Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 5 May. 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 Defence Minister is tight-lipped over whether a major investment in the military, will mean better pay for frontline troops.  Defence contractors will be lining up their bids to build the Defence Force's new maritime helicopters. Judith Collins revealed yesterday two-billion dollars has been set aside for new helicopters, while 957-million's been earmarked over four years for Defence Force activities.  She told Ryan Bridge troops already had quite large pay rises last year, and every time they go overseas, they get extra money on top of their usual pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No doubt Donald Trump's brand is dicey at home at best but globally, the world has watched on with a mix of amusement and feigned concern.  These results out of Canada and Australia at the weekend show that brand has turned toxic... like a beef Wellington at a family dinner party.  We've all seen the host - the chef - tuck in... but now we're thinking hmm... do we want to do the same.  We can't get much closer in style and substance to Canada and Australia when it comes to democracy - both chained to the Westminster system we inherited Mother England... and both of our cousins have turned on their political oppositions as Trump upends the global order.  To rub salt in the wound both Poilievre and Dutton lost not just their elections but their seats.  We spoke about this on Friday but... but what is the message here? Trump is toxic.  Poilievre's problem was one of style - he sounded and campaigned too much like Trump - the airports hanger with the branded plane behind shots on the

The balance of power seems to be shifting in Australian politics.  There was a shock U-turn in the polls ahead of the election, with Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party suddenly pulling out in front.  It now seems likely the party will secure a second term.  Independent Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall told Ryan Bridge confidence in major parties keeps decreasing, and there’s an increased interest in independent candidates as a result.  Although convention in parliament has evolved towards party politics, Steggall says the Australian constitution actually allows for a model of parliament in which legislation is tackled on its own merits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New figures on meth-use are prompting calls for more preventive action.   Discharges from public hospitals suggest meth-use has increased four-fold over the past decade, while wastewater testing last year showed a doubling in meth use.  Former detective and anti-meth advocate Mike Sabin told Ryan Bridge that you’ve got to turn the tap off on the supply.  He says that New Zealand’s had a problem with meth for the last 25 years because policy is focused on harm minimisation or problem limitation, which accepts that use will happen and tries to manage it.  Sabin says this is the wrong way to go around it, as areas such as tobacco and diabetes which have seen a reduction have been as a result of prevention.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act Leader David Seymour's taken aim at the size of government.  He's calling for a limit on the number of ministers, with no ministers outside cabinet, and no associate ministers other than in finance.  There's currently 82 ministerial portfolios, held by 28 ministers, and he claims they're full of 'meaningless titles'.   PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons told Ryan Bridge it's a hypocritical move from Seymour.  She says both times Act have been in government recently, they've created new agencies.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alright it's time for Friday confessional.  With the Pope passing away, all this focus on Catholicism's got me feeling repentant.  There are two things I predicted would happen last December as I was signing for Christmas here at Newstalk ZB. One of those things hasn't happened and the other one is about to not happen.  Poilievre winning the Canadian election and Albo losing Australia's.  We all know who's to blame. You know who – the wildcard, the kamikaze, the outlaw, it was the Trump Bump that did it for both of these guys.   Carney, while he's won, will have a very tough term in office given the whole rally round the flag effect in support of Canadian sovereignty will fizzle out as quickly as Jacinda's Covid election high – the underlying problems Canadians felt before this month-long love-in will remain. This will surely be his high tide mark.  But that's no excuse. I got it wrong. Fair cop.  And as for Dutton, who's been looking behind every couch and under every rock

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 2 May. 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 Government's ensuring financial education is central to a refreshed school social sciences curriculum.  Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced it will be a core element for Years 1-10 from next year.  The curriculum will cover key financial skills for younger students, such as having a bank account, earning, spending and saving.  Older students will be taught concepts like budgeting, investment and taxes.  MoneyTime CEO Neil Edmond told Kerre Woodham it’s heartening to see the Ministry of Education come out and make the curriculum clear.   He says it will have a massive impact on the next generations, as they’ll learn how to manage their money and make the best use of it.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About five-thousand senior doctors are striking until midnight in a bid to get more of them on the roster.  This comes after eight months of failed negotiations with Health New Zealand.  The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says it’s not going to fill workforce gaps without major improvements to pay and conditions.  President Katie Ben told Ryan Bridge salaries aren't competitive enough for doctors to want to stay in the country.  She says more doctors need to be recruited into New Zealand and ones that train here need to be kept.  Ben says they often work 10 hour days and then stay on call for 14 hours overnight.  She says they're working non-stop through the day as there's not enough staff for any breaks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rail Minister says any supply chain interruptions caused by the Interislander reducing its Cook Strait ferry fleet can be handled.   Aratere will be retired when demolition begins on its decaying Picton dock late this year or early next, to add infrastructure for new ships.  It's KiwiRail's only rail-enabled ferry.   Winston Peters told Ryan Bridge it won't have an impact on the amount of freight KiwiRail is moving.   He says it will be supplemented by added shipping around the coast and a re-formulated programme.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Mitchell, he's got a bit on his plate at the moment.   He'll be happy with the score he got from Audrey Young in her ranking of ministers for midterm, but I reckon he is holding on to a ticking time bomb.   This is the case of the beautiful young Colombian woman in Christchurch living next door to a monster. She didn't know he'd been let out of prison 10 weeks before he raped her and stabbed her to death. He was on parole, by the way.   And here's the problem: Corrections knew he was, quote, “a high, high, high risk”. Any young attractive woman near him would be a target. Poor Juliana Bonilla-Herrera. She lived next door. She didn't know about his past and Corrections somehow didn't know she'd moved in next door to this animal.   Now, since we spoke about this the other day, a couple of things have happened. A couple of updates for you, and this is where Mitchell comes in. This guy was on parole right, which means he's been let out of prison early. Could still be in prison, but you're

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 1 May. 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 Government books are expected to reach surplus by 2029.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has teased slices of her Budget 2025 cake, revealing $1.3 billion in new operating spending – a cut from the forecast of $2.4 billion.  Ministers and agencies have been asked to cut more costs, for diversion into focus areas including health, education, and defence.  Labour’s Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds told Ryan Bridge it all comes down to the choices Willis will need to make to get to that surplus.  She says this is where choices really matter, and the Government’s pulling back at a time where they should be investing.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chaos for southwest Europe during a major power blackout.  Spain, Portugal, and parts of France went dark yesterday due to an issue with the grid, originating in Spain.   Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says power has now been restored, and they will take all necessary measures to prevent a repeat.  Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge cash registers, gas pumps, and credit cards all stopped working.   He says it was a very hot day, and people were stuck in lifts and electric trains.  Grey says plenty of other countries are now wondering if they’d be resilient enough if the same happened to them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney will have a lot of issues to tackle after winning the country's election last night.   The win means he'll continue to lead Canada – the job he took over from Justin Trudeau six weeks ago.   It's an upset loss for the Conservative Party, which was leading the polls up until Carney took over.  Political Analyst Nick Harper told Ryan Bridge it might be a tough start for him.  He says Carney has a tremendous to do list, and will also have to work out a trade policy with the US.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A children's support charity says a mix of heightened awareness and more abuse could be the reason for more reports to Oranga Tamariki.  The Ministry for Children estimates its seen a 45 percent increase in reports of concern in the year to April. It comes as Newstalk ZB reveals more than a-thousand children are overdue to be assigned a social worker.  Child Matters Chief Executive Jane Searle told Ryan Bridge it's aware of a large volume of under-reporting - especially in serious cases.  She says increased reporting is certainly not indicative of just more awareness.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can’t say we weren’t warned Nicola Willis would be taking to government spending like a butcher to a fresh carcass. She’s been saying it for months.  Yesterday she halved the operating allowance to $1.3 billion. All this because she wants to do what she said she’s do, and that’s balance the books by 2029. The recession’s cut her tax take so you either push your surplus out or you trim your spending. Labour, of course, says this is austerity, it’s bad, and we should spending more not less. Well, we know where that got us, waist deep in our own shite. Shite that Willis is now wading her way through trying to clean up. Budgets are just bigger versions of what we all do in our own lives everyday. We make decisions and choices about how much to spend, to borrow, what we spend on and more importantly, what we don’t. And if you asked most Kiwis what they’re doing right now, are you doing a Hipkins.Are you borrowing and splashing the cash? Stacking the pantry? Making nice brand spanking new purchases? 

On the Early Edition Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30 April 2025, numbers revealed this morning show more 1,300 children are waiting to be assigned a social worker by Oranga Tamariki. Child Matters CEO Jane Searle gives her reaction to Ryan Bridge.  Labour is already calling the upcoming budget the "slash and burn budget." But Ryan questions Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds on what she would do differently.  We get reaction from Canada as Mark Carney and the Liberal Party pull off a remarkable win in the country's election.  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.

A thumbs-up from the building industry over changes to certifications and inspections.   The Government will be letting approved builders, plumbers, and drainlayers sign off their own work for simple residential dwellings.   80% of inspections will also need to be completed within three working days.  Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma told Ryan Bridge there’s a lot that can be done to reduce the compliance burden on low-risk homes without compromising quality or consumer protection.  Some of which, he says, are restricting it to low-risk builds, having strict self-certification criteria, and strengthening the LBP scheme.   Sharma says that more details would be needed, but if improvements in these areas are implemented well, they’ll enable productivity gains without compromising quality.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.