Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

There's a view that NCEA has impacted how Universities grade their students. A report by the New Zealand Initiative has found the proportion of A grades has increased from 22% to 35% since 2006. It shows a dramatic rise during Covid - and can't be explained by academic improvement. Auckland University Sociologist of Education, Elizabeth Rata told Ryan Bridge students now expect to get high marks. She says it's what they've encountered at high school, where a high mark is guaranteed from certain subjects. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the rate it’s going, this by-election could cost Labour the real election. Peeni Henare’s popping out policies toxic to the general electorate but popular with the 10,000 odd voters he’ll need to win Tamaki Makarau.  First it was bringing back the gang patches, which left middle New Zealand scratching their heads. We’ve been there, done that with the gangs. We’re over it. We want them sorted out.  When people started getting bullet holes through the front window on a Saturday night, kids cowering in the hallway, we all decided enough was enough. Labour lost the war on crime and with it, the mandate to govern. You might think it’s an issue they’d steer clear of, but not Peeni - Labour’s electoral kryptonite.  Last night he was back at it. I was watching the Tamaki Makarau by-election debate with Oriini and Peeni, which was a good watch. Good debate.  Peeni was asked about cost of living. He said when Labour was last in power, they were in talks with iwi to build a third supermarket chain

A clear message has been sent around driving under the influence after the jailing of a 20-year-old, who killed one of his friends in a crash.  Alexander Lucas Kerr has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after his friend died, and the other was severely injured.  Kerr had cannabis in his system when he crashed his car in a semi-rural part of Havelock North on January 2.  Criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Ryan Bridge this is a stark warning of what can happen.  He says the starting point's four to five years imprisonment for cases like this, so it's inevitable for someone to find themselves behind bars.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 25th of August 2025, Police Minister Mark Mitchell joins Ryan to talk about the issues with Police recruits.  Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.  Criminal Lawyer Steve Cullen shares his thoughts about where to draw the line on drug driving.  Plus UK/ Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the UK government planning an overhaul of the asylum appeals system. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says our Police force is 'world-class' after concerns were revealed about officers' preparedness. A survey of training officers released to the Herald found 55 percent feel new cops were barely or not at all well equipped with knowledge of arrest and charge procedures.  Mark Mitchell says told Ryan Bridge this is about probationary constables, who receive two years of supervision on the job. He says policing is a unique job, and it's unrealistic to expect rookies to come out being experienced officers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many more children and pets will we tolerate being maimed and punctured to death on suburban streets before this actually gets taken seriously I’ve personally had three people in my life who who’ve been out for a walk with their wee pups, on a leash, registered for $200, poop bags in hand to do the right thing.  Only to be attacked by some absolutely viscous mongrel. And I mean absolutely ripped to pieces. Puncture wounds. Owners taken down to the ground. Blood everywhere. Shock. Hospital visits the humans, expensive vets for their animals. If they are lucky to survive, the road to recovery is long and poor old pup never shakes the anxiety. Nor does the owner. Kids faces look like they’ve been through the butchers. It’s gruesome. In Auckland alone. Last year. 3000 attacks. 15,000 roaming dogs reported.  This is a crisis and council say they’re cracking down but it’s not working and too slow.  The frustrating part is paying $200 to register your dog every year and then councils running scare

The All Blacks are demanding a discipline improvement as they count down to the rematch against Argentina in Buenos Aires.  After having the better of the penalty count nine to four in the first half of the opening win, the tally was 12 penalties a piece at fulltime.  The All Blacks also copped two second half yellow cards, one of which went to centre Billy Proctor and he says the need to tidy their discipline up.  Sports Commentator Sam Ackerman told Ryan Bridge the team will definitely be wanting to play more consistently in this game, as the Argentinian side can not be taken lightly.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A notable shift in the housing market as first home buyers have the highest share of purchases in two decades.  The Cotality Monthly Housing Chart shows first home buyers account for 27% of market activity in July, a 5% jump on the long-term average.  It also finds existing homeowners trading up or down, remain at historically low levels.  Head of Squirrel Mortgages' David Cunningham told Ryan Bridge there's less pressure on buyers to instantly throw an offer on a home.  He says interest rates have gone down, KiwiSaver balances are higher, and there's less competition.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our defence aircraft could soon be playing cat-and-mouse with submarines following a multibillion-dollar investment.  The Governments putting $2.7 billion towards two new Airbus A321 planes to replace older planes.  Five Seahawk helicopters are also being bought, equipped with anti-submarine torpedo systems.   Retired Lieutenant Colonel and defence expert Josh Wineera told Ryan Bridge the helicopters will bring military combat to the next level.  He says they're essentially a submarine-hunting aircraft, but can also carry out other tasks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 22nd of August 2025, The Government's gone shopping for some new planes and helicopters, at the tune of $2.7 billion, retired Lieutenant Colonel and security expert, Josh Wineera shares his thoughts.  New data from Cotality shows people getting on the property ladder are actually at the highest share of purchases in the last two decades, David Cunningham from Squirrel Mortgages tells Ryan Bridge what he's been seeing.  The All Blacks take on Argentina again in Buenos Aires, Sports Commentator Sam Ackerman tells Ryan what we can expect.  Plus UK/ Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on Israel preparing for a new offensive to take over Gaza City.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's military has begun the first stages of a planned ground offensive in Gaza City, causing Palestinians to flee. It's pressing ahead with its plan to occupy the war-torn city despite international criticism. New Zealand's one of 27 countries demanding Israel give foreign media access to Gaza to cover the “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe”. Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge Israeli hostage families are concerned about the 60-thousand reserve force soldiers to set foot in Gaza. He says they think hostages will be executed or caught up in the firing, while soldiers try to access the tunnel network where it's believed the rest of Hamas remain. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We should all be happy, the weekend’s finally here. But there’s an issue of major national significance I need to get off my chest: I have had it with car parks so small, you couldn’t fit a shopping trolly in them. What exactly do they think we’re driving? Go-karts? No. People are buying big cars. Utes that cross the white lines.  Station wagons that hang out the backend, blocking the road. Enormous SUVs that do both. The Spinoff wrote about this the problem last week - the Civic in Auckland is one of the worst offenders.  Yesterday I saw a pregnant woman trying to squeeze herself, a handbag, and an unborn baby out of sedan in a carpark building. She was literally using the handbag to protect her belly from the car door. Are we trying to send them into early labour?  Apparently new cars are getting 1cm wider every two years. People like bigger cars because they feel safer. We’re also getting way more obese so literally can’t fit in Honda Civic anymore. Safety features take up lots of

It's been another tough year for Fletcher Building.  The construction giant's announced a net loss of $419 million, compared to a loss of $227 million last year.  It's pondering selling its residential and development division and continues to consider offers for its construction division and other subsidiaries.  Building Industry Federation CEO Julian Leys told Ryan Bridge Fletcher’s loss underscores the broader downturn they’re seeing across the whole sector.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fact a terrorist attack on New Zealand remains a future possibility is coming as no surprise to one security expert. A Security Intelligence Service report states we're facing one of the most challenging national security environments in recent times.   It's kept our terrorism threat at low, indicating an attack is realistically possible.  Massey University's John Battersby told Ryan Bridge he's often been critical of Kiwis' complacency.   He says all of the things listed in this threat assessment have existed for quite some time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A steady slide to the OCR is gently flowing through to households.  The Reserve Bank's cut the cash rate from 5.5% to 3% over the past 13 months and is also signalling further possible cuts on the way.  Assistant Governor Karen Silk says many people have been fixing on higher short-term rates while they hold out for lower long-term rates.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge it’s important that monetary policy can stimulate the economy, and the Reserve Bank has made a clear decision to ensure interest rates can fall further.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 21st of August 2025, Finance Minister Nicola Willis shares her thoughts on the Reserve Bank cutting the OCR by 25 basis points to 3%.  A violent extremist attack in New Zealand is a realistic possibility, according to the NZSIS Massey University security expert John Battersby gives his take.  Fletchers suffered a net loss of over $400 million last year, Building Industry Federation Chief Executive Julian Leys tells Ryan what their poor performance mean for the industry as a whole.  Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on US and European military planners beginning exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember just a few weeks ago how Sir John Key wanted 100 point cut from Reserve Bank? We'll, they've almost given him what he wants.  It's easy to be an armchair critic of the boffins down at Number 2 The Terrace - "They should have gone for 50." "Club 25 was too cautious."  But markets listen as much to the guff after the big cut announcement as much as they do the actual announcement. Need proof? Already retail banks have started slashing mortgage rates, both variable and fixed.  That's on top of the cuts they already made last week, pricing in yesterday's 25.  Some of the big ones will, in the coming weeks - I reckon we'll get down to 4.5% on short-term fixed. Look how the currency markets reacted - these guys were surprised.  Coming out with what is essentially a triple shot to 2.5% by Christmas sends is sending a strong signal. It's easy to get caught up in the hysteria of calls for double shot all at once, but the bank can have its cake and eat it too. Get businesses

Economists are expecting a 25 point basis cut from today's OCR announcement, but it could be the last one for a while.   The Reserve Bank will announce it's decision at 2pm.   Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says last time around there were more notable arguments among the board. He told Ryan Bridge at least one member of the board didn't want to cut last time around.   Eckhold says with those sort of debates going around, it makes further cuts less certain.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes for our electricity sector could just be small steps in levelling the playing field.  New Electricity Authority rules will require generators to sell energy to everyone at the same rate.  This will stop our big four companies, known as gentailers, offering themselves discounts and limiting competition.  Octopus Energy Chief Operating Officer Margaret Cooney told Ryan Bridge she's afraid new rules won't crack down enough on the big four.   She says there's been lots of small steps, but it would be good to actually get to the nub of these issues.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 20 August. 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.