Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The Warriors put on a nail biting performance over the weekend, coming back from what was looking like a loss.   A 69th minute Luke Metcalf field goal proved decisive, as the Auckland team hung on for a 15-14 victory over the St George-Illawarra Dragons. It takes the Warriors to a 7-2 record for the season – cementing their top-four position.  Sports reporter Andrew Alderson talks to Ryan Bridge about the win, the New Zealand crickets fleeing India and Pakistan and Ryan Fox at the Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Public funding for the Royal Household has tripled since 2012, with the rise largely driven by repairs and building work at Buckingham Palace.  The Sovereign Grant was introduced in 2012 at £31m per year. That has now risen to £132m, data from the House of Commons Library shows, and once inflation has been taken into account, that represents about a threefold increase. Royal aids say the funding will come down again.  UK Correspondent talks to Ryan Bridge about the rise and potential talks between Ukraine and Russia.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday the 12th of May 2025, The Government's promising to clamp down on boy racers, Police Association President Chris Cahill tells Ryan Bridge whether or not the legislation will work.  Erica Stanford will lead work on reducing social media harm for under-16s, social media parenting expert from B416, Malindi Maclean shares her thoughts.  Andrew Alderson has the latest from weekend sport.  Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey shares the latest on Putin offering face-to-face talks with 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.

Tougher penalties hope to put the brakes on boy racers and fleeing drivers. The Government's establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction for street racers, those who flee police, and intimidating convoys.  Police will also get greater powers to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing roads or public areas.  Police Association President Chris Cahill says told Ryan Bridge something needs to be done because the situation is out of control. He says these aren't just boy racers, they are deliberately antagonising Police, throwing bottles and ramming cars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The youth are out of control.  We'll crush the cars. We'll crush the smartphones.  Which all sounds nice this will... like most laws designed to make us feel like we're getting a handle on social problems, will all come down to enforcement. For all the time Judith Collins spent at the scrap metal yards for photo ops, was not quite the Crusher those photos ops made her out to be.  In the five years after they passed the law, three cars were crushed.  But that was a three-strike solution, Mark Mitchell, the destroyer, is moving us to a first strike programme... so you're one Gone in 60 Seconds Street race away from destruction or your car ending up on the Turner's auction site.  If you've tried to get some sleep in an area where they convoy in some Subaru at 3am in the morning, you'll know how annoying these so-called meet ups are.  It wastes so much police time. They're crashing into each other and hurting themselves. Ripping up the road.  So yeah, why not double down on the crusher, but this won't make the problem disappear.  Somewhat ironic, too, because we're saying screen time is bad. Get off your phone. Go outside and do something.  These kids are off their phones, fixing their cars. Learning about engines. Chatting with one another face-to-face. Actually, out there doing something other sitting at home on Tiktok.  The TikTok problem is the far bigger problem because it affects all of them not just the few who race cars.  By their first year of High School, 90% of kids have a smartphone.  This is interesting now because we've moved beyond Member's bill to a government bill being proposed, so a social media ban is now officially on the agenda.  The problem with enforcement here is obvious - how do you do when there are so many workarounds.  And the enforcers will not be police, they'll be parents.  And here's the problem. Most parents spend time more time on social media than their kids. Nearly half of kiwi teens say their parent is at least sometimes distracted by their phone when they’re trying to talk to them. Isn't that a bit hypocritical? Like telling them not to smoke while puffing away on a pack of winne blues?  Enforcement of whatever rules we pass to manage the impulses of teenagers will ultimately determine how successful those measures are in stopping them doomscrolling or joyriding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's struck his first trade deal since last month's tariff announcement – an agreement with the UK.  The US will slash tariffs on British steel and aluminium, and most British cars.  But UK exporters will still face the same 10% base tariff also faced by New Zealand exporters.  On the flipside, the UK has agreed to remove the tariff on ethanol for US goods, and agreed to reciprocal markets for certain products, including beef.   UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that in particular is likely to be quite controversial, as the UK has higher standards when it comes to agricultural products than the US does.   He says it raises a question as to what that means for the farming industry in the UK.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Record income for NZ Rugby was not enough to save them from their third yearly deficit in a row.  Yesterday, NZR Chair David Kirk revealed a $19.5 million loss, despite the body bringing in a record $285 million.  Former CEO David Moffett told Ryan Bridge it’s symptomatic of rugby around the world.  He says professional rugby is living in quicksand – no matter where you look, it’s in real trouble.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's expected the government could find more savings by selling state owned assets.  The Government's scraped the bottom of the barrel to find more money for the upcoming Budget.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's promising an extra $400 million for maintaining and upgrading assets, on top of the already projected $3.6 billion.  New Zealand Initiative Executive Director Oliver Hartwich told Ryan Bridge they could go into a process of asset recycling.  He says selling some existing assets would give the government more room for new ones.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first ever American Pope's spoken in front of a crowd of tens-of-thousands of faithful at the Vatican.  69-year-old Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo the 14th.  It comes after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 6pm local time, following the fourth Conclave vote. Catholic journalist Mark O'Conner is at the Vatican and told Ryan Bridge while the new Pope was born in Chicago, he has experience around the world.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the last day of school in Parliament yesterday.  It happens after MPs sit through urgency, they get restless, excitable, a bit crazy.  They were shouting, interrupting, it was a bit chaotic - even Gerry Brownlee finished question time saying this has not been our finest hour.  Opposition MPs, particularly women, were up in arms and incensed over the Pay Equity bill for the second day in a row. The question for National is whether this outrage in Parliament will translate to outrage at the ballot box.  33 claims cancelled and must start again. Sure, there's a new legal framework set up with high thresholds for pay equity claims. But Labour is doing it's darndest to create the impression there's not. That this is the end of the road for low-paid workers of the fairer sex.  Dutton was emasculated at the polls last Saturday in part because he wasn't well liked by women.  The red landslide swept his heartland, handed Albo the win, and cost him his unfortunately named seat of Dickson. In Brisbane's Northern suburbs and across Queensland new residents, young voters, and women broke for Albo.  It was a big part in Dutton's down trou. So, the question for National is whether it's just created a problem for 2026? Will women voters give Luxon a swift kick in the gonads next year?  The bill creates a risk of them doing so. To counter that you've got the sell the changes. Right now, in the fog of war, they're not getting cut through. The critics, the Jan Tinetti's, are winning the PR war at present.  When the dust settles, they need to explain, with specific examples, which of those 33 deals in the pipeline or deals done thus far were bad or rotten and why. Why is it important we save billions? What's it good for? This is not to say all women vote the same or even together in a bloc. Life's not one big sisterhood of the travelling pants. Every woman is different and doesn't necessarily vote on their gender.  After all, women didn't show up for Kamala last November, even though MSNBC was basically saying Trump removed your womb.  Women ditched Labour after Jacinda left the building and the Nats picked them up.  The pay equity bill is a risk to that support, a bit of a gamble - not one that can't be overcome, but you've got to sell your story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 9th of May 2025, A new Pope has been elected, Catholic Journalist Mark O'Connor shares the latest live from the Vatican.  The prime minister's announced an extra almost half billion dollars in capital spending in upcoming budget, New Zealand Initiative Executive Director Oliver Hartwich shares his thoughts.  Record income for New Zealand Rugby was not enough to save them from their third yearly deficit in a row, Former NZR Boss David Moffett tells Ryan Bridge why NZR isn't making enough money.  Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on a new trade deal between the US and the UK.  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 unemployment rate has come out better than anticipated.  It remained unchanged at 5.1% in the three months ending March.   The number of people in full-time work fell by 45 thousand, while the number in part time work grew by 25 thousand.  Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Ryan Bridge that people are likely using reduced hours as an alternative to layoffs.  He says it’s likely one factor as to why the unemployment rate has risen, but not as high as some economists were forecasting.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts fighting organised crime say New Zealand must pick up its act to keep pace with trans-national criminals.   They've released their second report, criticising New Zealand's response to modern crime and money laundering.   It wants cash to be made a less attractive option for criminals and to ban crypto currency ATMs.   Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Ryan Bridge the criminals work quickly, and so must authorities.   He says New Zealand must get with the times to block criminal groups from using their profits.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transpower is looking to make a key investment into the Cook Strait electricity cable.  It's consulting on a $1.4 billion upgrade to the 610 kilometre link connecting the North and South Island. The existing cables are likely to reach their end of life in the late 2030s.  Major Electricity Users' Group Chairman John Harbord told Ryan Bridge the link's important when hydro-lakes in the South are low in water. He says the North Island's often moving forms of renewable electricity down to the South Island. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, after all the handwringing, the complaints, the stomping of feet, the Commerce Commission's shooting down talk of an investigation into domestic airfares. Greg Foran and Co. will see this as vindication - validation that, despite the headlines and Consumer NZ's claim the market is quote broken, the reality is their costs have gone up and, surprise surprise, it's expensive to run routes with high fixed costs to small places with few people.  So they conclude doing a market study —which is easy politics, it scratches the itch— won't actually achieve anything.  And they say it won't lead to consumers getting a better deal.  Refreshing honesty. Could the same refreshing honesty not have been applied to the claims about banking/supermarkets/petrol stations, etc, etc, etc? Like most things post-Covid, costs have gone sky high. Airport landing charges - up. Air traffic control - up. Security levies - up. And when you're a business, one owning to the tune of 51% remember, you recoup those costs by putting your own prices up.  We don't want them subsidies flights and crashing our business, right?  We sold off the national carrier in 1989. We re-nationalised it in 2001after Ansett went bust - that cost us close to a billion bucks.  Ansett's problem was high costs and regulation changes - when airlines fail, it gets expensive for taxpayers. Now I don't want to defend an airline charging me $400 to fly for 40 minutes anymore than the next guy. But this is the crux of most of the complaints we hear about through the media.  Short flights, regional flights are expensive right now and people don't use them often enough.  They use more fuel as a proportion of total flight time because take-off and climbing is when you burn through it - it takes a bit of gas to lift us into the sky. The cost of fuel is a third of operating cost —something Foran can't control— that's more the purview of a Putin or a Sultan. Planes spend way too long sitting on the ground, your costs are higher, and you've got fewer passengers to spread those costs over. Using jets would be more efficient but, again, we don't have the people to fill them.  Which is why I said the other day —and it's true but doesn't make it palatable— we're a small country, we pay a price for sparsely populated, beautiful and untouched landscapes.  The ComCom does say there's room for improvement, but on the whole, the real enemy here is the politician or talking head who tells us by simply bashing Air New Zealand's head into a wall, they can make Kiwis fly on the cheap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Thursday 8th of May, Glenn Dobson Drug Detection Agency CEO shares insight on a new Ministerial Advisory Report on organised crime.  Much to the surprise of economists The unemployment rate remained flat at 5.1% for the first three months of this year, Westpac Senior economist Michael Gordon shares his thoughts.  Transpower says they need to replace the electricity cable connecting the North and South Island at the tune of $1.4-billion, Major Electricity Users' Group Chair John Harbord explains how it will impact power bills.  Plus, US Correspondent Nick Harper has the latest on Joe Biden's first interview out of the White House.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media for under 16s is being compared to the harm caused by cigarette smoking.  Clear evidence shows that social media can be linked to depression and anxiety.  This has led to National introducing a member's bill to ban social media for those under 16 years of age, to protect kids.  Parenting expert Nathan Wallace told Ryan Bridge implementing a ban for under 16s sends the message that, like cigarettes and alcohol, social media is something we need to monitor.  He says social media is worse than we originally thought, so we now need to take the responsible steps to protect our kids from it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mixed opinions on when unemployment will reach its peak.  Stats NZ data out this morning is predicted to show rates increased to around 5.2% during the March quarter.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner expects this will likely be as high as it will go.  While ASB senior economist Mark Smith told Ryan Bridge it could be a bit higher later in the year.  He says they've seen firms hold back on hiring as disruptions to trade and economic concerns continue.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The doors of Rome's Sistine Chapel officially lock tomorrow morning as the conclave selects a new pope.  135 cardinals from around the world will vote on a successor to Pope Francis, who was laid to rest almost two weeks ago.  There's no timescale for how long it'll take, but the last two papal elections lasted for two days.  Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge it's set to be most secretive election of all time.   He says there'll be no televisions, newspapers, or radio, and they can't even open the windows.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of a pay equity deal for teacher aides may fizzle out under newly introduced Government legislation.  The proposed law, which would lift the threshold of pay equity claims of gender-discrimination, is expected to have its third reading this morning.  A deal reached by union teacher aide members in 2020 is due to be reviewed - but may no longer go ahead.  Union Member Ally Kingi told Ryan Bridge it was based on comparison between teacher aides and Corrections staff.  She says it meticulously compared the general areas of responsibility for each group to the pay they received.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 7th of May 2025, The government wants to overhaul the Gender pay equity claims process, Teacher aide Ally Kingi explains how it will impact her workforce.  National's putting forward a member's bill that bans social media for under 16-year-olds, parenting expert Nathan Wallis shares his thoughts.  We get the unemployment figures from Stats NZ this morning, ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith shares his take.  Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the new UK and India trade deal. 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.

Bad news this morning for any productive, hard-working, and busy members of our society. The climate protesters who brought Wellington to a standstill - rush hour traffic to a stand still - will be back at it again soon.  Mark my words.  You'll see more idiots gluing themselves to motorways, abseiling down Mt Victoria, hanging signs from gantries, roads closed, police resources distracted from important stuff, and chaos to start your day.  Why?  The Crown has walked away from, abandoned, the prosecution of more than 20 defendants facing charges over protests in Wellington.  These guys are off on their merry way.  They're from the Restore Passenger Rail group.  Some were awaiting re-trial after juries couldn't come to a verdict on whether they endangered transport.  Anyway there's a lot of hands that should be in cuffs that will soon be covered in glue again. How do we know this?  They told us. One of the nutters said he hopes the Crown decision sets a precedent and that protesters won't be prosecuted for future climate change activism. We had numpties sleeping in coal cart trying to shut down the Stockton mine on the West Coast over Easter.  Dangerous stuff. Expensive stuff. I remember a woman stuck in traffic on SH1 missing her chemo appointment at hospital.  Their point is emissions are bad for the climate, but tens of thousands of cars sitting idle stuck in traffic while some climate hero gets his five seconds of TikTok fame abseiling onto our state highways would surely, if anything, make those emissions worse.  Also, did you know they hire gas-guzzling diesel vans to ferry them to and from their stunts? Hypocritical losers, even Tory Whanau said they were dumb. These people are not about climate solutions. They're about themselves.  I'm all for constructive discussion on how our small country can play it's part.  But every time I see an ambulance stuck in a traffic jam caused by unnecessary attention seekers, it makes me want to let the planet burn just to spite them.  Sadly, the rest of us can all look forward to dealing with much more of this in the months and years ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Government delegation has landed in the Indian capital to kick-start Free Trade Agreement talks.   The Prime Minister, along with several other ministers, visited India earlier this year to improve diplomatic ties.   India New Zealand Business Council Chair Bharat Chawla told Ryan Bridge India will hope to make movement in New Zealand easier for its people.   He says it will also be looking to make use of New Zealand's fruit and dairy industries.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tough winter ahead for meat processing plants as livestock numbers continue to decline.   Latest figures from Stats NZ show a 21% drop in sheep numbers over the past 10 years – a total decline of 6.2 million sheep since 2014.   The number of dairy cattle also fell 13% over the same period.   Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Toby Williams told Ryan Bridge keeping livestock processing plants open, profitable, and running efficiently is a significant challenge.   He says big plants are struggling to get numbers of livestock through, with close to million less lambs to process this year than last.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Prime Minister's confirmed he's had a 'warm and positive' chat with US President Donald Trump.  Anthony Albanese's Labor Party has swept back into office, securing a historic second term.   It's widely thought Trump's volatility influenced the outcome.   Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge Albanese thanked him for reaching out in such a positive way.  She says they talked about tariffs, and will continue to engage with each other.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism organisations from across the North Island are teaming up to shine a light on its tourism offerings. Fifteen operators including Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Rotorua NZ and Northland Inc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. It aims to generate interest from key tourism markets particularly Australia, North America and China. Northland Inc Head of Destination Tania Burt told Ryan Bridge tourists fly into Auckland and then head straight to the South Island.  She says only 20-30% of their region's visitors are international, hence the need to work together. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disclaimer: Satire  On the news last night, it was nothing but scandal. Scandal. Scandal. I don’t think I’ve seen political misconduct of this magnitude since Watergate. The Woodward and Bernsteins of our time were busy digging through documents, uncovering truth. Protecting democracy. From corruption. From evil. Erica Stanford, Minister of Education and obvious crook, first in the firing line.  Her crime? Printing off work emails at home.  Disgraceful. A two-part report from 1News leading the bulletin over consecutive nights details how this menace, flagrant in her disregard for best practice, printed papers from her home computer after emailing them to her own private email address. Why? I hear you ask. Why such an egregious act? Well it turns out, and this where the story really gets interesting, Parliamentary IT hadn’t hooked up a printer in her office or home. So instead of ignoring her immense workload, switching off her computer and going to the pub like any decent politician, she emailed them to herself, printed them off. And worked late into the night.  Outrageous.  Other documents, other emails exclusively uncovered - the existence of which made possible because the Minister flagged them with officials for inclusion in future OIA requests. Like the one we're now looking at. So, brazen in flouting the rules she thought she’d never get caught.  Shameless.  One reporter noted Stanford was quote “safe for now”. It’s at least on par with the Hegseth and his signal chat. Kiri Allen drunk driving then crashing a ministerial car before resisting arrest pales into comparison.  But how much worse can this scandal get for Stanford?  We must wait for part two this evening.  Then the next minister in the firing line? Matt Doocey. Mental Health. And this story is crazy - he should be locked up like crooked Hilary.  His crime?  Worse than lying… the newsreader told us the accusation was, wait for it... massaging the message. It's a new charge but thought to be very, very, very serious. Some pages detailing workforce shortages were removed from a glossy Ministerial booklet that went out to the public.  There was one small problem with this future Pulitzer Prize winner. The problem, as cameras bared down, as his crimes were read aloud, was Doocey had no idea what the reporter was talking about - it was old mate Lester Levy. It was Levy's fingerprints over this one, not Doocey's. But he’s already on the way out, so what’s the fun in getting him on camera? Shackling him to the pillory for a flogging? So, it was Doocey in the dock.  The best part about this expose? It came with its very own deep throat. Yes, an insider whose secret cache of draft documents blew the sorry wide open… That person was Ingrid Leary from the Labour Party.  Case closed. It’s a knockout. It’s a slam dunk. Both ministers must be sacked immediately. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 6th of May 2025, A Government delegation has landed in New Delhi for the first round of talks towards a FTA between India and New Zealand, India New Zealand Business Council Chair Bharat Chawla tells Ryan Bridge how we should approach a deal.  New figures from Stats NZ show our livestock numbers are falling, Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chair Toby Williams tells Ryan whether or not we should be worried.  A brand new alliance of fifteen tourism organisations is hoping to attract more overseas visitors to North island destinations, Northland INC Head of Destination Tania Burt shares her thoughts. Plus Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on The mushroom murder trial entering its sixth day. 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.

Eight men have been arrested in two separate counter-terrorism UK police investigations.  Five people were arrested at various locations around England on Saturday as part of a "pre-planned" investigation into a plot to "target a specific premises." Three other men, all Iranian, were arrested in London on Saturday as part of a separate counter-terror police investigation.  UK Correspondent Gavin Grey talks to Ryan Bridge about the investigations.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been re-elected for a second term after Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton.  Dutton not only failed to unseat Albanese, but he also lost his seat of Dickson in Brisbane, making him the first federal opposition leader to ever do so.  Australian Correspondent Lesley Yeomans talks to Ryan Bridge about Saturday's election.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson has been handed a five-second time penalty and has therefore lost his points finish from Formula One‘s Miami Grand Prix sprint race. After qualifying 14th, Lawson looked to have finished seventh in the 18-lap affair, shortened by one lap due to rain over the Miami International Autodrome. Sports Contributor Andrew Alderson talks to Ryan Bridge about the race. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 nightly news.  Dutton's problem was more complicated... first. He ran a crap campaign. Realising a defence plan so expensive it gets funding to 35 of GDP and means you can't Albo's tax cuts in a cost-of-living crisis - and then only releasing that plan two weeks out from campaign day was dumb.  But it was also about that word economists are spitting out like a bad steak - uncertainty. Don't ask Luxon though - he gave a bizzare response when asked about this yesterday... Basically... the Aussies and the Canadians simply picked the most economically credible parties in the face of uncertain times.  What? Those parties he's endorsing are both from the left. That's the equivalent of kicking his sister parties (The Aussie Libs and Canadian Conservatives) in the shins. Made no sense. I think he wanted to avoid mentioning the trump bump.  What's actually happening here is not really about parties.  In times of uncertainty, you don't change your horse mid-steam. Voters stick with what they know. When the worlds in a spin, you don't know up from down, Albo from a-hole.... human nature, for the most part, is to do nothing and hope it goes away. Why risk a new government of unknown quantity? Singapore's arguably just done the same. The counter factual to this obviously is America, but remember the American economy was actually growing for past two years, consumer spending was strong, and inflation had come down earlier than ours. So that's a different set of circumstances.  The best comparison for what's happened in Australia and Canada in the past week is 2020, New Zealand.  A bunch of people really worried a perceived global threat rallying around flagpole and rejecting a campaign that wasn't neither well-run or nailing the public mood.  Which Judith Collins' disastrous 2020 attempt didn't.  Whether it was Trump, or a reaction to him. For Luxon to attribute the fiscal credentials of left-wing parties abroad with their success was an unnecessary own goal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 for something relevant to say, he’s now beating up on the return to country. Which during a cost of living crisis people want sorted, is akin to Judith Collins' attack on fat people at the ill-fated 2020 election.  Remember that? If you want to lose weight, then eat less. Actually, not an unreasonable thing to say for most but it's the timing, isn't it? It's the focus on that when it should be on bigger things.  And that brings us to the elephant in the White House: Donald Trump.  While I predicted he'd win last November, I think most of us underestimated just what “America first” meant for the rest of the world. When somebody comes first, somebody loses.  And both Albo and Carney have been beneficiaries of that.  His power of course has swung global political pendulums before. Remember the rise and international star power of Jacinda Ardern was born out of an anti-Trump backlash. The liberal young female prime minister banning assault rifles in a country post mass-shooting became the darling of global left – just the tonic for those who not just dislike, but despise Trump and his band of merry MAGA supporters.  So the political lesson is don't underestimate the Trump Bump and Dump on any foreign election.  The question is, what does it mean for our election next year?  We're less affected by his tariffs, unless China implodes. We’re not yet being threatened with invasion. Unlike the Aussies and Canadians, our incumbents are bent to the right.   So the risk of a Trump Bump getting Chippy over the line here if he starts singing from Phil Goff’s songbook is perhaps more limited – but not non-existent.  When Washington coughs, somebody gets a cold.  How Luxon and Winston et al. navigate the next 18 months will determine whether it's them that catches it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 not because we've let you out. Now you wonder how many other high-risk offenders like this guy are released from prison early. And is this, you know, a good idea?   Well, a senior Correction staffer this week says they're regularly being let out early and let into the community. Not just people like this guy, but people with quote, “even higher risk”.  Here's what I reckon: this case, and a long list of parole botch ups before it, are all the evidence you need that we can't trust the system once these guys make it outside. The government should immediately pause the release of high-risk violent thugs into our communities. Everyone loves to talk about safety first, well here's a bloody good place to start. This ticking time bomb is in Mark Mitchell's lap. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?  Or are you doing a Willis? Spending on the stuff you need, cutting the stuff you don’t, and trying to balance your budget so you can start paying down your debt?  I reckon most kiwis are doing the latter. So on that score, she’s on the money.  But here’s the thing to worry about, the political calculation for Budget 2025 will be very different to Budget 2026. You can get away with running a tight ship in the off-season but next year we’re going to the polls. Just look across the Tasman for a look at how mad that makes us and by extension our politicians. Albanese's borrowing so much for his election promises that Standard and Poor’s threatening to downgrade their AAA credit rating. There's debt-funded election spending so out the gate it’s pushing government outlays to its highest level since World War Two.  They’re now promising to cut $7 billion plus out of the public service least they push the boat out too far. The coalition’s been dining out in the credit card too. Not just the lefties. And this is the lesson and the warning. Being frugal and thrifty is easy when you’re not trying to buy an election. So yes, Willis is making the right noises for now, but next year, might just be a different story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.