Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of October, ACC has recorded a $7.2 billion dollar deficit just a year after a $911 million surplus. How has it become this bad, and what does it mean for the levies we all pay? ACC Minister Matt Doocey discusses.  Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is set to meet with the local government Minister today following the threat of government intervention. Councillor Ray Chung speaks to Ryan about the situation.  Inflation is back within the target range of 1-3%, what does it mean for the November OCR decision? ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley joins the show.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tauranga businesses are furious about what they label harsh outdoor dining fees following a tough winter.  They've been waived for the rest of 2024, but in the new year businesses must pay an annual charge based on outdoor dining area.   In Mount Maunganui it will be $150 per square metre used, which compares to Auckland, where the highest fee is $154 a square metre.   Black Orchid Collective Cafe Owner Veronica de Oliveira told Ryan Bridge she understands the council wants to control the outdoor areas a bit since the summer is quite busy, but it’s also the only time of the year that they’re actually very busy.  She thinks that a lot of people will rebel against the fees, and quite a few alfresco set ups will be lost, making the city quiet.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an argument in favour of setting a maximum term for Supreme Court Judges. A report from New Zealand Initiative suggests the Supreme Court is getting an exaggerated view of its role and straying into Parliament's domain. Former ACT MP and lawyer Stephen Franks says there's been grumblings about it among some lawyers. He told Ryan Bridge that at the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court this year, a leading KC presented a paper aligned with this belief. He says it read that the law is ceasing to be predictable as the Supreme Court's changing it according to their social values. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK's announced a fresh wave of sanctions against extremist settler groups in the West Bank.  The measures target three outposts and four organisations which provide or promote support for violence against Palestinian communities.  British Foreign Minister David Lammy says the inaction of the Israel Government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge it's the third set of sanctions imposed since February.  He says the previous Government had also been prepared to sanction two Israeli Ministers over comments about blocking aid to Gaza.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many forecasters are expecting inflation to be around 2%, well within the Reserve Bank's target range.   The latest Stats NZ Consumer Price Index number will be released this morning.   The Reserve Bank was confident last week inflation is now below 3%.   Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge that imported things like petrol and electronics have fallen in price, but rates, insurance, and services have increased.   He says the average of more than 2% reflects divergent trends.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So Luxon is out of touch apparently.  Name me one politician, one Prime Minister, one President in the world who's in touch, doesn't matter which side of politics they're on.  Albanese, Australia's Prime Minister and Labour leader, he's just bought a $4 million cliff top mansion north of Sydney.  Keir Starmer, the UK's Labour Prime Minster, he's worth NZ$10 million, excluding all the donor freebies.  Kamala Harris is worth NZ$13 million. Tory Whanau won Lotto, Rishi Sunak is a billionaire, Jacinda Ardern gets $300,000 per speaking gig. Chris Hipkins has multiple properties. So, they're all rich.  The question is, does it really matter, and why the question in the first place?  Would we rather they only got rich through public office, as Albanese seems to be admitting. He says I'm fortunate and much better off as Prime Minister.  Personally, I'd rather they managed to build a business, run a company or do something productive first to earn their wealth rather than just walk into a job as Prime Minister and get rich that way, or win Lotto.  If somebody had experience running a charity or something like that and wasn't paid very well, but was skilled and motivated and strategic, then I'd vote for them too.  It's about experience. It shouldn't be about how wealthy you are or how poor you are, what matters is how well you can run an economy so that hard working people can get ahead.  Just ask Donald Trump. He's about to be re-elected despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth for exactly that record under his last watch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 16th of October, inflation numbers are out today and forecasts are pointing to 3 year low within the target range of 1 to 3%. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold joins the show to discuss.  An NZ Initiative report is suggesting changes to stop the Supreme Court getting an "exaggerated view of their role". What could it mean for our judicial system?  Tauranga businesses are paying increasing fees for alfresco dining - what impact is it having on them and the price you're paying for cafe food? Ryan speaks to a Tauranga cafe owner.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s Northern Territory is reintroducing a controversial device in its efforts to get tough on crime.  Police Commissioner Michael Murphy says that spit hoods will once again be used to restrain children.  Murphy says that over the last three months 68 police officers were assaulted, with 20 counts of spitting.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that it’s in opposition to the UN Committee against torture recommending last year that Australia take all necessary measures to end their use.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been yet another call to shake-up how Pharmac funds drugs in Aotearoa.  Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand's independently commissioned report recommends the Crown entity adapts a cost benefit model.  That means funding decisions would be made not just on the cost of a drug or medical device itself, but on the wider fiscal impact the decision would have on our society.  President Neil Woodhams says that currently, Pharmac doesn't take into account the total economic costs —or costs to individuals— when making the call.  He says the failure to do so gives a distorted view of the benefits from proposed new medicines.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest 1News-Verian poll was out last night. There wasn't a lot of change, other than a dip in the personal popularity of both Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins.  Nothing really major is going on, is it? And it's been that way for a couple of polls.  Now, what I find interesting is just the vibe, the energy levels that you're picking up off these guys.  Luxon, he's like the road runner. You ever watch the Road Runner, the Looney Tunes thing? And he's beep-beep, beep-beep, running around in a cloud of dust. Just in a hurry to get everything done.  And then there's old Hipkins. Is his heart still in it?  What do you really think when you see him being interviewed?  I've interviewed him over many years now and it must be hard to maintain a level of enthusiasm, but I just think he's sort of outwardly showing it now.  He'll be dusting off his CV, no doubt he'll be thinking about what's next.    He doesn't want to be there for the next election, does he?  The problem at the moment is no one else really wants to take the job either, because it's a bit of a poison chalice.  But I look at Chris Hipkins and I think there's a man who doesn't want to be there.  That's why you go and spend two weeks over in the UK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief more redundancies are causing a rise in work ready Jobseekers.  The Ministry of Social Development's September figures show a yearly increase of 29,000 people on a main benefit, a rise of 12%.   Minister Louise Upston describes rising unemployment as a consequence of years of high inflation, high government spending, and economic recession.  Employment specialist Jennifer Mills told Ryan Bridge there's also been a 33% drop in job advertisements in the last quarter, which shows there's not enough jobs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China appears to be testing the waters around Taiwan in an effort to quell its independence.   The superpower has been holding military exercises off the coast of the self-governing island.   Taiwan says it's detected 34 naval vessels and 125 aircraft in formation around it.   Otago University International Relations expert Robert Patman told Ryan Bridge China ideally wants Taiwan to fall into its lap without the use of force.   He says it's an attempt at political intimidation having these drills involving war ships and fighter jets, but Taiwan's condemned the drills and is holding its positions.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 15th of October, Jobseeker numbers are in, and it's not looking good. The number of people on the benefit has risen by 12% since last year, Employment Specialist Jennifer Mills joining the show to dig into the numbers.  There are calls to change the way Pharmac makes funding decisions. Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand has commissioned a new report which found the drug buying agency should be looking at benefit as well as cost.  China is conduction military drills with ships and aircrafts, completely surrounding the island nation of Taiwan. Robert Patman talks to Ryan about the reasons behind the escalating tensions.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're all living much longer, aren't we? At what cost? That's my question for you this morning. A report out over the weekend found human life expectancy has just about peaked globally. It's lights out. Goodbye.   New Zealand men, you'll make 80, women, you'll make 83, which is great, longer life. Everyone wants one right now. We're told that we also have a health system in crisis. People waiting in waiting rooms, they can't afford to see a GP. Over the weekend, I read about a family man, a carpenter from Westport who was sent home, hours later he was dead. In Rotorua a month ago, remember a man died in the waiting room at the emergency department while waiting. So we don't have enough resources for health or we're not optimising the resources that we do have to meet the needs and we're being overwhelmed by them. We have a huge aging population, the number of people 65 and over which was around 700,000 a few years back, that will quadruple by mid-2024. The number of people 90 over 31,000 that will quadruple in 20 years. So, we'll have 125,000 90 plus year olds in New Zealand. Now, if you're a doctor, you've got two people, both as sick as each other, one's 40 one's 90. One might die if you treat the other first. What do you do? Serious question? I mean, to me, the obvious answer is one person has had 90 years on this planet. You treat the young one first, don't you, because the older ones had more life to live. Am I saying let's stop treating patients based on need and discriminate against the elderly? No, because I love my grandmother. We have to do it on who's sickest, who's closer to death, all that sort of stuff. But I am curious, for those who work in healthcare, is there a touch of bias on who you might treat first? I know you've got the Hippocratic Oath, et cetera, but if you're presented with a situation like that, how do you respond to it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles III is bringing two doctors and a supply of his blood on his tour of Australia and Samoa starting later this week. The King has been dealing with cancer since February. It will be his first visit to Australia as King - New Zealand was believed to be dropped from the itinerary on medical advice. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the King is taking a pause on his chemotherapy treatment during the trip. “We believe that there are no evening engagements, he has days off during his tour which is more than a week.” Grey says the King was gutted not to also visit New Zealand, but his clinicians thought it was a bridge too far. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Statistics show there's been more gun crime in Auckland this year than the last. RNZ reports there were 879 gun crime offences across Auckland in the first six months of the year - 28 more than the same time last year. Just 18 of those were committed by people with a firearms licence. Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime Chair Sunny Kaushal told Ryan Bridge New Zealand is fast becoming a violent society. “It’s crucial that the decisions around firearms policy are shared by those who deal with the gun violence directly. That’s the Police and affected communities, not just policymakers in Wellington.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gates are opening for foreign investors looking at New Zealand companies and property. The Government's reforming the Overseas Investment Act - allowing any investment that doesn't threaten our interests. Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Toby Williams says he supports the change. He told Ryan Bridge overseas buyers are interested in large farms - that Kiwi farmers can't afford to begin with. Williams says foreign owners wouldn't be interested in those that first farm buyers would be after  - so he wants to see some rules around the levels of investment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Christopher Reive in Barcelona In the days before the America’s Cup match in Barcelona, Team New Zealand starboard helmsman Peter Burling made it clear the team would take necessary risks to defend the Auld Mug. “When you get to the top level of any sport, you see people really getting punished for mistakes. In saying that, you can’t be afraid to take risks either,” he said. “You don’t want to come through it with a conservative mindset, that’s for sure, and we definitely will not be doing that. But we can fully expect if one of us makes a mistake, the other one will punish them.” In the third race of the Cup match against Ineos Britannia this morning, an aggressive move in the pre-start to draw a penalty against the Brits set the Kiwi crew up for a 52s win to take a 3-0 lead in the first-to-seven series. It was the only race of the day, with light winds seeing race management bring a halt to the day’s action, with race four postponed to tomorrow; initially scheduled as a reserve day. The two teams came into close quarters moments before the race proper began, to the point where their foils were overlapping. Both teams launched a protest with the umpires for the other not keeping clear. It was the Kiwis who were judged to be the fouled boat, with Ineos Britannia having to fall 75m behind Team NZ off the starting line. That allowed the defenders to choose their side of the course and dictate the race. “We tried it yesterday and they just got past us. It was a little bit uncomfortable with how close the boats got,” Burling said after the race “It’ll be interesting to see. The umpires obviously ruled we were clear there, so great to get a penalty and control the race from there.” Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead in the America's Cup match. Photo / Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup The pre-start battle was among the biggest areas of interest coming into the Cup match, but through the opening three races, it has been the Kiwis coming away better from the starting line. In the third race of the series, Team NZ were able to control the course and make life tough for the Brits with their match-racing tactics and making them sail in dirty air. A mid-race comment from Ineos Britannia port helmsman Dylan Fletcher summed up the situation for his team: “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, lads.” While the two boats were almost identical in their average speeds both upwind and downwind, the Kiwis had a slightly better average VMG, sailing about 800m less than the Brits. Racing is set to resume at 1.10am tomorrow (NZ time) with a one-race schedule. America’s Cup match results Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 41s. Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 27s. Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 52s Emirates Team New Zealand lead the America’s Cup first-to-seven series 3-0. Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 14th of October. Changes could be on the way to make foreign investment easier in New Zealand - how could it impact our rural sector? Gun crime is on the rise in our biggest city, and most of it is from unlicensed firearms holders. Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime Sunny Kaushal joins the show. New Zealand is up 3 - 0 in the America's Cup - can we make it to 7 wins without a loss? Andrew Alderson has you weekend sport wrap. 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.

Sunday marks the start of a big week ahead for Emirates Team New Zealand as they face Ineos Britannia in the race to retain the America’s Cup.  The first team to win seven races will take the Cup, the first two races taking place Sunday morning if weather permits.  Richard Gladwell, Editor for Sail World NZ, told Ryan Bridge that it’s always the defender's to lose, and Team New Zealand would have to screw something up to lose the Cup.  He said that they’ve had three months of development on top of Ineos Britannia, and they can certainly do a lot in there.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says the current state of Government books shows it went too hard and too fast with public service cuts.   Treasury documents show the Crown's deficit has grown $3.4 billion dollars in the year to June, to $12.9 billion.   Spending is outpacing income, despite revenue increasing by $14 billion.  Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds told Ryan Bridge the Government could have kept public sector jobs if it ditched tax cuts.   She says public funding flows through the economy to help during a cost of living crisis.   Edmonds says the Government's decisions have made the annual deficit worse than at the height of COVID.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida residents are being warned not to visit areas hit by Hurricane Milton as clean up and rescue operations continue.   There's still flooding in many areas, and NBC is reporting there have been 10 deaths in various parts of the state.   More than three million properties remain without power.   US correspondent Mitch McCann in St Augustine, Florida, told Ryan Bridge that in many parts of Florida, it wasn’t as bad as it was forecast to be.  Some areas have been hit very badly, such as St Petersburg, where a baseball stadium had its roof ripped off, and a crane toppled into and destroyed a building just a few streets over.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If these new TradeMe numbers are to be believed, and I have no reason not to believe them, then the biggest problem that we have with property and getting a foot on the ladder is not price.  We're not too poor, we're too fussy.  So TradeMe has done a survey; 44% of buyers were willing to compromise on the size of a section. Only 40% on the size of the property. Only 40% on the size of the garden. Only 33% on the condition of the property, and 28% on the location.  If you flip those numbers, around 55% of people won't compromise on section size. I'll have the section size I like and nothing else.  60% - no compromise on the size of the property. 60% - none on the garden. 67% - it must be new or near new and 72% won't travel or leave their favourite suburb.  I mean, hard to please much?  I bought a house with holes in the floor and the walls, there were plants growing from the ground up into my bathroom.  The shower pooled; I had to use a bucket to empty the shower every morning.  This carried on for two years.  The shower was so small and the showerhead was fixed, so I had to duck every time I got in the shower, and it would only get me from my nipples down. I had very clean nipples and very filthy hair.  Anyway, the point of the story is I lived like that for two years. I fixed it up, on you go.  Things are okay, but you have to compromise. Property is not a perfectionist game, is it?  It's about compromise and it's about trade-offs. Like any good negotiation, surely everything must be on the table. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 11th of October, the Government's books have sunk further into the red in the year to June, with the deficit $1.8 billion worse than forecast in the budget. Labour Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds joins the show to discuss.  Hurricane Milton has hit Florida, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. US Correspondent Mitch McCann is on the ground in St. Augustine with the latest.  The America's Cup final gets underway this weekend with Emirates Team New Zealand facing Ineos Britannia. Richard Gladwell talks to Ryan ahead of the race.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The air quality in New Zealand has increased across the country, but some areas are still dealing with high levels of pollution.  The Our Air 2024 report shows the level of key pollutants —largely produced by transport and home heating— has reduced across most monitoring sites.   However, it also says air quality isn't good everywhere, and in some urban areas the pollution is above national standards and international guidelines.   Director of the Air Quality Collective, Dr Guy Coulson told Ryan Bridge that we’re headed in the right direction, improvement is just happening rather slowly.   He said that an estimated 3000 adults die each year from air pollution.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland's power network is being zapped into action in the wake of the pylon collapse outage.  In June, a contractor unfastened three legs of a pylon at once, putting around 88,000 homes and businesses out of power.  Northland MP Grant McCallum revealed a regional energy package, with Transpower and contractor Omexom putting one million dollars towards it.  McCallum told Ryan Bridge that it's not enough to make up for the financial damages, but it is something.  He said that it’s a goodwill payment and an acknowledgement that they did actually cause some harm to the people of Northland.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know, I know we're celebrating this morning, the OCR, the money back in your pockets that's coming, inflation coming down.  But MBIE has warned the government that electricity prices are likely to rise significantly over the next two years – this is a story from BusinessDesk.  See, we have all seen the spot prices market increase, skyrocket even, but we haven't felt that at home because our gentailors, the guys that we get it off, insulate us by hedging.  However, getting power to us is expensive and we've just been talking to Grant McCullum from Northland about this exact point.  40% of our bill is distribution and transmission.  Forget your weather, whether the wind blows, you know, the sun shines the rainfalls, whatever. Just getting it to us costs almost half of our total.  And that job is done by essentially monopolies: the distributors, the lines, companies, Transpower.  So the Commerce Commission regulates their profits, we would expect them to do.  The contracts last five years, the next contract up for renewal in March.  Your household bill for electricity could go up $15 per month or $180 per year, for some households that will be $20 per month, $240 per year.  MBIE say there is a serious risk that some homes won't be able to afford heating.  And we know what happens when people can't heat their homes, the hospitals fill up, industry and business feel the squeeze, and our thin growth forecasts could also be squeezed by something like this.  So what's the moral of the story? Well, basically, go and buy yourself a nice warm jumper, get a hot water bottle. And if you are single and living alone, you have until April to find someone to cuddle at night. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An OCR cut could be behind an incoming boost in property market activity.  The Reserve Bank's cut the Official Cash Rate by 50-basis points to 4.75%.   Banks have lowered home rates in response to the cut.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is celebrating the move as fantastic news and sees it as a sign inflation is under control.  LJ Hooker's Campbell Dunoon told Ryan Bridge this year's market has been cautionary  He says the stock has been there, and this will give buyers a nudge to participate.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are urging people in the path of Hurricane Milton to follow advice and evacuate.   The Category 4 Hurricane is expected to hit overnight in the state.   The core of the storm is expected to pass over west-central Florida, and storm surges of three to four and a half metres are possible.   Outer bands of the Hurricane are already impacting some areas.   US correspondent Sally Patterson told Ryan Bridge it will bring winds of up to 233 kilometres per hour.   She says it's expected to weaken before it makes landfall, but still could be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for the area.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 10th of October, the Reserve Bank has dropped the Official Cash Rate to 4.75% - what does it mean for the property market and your mortgage rates?  Transpower has released a new resilience plan for Northland's power grid following the transmission tower collapse in June - will it make a difference? Northland MP Grant McCallum joins the show to discuss.  Our air is slowly getting cleaner, but the pollutants in it are worse for our health than previously thought. Dr Guy Coulson talks to Ryan about the potential impacts of unhealthy air.  Hurricane Milton is closing in on Florida's west coast, with tornados making landfall ahead of its arrival. We're live to the United States for the latest.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has been cleared of separate rape charges.   47-year-old Christian Brückner was acquitted of five offences of sexual abuse in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.   German investigators identified Brückner in 2020 as a suspect in the disappearance of McCann from Portugal in 2007.   But UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the judge found the witnesses weren't reliable enough to convict him of the rape charge.  He said there’s crossover in some of the witnesses in the sexual abuse case and the McCann case, which means that they’re likely to be seen as unreliable in both cases.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More interest rate cuts are on the horizon.  The Reserve Bank expected to cut the Official Cash Rate again this afternoon.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner is tipping a 50 basis point cut to 4.75%,.   She says it's what the market and most economists are predicting, and it’s become the default.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The marine life around Samoa is likely in danger in the wake of Manawanui sinking.  The $100 million naval ship struck a reef off the south coast of Upolu on Saturday, before sinking Sunday morning.   About 950 tonnes of oil is onboard.   Diesel leaked out of the vessel when it capsized and has coated the surface of the water.   Waikato University ecology expert Nick Ling told Ryan Bridge much of the material released would have evaporated, leaving behind these heavier components we can see.   He says marine animals interacting with the surface —like turtles coming to the surface to breathe— will have to interact with it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand's pointed to nursing recruitment to explain its ballooning deficit, but health experts aren't buying it.   Newly released documents show the agency went from expecting a half a billion dollar surplus to a $1.4 billion deficit in April.   That's now expected to blow out to $1.76 billion.   Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Malcolm Mulholland told Ryan Bridge there's no way we have too many nurses in New Zealand.   He says everywhere he goes in the community, people are saying we need more nurses and doctors.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Complaints, backlash, outrage, divisive, sad, there's been strong reaction to the Tui billboards poking fun at old Polkinghorne – who’s not guilty of killing his wife, by the way.  The billboards read, if you haven't seen them: "Back to being a respectable meth smoking, sex worker loving doctor then. Yeah right.”  It's quite good. It's not breaking any rules, and I say good on them for getting back to this.  We need good humour to cut through the crap that seems to proliferate our society at the moment.  Kiwis are straight talkers, we love taking the micky out of people, we're not mean generally.  I think we've lost our ability to laugh together and these billboards, while pitched by some as divisive, I think will actually do the opposite. They should bring us closer together.  I was heartened to hear the DB Marketing Director's statement which he gave to the papers. He said: “While we haven't set out to offend anyone, we are happy to push the boundaries and say the things that we've all been thinking.”  Great. We need to talk about how we really feel because when we share it, especially with humour, we connect with one another as a society. We grow closer together and we are less divided.  Long may the Tui billboards last. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of October, it's OCR day, and all of our big banks are forecasting a 50 basis points drop, bringing the rate down to 4.75%. ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner talks to Ryan about what to expect at today's announcement, and where to from here for the economy.  Te Whatu Ora has released over 400 pages of financial documents, laying out exactly the situation the agency is currently in. It comes as the lower South Island is voicing its concerns about regional health. Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland joins the show.  A big cleanup is getting underway off the coast of Samoa following the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. What could he potential environmental impacts be, and is it similar to the Rena disaster? Waikato University's Nick Ling analyses the situation.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A media commentator says TVNZ appears to be doubling down on what it's good at.   The state broadcaster's latest business proposal will see its website shut down in February while more investment will be put towards news on its streaming platform TVNZ+.   The company is hoping to save $30 million.   Spinoff founder Duncan Grieve told Ryan Bridge it could work, but it’s not guaranteed by any means.   He said that individual clips from the news can already be accessed from the TVNZ+ homepage, and it’s clearly where they’ll be focusing their energy in terms of digitising their news offering.   The plan will go through two weeks of consultation before a final decision is made.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a tale of two islands when it comes to the economy.   The Westpac Regional Roundup shows many businesses and households are suffering from the slow economy.   Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says feedback from the North Island was more downbeat, with Wellington being the worst off because of a shrinking public service.   He says there was a rosier picture in the South Island.   Ranchhod told Ryan Bridge they’ve got a mix of tourism and agriculture among other industries helping to support a positive sentiment in the South.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation is still the dominant force in global politics, no doubt about it.  We've got the United States election next month, the Aussies are going to the polls by midway through next year, so are the Canadians, we just had the UK, we've just had France, and inflation rules the roost.  Bad news for ol' Albanese in Australia. There's a new poll out this morning that has him neck and neck with Dutton and the coalition.  But here's the really bad part: 44% of Aussies think the economy will worsen in the next six months.  What's more, Dutton and the coalition are favoured on the economy 38% to 26%. And more people blame the Government for causing inflation, rather than global issues.  So he has an uphill battle, doesn't he?  For New Zealand, inflation should be a distant memory by the time we hit 2026 in our next election – it's expected to be inside the target range by Christmas.  GDP should have picked up, unemployment should have fallen, tourism, agriculture, we've already heard this morning are showing promising signs, but there's always a defining issue in a political campaign, isn't there?  What will ours be in 2026?  A smart government will always try to define what that issue is ahead of time and try to control the narrative, control the language around it, control the debate.  I think the biggest risk for the National Party at this point, this far out I know it is a bit far for predictions, crystal ball gazing, but I think at this stage is probably public service cuts, you know, Dunedin Hospital, public transport, health education, et cetera.  The reality is probably most of us will give them another go, but it wouldn't hurt them to keep an eye on what comes next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief executive of Ngati Toa agrees a robust debate is needed on the Treaty of Waitangi.  Helmut Modlik will debate ACT leader David Seymour tonight, two months after Modlik called him out.  A draft of Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill will be ready for public release and discussion next month, but National says it will support the bill no further than the first reading only.  Modlik told Ryan Bridge the country needs a national conversation about the treaty, which is why he agreed to debate Seymour.  He says the country was only getting curated sound bite versions of one position.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 8th of October, Ngati Toa's Helmut Modlik is set to face David Seymour in a much anticipated debate on the Treaty of Waitangi. Modlik speaks to Ryan ahead of the debate.  A mixed bag in Westpac's Regional Roundup, but things are looking good heading towards the New Year and Wednesday's OCR decision. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod joins the show.  TVNZ has proposed closing the 1News website from early next year as the state broadcaster tries to find $30 million in savings. Media Commentator and Spinoff Founder Duncan Grieve speaks to Ryan.  Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the French President's demands for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza is a "disgrace". He says "Israel will win with or without their support".  UK and Europe correspondent Gavin Grey says it came as a surprise since France is known to be a supporter of Israel.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why? It's the question we all want answered this morning. But what we'll get is a bunch of speculation. The first most important question has been answered. Is the crew safe? Yes. Thankfully. And by the sounds of it, it's thanks in large part to help from others, the decision to abandon ship and a dose of good luck. Some of the crew spent five hours in life rafts battling the conditions to make it to shore. One capsized before getting there. But we have so many questions. How come? We've just lost our first Navy vessel since WWII worth $100 million. Up in smoke. Why did the Manawanui hit a reef? Was it human error? Was it mechanical failure? What happened on the bridge in the moments leading up to the collision? Where was the officer of the watch? Were there no alarms sounding? Was it the weather? Why was it surveying so close to a known reef at night? Why did it catch fire? We so far have zero answers. We know the sea was rough and the wind was strong, but that's about it. The Navy and the Minister both say wait for a Court of Inquiry. But is that good enough? Surely they have some idea of what went wrong by now. What's the harm in the public knowing what they know? Can we not handle the truth? We've been here before. Remember the Interislander grounding? There were crickets till New Zealand First started tweeting. We learnt from the Northland pylon debacle that officials pretty much know straight away what went wrong, but we wait for inquiries and reports and courts to tell us the truth months later. This is more media management than investigation integrity. The problem with this strategy is the void gets filled with a bunch of speculation rather than facts, at least as established thus far. And a little bit of accurate info is surely better than a whole bunch of the opposite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belief the Government's fast-track list will reap more benefits than environmental problems. The Government's listed 149 projects for its Fast Track Approvals Bill - including nine mining projects. The Bill still needs to go before the Environment Committee, then each project will be assessed by an expert panel. Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal told Ryan Bridge the previous system fixated on the environment — but now it considers the economic effects as well. She says New Zealand needs to rely on science, technology and facts — not emotion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cameron Munster has vehemently denied biting Penrith’s Paul Alamoti as the Melbourne five-eighth nervously awaits the outcome of the NRL’s match review committee. Munster will find out on Monday morning if he has been charged by the NRL after he was accused of biting Alamoti in the final 10 minutes of the Storm’s 14-6 grand final defeat on Sunday. The Melbourne five-eighth was tackled by Alamoti as he attempted to lead his team upfield and the Penrith centre’s arm came across Munster’s face. Replays were unclear if Munster bit down on Alamoti’s arm. Referee Ashley Klein initially let play continue before halting the game and placing Munster on report. “It can’t be certain, it’s on report,” Klein said. “They [the match review committee] will deal with it later ... I just saw saliva.” On the field, Munster was insistent he did not bite Alamoti and told reporters after the match “there was nothing in it”. “I spoke to Ash about the allegation and he pretty much just told me that if someone alleges a certain thing, they have to put a report and it’s up to the judiciary,” Munster said. “But honestly there’s nothing in it ... So I’m very confident I’ll get off.” Munster was wearing a mouthguard during the game and said after years of pushing the boundaries, he was a reformed character. “He [Alamoti] said he felt pressure and I said I didn’t bite him. That’s footy … I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Munster said. “I’ve done a lot of silly things in the game and put my hand up for it. But I can put my hand on my heart there’s definitely nothing. “I put my hand up with certain things that I definitely do in games and I’m a very honest person. “I can definitely put my hand on my heart with everything I’ve spoken about and [say] there was no malice or even trying to bite. “So I’m pretty disappointed, I’m trying to get that all of those grubby little incidents out of my game that I’ve obviously done in the previous years.” Regardless of his belief that he is innocent, Munster’s fate is now at the mercy of the MRC. St George Illawarra’s Kyle Flanagan received a five-match ban for biting earlier this season. Alamoti, meanwhile, declined to expand on his on-field claim as he savoured his maiden NRL premiership. “Whatever happens on the field, stays on the field, we’ll leave it at that,” Alamoti said. “I’ve just won a premiership so that is the last thing on my mind, I’m worried about partying.” - by George Clarke, AAPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A search for answers over the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui - off Samoa's southern coast. The $100 million naval ship was running a survey off the area when it hit a reef on Saturday night. All 75 people onboard were rescued - it caught fire and sank yesterday morning Former Defence Minister Ron Mark told Ryan Bridge he's gutted as his team fought hard to bring the refurbished ship from Norway in 2019. He expects the Court of Inquiry to be very quick. “They’ll want to ascertain exactly how and why the ship ended up in peril and sinking the way it did.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 7 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 British government announced it will hand sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in a settlement that ends decades of disputes over Britain’s last African colony, while maintaining a key US-British military base in the archipelago. Europe correspondent Vincent McAviney says the UK keeping its military base for another 99 years marks a landmark deal for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's several possible reasons behind a rise in the number of homes empty on Census night.  The latest data shows just more than 110 thousand homes were empty, up from just under 100 thousand in 2018.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says part of that could be due to Cyclone Gabrielle flood levels, and high levels of construction.   He told Ryan Bridge that some of the biggest areas with the largest increase in “ghost homes” were Auckland, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flooding and landslips are keeping officials busy in Otago.   The area is in a State of Emergency due to heavy rain, with downpours expected to continue into the afternoon.  Fire and Emergency NZ have responded to 31 calls between 6pm last night and 5.30am, with around 70 people evacuating to welfare centres.  Dunedin Civil Defence Manager Scott MacLean told Ryan Bridge their advice is for people to stay home and stay safe.  He said that people should avoid going out driving unless they absolutely have to, as it causes problems for emergency responders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.