Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Tourism Minister Louise Upston is getting advice from officials on a bed tax. Christopher Luxon told us that last week. They're not being explicit about it yet, but the idea is a no-brainer and will eventually happen. In the Auckland deal Luxon did with Wayne Brown last week, they promised to investigate one. Wayne took this to mean the thing would be introduced by 2027, though we have an election before then obviously.  We've just had new visitor numbers drop, we're back to 92% of pre-Covid numbers. 3.5 million internationals a year.  Great. But the roads and housing and pipes can't take much more. The Government's goal is almost 5 million a year.  In Queenstown, for every single ratepayer funding local infrastructure, you've got 30 to 34 international tourists hiking, skiing, and smashing a Ferg burger. The ratio is 1:30! In Auckland, it's 1:1. Tourist hotspots with small resident populations struggle to fund what's required. Roads, amenities, and housing suffer as a result.  A

The Cancer Society says widening access to cancer infusion treatment is a win for rural communities.    The Health Minister announced $210 million from Budget 2024 will go into 14 new sites and expanding 14 existing ones.   Small towns including Dargaville and Te Kuiti will get new facilities by 2028.   Cancer Society Chief Executive Nicola Coom told Ryan Bridge that with the price of fuel at the moment, anything that reduces travel time is a win.   She says it puts treatment closer to rural communities, which then frees up critical capacity in major tertiary hospitals.  “A win for families, a win for our communities, and definitely a win for the system overall.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail NZ is warning time's running out to counter a tobacco black market crisis.  The group's released a new report detailing the rise in illicit tobacco, including reports from retailers of sales happening near their premises.   The group wants an Illicit Tobacco Taskforce setup to bring Customs, Police and Health officials together to fight the growing problem.   CEO Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge that when organised crime infiltrates the legitimate market it changes the landscape, and brings with it more crime.  She says we need to act now while we still have this window of opportunity.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United States President Donald Trump may have to resort to bombing Iran again, according to an American columnist and pollster.  Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge that Trump will not be satisfied until Iran ends its nuclear programme.  "I think Trump may eventually have to go back to bombing.  "Trump has already committed American prestige and his personal prestige to the ending of the nuclear programme."  The President is always clear about his goals during negotiations and has been "very clear" about that objective, throughout the campaign, Olsen said.  "Until he gets it, he's going to continue to use what's at his disposal, and that does include bombing and potentially a land invasion.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's at war with the Pope again, this time over Iran. Last time it was over Gaza.  Usually the pontiff is a bit more low-key, just praying and kissing babies and cruising round in the white robe in the Pope-mobile, like Batman but less cool.  Not Leo. Leo has spoken out, telling Trump to end the war and saying he does not fear the President. This is a humanitarian appeal, but its delivery its a little more political than past statements because of the way the US President is being name-checked personally.  There's nothing newsworthy about the Pope calling for peace. Popes are going to do what Popes do, and we all want peace.  But religious leaders are doing more of this - getting political.  We've had vicars in nappies chaining themselves to Nicola Willis' electorate office. Priests opposing ACT's Treaty bill. Ten church groups held an all-night vigil at St Paul's Cathedral in protest of the Coalition Government's 'move-on' orders.  Deborah Coddington, former ACT MP, made

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 14th of April 2025, A US blockade of Iran's ports is underway in the strait of Hormuz, American pollster and Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen shares his thoughts.  More access to cancer treatment is on the way, with a big nationwide expansion of infusion services Nicola Coom Chief Executive Cancer Society, tells Ryan how big of an impact this will have. Retail NZ is sounding the alarm on illegal tobacco; Chief Executive Carolyn Young tells Ryan why it's becoming such a problem.  Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the Australian Coalition’s immigration policy to be unveiled today and a histórica appointment for the Australian army. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emergency Management Minister, Mark Mitchell, says Cyclone Vaianu could've been much worse - and Kiwis prepared well.  Gisborne and some other East Coast communities are still cut off with sections of State Highways 2 and 35 closed, due to fallen trees, flooding and slips.  The last of MetService's strong wind warnings and watches for Wairarapa and the Tararua District are set to ease at 7 this morning. Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge several thousand houses were evacuated across the North Island. He says some of them have flooded, but a lot were precautionary evacuations - which was the right thing to do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 13th of April 2025, Former CIA Intelligence Officer Glenn Carle shares his thoughts on the US failing to make a peace deal with Iran.  Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell tells Ryan whether or not we dodged a bullet with Cyclone Vaianu.  Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.  Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on suggestion blockade in the strait of Hormuz may be enforced by allies of the US and Hungary goes to the polls today with the EU secretly hoping the incumbent Prime Minister loses power. 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.

The storm for the most of the North Island was a fizzer. The TV news struggled to find pictures of anything actually happening other than a few trees down and reporters breathlessly doing pieces to camera in the wind. In Auckland where I live most shops were closed and they didn’t need to be. There is a risk of the boy who cried wolf. But I also don’t think need to have an existential national conversation about whether this was over-hyped. The forecasters do their thing. They tell you what is coming. Or their best guess of what's coming. Then it’s up to us to make our own decisions based on the information, our own experience and personal judgement. The businesses who decided to close yesterday before anything had actually happened lost a day's trade. The one's who didn't, didn't.  Maybe next time they’ll make a different call. After all, Auckland was only under an orange watch. The media coverage was over the top. It always is. Remember they make money off events like this. Eyeballs on screens. I notic

The UK wants to know why three Russian submarines have apparently been examining the country's vital underwater cables and pipelines.  British Defence Secretary John Healey says the subs were tracked over several weeks operating in the north Atlantic.  Russia denies the claims.  More than 90% of the UK's day-to-day internet traffic travels via undersea cables.  Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge there's been no apparent damage; rather, the British Government is putting Russia on notice.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered officials to hold talks with Lebanon, but rejects any reports of a ceasefire there.  He says Israel's military will continue to strike Hezbollah with force and won't stop until security is restored, but a Lebanese official says it won't negotiate under fire.  Reuters senior Middle East correspondent Alexander Cornwell told Ryan Bridge if the talks between Israel and Lebanon take place, they'll need some kind of guarantor for it to work.   He says they'll probably have to come from outside of the region – like the US or the French.   Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says it's allowing the Strait of Hormuz to open but requires vessels to communicate with its military.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early childhood centres are lifting their game, with fewer falling below quality standards. Education Review Office monitoring shows 47% of standalone services didn’t meet the quality threshold, down from 64% a year earlier. Early Childhood Council Chief Executive Simon Laube says the reviews are just snapshots and even the best centres go through staff changes and have to rebuild quality. He told Ryan Bridge that the reviews are sensitive, so anything that’s slightly out of place will appear on the review, and pretty much everyone will have something.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 10 April. 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.

Energy security is shaping up to be the hottest item on this year's election agenda, and with good reason.  Ask any business who's about to renew an energy contract, any transport business who's battling the price of diesel, or any factory or mill thinking about mass layoffs and shutting up shop.  In Hawke's Bay, CEOs are organising an energy summit in June. Their business leaders voted energy as their top concern.  Bombing in the Middle East might be in pause, bar Beirut, but the energy price battle is far from over. And it’s time for our politicians to put their swords down and agree on a long term energy strategy that addresses the new world we’re living in.  Post ceasefire, oil is still more than 30% more expensive than it was before the war. Gas is 40% higher.  There’s a piece in The Economist, well worth a read, that sets out the problem well. Infrastructure's been damaged and takes time to repair. When the tankers start moving, the insurance premiums will cost an arm and leg. T

The ceasefire with Iran has to hold, according to an intelligence foreign policy analyst, otherwise the entire global economy will collapse.  The reduction in energy resources from the war was like “doing one of those Vulcan pressure holds on your carotid artery”, former US Navy senior chief Malcolm Nance told Ryan Bridge.  “You can't hold it forever, you're then going to start killing the system… [US President Donald Trump] had to take this deal.”  The US-allied Gulf states had lost trillions of dollars in market capital from the attacks, Nance said.  “[Trump’s] going to have to deal with what's been played now, because there's no restarting this war. It will collapse the global economy if they do it again.”  Nance —who has extensive experience fighting in the Persian Gulf— said the war should never have started in the first place as Iran’s chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz has been very clear since the 1980s.  “This was done almost haphazardly. They didn't consult anybody and

Drug traffickers have their eyes on New Zealand as Customs deals with a massive influx in border seizures.  A Cabinet paper shows the volume of intercepted drugs more than quadrupled between 2018 and 2024, going from 1.5 to 6.5 tonnes.  Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glen Dobson told Ryan Bridge officials are stepping up.   He says we're being actively targeted by organised crime groups, and recommends greater cross-agency consultation.   But Dobson says greater seizures are also a success.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank expects inflation to spike this quarter but says it's still too early to say by how much. The central bank's opted to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25% for now. It's forecasting inflation will surge to 4.2% in the June quarter but admits that forecast doesn't take into account the fall in fuel prices after yesterday's Iran ceasefire announcement. The Co-operative Bank CEO Mark Wilkshire shares his thoughts with Ryan Bridge.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 9th of April 2025, Iran and the US have agreed on a two week ceasefire, Intelligence, Foreign Policy Analyst and former US Navy Senior Chief Malcolm Nance tells Ryan if it will hold.  Huge drug hauls are being caught at Auckland Airport, Drug Detection Agency CEO Glen Dobson tells Ryan why there's so much more drugs coming in.  The OCR held steady at 2.25%, but the Reserve Bank says inflation will peak at 4.2% this quarter, the Co-operative Bank CEO, Mark Wilshire shares his thoughts.  Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Trump changing tact on Iran, with negotiations set to commence on Friday in Pakistan and the Artemis crew heading back to Earth after reaching the far side of the Moon.  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.

Should we welcome a ceasefire? Yes, of course. Should we count on it holding? No, of course not. The Iranians now control a strait they didn’t control before the war, and the Israelis are still dropping bombs in Lebanon even though this ceasefire apparently says they shouldn’t be. In fact, both sides now seem to be claiming they're talking about completely different 10-point plans. These are the things you can’t control. But on the things we can, does anybody else feel a bit relieved about the grownups we have in charge at home? Nicola Willis has risen to the occasion. Clear, concise, across the detail, and realistic about what Government can and can’t do to fix everybody’s problems. You’ll remember when this all kicked off I said they had few political choices given how hard they fought Labour’s Covid spending and its effect on inflation. The targeted, temporary, timely motto seems to have, for now, been the right one. Cometh the hour, cometh the woman. If there was to be a leadership spill in National, her

A think tank's warning the way we appoint public agency leaders is hindering the Government from governing.   The New Zealand Initiative says consecutive governments struggling to fulfil their promises is due to elected ministers being unable to choose a department's chief executive.  Executive Director Oliver Hartwich says the Public Service Commissioner makes the appointment, which can happen before a minister is elected.   He told Ryan Bridge that ministers may be forced to work with department heads appointed during the previous government's term, who may not be happy with you and vice versa, and that doesn’t work well to implement the Government’s agenda.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.