Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

There’s relief over imminent changes to resource management rules on private farmland. The Government has announced a second amendment to the Resource Management Act, which will set new national directions for areas such as infrastructure, energy, and farming. Federated Farmers resource management spokesperson Mark Hooper told Ryan Bridge this change is less significant than the first but gives more freedom to the primary sector. He says the fact the government is addressing specific concerns within the highly productive land national policy statement is good to see. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate's under house arrest following damming new allegations. Tate and his brother are being investigated by Romanian authorities for allegations including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons. One of the 35 alleged victims is as young as 15 years old. UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge the brothers have called the claims as "made up" and "pathetic". He says despite their claims of innocence, they'll have to remain under house arrest in their compound near Bucharest for 30 days. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A curve ball has been thrown for Kamala Harris as she's about to accept her presidential nomination. US media is reporting the independent, and former Democrat, Robert F Kennedy Junior is planning to pull out of the race and endorse Republication nominee Donald Trump. It coincides with the final day of the Democratic National Convention, where Harris is expected to accept the nomination. FSN Correspondent Simon Marks told Ryan Bridge it'll be a big help to Donald Trump with so many eyes are on the Democratic campaign. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resource and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones has given quite a fiery speech in the House taking aim at the Greens over Labour's oil and gas ban, calling out their opposition to using Kiwi coal. "We can power up New Zealand by using our domestic coal resources. But that party would rather see New Zealanders thrown on the unemployment scrap heap as we've witnessed this week. They would rather see people cold, they would rather see people in their retirement years too afraid to put the jug on or the sleeping blanket just so they can cover themselves in an ideological blanket of piety and self-righteousness." That was not scripted, that was just Shane Jones going hell for leather in the House. A very enjoyable speech, he's easy to listen to, isn't he? He makes a point, doesn't he, about the workers who are being affected by all of the closures that are happening around the country at the moment. I flicked off an email to Methanex yesterday because they've shuttered operations at their plant until October and I just wanted to check are you definitely going to reopen? They said yes, we are looking forward to restarting operations in November. So that is good, but they do say this about our current electricity system, and I think it just sums it up. "Our highly renewable electricity sector is increasingly reliant on intermittent renewable power generation which needs to be supported by thermal generation to provide energy security when the rain doesn't fall, the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine." During the last three years, they've operated at reduced rates or shut plants over high electricity demand periods during winter to ensure there's enough gas for everyone to go around. Now, this is the interesting part: "While the government has recently signalled positive policy changes like reversing the offshore oil and gas ban, we believe additional support policies are urgently needed for New Zealand's incumbent upstream companies such as OMV, Todd and Greymouth to help improve confidence and enable the development of future gas supplies to prevent the deindustrialisation of our economy." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 23rd of August, All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald has left the team a week before they head to South Africa - what does it mean for the team? Ruby commentator Tony Johnson talks to Ryan. It's the final day of the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris will formerly accept the Democratic nomination for President. We're live to Chicago for the latest. More changes for the Resources Management Act, but will it make thing easier for our farmers? Mark Hooper from Federated Farmers joins the show to give his thoughts. 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.

Anticipation is building over Government announcements at the second day of the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington today. It comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ruffled feathers yesterday with an address telling councils to cut back on wasteful spending. Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is expected to speak to the delegates today. But Local Government Business Forum Chair Matt Cowley told Ryan Bridge the Government won't be offering a handout. He says it wants the big infrastructure issues addressed but ratepayers will have to chip in. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transpower will today decide whether it'll take the next big step in combatting the current power shortage. Spiking electricity prices have forced Winstone's central North Island pulp and sawmills to propose closing, with more than 200 jobs on the line. Transpower will make a decision on if generators can take more water from the hydro lakes - creating more power. Major Electricity Users' Group Chair John Harbord told Ryan Bridge he'd be surprised if they don't tap into them. He says we have this water set aside for emergencies, and there's no doubt the crisis we're in is anything but a critical issue for our communities. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns over the impact of Covid-19 on children's spoken language skills. The Education Review Office research shows more than two-thirds of parents report their child had language difficulties before they started school last year. It found a similar number of teachers blame the lockdown period for its impact. New Shoots Children's Centre director Kelly Seaburg told Ryan Bridge it's the result of multiple factors in the last few years. She says children were more isolated, with parents trying to work from home, so teacher and peer interaction reduced. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The reactions overnight to Luxon's broadside to the mayors and the local councils in Wellington yesterday should be telling him that he's pretty much on the right track. He got stuck in overspending on dumb stuff, his words, like convention centres, at the expense of basic stuff like leaky pipes. "I think the building that we're in today is a classic example, with pipes bursting and quite literally this morning pipes bursting on the streets not far from here. And it looks very nice and it's great and it's very nice for us politicians to have a wonderful space to make some great speeches in. But can anyone seriously say that was the right financial decision?" It was a spin doctor’s wet dream yesterday. The contrast between all of the mayors and the councillors sitting in $180 million gold plated convention centre while you know, ordinary Joe and Jane, like you and me are trudging through lakes to reach the bus stop. It was pretty good from a PR perspective. Not good for the Tory Whanaus of the world, the Wellington mayor. She said Luxon was punching down on mayors, the Green councillor Thomas Nash called it “mana diminishing” for those gathered. Really? What about the mana of ratepayers? Who's literally, who's poo floats in the ocean when it rains, who's streets become lakes when a pipe bursts, and who's driveways, streets are littered with potholes. What about the mana of the ratepayers? Rather than just thinking about yourselves and your nice cushy little convention centre in Wellington. Anyway, Luxon will know that and it's pretty much what he knew going in. This wasn't a speech for the mayors and for the councillors, but rather it was aimed over their heads to the rate, and more importantly for him, the taxpayers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 22nd August 2024, Local Council leaders have been told by the Prime Minister to reign in their own spending before asking central government for more money. Local Business Forum Chair Matt Cowley speaks to Ryan about what local economies need. The Education Review Office has found Kiwi kids are not starting school with the language skills needed, saying Covid has had an impact on development. New Shoots Children's Centre Director Kelly Seaburg joins the show to give her thoughts. Transpower will decide today whether to allow power generation companies to use contingent lake levels to boost our power generation. Major Electricity Users Group Chair John Harbord talks to Ryan about the impact the power crisis is having on large 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.

Rescuers are still racing to find survivors from the sunken superyacht near Sicily. The yacht's Kiwi captain James Catfield has survived, along with Christchurch lawyer Ayla Ronald and her partner. But correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge others are still believed to be trapped in the boat's hull. Among them are Ronald's colleague Christopher Morvillo and his wife, jewellery designer Neda Morvillo, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and British tech tycoon Mike Lynch. The body of the on-board chef has been formally identified, and British investigators have now arrived on the scene. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There could be a battle brewing between Green Party MPs and grass root party members. Independent MP Darleen Tana has written a letter to the Greens which says they will vote with the party, which will mean proportionality stays the same. The Green Party leadership will take the proposition to use the Waka Jumping legislation to the wider party membership on September 1st. Political commentator Brigitte Morten says told Ryan Bridge they'll be hoping members agree. She says if they vote against the plan, the leaders face being out of step with the wider party membership. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief the Government could make part of Kiwibank public-owned. The Commerce Commission's market study shows there's little competition between the big four banks, and they take high profits by international standards. It recommends giving Kiwibank access to more capital to better compete and become a disruptor. Massey University's banking expert David Tripe told Ryan Bridge that money could come from the New Zealand public. He says it would take some time to absorb a large amount of capital, so it's better done as a relatively slow process. Tripe says trying to grow a bank rapidly is usually a recipe for disaster. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour, you might have seen him on the news last night or in the Herald yesterday, basically calling Christopher Luxon and the government undemocratic for refusing to support this Treaty Principles Bill passed the first reading when it gets to select committee. This is what he said on the news last night. "Well, I think it is disrespectful and anti-democratic to tell people that no matter what they think, you're not open to changing your mind." Is this the issue you want to die in a ditch over? Let's face it, the Treaty Principles Bill is dead in the water anyway. A couple of reasons for that. Number one and most importantly, your coalition partners have said, nah, we don't want to support it past the first reading. Even if they agreed to it, the debate and the media attention would surely from a political perspective, purely political perspective would drown out the next two years of potentially good headlines about economic growth and all the other stuff the government's trying to do. And even if, as you say, it's a principled thing to do it for democracy to have the debate, et cetera, the next government will just undo it anyway, won't they? Whoever, and whenever that government might be, the more oxygen you give this, the sooner that day might arrive. In reality I don't think David Seymour is a stupid man or a stupid politician. He's not. And he knows this is going nowhere. It's probably more about positioning for a plank to balance a campaign on in 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 21st August 2024. How can Kiwibank become a better competitor for the big Aussie Banks? Banking expert David Tripe takes us through the options. AA has found our learner driver licensing system is much more relaxed than Australia's - what improvements can we make to keep young drivers safer? Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson speaks to Ryan. Darleen Tana has formerly said they won't leave their seat in Parliament - what is the next move for the Greens? Political commentator Brigitte Morten joins the show to give her thoughts. 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 coordinated response between the Police and Auckland Council is being credited for a steep drop in retail crime in the CBD. The number of thefts and burglaries has fallen 50% since January last year. Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says while some haven't seen it yet, there's been a noticeable decrease. She told Ryan Bridge the next step is tackling anti-social behaviour. Beck says there needs to be more mental health and health resources thrown at the problem. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Hato Hone St John ambulance workers are kicking off a day of nationwide rallies following pay negotiation breakdowns. More than two and a half thousand officers are taking part in staggered four-hour withdrawals of labour until 4am tomorrow. Christchurch staff will march from 8am. Ambulance Association Division Chairman Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that St John will be operating at 70% capacity today. He says some areas aren't even noticing the staff withdrawals as they become accustomed to operating with so few staff. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden's expected to dominate the first day of the Democratic National Convention. It starts in Chicago today and is where Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Governor Tim Walz will accept their presidential and vice presidential nominations. Biden's expected to give an address and make a symbolic handover to Harris. FSN Correspondent Simon Marks told Ryan Bridge they're getting the uncomfortable bits out of the way on the first day. He says President Biden will be the main speaker, alongside First Lady Jill Biden and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton. Harris will be looking to ride her wave of momentum into the convention. She currently has a six-point lead over Donald Trump in the latest Fox News poll, Marks saying that Harris will be wanting the convention to go flawlessly over the next few days. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered what the funniest joke in the world is? Well, I can tell you because the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has declared the funniest joke. It's a ship gag, a gag about a ship, as in like a vessel that goes in the ocean. To be honest, it's not that funny and maybe I'm just getting older and mingy about life. I don't know, maybe I don't find things as funny anymore. Have you tried to find a funny movie lately? Have you managed to find one? No, because they don't make them anymore and they certainly don't make jokes that are actually funny at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And I should preface this by saying that, look, I'm not funny. So, you know, it is a hard thing to do. I get it. But I just wonder whether we're not being a little too safe with our comedy. Something Jerry Seinfeld spoke about when he was in New Zealand recently, people can't push the boundaries anymore. Let me just read you a few in the top 10 funniest jokes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And actually, you can try and guess is this a joke, you know, is this from a comedy festival or is this from a Christmas cracker? "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship, but I bottled it." That was literally the funniest joke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And maybe because I'm reading these from a story it's the delivery that's funny, maybe that's what's missing. "I've been taking salsa lessons for months, but I just don't feel like I'm progressing. It's just one step forward, two steps back." That was the second funniest joke. "Ate horse at a restaurant once, wasn't great. Starter was all right, but the mane was dreadful." Do you want me to keep going? "I sailed through my driving test. That's why I failed." These are not Christmas cracker jokes; these are from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. What ever happened to the really good ones? My favourite comedian was Joan Rivers. She was rude and shocking and outrageous, hilarious and actually a real pioneer and a trailblazer for women in her field as well. But, you know, well she's dead and so are good jokes, it seems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 20th August 2024, it's day one of the Democratic National Convention. We cross live to Chicago to get an insight into what’s going down. Crime numbers are down in our biggest city, but are businesses on the ground actually seeing any difference? Heart of the City's Viv Beck speaks to Ryan. St John ambulance workers are on their first day of a withdrawal of labour strike - what does it mean for people needing emergency assistance? Mark Quin from the New Zealand Ambulance Association joins the show to explain. 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.

ASB's quarterly report reveals economic pressure and inflation showing signs of easing. We're seeing early signs of a turnaround for the economy... ASB's quarterly forecast shows signs inflation will fall below 3% over the second half of this year and remain well contained beyond 2024. They're also expecting GDP to remain flat-to-down over the rest of the year. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge even though mortgage rates have started to come down, for some, it'll take time until they see a change in their pay packet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outrage at the weekend over the Human Rights Commission. The Chief Human Rights Commissioner has been announced as Dr Steven Rainbow and he was once accused of being transphobic or anti trans. And it's one of those terms that can quickly change the tone or the perception of an article that you're reading. I remember this from the university college campus protests over in the States. You would read the CNN copy on the story and it would say they were pro Palestinian protesters, then you would read the Fox News version and it would say they're anti-Israel. Who decides what you are? If you're pro one thing, does it automatically make you anti the other? Women's rights campaigners, and this was the point that I think was being made about Dr Steven Rainbow, the women's rights campaigners, do they hate or are they anti trans people, or are they just pro women's rights as they would claim that they are? And equally just because you want a ceasefire in Gaza, it doesn't mean you're anti Semitic, does it? There seems to be a polarization happening here. You're this you're that or you're all your, or you're nothing or it's black and white and we do it in the media all the time - we're probably the most guilty of it. And whoever is shouting the loudest I think tends to dominate the news cycle. But then again what's that based on, tweets? Is that really how you decide or define what someone feels about an issue? I always found it odd when it came to abortion, which is a very divisive issue, obviously, people feel very personally about this issue. Are you pro life or anti abortion? Are you women's choice or pro abortion? Is anybody really pro abortion? You know what I mean? You might want women to choose but surely nobody's actually pro abortion. I've really got no idea how to resolve this problem of labelling in the media, other than when somebody's labelled anti something nowadays, I'm inclined to find out why, how and if to my mind at least, their motivations aren't just pro something else. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details of the government's $1.3 billion dollar road policing investment programme have been revealed. It includes new targets for roadside breath and drug tests. Police are expected to carry out 3.3 million breath tests per year. 65% of those have to be done in high risk areas or during high risk times. $72 million of the funding will be put aside as a performance incentive. Police won't receive the money unless they meet the targets. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge police currently have a target of around 3 million, which they've only hit twice in the last 10 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 19th August 2024. New cash for police, but they have to meet targets for roadside breath and alcohol tests - are the targets achievable? Police Association President Chris Cahill joins Ryan. ASB say economic relief is on the way. Chief Economist Nick Tufley has the latest from their quarterly report. The All Blacks have recovered from their loss against Argentina a week ago and the America's cup starts in Barcelona this week. Adam Cooper 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.

Will the All Blacks redeem themselves after last week’s loss? This Saturday they’ll be facing Argentina in a rematch at Eden Park, a week on from losing to 30-38 in Wellington. Scott Robertson has made some major changes to the Kiwi side, including the return of former captain Sam Cane. Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge the All Blacks need to bounce back, which they traditionally do when they lose to Argentina. He said that it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen tomorrow night, but you would hope there’s some form of response from the All Blacks after last week. Smith said that last week seems to be a bit of a reality check for Robertson. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

501s will be the hot button topic in Christopher Luxon's meeting in Canberra today with the Australian Prime Minister. Anthony Albanese's government has pulled a recent u-turn on the common-sense approach he'd agreed to with former Prime Minister Jacinda Arden in 2022. Australia is no longer considering a person's ties to the country before deporting them, making the safety of Australians the top priority. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Ryan Bridge Luxon's comments in Sydney yesterday hinted he wasn't expecting to make much headway. He says Luxon had said they would agree to disagree on the issue - but he'd continue to voice New Zealand's displeasure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Dotcom could have his fate sealed by early next year. The tech mogul may soon find himself on trial in the US after Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed he'd signed his extradition. Former Auckland University Professor of Law Bill Hodge told Ryan Bridge Dotcom's penultimate step is a judicial review, but he can't precisely predict how long this would take. He says if it's a typical judicial review, it could ideally be done within six months, and wonders if the court will expedite it. Hodge says his Kiwi family may be his strongest defence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a reason politicians can't agree on much of anything. Luxon is in Australia at the moment, he's on an infrastructure whistle stop tour. The question - why are we so bad, and the Aussies seemingly so much better at it? There are many reasons like public, private partnerships and user pays. In New South Wales, they've used asset sales to fund this stuff, but it's also crucially bipartisan agreement on what to build. Luxon says that the Nats and Labour need consensus on what projects will get cash. "The challenge in New Zealand is you get a change in political cycle or economic cycle, and you get on off, on off, on off and nothing's happening." So the construction industry, they need to know the pipeline of work that's in front of them or it's not going to be viable. You know, the roads of national significance they were on and then they're off, and they're on and then they're off. And another example was Energy Resources Aotearoa on this show calling for bipartisan Agreement on Oil and gas exploration. But here's the thing, it's not going to happen in either case, which sucks because it's us the voters that ultimately pay the price in the form of electricity prices or traffic. The reason? Well, our political system is based on the Westminster model which is purposely adversarial. We encourage competition. We literally have an opposition party to oppose the government. It's set up to fail when it comes to agreement. So I won't be holding my breath for our parliamentarians to suddenly start singing from the same song sheet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday the 16th of August, Kim Dotcom's extradition order has been signed by the Justice Minister, can he fight it? Former law professor Bill Hodge joins the show to give his thoughts. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is meeting with his Australian counterpart today. Geoffrey Miller talks to Ryan about what could be on the agenda. Is it redemption time for the All Blacks? They face Argentina in Auckland on Saturday, a week on from their shock loss in Wellington. Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith speaks to Ryan ahead of the game. 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 Kamala swing continues. New polling out today shows Harris is leading slightly or tied in six of the seven swing states. Back in May, Former President Donald Trump was leading in almost all swing states. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge it illustrates just how much this race has changed. He says Trump is trying to take back the narrative. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a chance your home-reno could keep you from selling your house. A couple in the UK was recently unable to sell their home after installing spray foam insulation. The way the foam is installed and how much ventilation it has could cause damage to roofing timber, particularly in colder climates, and New Zealand installers have to produce a statement saying the work complies with the building code. Healthy Homes Cooperation Director Damian McGill told Ryan Bridge that there’s nothing wrong with spray foam per se, and it can be a great product when used correctly. But he said that when you add retrofit insultation, you have to improve the ventilation as well, otherwise there’s a risk moisture could build up in the cavities. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions remain over how blocks of methamphetamine in lolly wrappers made their way to the Auckland City Mission. The mission distributed the Rinda pineapple lollies in food parcels over several weeks. The hand-outs could affect up to 400 people, and at least three people, including a child and teenager, have received medical treatment. Drug Detection Agency chief executive Glenn Dobson told Ryan Bridge a lot of techniques are used to smuggle methamphetamine. He says it's often suspended in liquids or pill form - disguised as lollies isn't unknown but isn't overly common. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis won't be drawn on the Reserve Bank's sudden change of tune on the Official Cash Rate. It's lowered the rate to 5.25% due to further signs of falling inflation. Economist Brad Olsen says the central bank needs to take accountability for radically changing its forecast without a radical change in circumstances. Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge it isn't appropriate for her to get involved in the debate. She says the economy has slowed down and seeing interest rates come down is logical, but this is ultimately an independent decision for the Reserve Bank. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've got to ask yourself who's running the show. There's been another example of bureaucracy seemingly undermining the government on its cost cutting plan which, remember, from outset they said wouldn't impact the front line. A Health New Zealand manager has done a PowerPoint to 90 staff about upcoming changes, and they indicated that jobs could be cut including 470 doctors and 1400 nurses. Who on earth thought that was okay? Did they do it on purpose? Is it a middle finger to the government and to the Commissioner Lester Levy? The truth is we don't really know at this point, Levy asks is this reluctance, is this resistance, or is this sabotage? Fair question. He's promising consequences. It's totally unacceptable, but it's not an isolated incident. Oranga Tamariki is another agency cutting funding left, right, and centre to services. The stories get in the press and then there's a back down. And we've had public service leaking against the government, loads of examples. At least six major leaks that I could recall. There was a Cabinet paper on the foreign housing investors, also the treaty principles bill. You can't know for sure the motivations in each case, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that there is huge resistance to the coalition government's agenda within pockets of the bureaucracy. They need reining in, examples here need to be set. And if the message falls on deaf ears, well, maybe they need to be marched out the door. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 15th of August, the Reserve Bank has cut New Zealand's Official Cash Rate. Ryan gets the thoughts of Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Spray foam insulation - could it installing it incorrectly prevent you from selling your house? Meth has been found in lollies given out by the Auckland City Mission - Glenn Dobson from the Drug Detection Agency talks to Ryan about where it could have come from. 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 thirteen-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to threatening unlawful violence during a protest in the UK. The event took place during a week of unrest over asylum seekers and illegal migrants, and follows two twelve-year-old boys pleading guilty to other offences in a similar riot. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge the girl was among a crowd gathered outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers, and was seen punching and kicking at the entrance of the hotel. He said that a police officer was injured when disorder broke out at the demonstration, and there was roughly 200 protestors there. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an important call today for the Reserve Bank as they decide whether to drop the Official Cash Rate. Bank economists are divided, Westpac, ANZ and Kiwibank anticipate the Reserve Bank to hold the OCR at 5.5%. BNZ is expecting it to go down, as is ASB, who predicts it'll fall by 25-basis points to 5.25% , which would be the first drop since 2020. John Carran, Jarden Economist and Investment Strategist, told Ryan Bridge he’s erring on the side of hold. He said that although they may hold today, they will signal that interest rate cuts are coming much sooner than they previously indicated. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists believe there are great applications for taking gene-editing research outside - under new regulations. The Government's planning to introduce legislation this year to let researchers develop and commercialise gene tech products outside laboratories. Genetics expert Michael Bunce at Australia's Curtin University says under current laws, useful research for New Zealand has been hampered by red tape. He told Ryan Bridge the solution to problems like wilding pine trees is a good example. Bunce says making pine trees sterile keeps them in one place and stops the spread around New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's tourism recovery has seemingly hit a snag. Overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.2 million in the year to June. That's up 27% from 2023, but still down 17% on pre-pandemic peaks. It comes as visa charges rise and hikes to the International Visitor Levy debated. Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director, Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge while other countries continue to recover, New Zealand appears to be stalling. She says the coming summer's airline schedule expects just 2% growth. O’Brien says it will bring fewer tourists, and it's counterproductive to steeply increase visa costs at the same time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buying a house is hard, but still worth it. There's new CoreLogic data out this morning, it's a housing affordability report looking at median property values versus median income for households. Let's put all the detail aside for a second and cut to the chase. Basically, the good news for you, houses are worth 7.9% household income – they were worth 10 times. So that is good news. Also good news: the time it takes to save for a deposit is now 10 years. It's better than the 13 years that it took in 2021. So that's the good news. The bad news from the start of this morning: mortgage payments, 54% of your median household income, that is 10% above the average. So there's good news and there's bad news. It's hard but not impossible for most people, and still very much worth it. Long term values go up, there's the stability of owning your own place and there's great stories, like this Auckland 20-year-old Lewis Pollock who was in the news the other day. He left school early, worked in retail, became a manager. He works hard for his money and he saves, had no help from his parents and he's bought his first house at 20. He's a homeowner and he's saying to other young people, you can do it if you put your mind to it. Now, I know this is not possible for everyone, some circumstances just wouldn't allow you to be able to put the money aside to save. But for most young people it's hard but not impossible, and well worth the effort. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 14th of August, it's OCR day - will the Reserve Bank cut our official cash rate? Jarden's John Carran joins the show to discuss. NZ's 30-year gene editing ban is set to be lifted, taking GE out of just the lab. Michael Bunce speaks to Ryan about what it means for new products, productivity, and our economy. Tourism numbers are out for the June quarter and they’re still down from pre-pandemic times. Airline and tourism groups aren't happy about changes to visitor visa fees. 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 Australian Government is facing calls to go further with proposed restrictions on gambling ads. It's looking to ban ads during sports broadcasts, during children's programming, and online. But a 60-strong alliance —including former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, and prominent figures from across the political spectrum— are calling for a complete ban. Australia correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge minor parties are also backing the ball, particularly the Greens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA says the devil will be in the details when it comes to “time of use” charging. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says he'll introduce legislation by the end of the year which will see drivers taxed to use some sections of road at certain times. AA Policy Director Martin Glynn says while there are benefits, there are also kinks to be worked out. He says certain tweaks to the charge will likely be needed. Martin Glynn says people going to work or school at set times with no access to public transport need to be catered for. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's being accused of failing to learn from past mistakes with its new benefit sanctions scheme. It's announced new rules requiring beneficiaries to reapply more often. People who fail to follow the rules could see half their benefit put on a payment card can that only be spent on essentials. Youth justice consultant Shirley Johnson told Ryan Bridge we've had measures like this before and claims they didn't work. She says it feels foolish to go back and re-do what didn't work before, when other measures are already working and are very effective. Johnson said that while accountability's important, many young people are grappling with a challenging job market. She told Bridge that unemployment's going up, and it's currently twice as high for young people. Johnson says many young people are doing it tough and punishing them won't help. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every government is thinking ahead to when they next need to be re-elected. There's a risk here that the government is taking when it goes for sanctions on beneficiaries, when it goes for tougher requirements and criteria when it comes to social housing, for example, and you're starting to see some kick back already in response to some of these changes. If you're a centrist voter you might think those are reasonable expectations to put on social housing providers, to put on emergency accommodation criteria, to put on beneficiaries through sanctions or obligations. You might think those things are reasonable. On the other hand, you might think that seems a bit cruel. And actually, in an economy like this where jobs are hard to come by, I might find myself in that position. I don't want to have those types of obligations; I don't understand what those obligations are. So, there is a political risk to doing it stuff, but it's bread and butter for National and it's bread and butter for ACT, this is exactly what their base want what their supporters want and so they are doing it, but it does come with some political risk. One thing that the Government need to get on top of is retail crime. The Dairy Owner's group, this is based on police data, say that retail crime is up 17% under National. This is the coalition government that has said ‘we're going to crack down on retail crime’. The first five months of this year versus last year theft was up, robberies were down 5%, burglaries down 10%, but here's the one you need to worry about: acts intended to cause injury were up 4%. That is very bad, and you're seeing it with hammers and all sorts of things being used as weapons in shops. That, the Government needs to get on top of because they made a big promise, Mark Mitchell has talked a big talk, the numbers so far aren't tracking in their direction, and they need to turn them around. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a waiting game for the construction sector as the economic downturn continues to bite. The latest EBOSS Builder Sentiment Report shows 67% of builders are seeing less demand for their services. 70% feel industry conditions will continue to decline in the next 12 months. Construction Industry Council Executive Director Tommy Honey told Ryan Bridge everyone is waiting for economic conditions to pick up again. He says people are holding off selling their homes, which has resulted in fewer people renovating or building new homes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 13th of August 2024, new requirements and a traffic light sanction system have been introduced for beneficiaries, but what does it mean for our jobless youth? Congestion charging is on the way for our busiest roads. AA Policy Director Martin Glynn talks to Ryan about what it means for you. Construction confidence is down, and builders believe the slowdown in jobs will continue for at least another year. The Construction Industry Council's Tommy Honey 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.

Taylor Swift's upcoming London shows will go ahead after a foiled plot to attack her now-cancelled Vienna concerts. A 19-year-old with Islamic State ties has been arrested and confirmed they planned a terror attack involving explosives and knives. Two other teen suspects have also been arrested. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge there's major security concerns for Swift's five Wembley Stadium shows, which kick off Thursday. “Naturally as you can imagine, high alert here in London as those teenagers are being questioned in Austria.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are we to believe when it comes to kids in motels? It’s undeniably a disaster. At its worst, we had 4000 kids living in motels and emergency accommodation in New Zealand. And the last lot who said it was a complex problem that required complex solutions, they said it would take time, and we sort of bought that argument because it does seem incredibly complex. And then yesterday, the Government comes along and claims to have cut the number of households living in emergency housing by a third in six months. What’s more, they said in Auckland, they’ve almost halved the number of people living in emergency housing in three months. How can you halve the number of people in emergency housing in three months? Does that make sense to you? In Christchurch, it's gone from 285 to 183 in three months. They said they’d used intensive work to cut the numbers. I don’t know whether I’m just cynical but, do you believe that? Or do you think there’s some trick, some fudging of the numbers here or the categories that they're using, something like that. If all we needed was a bit of intensive work, surely we could have cut through that long waiting list a lot earlier. Kieran McAnulty on Three News last night had a crack at the Government. “They're both claiming credit for something they didn't do and they're also crying about something when they've made it harder for people to access it.” He then went on to say this: “The honest way to deal with the issue of emergency housing is to build more social houses. And that's the very thing the Government has pulled back on.” Wrong. There is another way that you can deal with the problem of an increase in demand for social housing, that's to grow an economy to get people into well paid jobs. Not everybody wants to be at the mercy of a failed social housing system, do they?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Kris Shannon in Paris Ellesse Andrews has confirmed what this week already seemed clear – she is the world’s fastest woman on two wheels. The Kiwi claimed a second gold medal on the final day of the Paris Olympics, her victory in the individual sprint even more commanding than an earlier triumph in the keirin. Andrews won all nine sprint races she contested inside Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome. The 24-year-old eliminated the reigning Olympic champion, two former world champions and a rider who last year proved superior in the discipline. And Andrews accomplished it all with a level of ease rarely seen at the top level. That’s not to suggest there was anything simple about her achievements. But right now, Andrews is simply too fast, too strong and too self-assured to be beaten. That was the case in the keirin final earlier in the week, when Andrews led from start to finish and was never seriously threatened by any potential attack. The same was true in the individual sprint, whether riding from the front or recovering a deficit depending on her starting position. The two gold medals added to a silver won in the team sprint and left Andrews in elite Kiwi company. Only paddlers Lisa Carrington (three golds in 2021 and 2024) and Paul MacDonald (three golds in 1984) have recorded better medal hauls at a single Games. It also meant New Zealand would finish the Paris Olympics with 10 gold medals, after a record-setting penultimate day saw the team surpass the previous best of eight. With age on her side and considering her progression in the last 12 months alone, it’s safe to assume Andrews will return to the podium in four years’ time. In today’s final she swept aside Lea Friedrich, a rider who beat Andrews 2-0 in the sprint semifinals at last year’s world championships. Following the keirin final, coach and father Jon Andrews said he had expected a greater challenge from Friedrich in that event, after the German had been eliminated in a semifinal won by the Kiwi. It came a few days later but didn’t last for long. Gold medalist Ellesse Andrews celebrates her win in the sprint. Photo / Getty Images There was a brief moment in race one when it appeared Friedrich held the advantage. After the bell, she came around the bend high, and with a boost from the bank looked to be erasing the lead. Then Andrews rose from her seat, powered through the back straight and the race was over. The second was barely a contest. Starting behind her opponent, Andrews easily executed the manoeuvre attempted earlier by Friedrich, speeding clear as the German conceded defeat. Andrews glanced once over her shoulder, saw clear track and was able to raise one arm in celebration, the crowd rising to salute a new queen of the velodrome. Friedrich had set a new world record in qualifying, a mark Andrews previously lowered. But her coach said his rider was a different proposition when racing, and so it proved Andrews progressed to the final with seven wins from seven, eliminating Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell in the 1/8 finals before sweeping former world champions Emma Hinze in the quarters and Emma Finucane in the semis. That brought more revenge for being beaten by Finucane and Britain in the team sprint final, the only time in Paris that Andrews has been conquered. Friedrich, meanwhile, needed a third ride to reach the final, as Andrews barely watched from her stationary bike. But no extra energy would have helped the German. Andrews, as she has been all week, was unbeatable. Kris Shannon has been a sport journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.