Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

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

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

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

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

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

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 1 October. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 30 September. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

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

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

The All Blacks have got to perform in this weekend’s Eden Park test.  They’re set to face Australia in the wake of their worst-ever defeat just 12 days ago against South Africa.  Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby Elliott Smith told Francesca Rudkin the All Blacks have to turn up, perform, and start finding some consistency.  He says consistency won’t come soley from tomorrow’s performance, but they need to start laying the building blocks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A push for more work-based learning, to give food and fibre employers greater input on training.  Key players like Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Federated Farmers have teamed up to demand an overhaul from the government.  The sectors have released the Food and Fibre Workforce Capability Strategy.  Forestry Owners' Association Chief Executive Elizabeth Heeg told Francesca Rudkin the strategy sets out a pathway to train the next generation of skilled workers.  She says they want to work with the government to ensure the system prioritises capabilities and not just credentials.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy claims his court case is politically motivated.  He's been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy, relating to illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.  He was acquitted of all other charges.  Europe correspondent Vincent McAviney told Francesca Rudkin it's unclear whether he will spend the full five years in prison.  He says the ruling means Sarkozy will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal, which he intends to do.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast Friday 26th of September 2025, Fonterra’s delivered one of its best results ever, Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Karl Dean shares his thoughts.  It's the great show down between the All blacks and the Wallabies this saturday night in Auckland, Newstalk ZB rugby commentator and editor Elliott Smith tells Francesca what's at stake for the All Blacks.  Our agriculture industry claims the education system is letting it down, NZ Forest Owners Association CEO, Dr Elizabeth Heeg shares her thoughts.   Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sentenced to five years in jail and drones shutting down a Denmark airport for the second time this week.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy farmers remain mindful of the chance of more tough times ahead.  Fonterra's confirmed a final farmgate milk price of $10.16 for the past season, with earnings of 71 cents per share.  But its midpoint forecast for this season remains at $10.  Federated Farmers Dairy Board Chair Karl Dean told Francesca Rudkin farmers will be paying off debt and investing back into their farms after battling several years of high on-farm costs.  He says they all understand costs may rise again, and incomes may drop.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, PPTA members —secondary school teachers— voted to make addressing online extremism an official policy, and are now pushing for Government action.   Teachers say they are seeing more misogyny from young boys, as well as xenophobia and anti-Māori rhetoric – and I believe them. Sit down with your teenager and ask them about Andrew Tate, Trump, trad wives —which were some of the complaints— and they’re all over it. And yes, it is driven by social media, algorithms, and their peers. So, I do understand their concerns.   But it’s not for the Government to fix.   I’ll get to the teachers in a minute, but this is primarily an issue for parents.   It’s parents who are responsible for setting the tone when it comes to their children’s beliefs and values. And as they grow and almost inevitably push back against their parents and their ideas while they develop their own, it’s also on the parents to listen and, without judgement, encourage open discussion.    As parents we need to