Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

In the last week we’ve had a smorgasbord of small, seemingly minor stories hitting the headlines. Helmets or no helmets for cyclists. Which name comes first on the cover of our passports. A ban then reversal on marshmallows in hot chocolates from the coffee machine at hospitals.  Not a single one of these stories is significant on their own.  But they’re the kind of stories people remember because they either simply make no sense or appear to be a colossal waste of time. Most working families can’t afford to even use their passports right now. A Hawaiian holiday - nope. The only ones dusting off travel IDs are moving across the ditch! Is this the stuff your average punter wanting to feed their kids actually cares about?  No.  The Clark Government got bogged down by a bunch of these silly little things. Think the size of shower heads and light bulbs. Instead of asking officials whether little Johnny should be allowed to ride a bike without a helmet (something no decent parent would allow an

Following the food inflation figures from Friday, Foodstuffs has challenged StatsNZ’s numbers.  On Friday, StatsNZ reported a 5.0% rise in the year to July.  But Foodstuffs is reporting a 3.4% year on year increase – arguing they have a clearer measure of grocery prices.  Sue Chetwin from Grocery Action Group told Ryan Bridge that StatsNZ is including restaurants and takeaways in their reporting, which is throwing off their final stats.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe's leaders are rallying together to discuss Ukrainian security with Donald Trump.   Over the weekend Vladimir Putin met with the US President in Alaska, which concluded without any movement.   Now, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky are some of the leaders meeting in Washington tomorrow to continue discussions.    European Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge their biggest fear will be the press conference being ambushed again, like it was for Zelensky last time.   He says Europe wants to show solidarity no matter what happens as a result of negotiations with Russia.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 18 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.

We are well on our way to a collective one trillion dollars in debt. In the year to the end of May, New Zealand hit just over 870-billion in gross debt - up 5.4 percent from almost 830-billion last year. It represents an average of just over 160-thousand dollars in raw debt for every person in the country. At the current rate of growth, New Zealand will hit the trillion dollar landmark,  inside the next three years. That rate has eased in the past two years as the Government has sought to curb borrowing, and the housing market has been flat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I went out for lunch to a cafe the other day and our table was served by a couple of waiters who all seemed to have a similar vibe about them. They just. Did. Not. Seem. To. Care. No smiling. No banter. No small talk or polite conversation.  Just this blank look on their faces. You sit there and think “did they hear me”? You ever so politely repeat yourself in case they didn’t.  But they did. They got it. There’s just no engagement. Face colder than a which's tit. No refills of your water. No "would you like another coffee? Like, hello!? Is anybody in there? Is anyone home? Why are you all moving so slowly? Shouldn’t you be rushing the joint taking orders and filling coffees?  When I was young it was drilled into us: when you’re waiting tables and taking orders. You work your way up from "dish pig" to front of House. You basically run round busy as a bee, trying to impress your boss, trying to win your guests over. Taking wagers of who might get a tip.  Can I help you, sir?  What more

A reversion to a largely first-choice team for the All Blacks as they open the Rugby Championship against Argentina on Sunday morning in Cordoba.  The return of captain Scott Barrett from a calf injury headlines the side, while Du'Plessis Kirifi gets his second straight test start at openside flanker.  Although the New Zealand side has never lost to the Argentinian team at their home, former All Black Josh Kronfeld told Ryan Bridge that there’s always a chance.   He says they’re giant killers, having beaten all of the top 10 nations, and it all depends on who turns up where.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are gearing up for tomorrow's highly anticipated talks in Alaska.   The US and Russian presidents will discuss ending the war in Ukraine, with suggestions a second meeting could follow if it goes well.   The Kremlin's already dangling financial incentives, saying there's untapped potential in US-Russian relations.  US Correspondent Toni Waterman told Ryan Bridge there are reports Trump is considering granting Russia access to Alaskan natural resources, as well as potentially allow them to access rare minerals in the territories it occupies in Ukraine, among other things.  She says in Trump’s mind, this would be an incentive for Putin to take negotiations seriously.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's red meat sector may struggle to reach a goal set by the Government to double exports by 2034. Data from NZ Beef + Lamb's found breeding ewe numbers have dropped by nearly two-percent, while beef cattle numbers were up 4.4-percent. It reveals 2.6 million units of sheep and beef stock have been lost due to afforestation over the past eight years.  Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Richard Dawkins told Ryan Bridge the rules don't extend to land where most beef and sheep farms are. He says it appears they're siding with polluters over producers, because a simple solution would be to extend it to all land use classes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the point in us having more affordable property prices for first home buyers if young workers are jetting off to Australia in search of a better tomorrow?  There's a perverse logic to this, but across the Tasman right now, where our flying Kiwis are headed, they're experiencing something of a property boom.  It's the opposite of the stagnant or falling prices we're seeing here, where homes in most regions are now considered, technically at least, affordable.  In Sydney the median prices of a new pad is predicted to increase 7% this year to $2.1m NZD by June 2026.  If you want to be a Melbourne hipster, prices will be 6% higher in a year to $1.2m. They've not got a problem which we know all too well - prices are squeezing out first home buyers.  You can't get on the ladder for love nor money, look at the new loans from banks.  Landlords: 200k new loans over the year - that's the most since 2022. First home mortgages, they're down to $116k. Because they're cutting interest r

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 15th of August 2025, All eyes are on Alaska ahead of a crucial meeting between Trump and Putin, US Correspondent Toni Waterman is in Alaska and has the latest.  The All Blacks are taking on Argentina in Córdoba, former All Black Josh Kronfeld shares his thoughts ahead of the game. Sheep and beef cattle numbers are improving, Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chairperson Richard Dawkins shares his thoughts.  Plus UK/ Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on President Zelensky visits Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street.   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.

Times are tough for property owners as they see the lowest resale profits in over a decade.  Cotality’s latest Pain & Gain Report shows 89.4% of homes sold above their purchase price last quarter – the lowest since 2014.  Christchurch was the most resilient of the main centres, with 4.9% of Q2 resales made at a loss, well below the national average of 10.6%, while Auckland recorded the highest proportion of loss-making sales at 15.9%.  NZ Property Investors Federation’s Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge this is only a problem for those who are being forced to sell.  For property investors, he says, unless you bought at the peak and have to sell for some reason, this is just another cycle to ride out.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCEA Level 1 achievement's dropped to its lowest level in a decade, while all qualifications saw improvement.  In 2024, achievement in Levels 2, 3, and University Entrance went up for the first time since 2020.   Student's completing Level 1 continued to drop, and Māori also fell further behind.  Darfield High School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge there've been problems with the qualification since its introduction.  He says there's been a lot of tinkering for teachers to get their heads round and some of the introduction texts were awful.  And secondary teachers will soon swapping their pens for pickets.  Post Primary Teachers' Association members will put down the tools next Wednesday, rejecting a 3% pay increase over three years.  Public Service Minister Judith Collins says the union didn't even have a counter offer.  PPTA member and Rangitoto College teacher Paul Stevens says the offer is essentially a pay cut during a teacher shortage.  He says it mea

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 14th of August 2025, Jacinda Arden and Chris Hipkins won't show face at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19, Minister responsible Brooke Van Velden shares her thoughts.  Property owners are seeing the lowest resale profits in over a decade, Matt Ball from the NZ Property Investors Federation tells Ryan why.  New NCEA achievement data shows mixed results, Darfield school Principal Andy England breaks it down.  Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the Trump and Putin meeting.  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.

The ACT Party's laying into the former Ministers who lead our Covid-19 response for refusing to front public hearings.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and former Ministers Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, and Ayesha Verrall have declined to appear as part of the Royal Commission's Inquiry.  Commissioners are confident it won't hamper efforts. Act's Brooke van Velden, who's in charge of the inquiry, told Ryan Bridge these Ministers stood publicly and made huge decisions about people's lives. She says it's confusing for many members of the public who are still feeling the effects of the Covid lockdown.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday they wheeled out three excuses for not fronting up and answering questions about why they went so hard on lockdowns and mandates which they then papered over with $66-billion in spending - second in the world only to the US - thereby helping fuel the inflation we're all now paying the price for taming.  1. First we heard they wouldn't attend the public hearing and give public evidence because they were worried about how the public might react - that some might use their videos to spread misinformation.  The Inquiry itself basically said this was nonsense because the public interest in them appearing outweighed the risk of some nutter altering their testimony video and sharing it on Facebook.  2. Then Hipkins fronted for a stand-up with another reason - I already answer these questions on a daily basis.  Which, again, makes no sense. If you were worried about videos being doctored of misinformation being spread, would it not apply as much to those comments in the media - which are

More heat pumps in households could cut energy bills by a total of $1.5 billion a year.  A report by the New Zealand Green Building Council has found replacing gas and electric heaters with heat pumps could save 40% of gas produced, each year.  It's also revealed this could protect thousands of  jobs, with three mills closing in the last year due to soaring energy prices.  Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s Richard Briggs told Ryan Bridge heat pumps are about 3.5 times more efficient than a resistive heater.  He says the upfront cost is quite expensive, but they are significantly cheaper to run.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vocational Education Minister assures its Te Pukenga de-merger is responsible, despite Treasury raising concerns. Newstalk ZB can reveal it urged the Government to seek reassurance that allowing polytechs to go back to governing themselves would help their finances. The mid-March paper warned the financial situation would be the same, if not worse, than before the merger. Penny Simmonds told Ryan Bridge if they did nothing, Treasury would be right, but they haven't sat on their hands. She says they've spent 18 months with financial advisors working with each polytechnic, getting rid of excessive staffing levels and non-viable programmes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 13th of August 2025, Treasury warned the Government that breaking up Te Pukenga could leave polytechs worse off, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds tells Ryan Bridge why they decided to go ahead anyway.  A report from the Green Building Council shows Kiwis could save up to $1.5 billion on their annual energy bill if we moved to full heat pump adoption.  Major America's Cup changes are coming, Interim CEO of yachting New Zealand Raynor Haagh tells Ryan the difference it'll make to the sport.  Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on a US woman who was hired as a killer and tried to shoot a man in the UK at point-blank range. 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.

People aren't telling pollsters they'd vote for Labour because they'd actually vote for Labour. Labour hasn't got any policies - they're an empty vessel.  It's captain is still, according to most recent polling, less popular than the current Prime Minister.  It's a protest vote. They're telling the PM to hurry up and do something else to rescue the economy the last lot, and a trade war, have suppressed.  You don't throw the baby out with the bath water and back a team that has no plan.  That clown that's running in the Wellington Mayoral race has more policies than Hipkins. He wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp.  Sure, it's mad, but at least it's something.  Late last year and early this year, the recovery was on-track.  We then got hit by Trump's Liberation Day. Confidence and investment took a massive hit, the markets were in freefall, remember? That's thrown everything off course.  Now, you can argue that National went too hard and fast on cutting spending