Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The eight week murder trial of Philip Polkinghorne is nearing a verdict, with the jury beginning deliberations this morning. The judge summed up the case yesterday. The Auckland eye surgeon's accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hanna; his defence argues she took her own life. Herald reporter Craig Kapitan told Ryan Bridge the jury only has two decisions - if it was murder or suicide. He says it likely won't be a quick decision, and if the jury need to deliberate past today, court won't sit tomorrow. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau's admission she sold her car to help keep on top of the bills is ironic, given she's the mayor of a city now famous for its double-digit rate hikes. Wellington City Council saw an 18.5% rise this year and 13% the year before. Wellington Regional Council is up 25% this year. They reckon over the next four years many will be paying an extra $3000 a year. I hope the Mayor's got a bike she can sell, or some furniture, or a nice handbag - something she can whack on Trade Me to stay afloat. People are commenting that a salary of $190,000 a year is more than enough to live on in Wellington. I don't know her personal information and frankly I don't want to, this is not about her. This is about us, voters. Taxpayers and ratepayers. We're all in this forced ship being sailed by captains half of us didn't vote for on what can sometimes feel a bit like the Titanic. We can all work more, work smarter, invest more, grow our eggs a bit more, and many of us do. The median net worth of a kiwi household in 2021 was around $400,000. Some take great risks to grow theirs, and they deserve the rewards. Many fail and we don't talk about that much. Many have mortgaged their family home, and you'll find them inside there at night time, light on in the bedroom, not sleeping with the stress of how they'll make it work. Keep the lights on, innovate, keep staff on, hire more staff, even. Others work one, two, three or more jobs to improve their lot. And most people aspire to create more wealth, not out of shear selfishness, well some do, sure. But for most it's about providing for their family. Leaving something behind for their kids. Being set-up so their husband or wife is taken care of if they die early. For most, wealth is not evil, it's actually the act of loving those around you, those you care for. Which is why when politicians come knocking, demanding the so-called 'wealthy' pay more not just in income tax, but also taxes on imaginary money i.e. wealth taxes and the like, we get so tetchy. We're like my dog when you try get close while she's eating dinner – bark. Get away. It's mine. Hands off. The irony in this story is that Tory Whanau is part of the Greens who advocate for exactly this type of approach. They say tax is love, not wealth is love. And sure, when money is spent well and services delivered, maybe tax is love. But cycle bridges to nowhere, half a million-dollar bike racks, contractor and consultant money scrambles, they don't feel like love to me. They feel like abuse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 19th of September, GDP data is coming out today, and the forecasts aren't good. Ryan speaks to BNZ's Chief Economist Mike Jones. The jury is out on the Polkinghorne murder trial. When could we see a verdict, and what are the chances of a hung jury? NZ Herald Court Reporter Craig Kapitan joins the show to explain. The new Ministerial Advisory Group for retail crime has some new members, so what are their plans and how are they going to make a difference? Retail NZ's Carolyn Young 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.

There's an urgent need to promote resilience among Aotearoa's youth. A new paper from Auckland University's think tank Koi Tū reveals 21% of 15 to 24 year olds are experiencing high levels of psychological distress. It highlights suicide as the leading cause of death among youth and notes our suicide rate is one of the highest in the developed world. Researcher Seungyeon Kim says we need programmes and spaces that help our young people to connect and feel safe. She says parents and caregivers can focus on having interactions that are warm, attentive and responsive to the young person's need. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief the economic climate is to blame for more youths fronting court over criminal charges. The Ministry of Justice's annual criminal convictions and sentencing statistics reveal more than 1,700 youths between 10 and 17 years of age had charges finalised in court. It found theft was the most common offence type. Youth Development worker Aaron Hendry told Ryan Bridge a key driver is poverty, and the Government's policies are creating an environment where these crimes would increase. He says more young people are being pushed into hardship, so it's not surprising to see the data. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report has found Government vastly overestimated the cost of new home insulation standards. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk is considering rolling back the H1 insulation requirements brought in last year amid reports they add up to $40 thousand to build costs. But research by New Zealand Certified Builders and others, shows the requirements can add as little as $2,200 to the cost of a three-bedroom house. Research author Nick Clements told Ryan Bridge the Government's approach looked at the very maximum, which isn't realistic. He says they instead looked at the minimum they could do to meet the standard. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's why we should care about what sounds like a bit of an obscure trip from some U.S. officials to Beijing this week. They are going to meet to talk to their counterparts about a wave of Chinese goods flooding world markets. China, obviously, has enormous manufacturing capacity and enormous machine behind it, and the output has gotten too large for the world to absorb. The strategy by China, they reckon —and this is why the U.S. officials are going there— the strategy is demand at home is a bit weaker for them, so they pump up production and they ship the excess offshore. The idea is they would build more resilient supply chains throughout the world, they'll get us hooked on cheap goods. I mean, we're like crack addicts at a dollar store, aren't we? Think about Temu, Shein, those types of websites. In the process they are squeezing other manufacturers around the world – including the United States, which is why they're sending a delegation to go and say “stop that please”. It's also why you're seeing a tariff response from Europe, from the U.S., even some friendly Asian states like Indonesia are starting to put tariffs on China. The goal seems to be to subsidize these manufacturers, flood the market around the world, build resilient supply lines, hook us in on these cheap goods and in the process, destroy the competition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 18th of September, Kiwi youth are facing more criminal charges according to the latest justice figures. Youth development worker Aaron Hendry joins the show to discuss the findings. New insulation standards could cost as little as $2,200 extra for a new build 3-bedroom house, but why is that so much lower than the $40,000 to $50,000 the building and construction minister says it would cost? YourQS author Nick Clements joined Ryan to explain. New research has found that in 2022 and 2023, more than one in five 15-24 year olds experienced high levels of psychological distress. So how do we build resilience in our kids? Research author Dr Seungyeon Kim explains. 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.

It’s not just New Zealand who’s been experiencing an icy start to Spring. Australia has seen record low temperatures across the southeast, with an icy blast catching several states unaware. Canberra marked its coldest September morning on record, with Monday hitting –6.9C, and many regions were hitting below 0. Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that the system has come almost from Antarctica, and the temperatures are sitting about five to eight degrees lower than average. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More children in this country are being hospitalised for preventable diseases. A new Cure Kids report reveals hospital admissions for respiratory, skin and rheumatic conditions, mental health issues and dental diseases, remain unacceptably high. It identifies social factors —like child poverty, housing conditions and inequitable access to care— as key drivers, and notes Māori and Pasifika children are disproportionately affected. Chair of Child Health at Auckland University Stuart Dalziel told Ryan Bridge that we need to look at which children we’re failing, and if there is a failing on the basis of race, we need to ask why. He said that the answer may not be specifically race-targeted policy, but there does need to be policy, and we need to be very clear about where there is failings so they can be corrected. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More profit appears to be on the horizon for dairy farmers, with conditions faring better than expected. Dairy NZ's lifted its revenue forecast to $8.84 per kilogram of milk solids, with a break even of $8.09. Head of Economics Mark Storey says the combination of improved farmgate milk prices and declining interest rates show a healthier situation for the sector. But he says the costs of electricity, feed, and maintenance have kept driving farm working expenses up. He says overall expenses are staying stubbornly high, so the inflation hasn't come out of the system just yet. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says the Government's achieving nothing with its reforms to sentencing laws. The Government's first quarterly report on public service targets shows rates of people victimised had risen by June, by 30 thousand people. It aims to reduce that by 20 thousand within the next six years. It's bringing sentencing law reforms to Parliament this week to reduce discounts and add aggravating factors. Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb told Ryan Bridge there's no substance to it. He says they're simply giving the rules a quick coat of paint and adding nothing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon has reason to smile this morning – there are two sets of data to cheer about. First, the poll. He's shaking off that slightly cringe CEO moniker and cementing himself as a man with a plan, in charge, across most of the issues, and not allowing himself to become too distracted by the inevitable noise that comes with running the ninth floor. The latest taxpayer's union curia poll is out, it has National up 1.4 to 39% That's an extra seat from National, NZ First also get another, while there's also no change for ACT. Safe across the line for the coalition, with 67 seats. Preferred Prime Minister is getting interesting. Chippy's gone off a cliff, the trend is down, but this result’s a shocker – he's down 6.1 points to 12.6%. Luxon? 32.7%. Chippy is now almost within margin of error with, not Luxon, but Chlöe on 7.2%. The other numbers today, NZIER's quarterly consensus data. Not so great for us, at least in the short term. Big fat zero GDP growth in the year to March. That's depressing. We've had almost two years of recession, or close to now, and people just want this country firing again. That's where Luxon will be happy to see this prediction: 2.2% growth expected in the year to March 2026. And we know what else is happening in 2026, right? An election. It's humble, not runaway, but after these past years it's electoral fairy dust. People don't generally vote on race relations, the politics of envy or climate change. They vote on how rich they feel and who might make them richer. Luxon, at least on these numbers, would appear to have the upper hand on that front. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of August, the Government's first quarterly target check is out, and it's not looking too good. The target to reduce crime is at risk, and Luxon's blaming the previous government for making it harder to achieve. Labour's Duncan Webb speaks to Ryan about the results. Cure Kids’ State of Child Health report paints a grim picture – Stuart Dalziel joins the show to explain what the report found. Things are looking up for our dairy farmers according to Dairy NZ's quarterly economic forecast. Head of economics Mark Storey takes us through the numbers. 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.

Over in the UK, Labour's leader was using private donations to pay for his wife's wardrobe. She had personal shoppers, clothes and alterations for campaign events and after the campaign as well. Keir Starmer's wife, Victoria, was dressed to the nines, apparently. It wasn't declared as a donation, but has now been declared as a donation.David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has been wheeled out to explain it. "In our country, there isn't a budget for the Prime Minister's clothes, or his wife's clothes. In some countries, there's a substantial budget. I've just come back from America, where there is a substantial budget to ensure that the US President and the First Lady, their appearance, can never be challenged." I think we should publicly fund our leaders wardrobes. I'm just going to put it out there, I think we should. It's important how we look on the world stage. In the world of geopolitics and diplomacy you need to look good. You need to look sharp and you need to need to look smart. We don't want to be looking like some crackpot banana republic when we're going to these events, do we? I think it should be publicly funded, and the rules for politicians at the moment aren't really clear on on whether you are allowed to use your allowance for clothing or not. I think just as a they're representing us, we need to look good. I'm not against publicly funding their wardrobes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eight people have died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England in a rubber vessel. It's the second deadly incident involving a migrant boat in the Channel in as many weeks. UK correspondent Gavin Grey rescue services identified 60 people on the vessel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The race ended behind a safety car after a collision between Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez as they fought for third. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson recaps the race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes worrying new figures can help the health sector improve the outcomes of respiratory disease. A report has found more people suffer from respiratory diseases than previously known, going from one in seven to one in five Kiwis each year. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Medical Director Bob Hancox says while it shows New Zealand's not doing well, the new research is important. He says it gives experts a better understanding of how big the issue is. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A union's labelling the Education Minister's changes for reliever teachers a knee-jerk reaction to the current shortage. Erica Stanford's changing who can gain a Limited Authority to Teach - allowing about 200 teachers who no longer hold registration to work as relief teachers. It means both experts who aren’t qualified teachers and previously registered teachers, can come into classrooms as relievers. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says the change is essentially just putting in warm bodies to fill the gaps. "They're looking after kids, not teaching kids or educating kids, not helping them - they're just looking after them. These kids deserve more." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 16th of September. The PPTA aren't happy with short term changes the Education Minister has made to the sector. President Chris Abercrombie speaks to Ryan. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation say more Kiwis are being diagnosed with respiratory diseases, so what's causing the rise? The foundation's Medical Director Professor Bob Hancox joins the show. Oscar Piastri takes first place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the America's Cup challenger series wraps up and the Black Ferns lose to England at Twickenham - Andrew Alderson has your weekend sport wrap. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The use of coal and gas to generate energy has increased sharply due to falling hydro lake levels. Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment data from April to June shows that coal produced 883 gigawatt hours of electricity. That's a more than a 500% increase on the same time last year, and it’s the first time since 2021 that coal produced more electricity than wind. Low hydro lake levels mean electricity generated from renewable sources dropped to 81% of total generation, an 8.6% drop compared to same time last year. Otago University Senior Research Fellow Kimberley O’Sullivan told Ryan Bridge that while we do have to go somewhere, it’s time to stop looking underground for the solution to our problems. She said that we need to get smarter about the things such as housing, and we could solve a lot of problems by increasing insultation and making homes more energy efficient, as well as adding solar panels. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Space milestones are only going to keep on coming, with the first ever commercial space walk mission. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis have become the first civilians to walk in space. The Space X mission also put the total number of people currently in space to 19, tying the record set in 2021. Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director Chris Jackson told Ryan Bridge the number's only going to increase with SpaceX and NASA's future plans. He says they want to populate the Moon, which will put a lot more people in space across a lot of different places. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris was wearing audio earrings during the debate this week. Did you hear about this? Yeah, she was cheating. They looked like pearl earrings, but they also look like audio earrings. You can buy them, and you can have your staff feed you information in real time during a debate, they can coach you live. Yeah, it's real, I read it on the internet. That's the problem, isn't it? On some corners of the internet there's the dog-duck-immigrant conspiracy thing, there's the trans migrant prisoner sex change thing, and now there's the Kamala earrings thing. Misinformation, disinformation, conspiracies, whatever they are, they seem to be everywhere at the moment. Kamala Harris is pushing the conspiracies too, remember she said during the debate that Trump would implement project 2025 if elected, he says he won't. Isn't that the same thing? Just lies, just making stuff up? Don't get me wrong, I do love a good conspiracy, especially the bizarre ones you get out of the States, but I would never go nuts online trying to prove one. The internet's screwed our brains in that way, what would have once just been a word of mouth, rumour, or gossip now spreads and presents itself as real news and is lapped up by millions of people. The biggest problem I reckon, we have two cohorts of internet users, ones who have lived the most of their lives without the internet and they place a lot of faith and trust in what's being written and said because that's how we used to operate, remember? And then there are those who are URL natives who know full well the absolute crap and the shite that you get online – which is not to say it's a generational thing because, you know, people at both ends can get caught out. But we are supposedly living right now in the enlightened age where the internet would democratise information, make it accessible to all of us. We'd all be better informed and better off with all the knowledge of human history available at the click of a finger. And what have we done with that? Cats, dogs, ducks, and audio airings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The nurses union says there's not enough health staff to meet health targets. The Health Minister's laid out his plans for delivering health targets set in March. Dr Shane Reti's discussed increasing public hospital beds and operating theatres and using private hospital capacity more. He's confident the Budget and resources are already in place to deliver them. Nurses Organisation President Kerri Nuku told Ryan Bridge the whole workforce is understaffed and chronically underfunded. She says it's fine to have ambitious plans, but if there aren't the people or resources to implement them, it'll fail. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 13th of September, the government's revealed how they will reach its health targets, but health workers are raising concerns. Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation joins the show to discuss. Extra coal and gas was needed over winter to generate electricity with low lake levels in the South Island, should we be concerned about the reduction in renewable generation? The University of Otago's Dr Kimberly O'Sullivan talks to Ryan. The first privately funded spacewalk has ended successfully. Is this the start of space tourism? University of Auckland's Head of Space Operations Chris Jackson 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.

Today marks the anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in the United States. 23 years ago, nearly 3000 people died at a number of sites across the US, and memorials and moments of silence are held on the anniversary every year. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that a number of political figures were in attendance at this morning’s memorial at the World Trade Centre in New York, including Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A heated exchange between the two US presidential hopefuls - with many saying Kamala Harris got under Donald Trump's skin The pair faced off over inflation, abortion and foreign policy in a high stakes debate in Pennsylvania. US Pollster Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge that debates in the past have had a minor effect on the polls, but this race is so close that even a minor effect could transform Harris from an underdog to the favourite. This debate could have an impact on the polls, he said, but we won’t know for at least another week. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People seem to think Kamala Harris made a fool of Trump in the debate, but real fool was us, New Zealand. Within 24 hours of the debate we got news of 230 jobs lost due in part to an energy crunch caused by moral grandstanding on climate change. That's 230 jobs, but up to 1000 people including families. That's half the population of Raetihi and Ohakune. Shane Jones calls it the hollowing out of regional NZ, and there's much more to come. We also had news Methanex is consulting on mothballing, indefinitely, one of its two remaining plants. Why? You guessed it - in part it's moral grandstanding on climate change. More on that in a second, but first back to the debate. This is the most left, progressive political leader in America, Kamala Harris, boasting about fracking. "I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. And in fact, I was the tie breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act which opened new leases for fracking." And here, Kamala Harris boasts about record domestic oil production while she and Biden were in charge. "We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history." Drill baby, drill. Meanwhile, we're basking in nuclear free moment bliss down here at the bottom of the Pacific. Sending manufacturing jobs and regional jobs off to the slaughterhouse. And yes, climate change is real, etcetera. But why would we cut our noses off to spite our faces, when the most progressive, climate conscious contender to run the world's largest economy, and biggest user of oil, is boasting about drilling for it? Sitting watching that debate yesterday it wasn't Trump I thought looked stupid, it was us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another blow for regional New Zealand and the manufacturing industry is being seen as potentially devastating. Methanex is proposing cutting staff and moving from two plants to one. Earlier this week Winstone pulp confirmed plans to shut, putting more than 200 jobs on the chopping block after soaring energy prices. Energy Resources Aotearoa's John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge the system is going from crisis to crisis - something he believes is predictable following the oil and gas ban. He says it leaves a hole in the confidence of investors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global shortages of orange juice is good news for our local growers. The world's largest grower Brazil has been hit by drought and disease, bringing juicing orange yields down by at least a third. That, combined with lower yields on the East Coast due to Cyclone Gabrielle damage, has left New Zealand with a shortage of orange juice. Orange grower and Citrus NZ board member Matthew Carter told Ryan Bridge it's been quite profitable for those growing here. He says juice grade fruit usually would be worth around 50 cents a kilo, and that's nearly doubled over the last couple of years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 12th of September, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have faced off in their first debate, less than two months out from the election. Famous pollster Henry Olsen joins Ryan from the U.S. to discuss it. Methanex is proposing to scale down operations to just one plant - what does it mean for the energy sector? John Carnegie from Energy Recourses Aotearoa joins the show to give his thoughts. Have you noticed a shortage of orange juice in the supermarket? We check in with a grower and ask what's happening with the industry. 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 Major Electricity Users' Group says consumers are grossly over-paying for power. Electricity prices have risen over the years, both businesses and average citizens struggling to afford their power bills. Chair John Harbord told Ryan Bridge the companies are producing the same amount of electricity, while making record profits. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief a social media ban could benefit young people. Australia's holding an age-verification trial in coming months, but it's unknown what the cut off age will be, or how it will be enforced. Christopher Luxon has also expressed interest in the idea. Parenting expert Nathan Wallis told Ryan Bridge there's a correlation between social media and youth mental health issues. He says if things like social media are banned, it may be revealed as the major cause of the country's mental health crisis in teens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US presidential debate looks to be a chance to get to know the candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris is facing off against Donald Trump for the first time at 1pm our time in Pennsylvania. No notes are allowed, and microphones will cut off when each candidate's not speaking. Former US Ambassador to New Zealand under Barack Obama, Mark Gilbert told Ryan Bridge many polls show people still don't know Harris. He says this will be an opportunity for her to be seen, as more than 50-million people are expected to tune in. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wild, bizarre, and highly entertaining media scrum took pace in Wellington yesterday, culminating with an MP saying he didn't mind swimming in other people's sewage. Yes, human waste. A chaotic caucus run with Labour's Ōhāriu MP Greg O'Connor. He was asked why Wellington's dying - with cafes closing down, etcetera: "There's not enough to do along that waterfront, there's been stopping things from happening. You can walk a long way there, there's no cafe, there's nowhere to actually get a coffee." Greg, Greg, Greg. Why don't they just put more cafes in? These things require business investment and a profit to be had. Could the reason there aren't enough flat whites at Queens wharf be because 1) Labour hiked minimum wage beyond affordability, 2) helped drive inflation sky high through unrestrained government spending, and 3) told everyone to stay home and out of the CBD and the office. So far so normal, an MP struggling to grasp the realities of running a small business. Here's where it all gets a bit messy - literally. He says the solution is get more people, tourists, residents, whoever, down to the waterfront and even in the water. A reporter kindly points out the water's often not safe for swimming due to human waste from bad pipes. "Are you talking about the same harbour that gets polluted when there's heavy rain due to the bad pipes?" "It doesn't stop people from swimming in there does it?" O'Connor replies. Another reporter asks, "Would you swim in the harbour if there's sewage in there?" "Yeah I do, I do swim in the harbour." Okay, so don't worry about the faeces in the water. Jump in! Then, here's the best part, lets' blame the journalists for reporting on the wastewater. "Is there a warning at the moment? I don't know." "No, you are allowed," one of the reporters says. O'Connor replies: "You are allowed, so why bring this up then? So a Wellington positive is that you can go and swim in Wellington Harbour today, is that what I'm hearing from you? Good, report that. Well done guys." The world according to Greg O’Connor: you can't beat Wellington on a good day. A good day being one with no wind or rain, no poo in your harbour, and perhaps a coffee cart down at the waterfront. There's a new slogan in that somewhere. Wellington - take a chance on me. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 11th of September, the Electricity, gas, waste, and water services industry saw a 36% rise in sales in Q2 compared to the same time last year. It comes on the same day that Winstone Pulp International announced their closure due to soaring energy costs. What does it mean for our big electricity users? John Harbord from the Major Electricity Users Group speaks to Ryan. It's a big day in the U.S. as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in what could be the only debate ahead of November's election. We're live to the U.S. with Democratic Party Member Mark Gilbert. Our Aussie neighbours are looking at banning social media for kids, and Christopher Luxon says he's open to doing the same here. Could it work, and how would parents police it? Parenting expert Nathan Wallis joins the show to give his thoughts. Would you swim in polluted water? Labour MP Greg O'Connor says yes, and Ryan has some words of advice for him. 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 global manhunt is underway for a man who allegedly poured boiling hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby in Brisbane. Police say the 33-year-old has fled the country since the August 27th incident in a Stones Corner park. Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge detectives believe the man escaped less than a day before he was identified. She says the man was aware of police methodology and was conducting counter-surveillance activities, making the investigation very complex. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a drive for change in the construction industry on the back of a spike in suspected suicide rates. In 2023, 80 construction workers died from suspected suicides - a jump from previous years. MATES in Construction Research Manager Lauren Donnan says mental health across the board is improving, but high workloads, job instability, and a lack of support remain key stressors. She says 15 to 24-year-olds and Māori workers can be particularly vulnerable. Donnan says we need to understand there are key pressures and groups within the industry at higher risk, where we need to target more support. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International technology stocks are being credited with the New Zealand Super Fund reporting another record-high investment return: up 15% in the year to June. Super expert Jonathan Eriksen told Ryan Bridge the results make up for a poor return when markets fell in 2022. He says they've always gone into a wide range of assets but they're playing it extremely well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes have been revealed to the Treaty Principles Bill. The Bill's architect David Seymour confirmed that Cabinet discussed the Bill yesterday and agreed to its broad outline before it goes to Parliament's drafters. He says it'll now acknowledge the rights of hapu and iwi at the time of the Treaty. Labour's Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson told Ryan Bridge it's interesting he's made some type of concession. He says it's a backdown, because Seymour hasn't ever acknowledged the rights of hapu and iwi before. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IRD is giving your data to Facebook – taxpayers' data to Facebook, that was the headline yesterday. We give them our data in trust and confidence. Well, we don't actually, we give them our data because the law says we must file our tax returns and tell them who we are and how much we're earning. But perhaps you assume that the law says that they must keep it to themselves. Not so. I think this is a scandal. To be honest when I read the headline, I thought IRD must have been hit by one of those phone scams. You know, they've been cold called by Nigerian prince and handed over our private data. But no, the RNZ report says they give Facebook and the big tech guys some of our information because it's anonymised. They're calling it hashed. So they can't see who you are when they hand it over. And it's only for the purposes of IRD placing ads on these platforms like Facebook, et cetera, so don't worry about it. Sorry, I am worried, and I reckon most Kiwis will hate this. The reason is pretty simple: it's trust. Do you trust Facebook? No. Do you believe they will keep your data secure? No. Do you believe they won't marry up your private data that our government has just handed them on a silver platter with the profiles they have on you already? No. No one trusts these guys. I don't want some government department sending my data to some Silicon Valley server so that some tech guy can bug me with intrusive ads about what undies to buy. I actually think there's more to this story, and there will be because they have a life of their own. It won't just be the IRD that's doing it. There will be other government departments, there'll be other private data, there'll be more of us affected. Luxon should get ahead of this and just say let's have some kind of little review because otherwise you're going to get these headlines ticking over and over and over, and I think people will be sick of it. Also, as citizens, we need to have faith that when we give our data to the government that it is kept secure and safe, and even a perception that it's not is not good enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday10th of September, slight changes were made to the controversial Treaty Principles Bill in Cabinet yesterday. Labour's Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson joins the show to discuss. Superfund has reached a value of $76.6 billion - a record for the fund. But what does it mean for the government and New Zealand's markets? Superfund expert Jonathan Eriksen speaks to Ryan. There were 80 suspected suicides in the construction industry in the past year, so what is the sector doing to improve mental health and wellbeing? MATES in Construction researcher Dr Lauren Donnan joins the show to talk about her latest research and what the industry could do to reduce the number of suicides. 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.

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzales has arrived in Spain after fleeing the country after its presidential election. Gonzales had an arrest warrant issued after he disputed July’s election, which was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro. The US, EU and Latin American countries have also questioned the election results after Venezuela refused to publish official election data to prove the result. Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge he arrived on a Spanish Royal Air Force plane near Madrid, where he’ll be granted political asylum after having stayed at its embassy in Caracas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a high level of suspense when Peter Cowan crossed the finish line in the final of the men’s single va’a VL3 200m canoe sprint race in Paris. In his Paralympic Games debut, the 29-year-old from Hawke’s Bay flew out of the blocks in the final to battle for the early lead. As the contest went on, it looked to be a case of two races for medals; Ukrainian Vladyslav Yepifanov and Jack Eyers of Great Britain contesting the top two spots on the podium, while Cowan, Australian Curtis McGrath and China’s Pu Yi were locked in a race for bronze. The eight-strong race was over in about 50sec. It was a further 45sec before Cowan got word that he would be the third man on the podium. “It feels unreal,” Cowan told TVNZ of winning a medal in his Paralympics debut. In tough, windy conditions, the Kiwi stayed the course and might have been a bit fortunate that McGrath drifted in his lane toward the final stretch of the race, with Cowan crossing the line just 0.06sec ahead of the Australian who beat him in their heat. Because Cowan finished second in his heat, he had to qualify for the medal race through the semifinal rather than get direct entry into the medal race. Cowan finished second to Eyers in the semifinal to secure his place, and left everything out there in the final; a look of elation – with perhaps a hint of disbelief – on his face when he finally heard that he had claimed the bronze. “Coming into the race all I really focused on was the performance itself and not jumping the gun,” Cowan said. “There were times this week when I would think about the podium, but me and my coach are pretty grounded in our goals and that’s just to focus on every performance as they come; every breath, every stroke in every race. “In the start gate, I was just thinking about what I needed to do to build into that finish line because I never know where I’m coming in the races. I do believe the performance will give the right result at the end of the day, so to find out I made the podium, I was mind-blown.” Yepifanov won the race with a Paralympic Games best of 47.49sec, with Eyers second in 47.87sec. Cowan finished in 48.28sec. The three medalists were all first-time Paralympians. Cowan’s medal took New Zealand’s haul to nine in Paris, with one gold, four silver and four bronze. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interesting op-ed from The Conversation by Chris Gledhill, Professor of Law at Auckland University of Technology. It's about the Government's new gang legislation and argues that the changes that are being made in some last-minute ones could impinge on the Bill of Rights, and it makes some good points. It says people join gangs for various reasons for some it's a matter of family connections, for others gang membership may arise from being marginalised from society. The Royal Commission on Abuse and Care highlighted that abuse was also a pathway into gang membership, and in 2018 a report highlighted that imprisonment feeds gang recruitment. So, you don't have a choice? If you are poor, if you have family in a gang, if you went to jail and they recruited you in jail, that's on society, not on you. You don't have a choice in the matter? It's a crucial part of the puzzle because it sets up the entire system of response to dealing with the problem. If you're not responsible or capable of saying no to a gang life, how can you be punished for that association? Is the expectation that if you join a gang, and you've been raised in a household that is associated with a gang, that you are impoverished, that you don't know what is right and what is wrong? And if so, how can you be punished? I interviewed a guy called Puck out of Hawke's Bay, he was with the Mongrel Mob. This was years ago, and he was done for a homicide and spent time in prison, but then turned his life around and had a positive role model. I sat down with him for a good couple of hours, had a good chat. He knew what he had done was wrong and was remorseful and really sorry and wanted to apologise to the people that he had hurt. I found out about a year later he was back in jail. He had turned his life around, and the then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had used him as an example of somebody who could turn their life around with a positive role model. He then did some horrendous domestic violence stuff, dealing meth in prison. I mean, you name it. So there's a guy who I know, who knows what he did was wrong, and he had bad influences growing up all of that stuff. But he knows what he did was wrong and did it anyway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mayor of the Ruapehu District wants the Government to step in to save two businesses facing closure. Hundreds of jobs are on the line - with the Kariori pulpmill and Tangiwai sawmill both under pressure, as energy costs have gone up significantly in recent years. A meeting on the fate of hundreds of workers is expected tomorrow. Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton told Ryan Bridge this is not a new issue - as Tiwai Point was bailed out. He says the Government can cap electricity prices to allow the mills to get over the line until the issue evens out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer says it's very rare to see the public caught in the crossfire of a homicide. Since the start of August, Police have launched 11 homicide investigations around the country. One has since been deemed not a homicide and has been referred to the coroner. Lawyer John Munro told Ryan Bridge Police may be stretched. “The promising thing is that we have a very, very good Police force. They’re very well-equipped, they’re good Police, they’re competent.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 9 September. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will this week bring redemption for the All Blacks? Last week saw them lose to South Africa, the Springboks taking the win at Ellis Park. This Sunday will see them facing off again in Cape Town, and Coach Scott Robertson has made a few changes to the lineup in preparation. Former Springbok and Rugby Commentator Kevin Putt joined Ryan Bridge to preview the match and give his thoughts on the changes to the squad. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes New Zealand can help lead the effort to clean up space. Space Minister Judith Collins has announced we've joined a US-led multi-national space initiative: Operation Olympic Defender. International space expert Maria Pozza told Ryan Bridge that as well as defence, it will see New Zealand contribute to reducing space debris. She says in recent decades space junk has become a key issue, and sustainable use of space is becoming increasingly important. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.