Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

At what point do you say this local government election's a failure, a flop, not worth the paper it's written on? I think we're fast approaching that point now.  Even in Auckland - our biggest city. Super-City. With the most responsibility, the biggest burden to shoulder after amalgamation, the turnout with two weeks left to go is 9.2%. Last year it was 35%. That's not a mandate. It's a vote of no confidence in the entire system.  If you think about it, it's not like Kiwis aren't engaged in democracy. We come in national elections at a rate closer to 80%.  So, you ask yourself, what's the problem with local government? Two things.  1. Too many of them. You axe all regional councils, half the number of local ones. And turn the system from Council-Mayor to Mayor-Council. We have 78 local authorities for 5 million people. It's nuts.  Once they get to the council table, the mayor becomes a cuck to whatever looney tune nut-bar has made it on there with a few hundred votes and a dream of ri

Property values have ticked up again after a five-month fall.  Cotality data shows property values in New Zealand edged up by 0.1% in September.  Across the main centres, Wellington dipped by 0.4%, with Auckland also down 0.2%.  It follows a cumulative -1.6% drop over the five months to August.  ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge the regions that are doing the best are the ones who have had good export outcomes or tourism seasons.  Tauranga for example, he said, has had two bumper seasons of kiwifruit exports.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Federal Government workers are bracing for days without pay.  Republican and Democrat lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement on a spending bill.  US correspondent Mitch McCann says the shutdown's likely to last almost two weeks.  He told Ryan Bridge until then, affected staff aren't getting paid, even if they're in essential roles.  McCann says people like airport security staff and park rangers are expected to keep working every day without pay.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gut Cancer Foundation says author and broadcaster Nigel Latta played a vital role in raising awareness of the disease.  The high-profile clinical psychologist has died from stomach cancer this week – he was 58.  He was heavily involved with the Gut Cancer Foundation following his diagnosis, educating people about the symptoms and risk factors.  Foundation CEO Liam Willis told Ryan Bridge the increased awareness means people are more likely to get themselves assessed.  He says the earlier these cancers are detected, the better the chances of survival.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 2 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.

Disappointment the Government's energy reforms haven't prioritised keeping electricity prices down. Changes include allowing Crown-controlled gentailers more government capital for projects, plans for a new gas import terminal and giving the Electricity Authority more power. Electric Kiwi CEO Huia Burt told Ryan Bridge this could result in wholesale prices reducing by about 2% per annum. She says that amounts to a few dollars off a power bill, but for a bold reform, we'd be talking hundreds of dollars less per year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday was MMP in action. It was exhibit A of a coalition government. Without a single party with a clear mandate, you end up with piecemeal positions. You get a report done then you cherry pick which options are palatable to everybody and effective for nobody. In this case they picked just two of the ten options. Seymour would have liked the option of flogging off the 51% of energy companies we do own, but on the other hand, Matua Shane wanted the buy the rest back.  It’s what we call a political halfway house.  Critics on this side say we needed more intervention, critics on that side say less. What we voters need decide is whether this country needs bold action or incrementalism. Do we need radical, or do we want to comprise? In 2020, Jacinda scored the first single party majority since 1993 (first under MMP) then burned the reputation of absolute power. Let’s be real - nobody’s going to give National carte blanche come 2026. So if the polls, Mood of the Boardroom, and talk on the st

Faster access to primary and specialist mental health and addiction care is having a flow-on effect.  The latest data shows nearly 84% of people are accessing primary care within a week, surpassing the government's target, while 80.3% are accessing specialist support within three weeks.  Some regions, including Northland, Gisborne and Nelson Marlborough don't meet either of the targets.  Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey told Ryan Bridge the work continues, but it's good to see some signs of improvement.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on Hamas as Donald Trump gives it three or four days to respond to his proposed peace plan.   The deal would end the war, see hostages returned, Israeli troops pulled out of Gaza, and Trump leading an interim Government.   It's been supported by our Foreign Minister Winston Peters as well as European and Middle Eastern leaders.  CBS Jerusalem correspondent Linda Gradstein told Ryan Bridge there's been very little indication of what Hamas will do.   She says initial reports suggest Hamas is leaning towards accepting the deal, and they're under a lot of pressure from Qatar.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s nothing quite like watching a well-thought-out strategy come together and work. And hats off to South Korea this morning — they’re absolutely smashing it when it comes to tourism. The government set a goal: 30 million visitors a year by 2030. In 2005, they had 6 million. Last year? 16 million. This year: they’re on track to hit 20 million. This isn’t happening by chance — it’s happening by design. Government and business have come together and gone all in on infrastructure and law changes. They’re extending an electronic visa-free travel pass. By the start of next year, they’ll have integrated ticketing for all public transport. You’ll use the same pass for major tourist attractions. Imagine catching the Waiheke ferry and doing the luge — all on one pass. There’s a big push on regional tourism. But their secret sauce? A cultural takeover of movies, TV shows, and music. That’s another industry they’ve invested in heavily — and now it’s paying dividends we could only dream of. We know this works — just

The energy sector's hopeful that Government reforms will be bold,  and address their concerns. Energy Minister Simon Watts is expected to announce reforms today, which will focus on issues the market hasn't been able to solve itself.  Major Electricity Users' Group Executive Director, Karen Boyes, says told Ryan Bridge Liquefied Natural Gas could be an option - as we're running out of domestic gas. She says LNG isn't the cheap option, but would guarantee more supply. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 1 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 Reserve Bank has been learning lessons from its handling of the Covid pandemic.  Chief Economist Paul Conway says they now have a deeper understanding of supply shocks and the structural drivers of inflation and are better equipped for future shocks.  He says in hindsight, going earlier or harder to OCR hikes would have reduced inflation sooner.  New Zealand Initiative Chief Economist Eric Crampton told Ryan Bridge pumping money into a locked-down economy was the wrong approach.  He says it's great the Reserve Bank is recognising its mistakes now, but it would have been better if they'd recognised them earlier.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some building owners may decide it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to new earthquake standards.   The Government's eased regulations which will see Auckland, Northland, and the Chatham Islands removed from the regime.  Institute of Building Surveyors President Darryl August says while an earthquake isn't likely in Auckland, it could cause a lot of damage if it did happen.   He told Ryan Bridge even people in low-risk areas like Auckland should still have a look at their building.   August says there's nothing to stop people doing the repairs even if they aren't legally required.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 30 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.

Health has always been a portfolio MPs never want a bar of. You never win. Endless fights with the unions. People waiting for surgery. Constant pressure to keep up with technology. And it’s deeply personal for those who don’t get the care they need - it’s literally life-and-death stuff. So if the numbers Simeon Brown is putting out are to be believed—and I’ve no reason to doubt them—then he deserves some credit. Cancer wait times, immunisations, elective surgeries, and ED numbers are all heading in the right direction. It’s by no means “job done,” and some of the movement is only a few percent—quarter-on-quarter comparisons. But for a government the media would have you believe is traditionally stingy and ineffective in health, at least we now have measurable results to compare. And they’re not terrible. Labour will come out today and slam this. They’ll say grandma’s hip operation is being farmed out to the private sector. And you know what grandma will say? Who cares—I’ve got a new hip. This is all short-ter

Belief improvements are being made in the health system, but they don't show the full story. Quarterly data shows improvements around cancer treatment access, childhood immunisation rates, ED stays, and wait times. Health Minister Simeon Brown says it shows the system is turning a corner.  Former Health NZ Chair Rob Campbell told Ryan Bridge there are inconsistencies in how targets are measured, such as when ED wait times begin. He says information is often structured to meet targets in the health service and other organisations. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Corrections Minister says services in prisons are improving, despite concerns around staff shortages An extra 98-million-dollars from this year’s Budget was meant to fund corrections until June - when prisoner numbers were expected to reach 10,800. This figure is already within reach, nearly a year ahead of schedule. Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge the officers they have are performing well. He says they're world-class - and tens of thousands of positive interactions happen every day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 29th of September 2025, there's concern prison funding is drying up, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell tells Ryan what the government will do about it. Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.  The world has heard New Zealand's verdict on Palestinian statehood, Foreign Policy Analyst Geoffrey Miller tells Ryan how big of an impact it'll have on New Zealand's reputation.  Ryan thinks Putin’s playing a game of chicken with the Europeans.  Plus, UK Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on drones seen near military facilities including Denmark's largest after a series of incidents that caused air disruption earlier this week.  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.

Putin’s playing a game of chicken with the Europeans and Europeans are the chickens. NATO’s so far done nothing but talk about these fighter jets and drones. Take your pick of experts and former military bosses chiming on the why over the weekend, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Are these incursions a mistake?  No. Too many now. So he’s doing this for one of two reasons. To keep more territory in Ukraine. Freak the Europeans a bit. They might buckle and give him more of what he wants. OR. He’s picking off countries one-by-one to test the NATO response. Lining up his next target. Does NATO respond differently to a Polish incursion than a Danish one? The point of NATO is it shouldn’t matter. All for one, one for all. The question then becomes how to you deal with it. I’m inclined to agree with Moritz Brake. He’s with the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies. He says you’ve got to be more forceful.  The Turks shot down a Russian jet in 2015 seconds after it entered their