspondent Kay Oliver says politicians from all sides agree this is violence, rather than protests. "We've got Hamza Yousaf, he's a former First Minister of Scotland, saying this situation is so out of control now that the army should be brought in." More than 140 people have been arrested across Britain so far. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Novak Djokovic has won an elusive Olympic tennis singles gold medal. A 7-6, 7-6 win over Carlos Alcaraz in nearly three hours has seen him become the fifth player after Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams to win the four majors and a Games individual title. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demand for help from KidsCan has sky-rocketed in the last year. The charity is urgently appealing for donations as more than 10,000 children in 260 schools await help with food, shoes and clothing. Many don't qualify for the Government's free lunch scheme. KidsCan Chief Executive Julie Chapman says the wait-list has grown by more than 150 schools in the last 12 months. She says securing funding's a challenge. "We want to make sure that we're not taking them off for a short time, that we're able to support them for as long as they need it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are councils, local councils, regional councils? It should be a simple question. What is their purpose? I've always believed it's to take away my rubbish, put the street lights on. When I go to the toilet, you can take that away too. That's part of your job. Roads, rubbish, sewerage, swimming pools, maybe a library. Although we've got the internet now, so why do we need libraries? But that's a debate for another day. A big scrap in Rotorua, I was reading this over the weekend, over Gaza. Notices of motion, petitions, meetings, interrupted, staff involved. And I asked myself, what has Rotorua Lakes Council got to do with Gaza? They're calling for a ceasefire, and they're one of dozens of councils across the country who are doing this. A clip from mayor Tanya Tapsell's interaction with Councillor Maxwell, who was trying to get this over the line, has gone viral. "Councillor Maxwell, I rule that that is not an urgent item." Probably the first time anything from a council has gone viral. Don't get me wrong. Deaths and the extent of the retaliation by Israel completely out of whack, heart-breaking unimaginable suffering. I am not casting judgment here on the issue at hand, I'm simply asking is Netanyahu, is Biden listening to the thoughts of Rotorua Lakes Council? And if not, should they be talking about things like this? If councils were on top of the core business, this wouldn't matter to me. But you've got budget blowouts on a sewage scheme in Rotorua. You've got in Buller 31% rate increases, in Hamilton 19% rate increases. You've got an average of 15% rate increases across the country. Infrastructure problems, sewage running into the ocean and Tauranga. They've just held an election, the first time they could vote in five years and they were in the 30s in turnout. And you wonder why, people obviously don't have a lot of faith in their councils and what are they doing? And it's not just Gaza, there are other issues that councils often jump on like things to do with the UN. Is that your purview? We've got a permanent representative on the UN Security Council, a permanent representative who can make statements on our behalf on behalf of the government. Isn't that where you do it? Are they focusing on local issues, shouldn't they only focus on local issues after all, aren't they local councils? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's medal haul at the Paris Olympics has increased by a rowing trifecta of gold, silver and bronze.  Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis took the gold in the double sculls, the men’s four of Logan Ullrich, Tom Murray, Matt Macdonald, and Ollie Maclean dipped their oars in the spoils with silver.  And their female counterparts Jackie Gowler, Kerri Williams, Davina Waddy, and Phoebe Spoors completed the podium with bronze.  Kerri Williams told Ryan Bridge it hasn’t really sunk in yet.  She said it was a bit of a sprint at the end as the leading team set a pretty hot pace, but they came out on the right side.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland businesses say Transpower needs to take responsibility for a fallen pylon and show face in Northland.  Transpower's found contractor Omexom's team leader was distracted sandblasting, as unsupervised inexperienced workers removed the bolts from three legs at once.   It says residents can contact their retailer for compensation, but they can't do anything for businesses.   North Chamber Chief Executive Darryn Fisher told Ryan Bridge Transpower needs to stop avoiding this conversation.  He's calling for them to put their big pants on, get up to Northland and explain why their negligence is putting their livelihoods at risk.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 17-year-old accused of the fatal Southport stabbings at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class has been named.  Axel Rudakubana has made his first court appearance in the UK.  British newspapers successfully argued the minor should be named, given public interest.  Three children died and five more were critically injured in the attack earlier this week.  UK Correspondent, Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that Rudakubana has been remanded in youth custody.  He says it's a complex operation, with the trial likely to take place early next year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A children's rights advocate says calls for changes to New Zealand's child safety systems go well beyond the 2021 death of Tauranga five-year-old Malachi Subecz.   The Independent Children's Monitor has found recommendations made following Malachi's death haven't happened, and tamariki are no safer today than when he died.  But, Save the Children's Child Rights Advocacy Director Jacqui Southey told Ryan Bridge, the problems —and calls for changes— are decades old.   She says a recommendation for agencies to cross-share information and concerns is more than 20 years old, and yet we still fail to do it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you see the reaction to Donald Trump's comments yesterday?  This is what he said about Kamala Harris' race: "She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a black person."  What?  The media rightly ran the story, and it was a big deal.  Isn't questioning someone's race exactly what Rawiri Waititi did to Karen Chhour?  Isn't that exactly what he did the other day in parliament when he asked what blood quantum are you? Couldn't the same be said of Kelvin Davis saying that Karen Chhour lives in a Pakeha world?  She's Māori by the way. And what about Te Pāti Māori? They said Karen Shaw should have been raised by Māori caregivers instead of Pakeha ones. And claimed that she had disdain for Māori, for her people. This week they said she's just a puppet of her party and she was basically left in tears in the hallway to ThreeNews.  "I'm still a person. I'm still a person and I feel like I'm getting that stripped away from me day by day in this place, I've had enough.”  No apologies from Te Pāti Māori, no accountability.   I just think it's sad. Put the politics to one side for a second, there's a woman crying in a hallway. Wouldn't you want to just say sorry, if what I had said had made you feel that way?  Karen Chhour is not a bad person, you might disagree with their policies, sure, but also, her treatment in the media this week. I think she's been interrogated more about who bullied her than Julie Anne Genter ever was about actually bullying. It's a double standard. No wonder she's battling and struggling.   Then Chippy turns around and says she's not fit to be a minister. Gaslighting much.  Karen Chhour will be fine. She's a very strong individual.  I guess it just annoys me because if the shoe was on the other foot, imagine, just imagine. And where's the Human Rights Commission? Where's their statement on this stuff?  There'll be attack dogs on social media. You can, you can just imagine how it would play out if the shoe was on the other foot.  I say, keep doing what you're doing. Karen Chhour, you're hard working, you're conscientious, and you can rise above it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 2nd of August, Gold, Silver, and Bronze for our rowers in Paris! Ryan speaks to medallist Keri Williams.  Transpower says compensation is off the table for those impacted the major outage, which was caused by workers removing too many nuts of an Auckland power pylon. How are Northland businesses feeling about the news?  Our child protection system hasn't changed enough since the death of Malachi Subecz in 2021, what does Save The Children think about the report?  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris is set to reveal her running mate in the coming days.  The current Vice President will be holding her first rally with her new vice presidential nominee on Tuesday, August 6th US time.  The rally will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the campaign saying it will launch a four day “battleground tour”.  US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that the top contenders in this race are the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.  He said that while the rally is taking place in Pennsylvania, the campaign is telling people not to buy into that when it comes to the pick.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s confidence the new regional roles at Health New Zealand will offer something new.  The Government's appointed four Deputy Chief Executives to run different regions from next month.   It comes after its board was sacked and replaced by a sole commissioner.   Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge that these appointments will replace existing regional directors.   She says they've got a different set of responsibilities, including bringing parts of the funded health sector back under their oversight.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief New Zealand's building sector is still many months away from a rebound, as consents plummet.  Stats NZ data shows fewer than 34,000 new homes were consented in the year to June.  That's a 24% annual drop, and five-year low.  Construction Industry Council Executive Director Tommy Honey told Ryan Bridge it's a continuation of a trend that began mid-2022  He says they've been waiting for that to reverse —or at least plateau— but numbers are still seemingly sinking.  Annual building consents of apartments have also plummeted, with a 51% drop in the year to June.   Honey told Bridge apartments are seen as a risk for builders, developers, and investors.  He says it's also related to inflation running high, and while that's turning a corner, there's a lag at the Reserve Bank.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Middle East politics expert says the assassination of a Hamas political leader will have reverberating effects.   Iran's vowing to avenge the killing of Ismail Haniyeh after his reported death in an air strike in Tehran.  It's declared three days of mourning and is promising what it calls "harsh punishment" against Israel.  It follows an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.   Otago University's Leon Goldsmith told Ryan Bridge it takes a ceasefire deal off the table for now.   He says Israel's probably sending a strong message that no one is safe with the two leaders killed inside one day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is not the most important story that you will hear today, but it grinds my gears.  It's a small, seemingly insignificant event, but I think it speaks to two things that I absolutely hate about the world that we live in right now.  It took place at cinema three in Pukekohe. You might have seen the video on the Herald website.  So, two women and a child go to the movies, they sneak food in, which I know is not the biggest thing happening in the world right now.  We've all done it too, haven't we?  These guys, these entitled prats, let's just call them what they are, they had food, they had drinks, they had snacks, they had hot food, they snuck hot food into the cinema. That's brazen.  The guy working at the cinema goes over them and says, you're not allowed to bring your own food in.  And these guys just are having none of it. First of all, the worker that comes over has an Asian accent, they mock him for, for his race. They sit there and they start berating him: “Oh, you've made my daughter cry. You've made my daughter cry.”  It's his cinema.  The police came and had to escort them out for goodness sakes. They refused to move, they demanded refunds, they carried on eating.  They said, I wish I had my vape here, I'd start vaping and things like that.  The staff said they felt unsafe. They had to turn the movie off, so whoever was in the movie missed out.  People, the cinema has rules. It's clearly signposted apparently five times throughout the cinema complex that you cannot bring your own food.  And so, my feelings: one, if you can't go an hour forty without eating, you probably should. Two, this is a wider issue. It's about people not respecting rules. It's not your property, businesses need to make money otherwise they go out of business and people lose their jobs.  And number three, and this is the most egregious breach for me, they posted it all to TikTok.  Just the audacity to film all of that, berate the poor person working there, and then put it all on TikTok.  It's shameless. And that is what's wrong with us today, we have no shame anymore.  You steal something - Oh, it's the cost of living crisis.  You do something terrible - Oh, it's my mental health.  Where is the shame from breaking rules?  I don't see much of it at Cinema Three Pukekohe, that's for sure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 1st of August, it's a throwback to the days of regional DHBs - Health NZ has announced four new regional directors.  Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Iran, so where could the conflict go to from here? Ryan speaks to a Middle East expert.  Building consents are down - is it a sign of the struggling economy? The Construction Industry Council breaks down the reasons for the drop.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nine-year-old girl has become the third child to die after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the UK.  Two other girls, aged six and seven, died in the attack in northwest England on Monday.  A 17-year-old boy remains in custody accused of murder and attempted murder following the incident in Southport.  Eight other children suffered stab wounds and five are in critical condition, alongside two adults who were critically injured.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that there is a vigil going on at the sites, with hundreds if not thousands of people attending.  Taylor Swift herself has also commented on the situation, saying she is in total shock over the loss of life and innocence.  Grey said that her fans have raised more than $400 thousand for the families of the victims.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The changing whims of different governments are putting financial pressure on councils.   A report from NZIER has found central government underestimates what its reforms cost councils to implement.   Local Government New Zealand is calling for more assistance from Government to help them carry the cost.   Vice President and Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says the speed limit increases under the previous Government cost $570 thousand for his council to implement.   He says the Government's new directive to reverse speed limit increases will cost another $570 thousand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moves to improve online gambling regulation will allow overseas online casinos to advertise in New Zealand from early 2026.   The Minister of Internal Affairs says it will only apply to licensed operators and come with strict limits.  The Problem Gambling Foundation says the advertising is a concern.  Director of Advocacy and Public Health for the Problem Gambling Foundation, Andree Froude told Ryan Bridge that they’d love to see the advertising of gambling banned completely, but if that’s not going to happen they want to see strict measures in place.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The River Seine fell short yesterday, leading to a last minute cancellation.  The Men’s Triathlon was postponed due to the poor water quality in the river, after the cancellation of two prior training sessions.  They’ve moved the event from 6pm last night to 8:45pm tomorrow, after the Women’s Triathlon.  Michael Burgess, NZ Herald Sports Reporter, told Ryan Bridge that Friday is, as far as they know, the last day they could hold the men’s triathlon in the river, and if they can’t, they’ll have to skip that portion.  He said that one of our athletes, Hayden Wilde, has expressed that there’d be a funny feeling about competing and perhaps medalling at an incomplete Olympic triathlon.  “There’d sort of always be an asterisk attached to that.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Income tax cuts kick in for us today and 94% of us will get a few extra bucks.  Will it be swallowed up by your mortgage, or your insurance going up, or your rates? Probably, but better we get the money and decide what to do with it than the politicians, right?  Also today, MPs get their first pay rise since 2017, and watch closely, watch those particularly who shout the loudest about equality, and fairness, and justice, and all those good things.  Do they put their money where their mouth is today?  Chris Luxon, for his sins —and I assume it's to stave off the inevitable media storm about he's rich, he's white, he's got seven houses— he has promised to donate his full tax cut 20 bucks a week to charity, also the increase in his pay to charity.  Hipkins, what's happening over at Labour HQ?  Well, Labour has apparently emailed their supporters asking for the tax cut to be donated.  It sounds good. Not to Women's Refuge or Kids Can, but to Labour.  Yes. Take your tax cut and give it to Labour.  But what about the Greens? Where do they stand on this? What gesture are they making?  By their own estimates they are the wealthy elite, many of them own homes. They're on salaries of more than 170,000 bucks a year.  They're getting a close to 3% pay rise backdated to last October I might add.  And Chloe Swarbrick, as the co-leader, will now get a nice bump to her salary for that too. She'll be on well over $200,000.  Where are the pledges to donate, Marama and Chloe, et al, where are they?  These tax cuts, according to you guys, are cruel and dangerous and a national disgrace, they benefit the wealthy elites.  So the question is, what are you wealthy elites, by your own definition, going to do about it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 31st of July, Local Government NZ say central government policies are costing councils and ratepayers more - LGNZ Vice President Campbell Barry speaks to Ryan.  New licensing rules are on the way for online casinos, but do they go far enough? The Problem Gambling Foundation has concerns.  The women's sevens have won New Zealand our first medal in the Olympics! We have all the action. But there's a lack of action in the River Seine - water quality issues have pushed the triathlon schedule back  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is still looking to secure their first medal in this year’s Olympic Games.  They had a busy morning on Day Three, with multiple equestrian events, cycling, swimming, and the Black Ferns Sevens moving through to the semifinals.  Kiwi Tom Saunders, one of the top laser sailors in the world, is in Paris for his first Olympics.  He told Ryan Bridge that since they’re all racing with identical supplied equipment, it’s a lot more pure sailing, and comes down to the individual sailor’s skill as opposed to what sort of gear they have.  They’re not short on competition, Saunders said, with Australia and Britain setting the benchmark the last two years, but there’s also strong competition from Germany, Norway, and Cyprus.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers still feel there are tough times ahead.  The latest Farm Confidence report from Federated Farmers shows confidence has fallen over this year, with debt, interest rates, and banks the greatest concern.  More than half of farmers are expecting conditions to deteriorate in the year ahead.  Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford told Ryan Bridge they’re questioning why their interest rates and margins are significantly higher than others. He said that they’ve asked for a banking inquiry as the banks and the Reserve Bank are just pointing the finger at each other.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s concerns a crackdown on gangs could go too far.  Proposed Firearm Prohibition Order laws would expand bans on holding a firearms licence to people committing lower-level offences, and allow warrantless police searches of suspects.  The Justice Select Committee is asking for it to be scaled back, concerned it gives police too much power.   Labour's Justice Spokesperson Ginny Andersen told Ryan Bridge the proposal is still too broad.  She says it's designed to look tough, but it's not clear what problem it's actually fixing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love watching the Olympics. I'm still watching, I'm still excited, but there are just a few little niggly things that are putting a slight dampener on it for me.  The river Seine is dirty again. That's the second day with no practice.  You've got to do a triathlon, you want to practice swimming in the river that you're going to compete in, but you can't because it's dirty.  It's filled with E Coli and it rained in the weekend, still affecting the water quality.  So, that's the second day in a row with no practice. And you won't know whether you're going to swim in the Seine until four hours before the race is due to start.  Could this have been avoided? Could you have picked another river to swim in?  I would have thought.  The opening ceremony, that's another thing. I mean, obviously Celine Dion was amazing, but there was the weird meandering lead up to Celine.   The athletes themselves are actually complaining a lot about the beds being uncomfortable, the rooms being too hot, the food is bad, and they say this is affecting their chance of a world of breaking world records.  That's not great.  The other thing is that we've got no medals, and I'm not complaining because obviously I'm not there racing myself, I'm not jumping in the pool and swimming, so I'm not going to complain about that, but it is nice to win a medal, isn't it?  Then there's the Canadian football team who've cheated. They now want the points that have been deducted, put back on.  Should you still be able to remain in the Olympics when you've essentially cheated?  Imagine if the Canadian women's football team actually got the gold medal even though they've sent drones up in the air. Does that seem fair?  I don't know.  So there's just a few problems that seem to be quite avoidable. A few rules that seem to be a little bit unfair.  However, in saying all of that, I'm still watching and listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 30th of July, changes could be on the way for the Firearms Prohibition Order following recommendations from the Justice Select Committee. Committee Member and Labour MP Ginny Anderson talks to Ryan.  Federated Farmers say farmer confidence remains at a historic low. Wayne Langford runs Ryan though their latest survey.  Live in Paris - We're still waiting for the first NZ medal. Kiwi Olympic sailor Tom Saunders chats about his first Olympic games.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it just me or does it feel like democracy is somewhat under threat or at risk?  Just reading the international news headlines day in day out, it feels precarious.  Trump, over the weekend if you missed it, is suggesting that he will fix the next election. And I know he's probably joking, but you never really tell with Donald Trump.  "You won't have to do it anymore, four more years, you know what? It'll be fixed, it'll be fine. You won't have to vote anymore.  My beautiful Christians, I love you Christians."  So there's Trump and then you've got a barely functioning Joe Biden in the White House. Are these the shining beacons of democracy we can hold up as our poster kids.  I don't think so.  And then there's, if you look apart from the Olympics in France, the election result there has left them basically in limbo.  I mean, who is actually running the government you know, the Olympics is kind of the spectacle.  That's a sideshow, but really who's running the place and there's such an extreme spectrum from that vote that they had.  You've had Hungary's Viktor Orban at the weekend talking about nationalism. You know, he's Putin's mate.  He says there's a shift in global power underway, in a few decades or centuries he reckons Asia will be the centre of the world, the future big powers, China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, the West has pushed Russia towards this block of countries.  The International Institute for Democracy and electoral assistance says half of the world's countries are suffering democratic decline.  They say things like flawed elections and curtailed rights of freedom and assembly and speech are reducing the power of democracy across the world and this is six consecutive years of declines, they say so I don't really know what the conclusion of all that is other than I suppose, just keep watching the Olympics and forget about it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oranga Tamariki’s bootcamp pilot programme for serious youth offenders starts today.  The 12-month military style programme will see one-to-one mentoring with a focus on routine, physical activity and education.  Labour’s children’s spokesperson Willow Jean Prime tells Ryan Bridge the programme is experimental and is taking place despite evidence that bootcamp models do not work.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France’s high speed rail network is expected to be back to normal tomorrow after a co-ordinated attack on the infrastructure occurred before the Olympics Opening Ceremony. It’s estimated 800,000 have been affected.  And, the UK Government is softening taxpayers up for widespread tax rises. Ministers are set to reveal a treasury audit of public spending pressures inherited by the new government.   Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan Bridge there are claims of a “black hole” worth tens of billions of pounds.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sailors Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie are first after the opening day of the men's 49er competition off the Marseille coast. The pair triumphed immediately, before posting a third and an eighth.  Meanwhile, in efforts to snag New Zealand’s first Olympic swimming medal since 1996, Lewis Clareburt faces tough competition in France’s Leon Marchand.   And, rain continues to disrupt water quality at training in the River Seine.   ZB Sports Andrew Alderson gives Ryan Bridge the latest.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party held its annual General Meeting over the weekend – but focus remained on the Darleen Tana saga.   Party leadership has written to Tana, formally requesting her resignation and response within 21 days. Delegates will hold a vote on September 1 on whether to invoke the waka jumping legislation and kick her out of parliament.  Political commentator Brigitte Morten tells Ryan Bridge the saga is drawn out because Green party members are not fully behind party leadership.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 29th of July. The Government's serious young offender bootcamp trial starts today - Ryan speaks to Labour about their thoughts on the pilot programme.  Darleen Tana has been asked again by her former party to resign from parliament. What are the next steps for the party?  It's all on in Paris - Kiwi athletes could win their first medals this morning. Andrew Alderson takes us through the latest from the Olympics.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excitement is building in Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony draws near.  In less than 24 hours, nearly 100 boats will be floating down the River Seine for the outdoor ceremony.  195 Kiwi athletes are in France for the Games, competing across 22 sports.  Erin Routliffe is competing in the tennis doubles alongside Lulu Sun, and told Ryan Bridge that they’re excited to play together.  She said that they’re trying to figure out their identity as a team, but they’re both good players so they’ll be pretty adaptable when playing together.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Regulation Minister says people in Early Childhood tell them they're sick of the amount of red tape and regulation.    Labour, Te Pati Māori, and the Greens have united against the Regulation Ministry's regulatory review.  They claim the Government's making dangerous changes.   The NZEI union is also calling for it to stop.   David Seymour told Ryan Bridge it's the first time the opposition has united around something this term.   He says they say they want to stop dangerous changes but a single change hasn't yet been announced, they're still just listening to people.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s being suggested that New Zealand's freshwater quality targets are unworkable.  A Beef + Lamb-commissioned independent review shows more than a third of our rivers won't meet national sediments standards.  That's even if agriculture is removed and catchments are returned to their natural state.  Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge they're asking for a pause to work on something more practical.  She says it's not trying to delay regulation —and acknowledges farming's impact on freshwater quality— but need an enduring framework to manage it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drone gate.  It's all anyone is talking about at the Olympics.  We've just lost to the Canadians by the way, 2 - 1 in the women's football.  Imagine being that assistant coach and the analyst who were caught, who were busted.  You know, you go to the Olympics, it's one of your proudest moments. Your family is behind you, your kids are cheering you on.  Then imagine the shame of flying home before the games have even begun.  I could think of nothing worse. You're coming home basically a spy, you've broken the rules.  Imagine that plane ride and imagine facing your family and facing your country when you go home, the shame of it.  And why? Apparently they're way better than us anyway.  They're the reigning champs and they've just beaten us 2-1 over in Paris.  The head coach Beverly Priestman is staying on, she sat out the match this morning. But I don't know, if you dope, you get disqualified, don't you?  Isn't spying, isn't cheating the same?  And you can't tell me the coach didn't know. If the assistant coach is involved, surely the head coach would know.  And if the head coach knows, surely the players would know.  Did they see the footage?  You can't unsee the footage, can you?  I know I might be biased because I'm a Kiwi, but I say send them all home.  Send the entire Canadian team home packing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 26th of July, the Olympics opening ceremony is just about here - Ryan speaks to kiwi tennis star Erin Routliffe.  Beef and Lamb are up in arms about our water sediment targets - what's the solution?  Opposition parties have united against the early childhood sector review - Ryan speaks to Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi Esports athletes will be heading to Saudi Arabia next year to compete in the first-ever Olympic Esports games.  The International Olympic Committee voted unanimously for Saudi Arabia to host the Games in 2025 reflecting the growth in popularity of competitive gaming.  The decision comes as Riyadh hosts the Esports World Cup – a two-month event drawing 2,500 gamers competing for NZ$100 million in prize money.  New Zealand Esports President Conor English joined Ryan Bridge.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 25th of July, the abuse in care Royal Commission report is out - what action will the government take on the 138 recommendations? A call for an end to raised crossings in Wellington - Transporting New Zealand speaks to Ryan. The Kiwi E-Sports team are heading to Saudi Arabia next year for the first Olympic competition. They're currently competing in the World championships. U.S. President Joe Biden will make a public address today, the first since announcing he won't seek re-election. Ryan speaks to our correspondent in the states Mitch McCann. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shock horror and online hate this week for that American who came here, the reality TV show contestant, who came here and murdered one of our native birds and then ate it.  It was a Weka that he killed and ate.  I have a confession for you: I too have killed and eaten a Weka.  Yes.  But it was buff wicker on the Chatham Islands, and you're allowed to. It's the only place you can do it in New Zealand.  And it's delicious, I have to confess. It tasted like a cross between chicken and pork quite greasy, but really delicious.  I went there to film for a TV show.  You sit in the ute in the evening drinking whiskey with the local guys. The dogs go out, get them, bring them to the window of the ute. They snap the neck, throw them on the back of the tray.  They said that sometimes they could get hundreds in a night and, they're a pest over there so they would run rampant and take over the island.  So there we are over there eating Weka, having a great time.  And Roger Beattie is a conservationist and an entrepreneur who was there with us, and he reckons we should farm Weka on the mainland.  He says no farmed species has ever died out.  Currently, it's illegal to sell Weka, DOC is dead against it. But Roger says we farm plenty of other species in New Zealand shellfish, trees, so, why not birds?  It's an interesting take. He's a bit of a radical.  DOC says that predator-free sanctuaries are the way to go and they're working.  I mean, they are working - you look at Wellington, for example, that is working. I kind of think all options should be on the table.  82 percent of bird species are currently threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened.  So, can we really be that picky or fussy if we're serious about saving them? It's at least worth a wee look, I would have thought. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is preparing its response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care report after its release yesterday.  It found about 200,000 were abused from the 655,000 in care between 1950 and 2019.  There are 138 recommendations which include looking at allowing compensation claims through court, and an apology from the Government and religious organisations.  Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joined Ryan Bridge.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to the US Congress in Washington DC, amid waning support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Netanyahu was invited to speak by US House Speaker Mike Johnson, where he will also meet with President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump. But US correspondent Mitch McCann says at least 30 Democratic lawmakers didn't attend, and about 5000 people protested his visit in Washington. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport organisations are raising concerns about proposed raised crossings on Wellington's Thorndon Quay.  Wellington City Council is planning five raised signalised crossings along a 1.7 kilometre stretch of the central city road.  Freight lobby group Transporting New Zealand has joined forces with Fire and Emergency, the AA, New Zealand Heavy Haulage, and the Bus and Coach Association in calling on the council to rethink those plans.  The group's chief executive Dom Kalasih told Ryan Bridge the raised crossings will cause major issues for trucks and other heavy vehicles.  “Dare I say it, we’re just carrying freight. Think about all the people and buses and ambulances – people could be on their way to hospital.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday the 24th of July. The abuse in state care Royal Commission report is out today, Ryan speaks with a survivor. The Commerce Commission says Kiwis are paying to much is card payment surcharges - what does Retail NZ want to see change? Northland's four lane highway is set to be fast tracked by the Government. Northchamber speaks to Ryan about their concerns with current infrastructure. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Islamic preacher in the UK has been found guilty of directing and supporting terror group al-Muhajiroun. The group has been linked to different acts of terror in the UK, including attacks on Westminster and London Bridges in 2017, which killed five and eight people respectively, and an attack at London's Fishmongers' Hall in 2019. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says preacher Anjem Choudary now faces life in prison for his support of the group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excitement in Northland, as the Transport Minister gives the green light to a prioritised regional expressway. Simeon Brown's agreed to accelerate delivery — letting NZTA move at pace on the route between Auckland and Whangarei. Locals have been growing irritated following repetitive road closures on the Brynderwyns. Northland Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Darryn Fisher told Ryan Bridge the projected opening date is unknown. “I think there’s still some work to go on there as far as consents and obtaining land and business cases go, but as a community, we’re here to make sure we accelerate that as quickly as we can.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The press conference yesterday for Health New Zealand - Boy, Oh boy, what a doozy. So they've appointed Lester Levy as the commissioner, the CEO Margie Apa was there alongside him. She's been in the job two years, that's how long the organisation's been set up for. They're overspending $130 million a month. We know that — that can be nothing more than mismanagement if you take Levy's word for it. He says they don't need more money. They basically just don't know how to spend efficiently within the organisation as it stands. So, that's mismanagement short and simple start to finish. And the whole thing for me was a farce. They said we need to push into the regions, that's where the decision making is made. What? Isn't that what we said we didn't need? We needed more centralisation, we needed a national service and now we're going out to the regions again. Why did we spend all this money to set this organisation up? It's so frustrating to listen to. They also said we're never going to achieve the proper transition from the DHBs to this new organisation in two years. Are you serious? Imagine a private business changing its operating model and two years in saying, oh, the change hasn't worked but it's still early days, it just wouldn't happen. And then there was this levy who sits on a whole bunch of boards and knows what he's talking about, casually said that their spending controls and checks and balances are not up to scratch. "Internal and management controls are much weaker than I would have expected. So we have spending problems all over the show". What an absolute cluster. I hate to be negative, I really do, I know it's early in the morning. Just a simple we request from me, let's make sure that when we appoint boards and executives that they actually know what they're doing, they can read a spreadsheet. Good luck Lester, I think you'll need it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The head of Retail NZ has stopped short of saying consumers are being ripped off by fees for PayWave and online card payments. The Commerce Commission's consulting on fee capping regulation that could save Kiwis $250 million a year. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge fees passed to consumers are not always as accurately reflected as they could be, but that's not necessarily the intent. “Part of that from the conversations we’ve had with people is through lack of knowledge through a really complicated system, so we want the system to be a lot more simple and straightforward so that everyone can follow it.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final report into the inquiry in abuse in care and faith-based institutions will be tabled in Parliament later today. A Royal Commission of Inquiry has been conducting hearings for almost six years - about people's experiences in the system from 1950 to 1999. The Prime Minister is due to make a formal public apology in November. Abuse in care survivor Karl Tauri told Ryan Bridge the most important part is an acknowledgement of the crimes committed. “A lot of that has not actually just been acknowledged and perpetrators haven’t been named or brought to account to the public eye really.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An election analyst says Kamala Harris' nomination is probably a done deal.   The process will be formally open for challengers, and none of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention are required to vote for her.  Election analyst Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge it's likely any possible contenders would be feeling it's not worth taking on Kamala Harris.   He says some could privately think she isn't the strongest candidate and personally want the job, but have decided it’s better to choose discretion.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maritime experts are still cautious after a report into KiwiRail.   Interislander ferries have been deemed safe and well maintained, and will stick around for years to come.   Aratere ran aground last month when the autopilot was mistakenly turned on according to a leaked document.        Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says workers are still anxious because of historical technical problems.   He says there's real safety concerns for the staff manning the deteriorating ships.  Findlay told Ryan Bridge that with the given history, they need to have a very, very clear, well thought out rescue plan.   He says he’d rather be prepared than the old story of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some health workers say they want the priority to be the workforce rather than the budget.  The Health New Zealand board has been sacked and replaced with a commissioner - Lester Levy.  Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the agency is overspending by $130 million a month.  Resident Doctors' Association National Secretary Deborah Powell told Ryan Bridge it is underfunded.  She says the money they get is always in catch-up mode, and they need to get into an investment phase.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Herald this morning, the boss of traffic management firm Traffix laid into the Transport Minister, saying he and Wayne Brown don't understand how the industry works.  He says they don't charge per road cone for work, but rather per worker and truck.  He says the public's abusing his staff on site because of misinformation being spread.  The problem here is an independent report, which we spoke about yesterday, from EY.  It was pretty damning, finding said rules incentivise contractors to cause maximum disruption to maximise profits. NZTA looked at 800 maintenance work sites on highway network and found 145 of them were not needed.  Doesn't that make your blood boil?  And Auckland council alone spends $145m a year on road cones and temporary traffic management.  There was a contractor around the corner from my place who had to dig a small hole on side of road, I couldn't believe they had to actually close the road.  Small, quiet suburban street, down to one lane with stop go signs.  Madness.  I'd never say anything to workers, because it's not their fault, but clearly after the EY report and the message from NZTA, something needs to be fixed, and fast.  Wayne Brown wants the power to set fees and charge penalties if work drags on or wasn't needed in the first place.  I say give it to him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 23rd of July, Joe Biden is no longer seeking re-election and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the top job. U.S. election analyst Henry Olsen joins Ryan from the States to provide his thoughts.  Health NZ's board has been scrapped by the Government, replaced by a commissioner for the next year. Ryan speaks to the Residents Doctors Association.  A lifeline for the Interislander? A new report has found the 3 ships can run up until 2029, longer than expected. But the Maritime Union aren't happy with the results.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 22nd of July, the fallout continues from the global CrowdStrike IT outage. Ryan speaks to a tech expert on the continued fallout.  Tauranga has elected it's first council after four years of commissioners. The local Business Chamber talks to Ryan about what they want to see. Andrew Alderson wraps the weekend's sport stories - including a major player moving from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika. Plus, Ryan breaks the news of Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An IT expert believes there'll be a flurry of lawsuits on the back of Friday's global IT outage.  Microsoft estimated 8.5 million computers were disabled with a blue screen of death, and experts predict it'll be weeks before all systems fully recover.   It is believed the outage was triggered by an update from global cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.  IT expert Danu Abeysuirya told Ryan Bridge CrowdStrike failed in its responsibilities.  He says the company's in for a world of hurt via lawsuits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

German police have reportedly foiled a planned terror attack just hours before last week's UEFA Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Three suspects were reportedly detained during a series of raids of addresses in nearby Potsdam, after they were taking pictures of a fanzone and a church. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the suspects were known ISIS supporters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar Piastri has become the fifth Australian to win a Formula 1 race, after his victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. But the triumph didn't come without controversy, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris forced to give the victory to his teammate. Newstalk ZB sports reader Andrew Alderson joined Ryan Bridge to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamish Kerr - you might recall the name.  He's a high jumper, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, but so far no Olympic medal.  He's apparently looking very good for Paris - the opening ceremony kicks off this Saturday morning.  I'm getting quite excited about it.  So Kerr is peaking at just the right time - he's just taken out the men’s high jump title at the London Diamond League Athletics meet.  He cleared 2.3m - incredible stuff.  He also won in Monaco earlier this month, where he cleared 2.33m and equalled his personal best in an outdoor event.  The men’s high jump begins on August 8th for us. The opening ceremony is this Saturday morning 5:30am our time, with its peak at 7:30am for their sunset.  Anyway, I just love this. Our biggest ever athletics team heading to Paris.  There's nothing like sitting down on the couch, for hours on end, with some bikkies and a cup of tea watching these incredibly disciplined, unbelievably skilled and fit athletes perform for the world.  It's almost like because what you're watching is athletic and captivating you don't feel lazy for essentially watching hours of television.  There's something incredibly emotional about the Games too, there's always tears and joy and exhaustion.  It's humans dedicating themselves to something for years, for their life, and knowing all of that comes down to just a few seconds in a race or game or event.  It's perseverance and dedication on full display and I just love it.  To Hamish Kerr, the record 17 athletics athletes, and the entire team of 195 Kiwis wearing the fern in Paris - good luck. We'll all be watching. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concern in Tauranga about the city election's low voter turnout.   Olympic rower Mahe Drysdale has an almost 6000 vote lead in the mayoral race, with just the specials left to count.   Voter turnout's shaping up to be one of the city's lowest in a decade, with around 30 percent of residents casting their vote.   Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley told Ryan Bridge the process is struggling to engage people.  “Raises questions around is this really the full democracy that our so-called community has wanted.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

European leaders met in Britain for the 4th meeting of the European political community. The meeting hopes to unite Europe in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, beyond just the nations in the EU and NATO. UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that newly elected UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, used this is as a chance to reset the country's relationship with the EU. He says this will be helpful in addressing the issues of illegal migration across the continent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of people on a benefit has reached a new record and could keep rising, despite an uptick in sanctions.  June quarter data shows 11.9% of working-age people are receiving a benefit - the highest since December 2020.  It's an annual increase of 8.3%.  Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Rennie told Ryan Bridge the number of people on Jobseeker will keep rising.  He said unemployment is always a bad thing, as the more people working means there are more households with money in their pockets, and poverty starts to fall.   Rennie said that unemployment is never a thing you should be aiming for, it’s always something you should be avoiding.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden's under increasing pressure to stand aside as the Democratic presidential candidate as Donald Trump prepares to formally accept the Republican nomination.  Sources have told the Associated Press that both Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have privately called for Biden to step aside.  It comes as the US President continues to isolate with Covid.  Meanwhile, Marco Rubio's former Chief of Staff Matt Terrill told Ryan Bridge Trump will address the Republican National Convention this afternoon, calling for unity six days after he survived an assassination attempt.  He says a big theme for tonight's speech will be about unity not only for the Republican Party, but for the whole country.  That speech is expected to start about 2pm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns tax cuts on heated tobacco will make the product much easier for young people to access.  Customs quietly cut 50% from the excise tax at the start of the month.  Customs Minister Casey Costello says it's a trial, aiming to give smokers a cheaper alternative.  Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesperson Chris Bullen told Ryan Bridge it comes with a risk.  He says once the price drops, a new product becomes a lot more accessible for young people with disposable incomes.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 19th of July, it's the last day of the Republican National Convention - we cross live to the US and speak to Marco Rubio's former Chief of Staff.  The Government has quietly cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 50%, Ryan gets the thoughts of Health Coalition Aotearoa’s Chris Bullen.  Benefit numbers for the June quarter are in and the number of people on it is on the rise. Craig Rennie from the Council of Trade Unions speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rate cuts could arrive early as next month, banks are predicting.  Inflation fell to a 3-year low yesterday, reaching 3.3% in the June Quarter.  Although that falls outside of the Reserve Bank’s target band of 1-3%, banks have reacted positively to the move.  ANZ have cut their three year home loans rates to 6.35% and the two year rates to 6.49%.  ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Ryan Bridge they’re predicting two rate cuts before Christmas: a 25 bps cut in October, and another in November.  He said that factors such as pricing pressures, external inflation, and pressures in the housing market are beginning to ease, which the Reserve Bank can use as a positive sign that inflation will remain low once rates are cut.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport is being urged to be responsible with its charging of airlines.  A Commerce Commission draft investigation has found the airport's planned expansion is justified, and some price increases are necessary to fund the investment.  However, it found the organisation's targeted returns from airlines is around $200 million over what's reasonable.  It found that travellers would most likely bear much of that cost.  Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O’Brien told Ryan Bridge that this is the second period in a row where Auckland Airport has been found to be targeting excess profits.  She said that they’re targeting a return of 8.73% on aeronautical caps, against the Commission midpoint of 6.98%.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A US poll finds the attempted assassination of Donald Trump has had little impact on voting intention.   A Reuters poll by Ipsos shows of around 1200 voters, 43% are in favour of the Republicans and 41% intend to support the Democrats.   Of all voters, 80% agreed the country was spiralling out of control.   US correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge prominent Democrat Adam Schiff has written a letter asking Joe Biden to step down.   He says while the assassination attempt may have taken the spotlight off Biden, the issue of Democrats wanting him to step down isn't going anywhere.  On the other side of the divide, Republican vice president hopeful JD Vance is set to deliver his first speech to party faithful.   The Republican National Convention continues in Wisconsin after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump over the weekend.   McCann told Bridge the theme of the convention tonight is Make America Strong Again, with a focus on foreign policy and border security.  He says it follows last night's theme —Make America Safe Again— with a heavy emphasis on migrant crime.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The confirmation Tiwai Point is going to reduce its electricity usage next month isn't proving to be great news for everyone.   The aluminium smelter's usage agreements means Meridian Energy can request it scale back production to meet electricity demands.   But Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge production shouldn't have to be reduced, and it's a sign the gas market needs to be revitalised.  He says the country isn't in great shape, adding with declining gas reserves comes the threat of black outs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you seen the story floating around about the U.S. Secret Service?  After the assassination attempt on Trump, the internet's been going nuts.  Not just because, how did this happen? What a monumental cock-up. Who's responsible?  But also because a number of the agents trying to protect the president were women.  According to Time magazine, based on video of the shooting, one of these agents looked frazzled and couldn't get her gun back into its holster.  Another apparently frantically shouted "what are we doing? where are we going?" after the shots were fired.  Meghan McCain, daughter of former presidential nominee John McCain posted on X:  "This is why the notion of men and women being the same is just absurd. You need to be taller than the candidate to protect them with your body. Why do they have these short women guarding trump? (Trump and biden are both over 6 ft) this is embarrassing and dangerous."  Some are blaming diversity, equity and inclusion targets which aim to have 30% of the Secret Service agents women.  I remember similar angst from some male firefighters a few years back, they didn't trust smaller women to be able to pull them out of a burning building should the need arise.  Others say these arguments are sexist and women can do anything etc.  Both these arguments have merit.  It's a fact that men are generally taller and bigger than women.  But that doesn't mean all men are.  I can think of many women taller and bigger than me who could frankly beat the crap out of me.  If I needed a bodyguard, or saving from a burning building, their sex wouldn't bother me.  But if the person is smaller and not as strong, whether it's a Secret Service agent of a firefighter, shouldn't there be minimum standards that apply to ensure safety?  I think Meghan McCain has a point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of July, inflation data is out, and it's much better than expected - banks are now predicting rates cuts as early as August. Ryan speaks to ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith.  Tiwai aluminium smelter has been asked to reduce their electricity output to help with hydro levels - do we need to find renewable alternatives?  The Commerce Commission says Auckland Airport is charging too much, Ryan speaks to the Airline Representatives group.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of Indian farmers have been freed from “slave-like” working conditions in Northern Italy.  The 33 workers were lured to the country with the promise of jobs and a better future.  Allegedly, they were forced to work more than ten hours a day, seven days a week, their tiny wage used to pay off debts to the alleged gangmasters.  Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that when the men were arrested, they had over three quarters of a million AUD on them.   He said that the 33 workers are now being looked after by social services and migrant support.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latest data due out this morning is expected to show inflation is slowing down faster than expected but will it be enough to bring down interest rates?  ANZ's Henry Russell and Infometrics' Brad Olsen expect a headline rate of 3.3%, but driven by offshore factors.  Russell says a lot of the decline in inflation is being driven by things like food prices, fuel and airfares and Olsen says the Reserve Bank will be more worried about "non-tradable" domestic inflation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s confidence Māori health outcomes won't be impacted by Pharmac focussing on health determinants rather than ethnicity.   In a letter of expectations to Pharmac Board Chair Paula Bennett, David Seymour says he doesn't think its commitment to embedding the Treaty of Waitangi is appropriate, and it’s no longer expected.  Seymour says the drug-buying agency's burnt a lot of energy doing that over recent years.   Patient Voice Aotearoa's Malcolm Mulholland told Ryan Bridge he's okay with that directive.   He says there was never any evidence that the Treaty provisions within Pharmac's decision making process led to more Māori accessing medicine.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rolling out of more speed camera signs has support from the AA.  Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced more than 100 signs will go up across the country, giving people the opportunity to check their speed and avoid tragic consequences.  AA Road Safety Spokesperson Dylan Thomsen told Ryan Bridge it's a positive move.   He says they expect to see a reduction in tickets being dished out at high-risk sites, meaning fewer drivers exceeding the speed limit.   Thomsen describes it as a long time coming.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of July, the Consumer Price Index is out - most banks are predicting a drop, but what does it mean for you? Ryan finds out.  New expectations for our drug buying agency Pharmac, what do patient advocates think of David Seymour's letter?  Speed camera warning signs are being put up across the country - are we going to see a reduction in the number of fines issued?  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm not a huge fan of former PMs sticking their oar into the water of current political debates.  Not only are their thoughts rooted in briefings given by officials long ago, but when attacking a sitting Prime Minister, they tend to sound a bit whingy and out-of-touch.  This is the case of Helen Clark and Don Brash, who've issued a statement condemning Christopher Luxon for comments he made to the Financial Times on the sidelines of NATO in Washington D.C..  Luxon said a few things: 1. We need to call out China more for spying. 2. He's hoping to sign a deal that would see NZ able to deploy military assets to the Philippines, which has long running and regular disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. 3. He's keen on our military joining the U.S. and Australia in conducting joint military exercises inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. 4. He spoke about NZ being a "force multiplier" for Australia, the U.S., and other partners. Clark and Brash are tut-tutting this, which comes off the back of the AUKUS debate, and wades into another long-running one - the $38-billion debate.  That's what two-way trade between China and New Zealand is worth, remember it was Clark and then Foreign Minister Phil Goff who signed the FTA that got us there.  They reckon this tough talk and cosying-up to the US is undermining our "independent foreign policy" and could lead to us being punished by China at the port.  China's no bigger a spy-threat to us than other countries, they reckon.  Here's the thing though, Luxon hasn't actually changed much in the way of foreign policy yet. Plus, the full Financial Times article also quotes him saying we're pursuing a balanced strategy with China on trade, renewable energy and people-to-people ties.  What's more, the current PM is getting more up to date briefings on China's cyber threat than Clark or Brash...  And when it comes down to it, most of us would agree we'd side with America and Australia if war returned to the Pacific theatre, wouldn't we?  Isn't Luxon just laying out what's realistically bound to happen?  In saying all of that, Australia learnt the hard way what poking the bear can do to your exports, so it's an area we should tread carefully, but perhaps some are now better placed than others to walk that tight rope. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s Opposition leader is edging ahead in the polls amid growing economic concerns.  A national Resolve poll saw Peter Dutton eclipse Anthony Albanese as preferred Prime Minister for the first time, backed by 36% of voters compared to Albanese’s 35%.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge support for the Coalition lifted from 36% to 38%, while Labour remains on 28%.  She said that it’s the lowest level since Albanese took power at the last election in 2022.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief the Government's new service for young job seekers is a nudge in the right direction.  Social Development Minister Louise Upston's announced a new phone case management service for people on the Jobseeker Benefit, due to expand to 4000 people.   18-24-year-olds will receive monthly calls, with benefit sanctions if the person misses the call without good reason.  Employment Relations expert Max Whitehead told Ryan Bridge it's important job seekers are held to account.  He says it's good having someone there to encourage you not to waste potential job opportunities.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Republican National Convention is beginning in the United States after the attempted assassination of presidential candidate Donald Trump.   Trump's expected to pick his running mate today.   Meanwhile, a Florida judge has dismissed the criminal case accusing the former president of illegally keeping classified documents after leaving office.  FSN correspondent Ira Spitzer told Ryan Bridge there's a sense of excitement in Milwaukee.  He says the convention will run into the later hours of the evening and at some point, they expect to hear who the person is.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is defending the Government's pay increase for police, despite concerns of a mass exodus.  An independent arbitrator has ruled in favour of the Government's offer which includes a $1500 lump payment, an at least $5000 backdated wage increase, and increased overtime pay from July next year.  However, many cops are unhappy.   Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge while he understands where they're coming from, the government worked hard to put this together.   He says they've had a huge hospital pass and put together what they think is a fair package.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of July, Donald Trump has had his classified documents case dismissed by a judge, we cross live to the US.  The Government wins the long running Police pay dispute - Ryan asks Police Minister Mark Mitchell if he's expecting more police to move to Australia as a result.  Young people on the job seeker benefit now have to do consultations with MSD over the phone - is this going to get more people off the benefit and into jobs?  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've just adopted a hope, wait, and see approach to policing in this country.  This at a time when crime is out of control, people don't feel safe in their own homes and on city streets. 150-thousand retail crimes were reported last year.  Despite their best efforts, our cops are struggling to keep up and they've just been delivered a slap in the face by the government.  The Police Association has lost its final-offer arbitration over pay increases, meaning the government won.  Chris Cahill says he can now only "hope" that officers won't move to Aussie en masse, where pay is way higher and conditions much better.  On the face of it, the offer actually looks pretty good.  Along with a lump sum and overtime being paid —not to be scoffed at— the increases are actually 4% from July 1, back dated, and a further 4% from 2025.  If we believe Adrian Orr and Co's predictions about inflation hitting the target 1-3% later this year, then the increase will actually beat inflation.  Sounds alright, right?  Not when you consider the crap sandwich they've been dealt the past few years.  Under Labour inflation was as out of control, as was crime, running at 6-7%.  During that time their annual pay increased only 3.5%.  The Police Union says it basically had to suck it up and take the deal because if they went for more it might mean job cuts.  So do we want fewer, higher paid cops or more lower paid cops?  The reality is we might get the worst of both worlds if they up sticks and cross the ditch, we would have fewer police, and the rest would be feeling underpaid and overworked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 15th of July, Donald Trump is shot in an assassination attempt - Ryan speaks with a presidential historian. An increase in Kainga Ora evictions, but is community-run housing the way forward? The All Blacks narrowly won against England over the weekend. We cross to Auckland where the pubs are already busy ahead of the Euro finals. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barring any other major, ugly affronts to democracy this U.S. election season, the image of a bloodied former president surrounded by Secret Service agents gripping his fist and pumping it into the air after narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt will be one of the most enduring and iconic. He's reported to be saying fight, fight. fight, with a somewhat understandably angry look on his face. Donald Trump cheated death. Questions are no doubt being asked about how and why this could have happened, as they should. How did 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, wearing grey camouflage clothing, manage to scale the roof of a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm show grounds with his dad's AR 15 rifle? What's interesting, of all the eye witness interviews I watched over the weekend, all felt not surprised, it was only a matter of time. Why? After the shooting Republican senator J.D. Vance. a potential Trump running mate, blamed the Biden campaign for inciting the violence. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Another Trump ally senator, Tim Scott, said on social media - “Let’s be clear: this was an assassination attempt aided and abetted by the radical left and corporate media incessantly calling trump a threat to democracy, fascists, or worse,” At this time, we don't know the shooter's motive, and it should be pointed out that Trump often uses inflammatory language too. Is there a lesson here for our political leaders, for the Chloe's chanting river to the sea? The Māori Party calling Luxon a white supremacist, for David Seymour is doubling down on saying he fantasised about sending Guy Fawkes into the Ministry of Pacific Peoples. The fact is, you don't know what nutbar is out there listening and waiting for a cause big enough to prompt some sort of lone-wolf attack. Here most attacks are pretty minor, a dildo to the face, lamington on the head. John Key was attacked by two men at Waitangi in 2009. So the question is whether the use of extreme political language can raise the temperature and cause violence. Clearly Hitler answers that question. So politicians here on the far left like Chloe and Waititi should take note and lower the tone of some of their attacks. Same with far-right keyboard warriors. But I'd hate to see the day where our pollies can't joke and take the piss and be forthright with their words just because some idiot might be at home with a shotgun harbouring hate. The question for the U.S. now is - does this quell the extreme left and right, or will this bloodshed be answered with more bloodshed? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing debate about what the alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump will do to a politically turbulent America. Trump was hit in the ear by a bullet after a shooter opened fire at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Presidential historian Allan Lichtman says the political violence may well have a silver lining, as it did after the shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981. "Instead of seeking revenge or attacking his political opponents, he formed a campaign for gun control - and for a while, it brought the country together." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newly-established UK Government is set to unveil at least 35 new bills as part of the first King's speech of its tenure. The raft of bills will likely include promises impacting housing, transport, jobs and clean energy - in line with Keir Starmer's mission for Britain. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says it's likely more will be revealed during Wednesday's announcement.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks managed to hold on to their record at Eden Park, largely thanks to Beauden Barrett's performance. The veteran fullback's 125th test match offered a game-changing 29 minutes of tactical kicking as well as setting up the go-ahead try by Mark Tele'a - leading to a 24-17 win over England. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson explains further, LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's stronger approach towards unruly Kainga Ora tenants has resulted in more being evicted. Housing Minister Chris Bishop ordered the public housing agency to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework in March this year, and strengthen management of disruptive tenants. Since then, 14 tenancies have been terminated, compared to only 8 last year. Community Housing Aotearoa chief executive Paul Gilberd says there were no consequences for the last six years. "It's a matter of last resort, the numbers are increasing because they were not evicting people at all - that's operating from a very low base. There's a whole lot of other considerations here we need to take into account." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a nail bitingly close match last week, the All Blacks are facing England in their second test of the season.  Both squads have been named with almost no changes except Finlay Christie replacing TJ Perenara following his injury.  England’s Joe Marler is also out of commission, being replaced with Fin Baxter.  They’ll be facing off at a packed out Eden Park on Saturday.  ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge that for the All Blacks, last week was more about setting some systems in place and this week is about fine tuning that.  He said they got the win last week, and with that up on the board, it’s time to improve.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden's mental capacity hasn't been a consideration for Christopher Luxon in his meeting with the US President.  He's had a chance to discuss Indo-Pacific issues with Biden at the NATO summit in Washington DC.  The Prime Minister says Biden was sharp and "on top of his brief".  He says Biden wanted to discuss US engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, and their interactions were positive and very engaging.  NZ Herald Political Editor Claire Trevett told Ryan Bridge that NATO leaders are nervous to comment on Biden’s mental state as Trump is less friendly towards the organisation.  She suspects things will get a bit messy once NATO is finished and Bien is no longer being made a fool of in front of world leaders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever tried to buy a pair of shoes online recently? What about a book? Or even book a haircut? You would have been asked a billion questions. It starts with what day and time you want your haircut. Yep, fine, but then they want your; name, address, birthdate, postal address, how did you hear about us? What shampoo do you use? I didn't ask for all that. At this point I'd rather pull my hair out in clumps than sit here and answer all these stupid, irrelevant questions. I've been trying to get paid this week. I realise this is dangerous ground to be treading, I've only been here a week and the people are great but the processes, again, absurd. You'd think they just want my bank account number, IRD number and tax code. No. Every personal detail under the sun - my sex, title, home address, ethnicity. This sent me into a tailspin, why do you need to the colour of my skin to pay me? It's not a legal requirement, and the stupid drop-down box wasn't working. I tried to select European but wouldn't let me. What the hell do you need to know if I'm Indian for? Are you paying me in Rupees? Would my wages turn up in Dong if I tick Vietnamese? The reason I ask, and this goes for pretty every company on the planet, I just don't trust them. Some Nigerian or Russian hacker will ram-raid their system at some point, and before you know it the world knows I'm an Indian male being paid XYZ. It's totally unnecessary. I did an official calculation and I think I spend roughly 75% of my day filling in useless forms online. I don't sleep anymore, I just fill in forms. And why is this important? Well, thousands of companies have thousands of bits of data about us. They sell it, wax lyrical about online safety, then get hacked and barely apologise. It happens all the time. So, I've come up with an annoyingly named, hyperbolic bill which I'm hoping the government will pick up. The “Excessive Digital Information Collection Protection Bill.” For every question they ask us, we get $5. I want a reject all cookies function like they have in Europe, and I want the ability to sue if my data is stolen. I hate it. I hate that we can't just pick up the phone and get stuff done anymore. Happy Friday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers are hopeful, but wary, of the government's latest move to tackle retail crime.  It's announced a Ministerial Advisory Group for the victims of the continuing problem.  The group will speak with victims, workers and business owners over the next two years - before putting forward proposals to address offending. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge it's a positive move - but the solutions are pretty clear.  Young says that includes more visible police presence on the streets and quick action to apprehend offenders.  She says there is worry among retailers this will become a "talk-fest."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 12th of July. The Government has a new Ministerial Advisory Group on retail crime, but is it actually going to make a difference? It looks like the Prime Minister has had a "pull aside" meeting with US President Joe Biden. And the All Blacks face England again this weekend, one week on from the nail biting finish in Dunedin, Ryan speaks to Rugby Editor Elliott Smith ahead of the big game. Forms - we fill them out all the time, but Ryan wants to know why companies ask all these unnecessary details.   Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists' Official Cash Rate expectations have proven correct.  It's staying at 5.5% for the eight consecutive time.  But the Reserve Bank's tone has softened, and they’re hinting that inflation will return to its 1-3% target by the year's end.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Ryan Bridge that the Reserve Bank was pretty careful to leave all their options open regarding a rate cut.  She said that they see it as tilting the risks a little bit towards earlier cuts, but essentially, it’s going to be the data that decides when the inflation data is released next week.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An activist group is calling the Government's new climate change plan meaningless.  Minister Simon Watts has unveiled a five-point strategy for dealing with climate change which focuses on preparedness, clean energy, tech and nature-based solutions, and market support.   350 Aotearoa Co-Director Lisa McLaren told Ryan Bridge the announcement doesn't mean anything when the Government plans on making mining easier.  She says the plan is fundamentally inconsistent with the Government's other policies it's released since taking office.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 11th of July the OCR is out and the Reserve Bank's outlook is looking better than expected.  A five-point strategy for climate change has been released by the Government, but is there actually a strategy behind it or is it just words? Ryan finds out.  Building costs have dropped for the first time in 12 years, but so have the number of new construction projects. Ryan speaks to NZ Certified Builders' Malcolm Fleming.  Nancy Pelosi drops the equivalent of a NATO bomb on her old buddy Joe Biden, saying he needs to make a decision about running for re-election.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor and Democratic donor George Clooney has urged Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.   All eyes have been on Biden at the NATO summit in Washington DC.   Nancy Pelosi says time is running short for him to make a decision.   US correspondent Katherine Firkin told Ryan Bridge Clooney has written an essay in the New York Times saying they need a new nominee.   He says the Joe Biden he was with three weeks ago wasn't the Biden of 2010.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now could be the best time to build a house after costs fall for the first time in more than a decade.   Corelogic's Construction Cost Index shows building costs have dropped 1.1% in the three months to June.   It looks at the price of labour, material, plant hire, and subcontract services.  Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming told Ryan Bridge that global supply chains are no longer disrupted.   He says costs are returning to pre-pandemic levels while manufacturers and distributors are being more competitive.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy Pelosi's just dropped the equivalent of a NATO bomb on her old buddy Joe Biden.  The former house speaker is well connected and respected in the Democrat party.  Appearing on cable TV, she had this to say when asked about Biden's critics attacking his mental capacity during the NATO summit:  "I want him to do whatever he decides to do."  "Let's just hold off, whatever you're thinking either tell somebody privately, but you don't have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week."  She added that Biden should make a decision about whether to continue to bid for re-election.  So, what's the problem with that?  Well Biden's already said, "I'm running and going to win again!”  So now you have one the most influential people in the Democratic party saying he needs to make a decision about whether to run.  That decision should be made after NATO.  Despite the White House saying this is all over and move on, it's huge and it doesn't stop there.  Overnight, Michael Bennett is now the first democratic senator to publicly say Joe Biden can't win.  "Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide."  In a political crisis there are headlines like gunfire, then there are bombs which cause massive, often irreversible, damage to a candidate.  They can change the direction of a war, a turning point.  Make no mistake, when this happens in politics it's always actually worse when it's friendly fire.  Remember, two days of NATO to go and one solo commander-in-chief press conference on Thursday to end this 75th anniversary NATO summit.  The only question now is whether it could also become the platform for the 82-year-old president to end his political career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is expected to make a “short and sweet” announcement today.  Economists are expecting the OCR to remain untouched at 5.5%, as it has the last six times.  Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge that the Reserve Bank said in May that interest rates would have to remain restrictive for a protracted period to get inflation down, so not much has changed for them. While some banks are predicting a cut this year, Westpac is holding firm on their prediction of early next year.  Eckhold said that they don’t think that will change today, and while they’re all hoping there will be some interest rate relief soon, the reality is that inflation won't go away by itself.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An EV advocacy group isn’t in favour of the changes to the clean car standards.  Transport Minister Simeon Brown's announced he's scaling back the previous Government's emissions standards, which charged importers for higher emitting vehicles.  Pollution targets for imported vehicles have been reduced, loosening penalties for importers of dirty cars.  Drive Electric Chair Kirstin Corson told Ryan Bridge that we’re heading in the wrong direction.  She said that although the legislation is set to align with Australia, it actually doesn’t.  Corson said that Australia’s penalties are a lot tougher than New Zealand’s, and they also have federal and state incentives in every state, so it’s much more appealing to go EV there.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The run at Wimbledon of New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun has come to an end.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the 23-year-old has been beaten in three sets by 28-year-old Croatian Donna Vekic.  After winning the first set, and looking composed throughout much of the second in a classic back-and-forth slugfest, Sun looked on the edge of advancing further at just her second grand slam. However, she didn’t have an answer in the deciding set as the unseeded Croatian took control to book her maiden grand slam semifinal appearance.  Seven victories at Wimbledon means you’re the champion. Sun had seven under her belt before the quarter-final after coming through three qualifying wins and four more to reach the final eight, but she looked to run out of steam in the last set as rain poured down on the roof at Court 1.  Vekic will next play either seventh Jasmine Paolini or American Emma Navarro, 19th seed, for a spot in the final.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday the 10th of July it's OCR day, and Ryan speaks to Westpac's chief economist who isn't expecting a change any time soon.  A change to our clean car standards is on the way, but Drive Electric aren't in favour.  SailGP is on the way to Auckland next year, are dolphins going to be an issue? Ryan finds out.  The UK is talking about an inheritance tax of up to 40% and there are whispers of our Labour party looking at one as well.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's leg of SailGP will bring the boats to the spectators.   The event will hold its first ever leg in Auckland in January.   Auckland was supposed to hold an event last year, but that was cancelled after land use issues with Wynyard Quarter.   Sail World Editor Richard Gladwell says Wynyard Point will probably be the main spectator base with necessary infrastructure already in place.   He told Ryan Bridge the boats may even come a little too close.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm always a little bit paranoid about what governments are planning and what kind of taxes that they're scheming up.  Look at the UK, which recently elected Labour and Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister. They are talking about the potential of fiddling with their inheritance tax.  They have one, we don't. On Heather's show yesterday we heard about the Labour Party in New Zealand weighing up whether to introduce one.  I hate the idea of it. In the UK it's 40% and they paid £7.5 billion in death duties last year, which is a huge increase and this is largely because property prices have gone up.  Governments all over the world are running out of money and they're running out of ways to tax people, and this one's quite appealing to a lot of them.  If you look at the UK in particular, the number paying death duties is expected to jump from 33,000 this year to nearly 44,000 by the end of the next Parliament.  That is a very tempting number for a government that needs new ways of finding revenue. And this is obviously the post war baby boomer generation now approaching the average life expectancy.  So look out for governments all around the world as they'll be looking at ways to tax us more. I'm not saying it's going to happen here, obviously there was a hint that Labour might be planning something.  I don't like the idea of this. Keep out of our business, please.  If somebody is dying in your family, the last thing you want to think about is the 40% you got to pay to the tax man, right? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alice Springs is under another curfew.  Australia’s Northern Territory Police Commissioner has declared another curfew, lasting three nights, following a string of violent incidents in the outback town.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that this time the curfew applies to both children and adults, unlike the one in March that only applied to youth.  She said that the NT Police Minister Brent Potter says it’s been a “horror 72 hours”, beginning with a police officer being run over outside a bottle shop on Friday night.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The changes to New Zealand’s medical cannabis export regulations are being called a ‘game changer’.  Exports will now only have to meet the standards of the importing jurisdiction, rather than New Zealand’s standards.  It will also streamline the licensing process for growers, and update testing and laboratory requirements.  Sally King, Director of the New Zealand Medical Cannabis Council, told Ryan Bridge that it’s one of those examples of overregulation that is being untangled.  She said that at the moment we don’t export much medical cannabis at all, but the change is really going to open up the opportunity for New Zealand cultivators and manufacturers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An aviation expert says Boeing's management would be in jail if it were subject to New Zealand law.   The company's agreed to a guilty plea around defrauding American regulators.   It could pay up to half-a-billion US dollars to avoid prosecution.   The lawsuit relates to two Boeing 737 Max jets that crashed in Indonesia in 2018 —and Ethiopia the year later— leaving hundreds dead.  Irene King told Ryan Bridge that prosecution is just one part of the equation.   She doesn't think it does enough to improve the company's performance or safety.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darlene Tana doesn't think natural justice has been followed.   The Green Party's requested the MP resign from Parliament after receiving the investigation into alleged migrant exploitation at her husband's business.   Tana's been suspended on full pay for 115-days, earning over $40 thousand in that time.  The former Green MP doesn't accept the findings and claims it substantially misrepresents her level of involvement in her husband's business.  Former National ministerial advisor Brigitte Morton told Ryan Bridge that Tana has all the cards in her hands.   She says unless the Green's backflip on the waka jumping legislation and invoke it, she can sit there as long as she wants.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Question: how do the greens save money on marketing photoshoot costs for the next election?  Answer: just use their candidates' mugshots.  Now that's obviously a joke... they're not all criminals.  But there were a few criminally absurd things that happened during yesterday's press conference about Darleen Tana.  Chloe got a bit grumpy when a reporter asked, repeatedly, why the Greens are asking Tana to resign and shunning her in public, when old-mate Julie Anne Genter's still in the party despite multiple aggressive bullying allegations.  The implication was the Greens must be a bit racist towards Tana cause she's Māori.  Chloe was outraged. She rejected it. She refuted it. It was a reductive argument. Tana has done x,y,z and Julie Anne a,b,c.  The irony of the party best known for calling everyone else in the room racist till they’re blue in the face not being accused themselves of racism over not one, in Tana, two in Kerikeri, but three MP's (Turei), was almost too much for new co-leader to take.  The second thing to note here is how little we actually know about what has gone on here and how much Tana was involved.  The Greens won't say what was in the report, the report's not public, Tana rejects the report's findings, she says it doesn't substantiate any claims of migrant exploitation, let alone her alleged involvement in them.  The biggest irony here is the Greens, the principled party, not ruling out waka-jumping Tana using a bill they hated and have fought vehemently against for the best part of 20 years.  A lesson for new political leaders in expediency, absurdity, and how to save money with a mugshot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 9th July.  The Darleen Tana report is out and the Greens have called for her to resign from Parliament, but will she actually leave?  Boeing pleads guilty to criminal fraud after the US Justice Department found they violated a settlement agreement following two fatal crashes. Ryan speaks to NZ aviation expert Irene King.  Changes are on the way for our medicinal cannabis export market, he speaks to Sally King from the Medicinal Cannabis Council.  Ryan asks why the double standard from the Greens - Darleen Tana was asked to resign but not Julie-Anne Genter who has multiple bullying allegations against her.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's looking more likely the fast tracked roads of national significance will be tolled.  Construction will begin in the next three years, but exact time frames and costs are not yet known, sparking fears from freight and transport companies.  Transporting NZ Interim Chief Executive Dom Kalasih joins Ryan Bridge on Early Edition to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second round of voting has begun in the French election, just a week after the far right National Rally Party won a third of votes.  Cabinet in the UK is meeting for the first time since Labour won the election.  French cyclist Julien Bernard is being fined for kissing his wife during a Tour de France time trial.  UK and Europe correspondent Gavin Grey discusses all of this with Ryan Bridge on Early Edition.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from Infometrics and Foodstuffs show costs from suppliers to supermarkets rose by 2.7% in June.  Costs were up in all departments compared to last year, with around 2,000 items up in price from May to June.  Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan joins Ryan Bridge to discuss why.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 8th of July, Newstalk ZB welcomes Ryan for his first programme.  It's looking likely the government will toll the new Roads of National Significance - Ryan found out that's something the freight industry supports.  Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan speaks to the costs from suppliers to supermarkets are still increasing.  He challenges Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr to look at the "real economy" when the next OCR review comes.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The principal of an online high school is broadening the conversation about children's screen time.   In an article in today's Medical Journal a group of experts calls for breaks, the use of blinking exercises, more hearing and visions tests for children, and more research on the dangers of screens.   But Mark Phillips, Principal of online high school Crimson Global Academy, told Mike Hosking the time spent on screens isn't the primary concern.    He believes it's more about the content a child is watching on the screen, rather than how long they're doing it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dunedin is abuzz ahead of the first All Blacks test of the 2024 season.  They take on England at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow night - and it's Scott Robertson's first match in charge.   His first side includes Stephen Perofeta ahead of Beauden Barrett at fullback and Samipeni Finau edging Ethan Blackadder for the number six jersey. Newstalk ZB's Rugby Editor Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking he's expecting a tight contest.  Listen to commentary tomorrow from 7.05pm on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain's Conservative Party is bracing for a huge loss, with only a few hours to go till polling booths close. Keir Starmer's Labour is expected to close a 14 year chapter of Tory rule. Projections expect them to have up to 431 MPs out of 650, with the Tories plummet to 102 MPs. UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking the Liberal Democrats are now fighting for third place. He says it will be a dramatic night in politics. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party says building more houses requires support from all sides.   Housing Minister Chris Bishop will today announce the plan to flood the largest cities with land for housing development.   Councils won't be able to set fixed rural-urban boundaries or mandate minimum floor area and balconies.   Instead, the market will decide.  Labour Housing Spokesperson, Kieran McAnulty told Mike Hosking not all government decisions will be dumb.   He's backing it, to give the construction sector some certainty.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A housing expert is backing the move to overhaul Kainga Ora leadership.   The Housing Minister's announced a refreshed board and new expectations to reduce operating losses. It follows a review by former Prime Minister Bill English saying the ministry's been financially unsustainable.   Former CEO of Monte Cecilia Housing Trust Bernie Smith says private community housing providers can be better at supporting tenants.   He told Mike Hosking that Kainga Ora's previous board made unilateral decisions which negatively affected the market.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American President Joe Biden continues to face pressure from his own party.  A new Reuters Ipsos poll shows Biden and former president Donald Trump neck and neck on 40% support among registered voters.  Biden's recent debate performance against Trump has prompted calls for him to step aside.  US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking there have been persistent rumours of panic between the Democrats.  She says part of the renewed effort to calm the public is Biden agreeing to an interview with ABC news tomorrow night.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The primary teachers union says the Government's new school tests won't make a difference.   The Government's introducing phonics checks done after 20 weeks of schooling and repeated at 40 weeks.   Progression monitoring on reading, writing, and maths will also be introduced for children in Years 3 through 8, and done twice a year.   NZEI president Mark Potter told Mike Hosking teachers already assess, analyse, and use that to inform their teaching.  He says there's not that many that don't use these tests, but if they don't, they'll have other assessments that give similar information.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former UK nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of trying to murder another newborn baby.  It adds to convictions last year that made her the United Kingdom's most prolific serial killer of modern times.  The 34-year-old was found guilty last August of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working at a Chester Hospital.  She went on trial last month for a second time for the attempted murder of a baby girl after the original jury failed to reach a verdict.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that when the verdict was read the parents gasped while Letby showed no emotion in the dock.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A principal says the number of students going on holidays during the school term has dropped.  Flight Centre data shows a 30% reduction in family bookings during the school term compared to last year.  But the bookings during winter school holidays are up 10%.  General Manager Heidi Walker says it's likely due to the Government's focus on truancy.  Avonside Girls High principal Catherine Law told Mike Hosking that they've seen some significant pattern changes.  She says they're seeing an upward trend in improved overall attendance.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A media commentator says a Bill to make tech platforms pay for news has a decent shot at bringing change.   The Government's progressing an amended version of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill to make digital platforms like Facebook pay for using news content.  National and NZ First are supporting it, while ACT's invoking its right to 'agree to disagree' and will oppose the Bill.   The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive told Mike Hosking Australia was the poster boy for such a scheme, but Meta has signalled that it won't renew.   He says there's a change from the consumer side, but from a revenue perspective there's money flowing that wasn't before.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is urging the Government to pick up the pace with replacing the RMA system.   The percentage of applications processed within statutory time frames is falling, from 89% in 2020-2021, to a record low of 76% the next year.   Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper told Mike Hosking that the Government is taking it seriously, but the window is narrowing.   He says the data highlights the urgency and replacing the RMA is the most meaningful long term economic reform the government could deliver for them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s big four banks have been hit with a raft of cyber-attacks.  The systems of NAB, CommBank, ANZ, and Westpac were being hit every minute of every day, leaving customers increasingly vulnerable to scams.  The attackers were trying to gain access to the banks’ computer systems, deny services to customers, use malicious code, or breach security logins.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that the banks say that they’ve spent a fortune trying to protect themselves from this, to a sum of about $3 billion a year.  A few hours after, she said, quotes were released from Chris Sheehan calling it a type of warfare, saying that every person who uses one of the big four banks is at risk.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of liquidations is starting to rise as small and medium-sized businesses are suffering from a lack of sales.  Businesses are seeing a lack of overall sales, with some people putting off big purchases.  More people are paying their phone bills and mortgages on time in the month, but late payments are up year-on-year.   Centrix Managing Director Keith McLaughlin told Mike Hosking that the level of liquidations in the month of May have been at a 10 year record.  He says the trend is increasing, which is of more concern.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says he's starting to see change when it comes to crime, but there's a long way to go.   The Government's committed to passing four pieces of law and order legislation in the next quarter.   It includes allowing police to ban gang patches, confiscate firearms, more efficiency in the courts, and more rehabilitation for on-remand prisoners.   Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that their plans are a combination of new law and changes to how police are policing.   He says his letter of expectation to them asked for change in how police deal with gang convoys, and getting on top of the boy racer issue.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's committed to passing four pieces of law and order legislation in the next quarter.   It includes enabling police to ban gang patches and confiscate firearms.   They'll also improve efficiency in the courts system and increase access to rehabilitation for on-remand prisoners.   Police Association president Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that they're liking what they see   He says there's a lot of action and the public would generally say it's what they want to see, which police officers would support.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced a goal of between 80 and 90% of people seeking specialist and primary services getting that help faster.  Shaun Robinson, Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive, says more is needed.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France is going to the polls today, with early voting hinting at a change of Presidency.  UK politicians are doing their final push for votes ahead of Thursday's election.  UK and Europe correspondent Gavin Grey has all the latest.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Lando Norris and McLaren to the T20 Cup, Andrew Alderson brings you all the sporting updates from over the weekend.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump went head to head in Atlanta last week in the first Presidential debate of this campaign cycle.  The debate was not a good look for the Democrat side, with calls for Biden to stand down as their nominee.  The Spectator's Washington Editor Amber Athey told Mike Hosking it was a result many were expecting.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump go live in Atlanta tomorrow afternoon, New Zealand time.  The televised US election debate is the earliest in the campaign since 1960, with Americans going to the polls in just over four months.  It's the third time the US President and the former President will go head to head after two heated encounters in 2020.   The Spectator's Washington Editor Amber Athey  says the debates don't have as much sway on voters as most pundits would like to believe they do.   She told Mike Hosking that this one will mostly be about showing who's physically and mentally fit to be President.  Athey says so long as you can get through it relatively successfully, not much will change where voters stand on the candidates.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two astronauts are likely to remain stuck in space into July.   Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to return on the Boeing Starliner about two weeks ago after an eight day stint in space.   US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that there have been several issues including malfunctioning thrusters and helium leaks.   She says we're being told they have plenty of supplies, and worst case they can hitch a ride on Space X's Dragon Space Craft which is also attached to the International Space Station.  Firkin says it's not great news for Boeing, when it comes to their PR.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s uncertainty over whether Corrections has capacity, with more prisoners on the way.   The Government's sentencing law reforms will mean longer sentences and up to 1700 more inmates every year.   Corrections Association's Floyd du Plessis says the prisons are currently full, and while there are more beds in theory, they aren't adequately staffed for them yet.   He told Mike Hosking that more applications are coming through for corrections roles, but the number of viable candidates isn't where it needs to be.   du Plessis says there needs to be more focus on getting real people through the door and into employment.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Gisborne Civil Defence manager says they're now dealing with the clean up from this week's severe weather.   States of emergency in the Wairoa District and Hastings Heretaunga Ward remain in place.  Roads were closed and people evacuated after heavy rain lashed the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions yesterday.   Wairoa District Council says 400 properties have been impacted, more than 100 significantly.   Gisborne Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Manager Ben Green told Mike Hosking that wind was the major issue.   He says the challenge with that was power lines and a significant number of trees down across roads.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First has invoked the Agree-to-Disagree Coalition clause.  Winston Peters says his Party doesn't support the Government continuing the Covid Commission of Inquiry in its current form.   The clause is nestled within New Zealand First's Governance agreement with National, allowing Peters and his MPs to speak publicly about a Cabinet decision.   He's used it voice opposition to the Government splitting the inquiry into two phases, saying the first phase was nothing more than a Labour Party political tool.  Peters agrees with Phase Two, focusing on vaccine efficacy and safety, and the extended lockdowns in Auckland and Northland.  Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking that as Christopher Luxon said, this is a mature way to go about it.  He said that this is exactly how it’s supposed to work between the two parties, which is why the clause was written into the coalition agreement in the first place.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A gambling scandal is causing a rocky run up to next week's UK election.   Six police officers, including a member of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's protection team, are in hot water after allegedly placing bets on the election date.   UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that it's an extraordinary saga, with two Conservative MPs now suspended after also facing accusations.   But he says because they're already on the ticket, they can still be voted on and will have to stand as independents if they win a seat.   The Gambling Commission has also launched an investigation into a now suspended Labour candidate.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s hopes a spike in global shipping prices won't stay around for long.  Conflict in the Red Sea has caused shipping costs to jump three times higher than the rates seen at end of last year.  But, ASB Senior economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking, the impact on inflation will depend on how long prices remain high.  He says the prices have spiked quickly, but it's still early days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest in the Julian Assange saga is being coined a dark day in American history and press freedom.  The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to violating US espionage law and will be sentenced to 62 months of time already served before going free.   Freedom of the Press' Director of Advocacy Seth Stern told Mike Hosking that it's a case that the former Trump administration should never have pursued.    He says the Biden administration purports to be friends of the free press, so for them to have continued this for years before finding a way out is disturbing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is taking a firm stance on vaping.  The sale of vapes will be restricted to pharmacies from next week, as the Greens agree to pass a proposed ban.  However, the Government has agreed to water down restrictions that would have required adults to obtain a prescription.   Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that this has sparked anger, as pharmacists say that they should be prescription only.  She said that restrictions will still be in place regarding packaging and flavours, limiting the products to plain packaging and mint, menthol, and tobacco flavours.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Robertson’s All Blacks squad has been announced, with Scott Barrett taking the captaincy.  He’s taking over the duties from Sam Cane, with Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett sharing the vice-captaincy.  Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Mike Hosking that he doubts there’ll be any drastic changes right off the bat.  He said that if they’re going to change their playstyle, they’ll do it incrementally as time goes on, and they have plenty of time to do that.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cancer Society says yesterday was a momentous day but there's still a bit of uncertainty around Pharmac's funding boost.   The Government's committed $604 million, taken in advance from next year's Budget.   It will cover the funding for 54 new medicines, including 26 cancer treatments.   Cancer Society chief executive Rachael Hart told Mike Hosking that it's been an incredibly stressful time so the news brings some relief, but the uncertainty doesn't end.   She says cancer patients still don't know when the drugs will be funded, and when you're shelling out thousands of dollars a month, every month matters.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland will soon have Police on the beat 24/7.  Community Beat Teams will be based in major centres, with 63 officers in Auckland, 17 in Wellington and 10 in Christchurch.  It's the Police and Government's newest plan to crackdown on crime rates.  Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking “We want to make sure that we have a safe city – not one that’s plagued with sleepers drug dealers and disorderly behaviour.”  Mitchell said “They’ve already increased foot patrols in the city – but now they’re increasing the number of dedicated police officers that will be out there and highly visible doing their work.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles will likely skip New Zealand during his upcoming tour to the South Pacific.  According to The Mirror, he and Queen Camilla are set to visit Australia and Samoa - but have dropped New Zealand.  The visit was never officially announced - just rumoured to be on the agenda.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking “His Majesty is said to be like a caged tiger - desperate to do more, while undergoing chemotherapy and having the cancer diagnosis.”  Grey said “It’s been decided he’d be better off doing a ten-day trip.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we got enough out of Nicola Willis on the programme Friday to know that today, cabinet’s gonna sign off this money for Pharmac to solve the cancer problem.   The big outworking of this is - I hope they've learned their lesson.   This government has a couple of problems. The biggest one is the mess they inherited. We are going to spend at least the next year deep in it.   Two years of economic misery is a lot to ask of an electorate, and it's a lot to expect of a government to rectify.   Even on a good day - with plenty of intent and hard work - voters get grumpy with whoever’s in charge, whether it was their fault or not.   So given that, problem #2: self-inflicted wounds. The cancer promise was mad. It was mad because governments don't pick drugs.   That's what Pharmac is for. If you don't like Pharmac, fine, change it. But don't keep the same system while trying gerrymandering.   They also put out a list of thirteen drugs, some of which aren't even fit for purpose anymore.   And then, Problem #3: failure to deliver, I mean OMG – did they learn nothing from Labour?   And then last week, scrutiny week, Shane Reti says they'll deliver the 13. Nicola Willis says they will deliver some. David Seymour says he can't make a comment because Pharmac is independent.   Three people, three messages. Mixed messaging - is that problem #4?   So this week, an answer. And seemingly, an elegant one - more money.   The money gets spent on stuff that's needed. Not automatically the 13. It's spent by Pharmac. And it might well mean some spending on other drugs as well.   So, sorted. But big lesson: it never had to be this way.   And if all they're doing this week is handing out money, why didn't they do it in the budget when they had the chance?   Delivery and confidence, that's what we want from governments.   If this is a one off, they'll get away with it. If it's a habit. They're toast.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Blues dominated the Chiefs on Saturday night to take the 2024 Super Rugby title at Eden Park - beating the visitors 41-10.   Caleb Clarke scored a hattrick as Akira Ioane and AJ Lam got a try each.   It's the first time they've won the competition in more than two decades.  Newstalk ZB Sports Anchor, Andrew Alderson, told Mike Hosking “I thought it was going to be closer – but the Blues were so convincing.”  Alderson said “Ever since I’ve been working here, we’ve been talking about the Blues resurgence – and it’s finally come.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s expected to announce a $600 million boost in funding for Pharmac today.   If approved, it would bump the medicine budget up 40 percent - and cover the 13 cancer drugs the Government initially promised, and more.  Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair, Malcolm Mulholland, told Mike Hosking “From our perspective – this was always going to be the option that the government would land on.”  Mulholland said “The problem doesn’t go away – but we expect it will put a significant dent in Pharmac’s options for investment lists.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour’s lead in the UK election is holding steady as the Tories deal with a scandal.  The party has admitted that their campaign head, Tony Lee, placed bets on the timing of the vote, allegedly just days before Sunak went public.  The BBC revealed that Tory candidate Laura Sanders, wife of Lee, is also being investigated by Britain’s Gambling Commission.  UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it’s a huge scandal that these people have seemingly used insider information to infringe the UK’s betting laws.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's officially out of a technical recession but may not be out of the woods.  Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2% in the three months to March and the same amount for the year.  However, per capita GDP decreased by 0.3%.  Infometrics Chief Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking that the numbers are not looking promising for Q2.  He said that some of the important pieces of the business economy haven’t been doing as well —construction, non-food manufacturing, professional services— which doesn’t bode well for general economic momentum.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow’s Super Rugby Final is set to be an intense match.  The Blues face off against the Chiefs at a sold-out Eden Park, kicking off just after 7pm.   ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that the Chiefs have come out of nowhere in the last couple weeks.  The Blues were expected to face the Hurricanes in the finals, the Chiefs entering the playoffs sitting fourth on the table.   He said they’ve stepped up not just one or two levels, but, to use a sporting cliché, they seem to have gone up and grown an extra leg, finding their feet and swept away the hurricanes on their home turf.  “It sets up an interesting final.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Northland business leader says the large power outage will significantly impact business.   Widespread power outages began yesterday morning when a transmission tower toppled at Glorit, northwest of Auckland.  NorthPower says supply has since been restored to the majority of Northland.  Top Energy is showing 61 customers in Bay of Islands still without but warns there's potential for further outages as they manage load restrictions.   North Chamber chief executive Darryn Fisher told Mike Hosking that the business impact isn't yet known, but he expects it'll be significant with economic head winds already at play.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freight operators are thrilled they can deliver goods to Northland a lot faster from next week.  State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns will reopen to two-way traffic from 11.59pm next Wednesday, just in time for Matariki weekend.  The Transport Agency says additional space has been created so crews can work on repairs without lengthy closures.  James Smith, General Manager of Policy and Advocacy at the National Road Carriers Association, told Mike Hosking that it's important to note that this repair only gives them another seven years of the Brynderwyns, and then the whole lots coming down.  He said that what they're saying is that while that fix is in place, let's get on with building the diversion as fast as they can, because if the previous government had continued with it, it would’ve been just about done by this point.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll know later today whether New Zealand was in a technical recession last financial quarter. Gross Domestic Product figures for the three months to March are released later this morning. ASB is forecasting a 0.1% rise. Senior economist Kim Mundy told Mike Hosking that they're not expecting another recession, but neither are they expecting strong growth. She says they think the second quarter will actually be worse. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a renewed call for Boeing to be prosecuted after being grilled in the US Senate over its recent safety issues.  US Justice officials have until July 7th to decide if it lays criminal charges.  Family members of the 346 victims of two separate crashes involving Boeing planes five years ago were also at the hearing.  US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that they're calling for criminal liability for the company, specifically the upper management.  She says they want Boeing to be fined almost US$25 billion, and for officials to move forward with criminal prosecution.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dolphin advocates are celebrating SailGP's decision to move next year's event from Christchurch.  SailGP announced the 2025 edition wouldn't return to Lyttelton Harbour, which has hosted for the last two years.  In this year's event, the first day of racing was controversially cancelled due to a Hector's Dolphin spotting.  Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders spokesperson Christine Rose told Mike Hosking that regulations are in place for anyone using boats in Hector's Dolphin habitats.  She says those rules have to apply for everyone else, especially when the scale of impacts is greater.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of migrants have been rescued from a sinking ship in the Mediterranean.  German aid group RESQSHIP said it picked up 51 people from a sinking wooden boat, including two unconscious people, and found ten bodies trapped in the lower deck.  A second ship sank nearby, and 64 people total are still missing from the vessels.  Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Mediterranean is the deadliest known migration route in the world.  He said that since 2014, over 23 thousand migrants have died or gone missing in its waters.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maintenance on ageing Interislander ferries is seen as a short-term solution by the Maritime Union.  Estimated annual maintenance costs to keep KiwiRail’s three ageing Interislander ferries running could almost double to $65 million by next year, and keeping the ferries afloat will be an “ongoing battle”.  A previous assessment of the fleet’s condition raised concerns about steel corrosion, metal getting weak and cracking, and prohibitive maintenance expenses.  The project to replace the fleet with two mega ferries was left dead in the water in December after overall costs, including new terminals and wharf upgrades, ballooned to almost $3 billion and the new Government refused to fund the blowout.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has previously refused to commit to replacing the fleet by 2026, which is when the now-cancelled mega ferries were due to arrive.  Given the project’s history of delays, budget blowouts, and other problems, Willis said people were “dreaming” if they thought the mega ferries would be up and running with the necessary port development in place by that time.  A Ministerial Advisory Group is looking into new options for the future of the ferry service.  Maritime Union spokesperson Victor Billot told Mike Hosking that ships of this age will have issues, especially on Cook Strait.  He says they are maintaining ferries that are nearing the end of their lives anyway.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s hopes an improved vaccine against an infectious disease running rife through New Zealand cattle could ease costs for farmers.  The Ministry for Primary Industries is backing a project which aims to develop a modified vaccine against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea.  It impacts about 80% of our dairy and beef herds and costs the industry more than $190 million each year.  Research lead John Moffat told Mike Hosking that it's one of the many threats farmers face.  He says the virus is one of the most important issues needing to be dealt with in the cattle industry.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A victims' advocate says new measures to address court backlogs are doable if all players in the system play their part.   The Chief District Court Judge has introduced maximum waiting times based on the seriousness of the crime.   For the least serious category —where there's no risk of prison— the aim is six months.   Independent victims' advocate Ruth Money told Mike Hosking that the courts are jammed and delayed.  She says people have their lives on hold waiting.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following his visit to New Zealand, the Chinese Premier has begun his visit to Australia.  Li Qiang was greeted by hundreds of supporters and protestors upon his arrival in Canberra on Sunday, receiving a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House.  Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that there has been talks of better military communication, as well as extending the offering of visa-free travel to Australians.  She said that Albanese says the bilateral relationship is back on track.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's changed its tune on transgender people participating in community sports.   A policy in the New Zealand First-National Coalition agreement threatened to withhold public funding if sports bodies didn't separate trans athletes from grassroots competitions.   After feedback from Sport New Zealand, Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says the government will now take a watching brief.   Save Women's Sport spokesperson Ro Edge told Mike Hosking that she thinks Bishop's been given inaccurate information.   She says a letter she received from Bishop wrongly stated Sport NZ's guidelines have exemptions for fairness and safety in female sport.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government promises “granny flats” of 60 square metres or less will be easier to build after planning changes that will force councils to permit small dwellings on rural and residential zones without resource consent. Making it easier to build granny flats was part of NZ First’s coalition agreement with National. NZ First leader Winston Peters, taking over as Acting Prime Minister while Christopher Luxon is in Japan, used Monday’s post-Cabinet press conference to announce consultation on changes that would fulfil that policy promise. “Making it easier to build granny flats will make it more affordable for families to live the way that suits them best,” Peters said. “Over a quarter of households that do not own their home spend more than 40 per cent of their income on housing. High housing costs have a greater impact on Māori, Pasifika, and people with disabilities, as well as seniors - so unlocking the space in the backyards of family members opens the door to new ways of living. “We know granny flats are a great option for seniors, but they’re also increasingly popular with other families such as those who want homes where their university-age children can live at home but maintain some privacy and independence, or families who want to provide extra support to a loved one,” he said. Feedback's being sought on the proposed change. Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming told Mike Hosking that it's good that proposed designs are required to meet the building code.   But he says there's no checking to ensure designs and constructions adhere to the building code, which isn't such a good thing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend's Super Rugby semifinals have raised a few eyebrows over their smaller-than expected attendance numbers. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson suspects this is because these Super Rugby matches had to compete with this weekend's Warriors' clash. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Princess of Wales has returned to the public eye for King's Birthday celebrations, making her first public appearance this year. Kate faced wild internet speculation on her whereabouts earlier this year before revealing she's undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She was pictured smiling, sitting alongside her three children in a carriage for the Trooping the Colour parade. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the public were thrilled to see her back. "She looked a little thin, a little drawn, but she did look, still, pretty amazing. And after all the chemo she's been in - perhaps that's no surprise at all."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One teachers' union is concerned abut the recommended changes to teaching standards in a new report. The Ministerial Advisory Group reviewing English and maths learning has recommended annual 'checkpoint' tests for students. It also recommends children be encouraged to write by hand as much as possible for their first three years at school - and cursive lessons in years four to six. NZEI president Mark Potter says children in society are facing all sorts of issues, but how teachers teach isn't one. "Things aren't going well for children in our society right now, but just focusing on what teachers do in the classroom all the time, especially by political groups and political figures, is not going to help children at all." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon is on the ground in Japan, but his business delegation won't be touching down for another day. The Prime Minister's plane has broken down yet again, this time while refuelling in Papua New Guinea. Luxon's been forced to fly commercial to Tokyo, while the business leaders, officials and others in his delegation are travelling to Brisbane and then on to Japan today. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon abruptly disappeared from the airport, leaving his delegation confused about what was happening. "The Prime Minister leaving took everybody by surprise, I saw his face as he was leaving in the motorcade... he was not happy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain’s Labour Party has launched its manifesto.  It said on Thursday that it would be “pro-business” and prioritise “wealth creation”.  Among the party’s flagship pledges is the creation of a new publicly owned energy company, a ban on awarding new North Sea oil and gas licences, and reducing medical wait times.   UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it’s quite different from the manifesto they ran on a few years ago under Jeremy Corbyn.  He said that Starmer is very much saying that his party is the party for change, but he is for stability, and in his own words, there were no “rabbits out of the hat”.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a big weekend in sports as the Super Rugby semifinals kick off tonight.  The Blues and the Brumbies are facing off at Eden Park tonight, the Hurricanes and the Chiefs going head-to-head in Wellington’s Sky Stadium tomorrow afternoon.  Sports Commentator Sam Ackerman told Mike Hosking that if he could only watch one of the matches, he’d take the Hurricanes v Chiefs.  He said it’s got blockbuster written all over it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been push back against the Government's plan to scrap around the clock speed limits outside schools.   The Coalition's reversing speed limit reductions implemented over the past four years under the previous Government.   The draft report wants speed limits in place at the start and end of each school day as opposed to the current 24-7 system.    Healthy Auckland Together spokesperson Dr Jamie Hosking told Mike Hosking that kids are outside schools much more than just the first and last 30-minutes of the day.   He says five out of six deaths and serious injuries that happen around schools are outside those times, when the variable limits wouldn't be operating.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's ditching plans to make gender pay gap reporting compulsory.   The Labour Government pledged it would require companies with more than 250 workers to publish a pay gap report.  But acting Minister for Women Louise Upston's instead developing a tool for businesses to calculate pay gaps voluntarily.  Mind the Gap Co-Founder Dellwyn Stuart told Mike Hosking that while mandatory reporting would likely make more of a difference, it's great to see the Government taking action.   She says most businesses don't set out to pay people unfairly, they just don't see what's happening in their payroll until they measure it, and then they want to fix it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday saw another historic ruling in the United States, as Hunter Biden was found guilty in his federal gun trial.  The conviction makes him the first child of a sitting President to be found guilty of a crime.  He was convicted of three gun offences for lying about drug use while illegally buying and possessing a gun in 2018.  US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that several legal experts have already suggested that there are several avenues of appeal that Biden could take.  She said that the most likely route is that the defence will argue that under the Second Amendment, Biden has a constitutional right to own a firearm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an expectation New Zealanders will continue to file out of the country in high numbers.  The latest figures from Stats NZ show more than 130,000 people left the country in the year to April, the highest number on record.  Among those were a record 81,200 NZ citizens.  ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking that we are moving in the right direction, but there’s still a way to go yet.  He said it’s reflective of what’s happening offshore as well, as Australia’s unemployment rate is lower than ours, as well as higher wages and lower living costs being on offer.   He said it’s pretty clear from a New Zealander’s point of view that it’s probably better across the ditch.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief that there's a problem with the New Zealand electricity business model, not just the new disclosure rules.  Gentailers —companies that both generate and sell electricity— are required to disclose the price they use internally to sell power to their retail arms.   But NZIER research found the new disclosure rules don't provide enough information to show if companies are artificially inflating prices.  Chief executive of consumer group NZ Compare Gavin Male told Mike Hosking that the market wasn't designed to be dominated by a few large gentailers.  He says a recent OECD report found there's a need for more competition in the sector.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought New Zealanders' faith in rural banks is dwindling.  The Government's requested for the Finance and Expenditure and Primary Production select committees to lead a joint inquiry into rural banking.  Rural Women NZ says their communities are facing a range of problems including banking competition and customer service.  Chief Executive Gabrielle O'Brien told Mike Hosking that a lot of them are losing confidence in the banking sector.  She says they hope the inquiry can address what needs to change and restore that confidence.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unemployment is hitting the UK hard.  It’s unexpectedly risen to its highest level for two and a half years, climbing to 4.4% in the three months to April.  On the other hand, wage growth has remained strong and is outstripping inflation, having increased at an annual rate of 2.9%.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking the other striking figure is the inactivity rate, which is the number of people of working age who are not actively looking for work.  He said that it’s standing at one in five, the highest level in nearly a decade.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police have already received tips on the back of the $80 thousand reward offered in the case of the Phillips children.  The now eight, nine, and ten year olds, along with their father Tom Phillips, have been missing since 2021.  They're believed to be in western Waikato, near or in Marokopa.  Police have given two weeks for the reward to be claimed and say information has been coming in since yesterday's announcement.  Private Investigator Chris Budge told Mike Hosking that it's the best path forward for Police.  He says it's much more economical than using spending money on helicopters and manpower to search.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's decision to work with farmers to price their emissions by 2030 is being welcomed by the industry.  A law change will stop farming being charged through the Emissions Trading Scheme, which offsets credits against emitting.   It was a fallback option if partnership group He Waka Eka Noa didn't find an alternative for agriculture.  Meat Industry Association advocacy manager Jason Krupp told Mike Hosking that the previous Government wasn't fully committed to finding a solution.  He says a solution was handed to them by the end of 2022, which they sat on for nine months.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fuel retailer's applauding the Commerce Commission for raising awareness about prices at the pump ahead of the removal of Auckland's fuel tax.  The commission's calling out retailers who lag in dropping prices at the pump, saying it's costing motorists millions each year.  It says it's a timely reminder, with the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax being removed at the end of this month.  Waitomo Group Chief Executive Simon Parham told Mike Hosking that they can't wait for it to be scrapped.  He says it was poorly thought-out tax and it's created complexity for both customers and themselves.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A council in Australia’s New South Wales is displeased after being ordered to repay millions of dollars.  The NSW Government has ordered the Hornsby Shire council to repay $36 million as after six years, it still has yet to develop and build a park.  Hornsby Mayor Philip Ruddock, a former federal minister, has accused the government of looking to save money ahead of the state budget coming next week.  Australian Correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Mike Hosking that the NSW Government said that the council has not been able to prove that they’re on track to have anything developed, so it’s time to pay the money back.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of building a new home's starting to stabilise.  Figures from QV CostBuilder show the average cost to build a three-bedroom home in main centres has risen by 1.8% for the year, and 0.3% this quarter.   It compares to an annual average increase of nearly 5% last December, and nearly 10% last June.  Newstalk ZB’s Resident Builder Pete Wolfkamp told Mike Hosking that the main difficulty builders were facing over the last years were prices rising after they’d been locked into a fixed term contract.  He said that it puts enormous pressure on projects to keep their costs to a reasonable level, which was incredibly difficult.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political scientist says the allegations that Census data has been misused by a political party would be very concerning if true.  The Prime Minister's announced the Public Service Commission will undertake an independent investigation amid allegations surrounding Te Pāti Māori and Manurewa Marae.  It relates to the misuse of Census data and Covid-19 vaccination information.  Political commentator Grant Duncan told Mike Hosking that the alleged mixing of Census and Covid related functions with election campaigning would be inappropriate.  He says all of those choices should be private to the individuals concerned.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's expected China will try to sweeten the pot for New Zealand.  Chinese Premier Li Qiang will arrive in Wellington this week, the first such visit since 2017.  International relations expert Geoffrey Miller told Mike Hosking that expects he'll want to cover business, education, and likely New Zealand's position on AUKUS.  He says tempting offers will likely be made to the Prime Minister.  Miller says an upgraded free trade agreement or wider visa access for Kiwis are potentially on the table.  Christopher Luxon will then lead a delegation to Japan on Sunday.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will remove the 2018 ban on petroleum exploration beyond onshore Taranaki.  The decision's being labelled a 'backwards step' by environmentalist groups.  Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive, John Carnegie, told Mike Hosking “In New Zealand, the ironic thing is coal has been a balancing energy fuel.”  Carnegie said “There’s plenty of gas here, it’s just a matter of getting more explorers down here and having more wells drilled to find it.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British TV presenter Michael Mosley has been found dead on the Greek Island of Symi after disappearing while on holiday last week.  The 67-year-old healthy living advocate, had been a prominent face on TV in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.   His body was found as teams were searching the coastline with cameras, and searchers were approaching a cave.  UK and Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking “He appeared to take the wrong route home – there are no suspicious circumstances.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinals are kicking off this weekend.  The Hurricanes are still sitting at the top of the table, just ahead of the Blues on a points differential.  The Chiefs are starting the action, facing off against the Reds tonight at 7pm.  Sports Commentator Tony Johnson told Mike Hosking that the season is heading towards a pretty good climax.  He said that they’ve seen some good footie, and the game has grown as its gone on as well as the crowds getting better.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a much-needed record funding boost in pothole prevention.  The Transport Agency's confirmed it'll put just over $2 billion into prevention on state highways, and nearly $2 billion for local roads.  It'll cover resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance, with more than 62,000 holes recorded last year.  Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking that the funding won't cover as much as it would've a few years ago because costs have risen.  He says larger investments and more consistency will result in better efficiency.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A concerning healthcare trend finds more Kiwis unable to access specialist care, leaving GPs to manage cases without extra resources.  Otago University has found between 2018 and 2022, the risk of being declined referred specialist services increased significantly, by 5.2%.   General Practice New Zealand chair Bryan Betty told Mike Hosking that the threshold seems to be changing.  He says the bar to get in to see a specialist seems to be rising, based on the fact there's not enough capacity in the hospital to see patients.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Third time’s a charm for Boeing as its first manned ship takes off to space.  Previous launch attempts had been called off due to system and machinery failures.   Two veteran NASA astronauts are riding aboard the Starliner capsule, on a journey to the International Space Station.  US correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that it's a much-needed win for Boeing.  She says the manufacturer had lots of bad press recently including a door blowing out of an Alaskan airlines plane.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Early Childhood Sector is welcoming the Ministry of Regulation review.  Regulation Minister David Seymour's saying affordability, access, and regulation will be tackled in the review.  In six months, a report will be sent back with recommendations for Cabinet on rules that could be removed or changed.   Early Childhood New Zealand Chief Executive Kathy Wolfe told Mike Hosking that the amount of regulation is a big problem in the sector.  She says new rules were brought in to fix issues and it's morphed out of control.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The allegations against Te Pāti Māori need to be handled with sensitivity.   It's been alleged information collected at Auckland's Manurewa Marae was used to help the party's election campaign, something Te Pāti Māori denies.  Stats NZ has appointed an investigator, Police have received a complaint, and the Privacy Commissioner's considering what to do next.  Political commentator Peter Dunne told Mike Hosking that it will turn into Te Pāti Māori tikanga versus the tikanga of the rest of the country.   He says it needs to be dealt with in a way that can't be spun as colonisers attacking the party.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes the holiday law changes will benefit Kiwi businesses.  The Government's drafting legislation and will put it out for consultation in September.  It includes proposing moving annual leave from an entitlement system to an accrual system and linking sick leave to hours worked.  Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Mike Hosking that the system hasn't kept up with modern day work practices.  She says it's not fit for purpose and changes are needed, so this is a step in the right direction.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Christchurch Council is being urged to back the bid for a South Island NRL team.  It’s said the team could bring in $50 million in revenue for the city each year.  The call’s come from South Island NRL Bid ltd, led by Canterbury Rugby League Chairman Tony Kidd, and is a rival bid to David Moffett’s South Island Kea.  Adam Blair, former Warriors player and commentator, told Mike Hosking that there’s always been conversation about the need for another New Zealand team.  He said that the important thing is having people in the know that have done it before, and he’s not sure if there’s anyone in the South Island who has been in that position and knows how to get it across the line.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK police are still unable to find the parents they say abandoned three babies across East London across seven years.   DNA testing shows newborn Baby Elsa —found in a park earlier this year— is the sibling of two others found similarly in 2017 and 2019.   UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that a judge has made allowances because of the case's public interest.   He says the public can know the babies are black, and its believed they share the same parents.  Elsa was just one hour old when she was found.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people are getting mental health support in primary care, but not as many are accessing specialist services.   A Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report shows more people are receiving community-based care.   But access to specialist services dropped from 3.8% of people in 2018 and 19 to 3.4% in 2022 and 23.  Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson told Mike Hosking that new services at GP level have drawn resources from specialist services.   He says we keep putting money into one piece of it, but ignoring the whole system, therefore creating a hole elsewhere.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The T20 World Cup is coming up soon, and New Zealand has been put out in the back paddock with no games in the United States.  The Super Rugby quarterfinals have been set after a tense weekend of matches. The Blues are on top of the board, and the final looks to be between them, the Hurricanes, or the Chiefs.  Andrew Alderson wrapped the long weekend of sports.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says there’s been a drop in respect for police over the past six to seven years and they have become “punching bags” - and he wants to fix it.  Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking about a large boy racer event in Levin on the weekend - in which two police officers were hurt - Mitchell said police had been overwhelmed by the number of people at the meet.  More than 200 cars were at the gathering, with around 30 police staff deployed to the centre of Levin pre-emptively.  Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said police were put at serious risk due to “aggressive behaviour”, with two officers hurt when they were pelted with rocks and bottles when they tried to intervene.  Six cars were impounded and two people arrested, and Mitchell told Hosking more people would be arrested.  Skid marks from cars doing burnouts during a car meet in Levin. Photo / Supplied  The Police Minister said he planned to talk to Transport Minister Simeon Brown about the legislation regarding impounding cars - which he believed meant people’s cars were seized but then given back after a period of time.  ”I want to seize the vehicles and keep them. I think that would be a real deterrent if these boy racers realise that [if] they come out, they’re actually going to lose their vehicles.”  He was uncertain whether there were greater penalties for attacking a police officer than a member of the public, but said it “feels like” when people became officers they became “punching bags” without the rights other people had.  “I want to get our police back to a point where these idiots that come out and break the law - whether gang members or boy racers that terrorise communities - understand that they can’t behave like that towards our police.”  Police Minister Mark Mitchell says police have lost respect in society and are treated as "punching bags". Photo / Marty Melville  Mitchell said there were “handwringers [and] academics” claiming that police couldn’t enforce laws because gangs were too strong.  ”I completely reject that. We just have to get back to a point where the gangs understand that our police are controlling the streets, that they do respect them - because they know that if they take on the two police officers…the cavalry is coming over the hill and we’re just not going to put up with that any more as a society.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister will be doing what he can to steer clear of Fiji's domestic political issues while there.   Christopher Luxon's visiting Fiji and Niue this week, his first visit to the region as PM.   The Fiji trip will have a significant trade and economic focus and includes a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.   Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told Mike Hosking that there's a slight tension between New Zealand establishing itself as a close partner and discussions around AUKUS.   He says many Pacific Island countries aren't keen on that, and don't see themselves as a pawn in a US-China dominance showdown.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is defending the time it's going to take to get the Government's books back in the black.  Nicola Willis says a surplus is expected in 2027-28.  Labour's Finance Spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, told Mike Hosking that Willis isn't delivering the direction she promised.  She said that they’re borrowing way more than Labour would’ve at the end of the forecast period, and running larger deficits than Grant Robertson did, except for at the peak of Covid.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cancer Society says some patients won't have a year to wait for National to make good on their promise.   Over the next four years the government is spending $6.5 billion to boost hospital and primary care.   Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she's disappointed it couldn't include funding for 13 new cancer drugs, despite promising it pre-election.   Cancer Society Chief Executive Rachel Hart told Mike Hosking that she's also disappointed for the cancer patients who voted for National thinking it would keep its promise.   Health Minister Shane Reti says the funding should come in one year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A civil war has been sparked after a vote at NZ Rugby’s headquarters saw Proposal Two passed.  It passed with a majority, 69 votes for and 21 against.  New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association CEO Rob Nichols claims the game could now be in an even worse position than before.  He said that Proposal One, which adopted more of the recommendations from the Pilkington report, was a great opportunity for the game to make the changes required.  ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that while it is a democracy, this is not the end of the saga by any stretch.  He said that eyes are now on the provincial unions to implement their ideas, board, and get on with it.  It’s time to see whether they can put their money where their mouth is and whether they can govern the game, Smith said.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today sees a crucial vote take place for New Zealand Rugby.  A Special General Meeting is taking place, in which the union will vote on the new governance structure.  The proposed changes follow the review last year that found the current model not fit for purpose.   ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that he doesn’t think they’ll reach the two-thirds needed to pass either model.  He thinks a stalemate is more likely, but Proposal Two, backed by the Provincial Unions, might get closer.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns that another rise in power bills could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.  The Commerce Commission is proposing increased revenue limits for Transpower and 16 local lines companies to help cover rising demands of the national grid.  Electric bills would increase by an average $15 a month from April and $5 a month over the following four years to cover maintenance.  Consumer Advocacy Council Chair Deborah Hart says all alternatives need to be weighed up before a decision is made.  She says costs are already too much for some with rising inflation and the phased removal of the low fixed user fees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis will unveil the final shape of the tax cuts promised to New Zealanders in the Budget today as well as how the Government will pay for them.  The contents of the Budget will be revealed by Willis in Parliament at 2pm.  Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker says there won't be any major tax shocks in today's Budget.  She told Mike Hosking Walker she’s expecting to see some modest increases in just the thresholds at which tax rates apply.   Walker said it will be a Budget of "adjustments".  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's hush money trial is nearing its end, with jurors retiring to deliberate.  The former US president is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's a win-win situation for Trump.  He told Mike Hosking that if he's found not guilty, the jurors will be labelled heroes and the justice system will be deemed great again.  But if he's found guilty, Mitchinson says Trump will become a martyr and his supporters will be convinced that this was a political attack.  The jury must be unanimous in its decision.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interest rate sentiment might have turned, but people are uncertain about the future of house prices and whether it's a good time to buy.  A new ASB survey's found more people expect interest rates to fall rather than lift in the coming year.  Senior Economist Kim Mundy says uncertainty is still high, and the economic outlook isn't very strong.  She says consumers are still going to be cautious around the housing market, even if the interest rates story is likely to improve.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pope Francis has apologised after he was quoted using a derogatory term about gay men.  It's alleged the Pope made the remark during a closed-door meeting with bishops in Rome last week.  They were reportedly discussing whether gay men should be admitted to Catholic seminaries, where priests are trained.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Pope apparently said gay men shouldn't be allowed to train for the priesthood.  He says there's been shock at this, as the Pope has spoken publicly in the past about being respectful towards gay people.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour is urging students to stay in school tomorrow and not join protests across the country.  Toitu Te Tiriti is urging Māori to strike countrywide across the New Zealand on Budget Day as a demonstration against a Government assault on Tangata Whenua and Te Tiriti.  Multiple hikoi are planned, including rolling road blockages in Auckland and a rally outside the Beehive.  Associate Education Minister David Seymour told Mike Hosking that education needs to be the top priority for students.  He doesn't see how a protest focused on race without constructive solutions will help.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The News Publishers Association remains optimistic the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill will go through.   A Select Committee's recommended the bill not be passed in its current form.   The bill would force social media giants to pay for using news media.   Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says they've not made a decision and it's still on the table.   News Publishers Association spokesperson Andrew Holden told Mike Hosking that ACT is against the bill while Labour and the Greens are in support.   He says there's no comment from National or New Zealand First, leaving the ground open for Goldsmith to step in and say exactly what he'd do.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelson-based fuel company NPD has remained 100% Kiwi owned.  The company left the hands of the founding family, selling a majority of the shares.  One Kiwi in particular now owns the company, current CEO and longtime employee, Barry Sheridan.  Sheridan told Mike Hosking that their goal is to bring the most competitive fuel prices they can as they expand through New Zealand, while still maintaining that strong New Zealand family-owned position.  He said that it helps the economy, as they retain all the funds within New Zealand, which then helps to strengthen the families within New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A public transport advocate believes we're paying the price for a lack of investment in trains.  Only 22.5% of Wairarapa trains arrived within five minutes of being on schedule in April.  It's a slight improvement from February, which had only around 5% of trains within target.  Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association told Mike Hosking that there's a lot to catch up on.  He says new trains are coming in 2028 and there are issues with tracks and tunnels, impacting both passengers and freight.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A struggle to staff the country's radiation oncology services is turning more cancer patients to private care.   RNZ is reporting that a service caring for patients in five regions across the North Island is not allowed to recruit the staff it needs, despite recommendations from Te Whatu Ora.   Cancer Society Co-Director Kate Gregory told Mike Hosking that the shortage is just one reason for the patient shift.  She says the private sector also has more cancer medicine options available.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

- Charles Leclerc’s first win since July 2022 - Max Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull - Early crash took out Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position today for his first Formula 1 victory in nearly two years. Leclerc was on pole for the third time in four years, but had previously never finished on the podium at his home race. His first win since Austria in July 2022 took his career tally to six, all with Ferrari. “Tonight’s going to be a big night,” he told his team over the radio. A Monaco victory felt extra special for him, having grown up in a flat overlooking the start-finish line watching cars zooming past below. “No words can explain that. It was the race that made me want to be a Formula 1 driver one day,” the 26-year-old Leclerc said. “Seeing so many of my friends on the balcony, so many people I know. It means a huge amount to me.” The last 15 laps were the most difficult as the realisation of how much winning would mean dawned on him. “I must say I was thinking about my dad,” Leclerc said of his late father. “It was a dream of ours for me to race here and win, so it’s unbelievable.” Championship leader Max Verstappen is bidding for a fourth straight F1 title and saw his lead trimmed to 31 points over second-place Leclerc — 169-138 — with eight races completed. Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull, whose other driver Sergio Perez went out of the race after a big first-lap crash. The crash also took out Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, and caused it to be interrupted by a red flag for 40 minutes. The drivers were not hurt. The race restarted on Lap 3 of 78 and the drivers pulled away cleanly but slowly, with Leclerc managing his tires on a track notoriously difficult for overtaking. Leclerc finished about 8 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 9 seconds clear of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. in third. McLaren’s Lando Norris was fourth and Mercedes driver George Russell held off Verstappen to take fifth place. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), Alex Albon (Williams) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) completing the top 10. It was the same order as the starting grid, reflecting Monaco’s reputation as the hardest track to overtake in F1. “The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow,” Piastri said. “But it’s been a great weekend for the team.” All of the drama came at the start. Perez’s right rear wheel was clipped by the front left tire of Magnussen behind him and put Perez into the crash barrier. Perez’s car almost split in half and also sent Hulkenberg’s Haas spinning as he followed behind. A red flag came out with debris littering the track to allow Perez’s mangled Red Bull to be cleared away by a crane. The Mexican driver walked back accompanied by two race marshals. His team said he did not need medical checks. Then, two Alpines tangled near the tunnel with Esteban Ocon’s front nose sending teammate Pierre Gasly’s car up in the air. With other cars just behind and the tunnel approaching, a serious accident was avoided. Ocon will serve a five-place grid penalty at the next race, the Canada GP on June 9. “Today’s incident was my fault,” Ocon said. “The gap was too small in the end.” Governing body FIA ordered a standing restart with Leclerc in pole ahead of Piastri and Sainz going from third, despite puncturing moments after the start. He was trying to pass Piastri and had to use a run-off area at Casino Square. French football star Kylian Mbappé and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were among the guests enjoying the bright sunshine. But the race proved a processional affair. Following the restart, cars trundled around the 3.3-kilometre (2-mile) narrow street circuit as Leclerc seemed determined to make his tires last until the end. Piastri sat on his tail, and by the halfway point he was around 1 second behind, but Leclerc picked up the pace. “To be honest Charles has been mega all weekend,” Piastri said. “It probably would have taken the best lap of my life (in qualifying). I’m happy with P2.” There was not much action to entertain fans, some of whom spent thousands on VIP tickets. Lance Stroll’s left tyre came off as he entered the pit lane on lap 50, but little else happened as Leclerc gradually extended his lead and ended his barren run. “It’s just impossible to get past on the streets of Monaco,” Sainz said. “But I’m very happy for Charles.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The secondary teachers union says the Government's pre-Budget teacher recruitment announcement is a good start but it needs to ramp up. Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced a 53-million dollar package to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years. It includes establishing 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Mike Hosking that there's a lot of demand for teachers coming from offshore. He says it can take six months for a teacher to come here and trying to get a teacher that's a right fit for our system, is also an issue.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Prime Minister has made a big pre-election promise - ahead of July's general election. The Conservative party wants to bring back 12 months of national mandatory military service.Eighteen year olds could choose between a fulltime military placement or one weekend a month of community service. Rishi Sunak's party has not stated the planned punishment if the compulsory service is not completed. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking it'll appeal to right wing voters. He says it'll cost roughly five billion New Zealand dollars and Rishi Sunak says it'll foster national spirit.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks the conclusion to the Donald Trump Hush Money Trial in New York. The first criminal trial of former President Donald J Trump will have its closing arguments on Tuesday before Jurors have to decide to convict him. Mr Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Anthony Davis is an LA based journalist and host of Five Minute News and told Mike Hosking it is "hard to know just how damaging this will be" for him.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of New Zealand’s economy is a disappointment.  In a pre-Budget speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed the Government had found savings to pay for tax cuts.  However, she warned that the books are still in a structural deficit, with spending outpacing tax revenue.   EMA CEO Brett O’Riley told Mike Hosking that while it was disappointing to hear how bad the economy has gotten; it’s heartening to know that there’s a long-term plan.   He said the early hints of the Government’s economic growth plan was encouraging to a lot of people in the audience.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have hit the ground running in the UK.  The leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, respectively, are out and about ahead of the July 4 election.  But Newstalk ZB UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it hasn't been a smooth start for the Conservative leader.  He says Sunak had an embarrassing faux par in Wales when he asked locals if they were excited to watch the upcoming football, despite Wales not getting through to the Euro finals.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s little surprise a large number of Kiwi teachers didn't pass some high-school subjects.   New research has found a quarter of new primary school teachers failed maths and more than half failed science at NCEA Level One.   More than half who pursued Level Two maths also failed.   The Teaching Council's calling for more investment and widespread changes to how teachers are prepared for the classroom.   Auckland University Dean of Education Mark Barrows told Mike Hosking that they've known for a while people heading into primary teaching tend to be under-qualified in those areas.   He says providers need to think about how they can produce programmes that help students get past that.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mining lobby group thinks the Resources Minister's decade-long vision for mining is achievable.  Shane Jones has announced a draft strategy which would see a critical minerals list for New Zealand produced, and a detailed stock-take made of the country's known mineral potential.   He wants to double export values in 10 years, from one billion to two.   Straterra Chief Executive, Josie Vidal told Mike Hosking that there are quite a few mines in the pipeline which they want to get up and running.  She says it takes a long time to do that, so they support the current fast-track process being discussed.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major tornados hit Iowa, leaving towns devastated and people injured or dead.  Greenfield was struck by the deadliest tornado of the storm, leaving homes and businesses destroyed, and while police confirmed fatalities at a news briefing, they were unable to say how many.  The town’s hospital was among the buildings damaged, forcing the injured to find refuge elsewhere.  US Correspondent Kathrine Firkin told Mike Hosking that there have been brutal storms right across the Midwest, but Iowa has borne the brunt of it.  She said that the exact death tolls are unknown as authorities are still combing through debris trying to work out who is unaccounted for.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank had a few surprises in its monetary policy update yesterday.  While the OCR remaining at 5.5% was expected, Governer Adrian Orr’s signal that the cash rate may remain “restrictive” for longer, was not.  Domestic inflation is proving more stubborn than expected, and the Bank is also considering hiking rates if it must.  Malcolm Knight, Director of Advice Knight, told Mike Hosking that it’s not just increasing interest rates that are hurting Kiwis, but also rent costs, and the timing of loan repricings.  He said that there's very clear signs of financial hardship as people are withdrawing their Kiwisavers to get by and going through matrimonial splits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French President Emmanuel Macron's imminent arrival in New Caledonia is being viewed as a show of defiance.  Six have died in the unrest sparked by government electoral reforms.  A further 49 New Zealanders have been rescued from Noumea following the initial 50 people evacuated on Tuesday night.  They arrived in Auckland early this morning aboard a Defence Force plane, having initially being taken to Brisbane.  Logistical arrangements for subsequent flights are still being worked through by MFAT and the defence force.  International Relations expert, Geoffrey Miller told Mike Hosking that Macron's also bringing his Defence Minister and two other senior officials.  He believes it's a sign of defiance from Macron, to show he won't be cowered by the protests.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The OCR is expected to remain steady.  It’s expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon.  It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year.   Infometrics' Brad Olsen says the central bank is having to focus on inflation, over other negative economic indicators like rising unemployment.  He told Mike Hosking that he’d be very surprised if they decided to move it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting.  In an explosive move that shows how distressed the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) is with the current governance system and the possibility of it not being fixed in line with independent recommendations, the trade body has told the unions it is ready to break away to form a new and separate entity to manage the professional game.  In a fiercely worded letter sent to all unions as well as New Zealand Rugby (NZR), Super Rugby Pacific clubs and the Māori Rugby Board, the NZRPA says that if the provinces vote in favour of what is known as Proposal 2 —a new governance structure that the provinces have developed themselves and one that differs significantly to an alternative blueprint that aligns with the findings of an independent review— it will withdraw, via its collective employment agreement, the right for NZR to govern the game.  NZRPA CEO Rob Nichol told Mike Hosking that Proposal 2 is a different proposal to what was put up by a group of provincial unions, and unfortunately it doesn’t stack up.  He said that it falls well short of the recommendations and independent analysis undertaken by the expert panel and effectively discredits them.  Should Proposal 2 be implemented, Nichol said, they’ll end up back at status quo, or worse.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electoral paperwork is landing two MPs in hot water.  The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine advertorial.  The party itself is investigating what she knew about allegations of migrant exploitation relating to her husband's business.  At the same time, National has stripped MP David MacLeod of his Select Committee positions, after he failed to declare 19 donations.  Former National ministerial advisor Brigitte Morten told Mike Hosking that it brings MacLeod's competence into question.  She says with the support available around donation declaration, there's no excuse.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Passengers have described their terror when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore dropped suddenly.   A 73-year-old British man has died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of others were injured.   A statement from the airline says 23 of the 211 passengers were from New Zealand.   Flight SQ321 was diverted to Bangkok.   UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the plane fell seven thousand feet in six minutes, causing mid-air chaos.  Seven other passengers are critically injured with head injuries.  Singapore Airlines says 18 people have been hospitalised in Bangkok.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police response times in Australia’s Northern Territory have gotten worse.  A domestic violence inquest has heard that police response times have increased in the past year, more than doubling over the previous five.  NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy revealed that between 2022 and 2023, the number of hours spent on domestic violence cases increased from 712,000 to 882,000, costs increasing with them.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that racism within the Northern Territory Police has also been put under the spotlight.  She said that allegations have been made that a serving officer circulated a photo of a topless aboriginal woman via a social media chat.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local councils want a new approach to move decision making away from central government and back into communities.  Local Government New Zealand is proposing city and regional deals, a system which would see councils team up with the government on specific projects.  Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe told Mike Hosking that it will give more control to local communities.  He says communities know what they want and should be allowed to deliver projects for themselves.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death of Iran's President isn't expected to have immediate impacts internationally.  President Ebrahim Raisi and the foreign minister have been confirmed dead by state media after a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border.  Iran has announced five days of public mourning.  Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told Mike Hosking reaction will come down to whether the crash is deemed an accident.  He says there will be serious international ramifications if foul play is found to be involved.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immediate changes are in store for Kainga Ora, in light of a critical independent review.  It found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable.  Housing Minister Chris Bishop's indicated a total refresh of the board but rules out a mass sell-off of state houses.  Community Housing Aotearoa Deputy CEO, Chris Glaudel told Mike Hosking that the report isn't shocking, but contained a few surprises.  He says the most important thing was the report digging deeper into our overall social housing system and the issues at play.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sellout crowd is certain as it's just one day til Wellington Phoenix chants ring out across the city.  The nix are playing the Melbourne Victory at a packed Cake Tin.  Excitement's been building up in the capital about the A-League semifinal clash, as the team goes into the second leg on a nil-all aggregate score, at home.  Weekend Sport host Jason Pine told Mike Hosking that he gets the feeling that the match will be settled within 90 minutes.  He said that someone will have the inspirational moment, the flash of brilliance, or someone will make a mistake, and that will settle the game.  “I don’t think we’ll see a nil-all tomorrow night.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles has been attending garden parties as he returns to public duties.   The monarch returned to work in late April, about two months after it was announced he was being treated for cancer.   UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that he appeared in good spirits at the garden parties this past week.   He says hundreds of people are invited to the parties, which have days for different industries.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Workplace Relations and Safety Minister's being urged to address the huge cost of workplace bullying.  A report by the Human Rights Commission and KPMG has found the cost of bullying and harassment to employers is about $1.5 billion a year.  Equal Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo told Mike Hosking that Minister Brooke van Velden wants to look at health and safety laws and the grievance processes.  She hopes the minister's paying attention to the report, because it may be a loss for businesses but it's the people's lives that are at the centre of this.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers says most farmers are looking at Fonterra's change in strategy with cautious optimism.    The dairy giant's signalled its intent to divest well-known brands such as Anchor and overseas brands Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka.   It wants to focus on producing ingredients and selling them to consumers and other businesses.   Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Richard McIntyre told Mike Hosking that some are concerned about Fonterra's potential move away from value-added products.   But he says they're also talking about investing more in innovation, so it'll be interesting to see the detail.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of goading, Donald Trump has his wish.  Joe Biden has finally agreed to presidential debates, but on a different schedule.  He released a video on social media earlier today saying that he’s ready to debate, and that Trump is available on Wednesdays, referring to the day that Trump’s hush money trial is not in session.  US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Roman Travers that normally these debates take place in the last two or so months of the campaign, but the first will be taking place in June, the second in September.  Biden’s team says the usual model hasn’t been working, and that organisers have failed to keep the debates under control in the past.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of appointments and surgeries have been cancelled as junior doctors begin another strike.  They’re continuing to fight for better pay and work conditions.   More than 2000 doctors walked off the job at 7am for the second time in two weeks, the strike planned to last two days.  Sarah Dalton, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, told Roman Travers that we’re already training many young doctors just to go off and work overseas as the work conditions and pay aren’t good enough for the senior medical workforce.  Now, she said, Te Whatu Ora seems to be doing everything they can to get them to go even sooner.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a small silver lining for regional councils amid slowing local economic growth.  The March Infometrics Monitor reveals economic activity has increased just 0.2% over a year, the slowest growth since the first Covid-19 lockdown.  Building consents have dropped almost 60% in the Tasman District and fell around 25% for all regions.  Tasman District Mayor Tim King told Roman Travers that despite hard times for regions, it does present councils an opportunity  He says with the current economic downturn it's ironically a good time to invest in infrastructure.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's anticipating many Kiwi police officers will take up New South Wales' incentivised offer.  The state is 1500 officers short and has announced it'll fast-track New Zealand officers as recruits.  Training requirements will be shortened and Kiwis with at least seven years' experience can keep their current rank, up to senior constable.   Labour's Spokesperson on Police, Ginny Andersen told Roman Travers that this offers more than other poaching attempts from Australian states.  She says they know that a lot will go, and Police Association President Chris Cahill's said 20 have gone in the last week.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With any promise there’s always an element of wiggle room, misinterpretation, or perhaps reversing out at high speed.  Although I have huge admiration for anyone who keeps their word and sticks to a promise verbatim, the coalition government’s promise of tax cuts isn’t a promise I’m happy for them to keep.  Anyone who only heard that promise in the runup to the election and based their voting decision upon that one fiscal soundbite possibly has a dubious voting history. But then again, it’s promises like that which ultimately attract the low hanging fruit pickers to any party.  Yesterday, we heard Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reiterate his governments promise of tax cuts, as we head closer to this month’s budget announcement.  He made the comments in a speech to the Auckland Business Chamber yesterday afternoon; and used the opportunity to bat away criticism of the coalition's promised tax cuts, saying "the squeezed middle" deserved support given the tough cost-of-living.  The ‘squeezed middle’ he refers to must now be equivalent to the area under a bell curve: To the extreme left and right of the squeezed middle must now surely be only poverty and extreme wealth.  It’s demonstrably obvious to anyone living in New Zealand that there are more and more of us tracking the finances daily, and really thinking hard about how on earth to further reduce the already relatively mediocre lives the ‘squeezed middle’ live.  Even those whose only focus at the voting booth was the promise of tax cuts can see that New Zealand cannot afford to receive them.  Of course, it’s admirable to see The Prime Minister reinforcing his fiscal promise and sticking to his word; but I don’t think there would be many of us who’d complain if he came out today and told us that —under the dire current economic climate, with so many things to fix— the promise of tax cuts is off the table for now.  Defer tax cuts. Use that whopping, dangling carrot at the next election.  No doubt it’ll still be appealing – and no doubt, a promise of tax relief will be even more welcome come the general election of 2026.  The truth isn’t always what we want to hear. Sometimes the pain of a promise broken isn’t as painful as one you’re determined to stick to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A UK study has found that obesity jabs could reduce health risks.  Researchers looked at semaglutide, otherwise known as Wegovy and Ozempic, and found that the weekly shots could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  It was found to benefit cardiovascular health even if the user didn’t lose much weight.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Roman Travers that it’s too early to say that it’s definitely working and definitely a side effect, but the potential is fascinating.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you feel as though you’ve been living in some kind of whack job, futuristic Netflix series when it comes to this country’s deplorable attitude to crime and our increasingly farcical judicial system you were probably suitably blown away by yesterday’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.  Finally, there is good news. Finally, there’s hope that we’ll get to re-establish more than a modicum of control over the growing numbers of gangs and gang members.  Police are establishing a national gang unit, supported by 'district gang disruption teams', to target crime, harm, and intimidation caused by patched gang members. All I can say is it’s about time.  It’s about time that someone took this feral issue by the nostrils and led it out and beyond the growing levels of complacency and the general acceptance we’ve been conditioned and subjected to – for far too long.    The all-new police national team, will work with police districts across the country, drawing on joint operations to gang funerals and other acts of general criminal nuisance and stupidity. Hopefully this will also mean that the police aren’t lagging behind in gang related intelligence.  What we’ve seen in the past have been poorly funded strategies that the gangs know are flawed from the outset, allowing them to keep their criminal wheels turning, or spinning and burning out as is more often the case.  The Police Commissioner, Andrew Coster says there’ll be 25 to 30 staff forming the new national unit while the smaller district teams will be about seven officers.  Andrew Coster also believes there’ll be a reduction in gang numbers, once they get the units up and running and get the tools the government was providing through brand new legislation.  Not only have we seen this huge change in political direction, the general law-abiding public has been demanding big change like this for a very long time.  It’s utterly inconceivable that we haven’t made this move until now, and it’s a complete blight on all previous politicians who failed to let things get to this stage.  There are 9000 pathed gang members in New Zealand today; the same numbers as the population of Queenstown.  Here’s hoping those gang member numbers head to zero at speed before we get another change of government who do a U turn on this overdue policy. Congratulations Andew Coster and Police Minister Mark Mitchell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought the Christchurch Call's refresh is in-line with technology's rapid evolution.  The call —designed to battle online extremism and hate content— is becoming a foundation.  Taxpayer funding ends in July.  Dame Jacinda Ardern will become patron, rather than New Zealand's special envoy.  Gorilla Tech Chief Executive Paul Spain told Roman Travers that the tech world is a different place since the call began, particularly with AI.  He says the tools available now are far better and more powerful than in 2019.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some police officers are sceptical about the Government's new crackdown on gangs.  The Police Minister and Police Commissioner have announced the establishment of a new National Gang Unit.  It'll have around 30 people and up to seven ring-fenced officers in each police district.  Police Association President Chris Cahill told Roman Travers that if it doesn't have more funding, you're just asking staff to do more work.  He says officers are pretty keen to get into these gangs, but they're bogged down with the amount of work they've got at the moment.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns the Government's charter schools plan could be a political football.  Associate Education Minister David Seymour's announced more than $150 million to set up 15 new charter schools in the next four years and convert 35 state school in the next two.  Massey University's John O'Neill told Roman Travers that since the last government's disestablished them, it can't be considered a settled policy.  He says the possibility of converting or privatising existing state schools and moving them out of the state sector would be the major new bone of contention.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s federal budget is due today.  With gross debt predicted to rise above $1 trillion by 2026, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is walking a tightrope between offering cost-of-living relief without fuelling inflation.  Repayments on Government debt have become the fastest growing expense in the budget, and Dr Chalmers is facing calls to continue cutting spending.  Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that they’re hearing that inflation could be under control a year earlier than expected.  The early relief could result in interest rate cuts, and there has been talk of energy bill relief for students and welfare recipients, she said.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks Captain Sam Cane has announced his retirement from the international stage.  From next year he’ll take up a three-year contract with Suntory in Japan, where he spent this season’s sabbatical.   Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB’s rugby commentator, told Mike Hosking that it isn’t quite the bombshell people are calling it, but it is still earlier than expected.  He said that Cane was still in the mix to continue the captaincy after he led the team to the World Cup final last year.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for the government to better regulate salt content in our processed foods.  Research from Otago and Auckland universities reveals about two thirds of packaged foods on supermarket shelves exceed the World Health Organisation benchmark.  Stroke Foundation General Manager Jess Winchester says one fifth of New Zealanders already have high blood pressure.  She told Mike Hosking that the government needs to begin holding food manufacturers to the WHO sodium benchmarks.  Winchester says people shouldn't be risking their lives every time they bite into their favourite pie.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought a Court of Appeal decision finding the Waitangi Tribunal could summon ACT MP Karen Chhour doesn't set a precedent for future cases.  The decision overturned a High Court ruling which found the Children's Minister did not have to front with her reasoning for removing Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act.   Massey University Law Professor Chris Gallavin told Mike Hosking that lots of ministers have given evidence before the tribunal in the past.  He says it's a bit of a storm in a teacup.  Gallavin says there's lot of agreement between the High Court and Court of Appeal, and they just took different views on one point.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New teachers across the country are not being set up to succeed, according to the Education Review Office (ERO).  Two thirds of principals are reporting new teachers coming into the role are unprepared, and a third of new primary teachers claim they are unprepared to teach science.  The ERO is calling for more to be done.  Ruth Shinoda, Head of ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre, tells Mike Hosking the combination of teachers themselves saying they don’t feel prepared, and their principals reiterating this is concerning.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new proposal could see protest groups in the UK banned in a similar way to terrorist organisations.   Extracts of an upcoming report show recommendations will be made for a new category proscribing “extreme protest groups”, defining these as those which routinely use criminal tactics to try to achieve their aims. Protest groups such as Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action could have sanctions that restrict the groups’ ability to fundraise and rights to assembly in the UK.  Plus, a new device might cut down hospital time for cancer patients.   The Liberty has been given regulatory approval. The device allows patients to take blood tests and upload the results at home without supervision.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Mike Hosking the device has only been tested on a small number of types of cancer.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the A-League semi-finals, the Wellington Phoenix had a nil-all draw against the Melbourne Victory. The Phoenix return home this Saturday for the second leg of the semi.  The Warriors suffered another loss, going down 38-18 to the Roosters in Sydney. The game brought on injury concerns as Shaun Johnson left the field in the second half.  And, Aimee Fisher has beaten Dame Lisa Carrington in the K1 500 canoe sprint final at the canoeing World Cup in Hungary.  ZB Sports Andrew Alderson wraps the latest from the weekend in sport.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big changes are coming to parking in Auckland’s CBD.  Auckland CBD residents and visitors will be stung with new 24-hour parking charges covering overnight, at weekends and on public holidays from July – as Auckland Transport seeks to collect more money.  Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck tells Mike Hosking news of the parking charges is out of the blue and “completely out of step” with the normal procedures.  AT’s approach to parking is based on demand. Auckland CBD has high demand for daytime parking, but information for outside of this has not been supplied.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unlike the US, the UK is not withholding arms to Israel.  Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that their position is not comparable with that of the US, since the UK is not a large state-to-state arms supplier to Israel.  However, they don’t support a large-scale invasion of Rafah unless there is a plan to protect civilians in place.  UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that what the UK provides is export licenses for UK weapons manufacturers to export to Israel.  He said that it’s a very different situation, and the UK is not going to retract those licenses.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's doubts a potential raising of the international visitor levy will impact tourism numbers.  Overseas visitors pay $35 collected through visa applications, which is evenly split between conservation and tourism.  Speaking at the TRENZ conference, Tourism Minister Matt Doocey says that advice he's received shows it would have to rise to about $42 in today's market.  Backpacker Youth Adventure Tourism Association chair Haydn Marriner told Mike Hosking that's just the cost of business.  He says to expect the same value from that $35 today is to ignore everything we've always had.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Archives New Zealand's shutting down its digital archiving programme.  It's part of an initiative to digitise historically significant images and documents.  But the agency says it's been unable to secure further funding, and it will have to cut at least three jobs.  Historian Paul Moon told Mike Hosking that this is important work and should remain.  He says the Government should cobble together the small amount of funding needed to keep it going.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A potential power outage is looming in the chilly air.  Many parts of the country have seen temperatures dropping below zero with an early season cold snap.  Electricity grid operator Transpower's warning households to limit power use between 7 and 9 Friday morning where possible.   It suggests turning off lights and heaters and delaying use of appliances.   Contact Energy Chief Executive Mike Fuge told Mike Hosking that there are lots of plans and investment in growing generation capacity.   He says Tauhara —the sixth geothermal power station near Taupo— is being commissioned, which would provide another 160-170 megawatts.  Fuge says the cold's come a bit earlier and the project's running a bit late.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another pro-Palestine encampment was cleared by Police, resulting in the arrest of 33 protestors.  Hundreds of police stormed the grounds at Washington’s George Washington University early this morning, using pepper spray to clear the encampment.  This came just hours before city officials were due to appear before Congress to justify their actions, or lack thereof, regarding the protest.  US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that at least 50 campuses are now involved in the protests.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's reliability has fallen, and it's trailing Jetstar in figures for last month as it grapples with engine problems.  Only 77% of its domestic flights arrived within 15 minutes of scheduled times last month, down from 88% in January.  Jetstar reported no domestic cancellations last month and almost 79% of flights were on time.  Aviation Commentator Irene King told Mike Hosking that Jetstar is an insignificant airline in comparison to Air NZ’s operations.  She said that they only have five planes, all of the same type, so you’d think they’d get it right every time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor says the fight isn't over to remove the heritage listing from derelict buildings.  RMA Minister Chris Bishop has signed off on the council's housing recommendations, unlocking the potential for up-zoning across the city.  But an amendment to de-list 10 buildings to allow for demolition wasn't approved due to legal constraints.  Councillor Ben McNulty told Mike Hosking he believes Bishop wanted to approve the changes but was constrained by the legal framework.  McNulty says they'll keep trying.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A public health academic says David Seymour's claims he can reduce funding for the school lunch programme while delivering the same results is a big call to make.   The Associate Health Minister's unveiled a slimmed down version of the programme he says will save $107 million a year.   He says they'll reduce costs by bulk buying and serving simple items.   But Health Coalition Aotearoa Co-Chair Boyd Swinburn told Mike Hosking that what's being called savings is really a withdrawal of investment in childhood nutrition.  He says we're doing nothing otherwise about problems we have with childhood obesity, rotten teeth, poor mental health, and so on.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli tanks have now entered Rafah, taking control of the border.  Yesterday saw Hamas agree to a ceasefire proposal, but Israel believes the terms do not go far enough and as such, are continuing their mission.  Despite this, a delegation is being sent to negotiate, trying to reach an agreement.   Former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told Mike Hosking the ceasefire discussion has been quite confusing.  She said that they’d previously presented five ceasefire deals, all of which were rejected by Hamas.  As soon as they sent out warning leaflets to the residents of Rafah, Hassan-Nahoum said, suddenly they come back with an approved deal on an offer that was never made.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are lessons to be learned from the Auditor-General's review of last year's election.   The report's found the final check of the official election results was done within a few hours on the day it was announced.   The rushed assessment failed to identify multiple errors.  It also recommends improvements to controls, quality assurance, recruitment, training, and risk management  Political commentator Grant Duncan told Mike Hosking that people at the polling stations seemed to be under a lot of pressure.   But, he says, it's good to see a systematic approach taken by the Auditor-General and robust recommendations.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More coal's being burned to keep up with energy demand.  The Gas Industry Company has revealed there was a 12.5% reduction in gas production last year.  It's also found nearly 30% less gas was produced in the first three months of this year than projected.  Energy Minister Simeon Brown says it's because the last Government's disincentivised gas production.  He told Mike Hosking that the low production's threatening our energy security.  He says news from Genesis Energy shows they're burning a lot more coal to meet that need, which is twice as carbon intensive than burning gas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian pilot operating in international waters was forced to take evasive action.  A Chinese military jet detonated flares close to the Navy helicopter as it flew above the Yellow Sea near South Korea.  The Defence Department has described the actions of the Chinese Air Force plane as “unsafe and unprofessional”.  Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that there were thankfully no injuries or damage.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The OECD is pointing to an economic hangover in our economy in its biennial report.  It's advising the Government to gradually get the books back into surplus, with economic growth still sluggish and productivity waning.  The OECD also supports cutting government spending but warns of unintended consequences from doing so.  Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Mike Hosking that there was one issue in the report for the Government to be especially aware of.  He says it's expected poor education outcomes will take a bit of an economic hit to our productivity over the coming years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's throwing $1.9 billion at Corrections with a pledge to restore law and order.   It will add more than 800 extra beds at Waikeria Prison and recruit 685 more frontline Corrections staff.   Criminal defence lawyer John Munro says more beds will result in more people in prison.   He told Mike Hosking that we need to be careful we don't end up following in the footsteps of the United States.   Munro says we still need to get the balance of rehabilitation and recidivism right, so the community is kept safe but people leaving prison don't go back to crime.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has made its first move in its Local Water Done Well reforms – the replacement for Three Waters.  A deal has been brokered with Auckland Council which will allow Watercare to borrow 1.9 billion over the next ten years for long-term infrastructure. The deal will stop the proposed 25.8 percent water rates increase this year, bringing it down to 7.2 percent.  Water NZ CEO Gillian Blythe tells Mike Hosking that ultimately, the challenge comes down to balancing local accountability with affordability.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing down his critics after another set of poor election results.   Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Mike Hosking the infighting has begun within Sunak’s party following local council, Mayoral and Police Commissioner elections as well as on by-election all delivering huge losses for conservatives.  And, security is being tightened in Sweden ahead of the Eurovision song contest this week.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have suffered their third defeat in a row, falling 14-8 to the Newcastle Knights.  The men’s and women’s New Zealand sevens-teams have completed back-to-back victories to finish the world series regular season. The series-leading women defeated Australia 31-21 to win the Singapore leg, while the men pipped Ireland 17-14 to move into third in the standings. Both sides advance to a finale in Madrid.  And, the Wellington Phoenix now know who they will face in their A-League semi final.  ZB Sports Andrew Alderson tells Mike Hosking the latest in sport.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council is launching a new campaign to drive down dog attacks.  Research reveals around 2700 related injuries each year, with just under 300 of those to babies and children under 14 years old.   The campaign will include radio advertising, street posters and community papers promoting ways people can keep themselves safe around dogs.  Auckland Council’s Animal Management Manager Elly Waitoa tells Mike Hosking there has been a 28 percent increase in attacks in the past year – compared to the 6 percent increase to the dog population.  Waitoa says the problem comes down to irresponsible dog owners being complacent.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney brings us the latest on the UK local elections and from London’s fatal sword attack.   McAviney told Mike Hosking “If things are really bad for the Prime Minister, it could see a mutiny on his back benches.”   McAviney said Rishi Sunak is expected to lose around half of their councillors in England and Wales.   McAviney says the only thing that might stop his party from replacing him is that the British public don't want a sixth conservative Prime Minister in fourteen years.   In other news, a man has been charged with murder for the sword attack on a fourteen-year-old boy.   LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it time to review the attitudes of MPs inside parliament?  Political commentator Brigette Morten told Mike Hosking that in a week with MP pay rises and James Shaw’s exit - it has become all about her outburst.   “It looks like there’s been a pattern of behaviour,” Morten said.  House Speaker Gerry Brownlee said there’s a justice process, during which Genter can make representations to the Speaker by midday Monday.   Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson told reporters that Genter was currently working from home.  LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are kiwis uninterested in New Zealand Fashion?  New Zealand Fashion Week has been cancelled this August and has decided to shift into a two-yearly schedule.  Owner Feroz Ali says there weren't enough designers to commit to the weeklong event because they're focused on the survival of their businesses.  Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that it's not that people don't want to buy local.  She says the biggest factor is that people don't have disposable income to spend on discretionary items.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes a new policy around education won't be a one-size-fits-all approach.  The Government's committing $67 million in the upcoming Budget for teacher training and resources on what's called structured literacy.  It aims to go 'back to basics', teaching kids how to read with sounds and phonics.  Auckland Primary Principals' Association President Kyle Brewerton told Mike Hosking that this approach works well for underachievers but it's not helpful to those who already can read.  He says we want to make sure we continue to extend and grow their performance.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economic pain is being felt in the latest employment numbers.  The unemployment rate is 4.3%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the December quarter.  ANZ economist Henry Russell told Mike Hosking that we've come out of a period of intense labour shortages, with migration doing the heavy lifting.  He says skill shortages remain and that's why we continue to import people into New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patience has run out for the authorities cracking down on student protests across the United States.  Pro-Palestinian protests at multiple colleges have broken out into violence and property destruction.   US correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking that police were called to clear out students in New York’s Columbia University.  He says up to 300 people were arrested as a result.  This morning there have been violent clashes between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA, with reports of fireworks, projectiles, and physical violence.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's continuing discussions around potential future cooperation with AUKUS but it's still a long way off.   Foreign Minister Winston Peters outlined New Zealand's position to the Institute of International Affairs at Parliament last night.   He says we should be considering exploring Pillar 2 —the technology leg— but we'd first need to be invited to join.  Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp agrees, telling Mike Hosking that if we didn't join, we'd be turning our back on our traditional allies. He said it's a pretty deep decision to make. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been found the blame lies at NZQA’s feet for a number of digital exam assessment glitches.  An independent review found last year's issues —which included trouble saving exam work and lagging— was down to a number of safeguards failing.  Avonside Girls' High School Principal Catherine Law told Mike Hosking that it wasn't catastrophic from their perspective, but some students would've felt that way.  She says the vision for going digital is great but current issues make it difficult.  Law says she's unsure whether we're as prepared for it as previously thought.  NZQA's accepted the findings and apologised.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unemployment is continuing to rise.  New figures from Stats NZ show the unemployment rate was 4.3% in the March quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from 4% in the December quarter.  The unemployment rate has been steadily rising since reaching a record low of 3.2% in the December 2021 quarter.  Business NZ Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard told Mike Hosking that the biggest problems businesses are seeing is a slowdown in demand from consumers as opposed to unemployment.  It’s a bit of a crunchy time we’re going through, she said.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are arising around the Police response to a fatal sword attack in London.  A 36-year-old man has been arrested after a 14-year-old boy was killed in the incident near the suburb of Hainault.  Four other people were injured including two officers.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Police's response time will likely be looked at.  He says it took officers 22 minutes to arrive at the scene and taser the man. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s unfortunate but hardly surprising.  Around 10km of highway through Northland's Brynderwyn Hills has been closed since February for repair work.  It had been due to reopen in a couple of weeks, but a slip has put paid to that.  Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo told Mike Hosking that delays had to be expected.  He says around 40-thousand cubic metres of soil will now have to be moved, and it's currently moving as if it was sand.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.