Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Unlike last week, the All Blacks team for the final clash against France is filled with changes. Ethan de Groot, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea and Rieko Ioane are the only players remaining from the last run-on side. Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Andrew Dickens that Scott Robertson and the other selectors certainly fulfilled their promise to be bold with their selection. However, he says, that comes with a considerable risk against the French team, who still feel that they can take something out of the series. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may have to get used to paying more for butter. Kiwi consumers are now consistently paying more than twice as much for butter as they were a decade ago, according to latest Stats NZ figures. Supermarkets and suppliers have been under pressure to lower prices. Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Karl Dean told Andrew Dickens there's been a global trend towards consuming more butter, especially in the last five years, ramping up even further in the last twelve months. However, he says, what goes up normally comes down, which these bubbles normally do. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK's Labour Party believes allowing the younger generation to vote could have positive ripple effects. It's lowering the country's voting age to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to have their say. The change will take effect at the next general election and brings the electorate into line with Scotland and Wales. UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Andrew Dickens youth want to feel catered for, and Labour's keeping their word. He says there's some thinking in the party that young people tend to be more left-leaning and could support Labour. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of July 2025, jobseeker benefit numbers are continuing to climb, former welfare advisory group member Phil O'Reily shares why. It's final All Blacks test against the french tomorrow night at FMG stadium in Hamilton, Rugby commentator Tony Johnson shares his thoughts on the line up. Dairy prices around the globe are soaring and Kiwi's are footing the bill, Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean tells Andrew Dickens why prices have become so high. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on the UK lowering the voting age to 16 at the next general election expected in 2029. 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.

A welfare expert's pointing to the lack of jobs being the main reason more people are ending up on the benefit. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost 8 thousand more were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. It follows the Government instating new requirements for beneficiaries in hopes of getting more into the workforce. Former Welfare Advisory Group member Phil O'Reilly told Andrew Dickens the Government needs to up public spending to help the lagging economy. He says it's about trying to reinvigorate the construction sector, which has seen 17 thousand jobs lost in the last 18 months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know the Covid Inquiry is looking at MIQ, amongst other things. And we all know that MIQ had noble aims and notable successes. But we also know the execution was far from perfect, and many people ended up feeling ostracized from the rest of New Zealand. The idea of the Inquiry is to find out what went wrong so we do better next time. And yesterday, Les Morgan, the Chief Operating Manager of Sudima Hotels, wrote an exceptional piece in the Herald on the rights and wrongs of MIQ and in the middle of his piece he took my heart away with a stunning piece of writing. He learnt at a 1pm briefing that his hotel had been requisitioned for an MIQ facility. Except no-one had told him and his team and their first refugees were expected that very day. He wrote this: "The hotel in question had been closed indefinitely, meaning staff had moved on and there were no consumables or PPE gear on site. "Once I had run the gauntlet of shock and bad language, our team swung into action and I am proud to say our local staff welcomed the first guests by 8pm the same day with full PPE equipment and comprehensive operational procedures. (The military and public health teams involved arrived on-site equally unprepared but also rallied.) "These were staff who had left the business earlier in lockdown but came back to bravely face an unknown health risk and the enormous task of recommissioning a hotel, all because they thought it was the right thing to do to help save the lives of fellow New Zealanders. They are all heroes, and they deserve to be properly recognised by the Government." Damn right. In London there is a Covid Memorial Wall on the banks of the Tames opposite the Houses of Parliament. It features over 240,000 individually hand-painted red hearts. Each heart represents a person in the UK who died with COVID-19 listed as a cause of death on their death certificate. It's all ages, but particularly the young and the old. We have nothing like that in New Zealand. This Inquiry will not give everybody want they want. It will prove MIQ to be neither right or wrong. But it will remind us that there are silent heroes in New Zealand who we have not thanked nearly enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News the Government's set to shred half a million books from the National Library is being described as standard management. Books including religious texts, Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf are among them, with the cull expected to save about a million dollars in storage costs. Library and Information Association Executive Director Laura Marshall told Andrew Dickens books are destroyed to make room as part of collection management. She says it's specific to the particular library or institute, and if they kept every book published, they'd need a 50 storey building. Around 50 thousand books were offered to other libraries, Marshall says, and another 50 thousand to charities, adding at some point a book's time is up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's being suggested we need to generate more power if we want to fix our electricity market. Major power companies will soon be required to charge less for power during off-peak periods and pay more for solar and battery power during peak periods. The Electricity Authority hopes the measures will drive down power prices over time. But Paul Fuge —the manager of Consumer NZ's Powerswitch website— told Andrew Dickens the ultimate driver of price is supply. He says the market is not delivering the amount of electricity needed for New Zealand's growth, and the country needs more power stations being built. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday the 17th of July 2025, the Government's ditching open-plan classrooms, May Road Primary principal Lynda Stewart shares her thoughts on whether the classrooms work. New deals will soon become available to bring down your power bill, Consumer NZ Powerswitch manager Paul Fuge tells Andrew Dickens the difference it'll make. Multiple major religious texts will be shredded at the National library, Laura Marshall from the Library and Information Association shares her thoughts. Plus, US President Donald Trump has said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest. 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.

There's concerns the Government's being too black and white with its decision to pull the plug on open plan classrooms. The idea was introduced by John Key's Government in 2011. The Education Minister Erica Stanford says now all new builds will have more traditional layouts. Auckland's May Road Primary School Principal Lynda Stuart told Andrew Dickens it shouldn't be a binary discussion. She says it works well when you've thought about neurodivergent children, others that need the space to move and you've designed an environment for them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Local Government Conference is underway and the Government took advantage of it to talk down to councils like a stepdad telling off their stepson. They've been told to reign in wasteful spending to keep their rates increase down. It'd be good if the government that is currently spending more than any other ever practiced what they preached. But anyway, the Government is talking about bringing in rate caps. Sounds good. A simple idea we can all understand, but will it work? The fact is the idea is in place in Australia. Melbourne and Sydney have them, but individual councils can apply for exemptions. And in Melbourne it means that some councils have imposed 10% rates. But they don't have them in Brisbane, and Brisbane has the lowest rate increases in Australia. So why is that? Successive councils have kept the debt low. They've had smart long term plans with cross-party support. They have a suburbs first policy so that improvements are made where people actually live. 85% of their budget is spent on this - it's also cheaper than grand projects. And they like public transport. A record $210 million is being spent on it, which is a lot cheaper than building roads, roads, roads. Here public transport and alternative transport options are the first to be cut in hard times. And because of their resident friendly, suburban centric approach combined with fiscal prudence, they have some wriggle room. Senior citizens in Brisbane get the most generous rebates in the country, cutting their rates in half. And it means that Brisbane can pursue some big stuff like the Olympics. But there they show some balls as well, canning the re-development of the Gabba because the business case didn't measure up. Rates caps are good slogan policy. It sounds like a simple answer to a complex situation, but they didn't work in Sydney and Melbourne. In fact there they're suffering from rates catch up. If you defer projects then eventually someone is going to pay for them. Whanganui will find that out in the future. Work on the Opera House has been deferred, saving $8 million, but that work hasn't gone away and will cost more in the future. The reason we're in the hole we're in is false promises of rate cuts by previous councils that resulted in a rates catch up. Wellington's water sound familiar. We don't need rates caps, what we really need is sensible long term fiscally prudent governance. Look for that next election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should your job provide health insurance coverage? There are calls for a fringe benefit tax break as a Council report reveals people are twice as likely to have car insurance than life or health. It says 78% of Kiwis pay for their own insurance, rather than employers footing the bill. Enriched Retirement Founder Liz Koh told Andrew Dickens that New Zealanders tend to think they're bulletproof, and they don't tend to put health insurance at the top of their priority list. She says that if you don't have good health, it impacts your ability to work, and employers have a vested interest in making sure their employees are healthy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of the latest BBC MasterChef UK series is up in the air. John Torode is leaving after a report upheld allegations he used an "extremely offensive racist term". It comes after an independent report substantiated 45 of 83 allegations about the behaviour of former co-judge Gregg Wallace. UK correspondent, Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens there are calls to scrap the already filmed series. But he says competitors and the winner have worked hard to get there, and ideas around replacing them with voice overs will be almost impossible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones is floating the idea of special economic zones as an answer to New Zealand's energy security. The Government's asking for feedback on its new long-term fuel strategy. The special economic zones are areas where businesses can get tailored policies on regulation, financial support, and access to infrastructure. Major Electricity Users' Group Chair John Harbord told Andrew Dickens it could give independent generators a better chance than they currently have. He says the only big players that independent generators can sell to are the big four gentailers, and it's just cheaper for the gentailers to make it themselves. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday 16th of July 2025, The Government's cracking down on councils - forcing them stick to their core business, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell shares her thoughts. There's calls for fringe benefit tax breaks to help kiwis pay for the rising cost of health insurance, Enrich Retirement founder Liz Koh tells Andrew Dickens the difference it would make. Shane Jones is pushing ahead with his desire to implement special economic zones to boost electricity generation and fuel security. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on MasterChef TV presenter John Torode sacked by the BBC. 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 Government wants to scrap local councils' four well-being provisions. A amendment bill has been introduced to remove the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing provisions from the Local Government Act, to refocus councils on their core services. The Government wants councils to give more value to ratepayers. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Andrew Dickens she's looking forward to the removal of the four wellbeing clauses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm always amazed at how much credence the United Nations is given in domestic New Zealand politics. The left loves the UN pronouncements on New Zealand's stances because if reinforces their view that we've got much to feel guilty about. Meanwhile the right somehow believes that the UN can supersede our sovereignty and is an enemy to be repelled at all costs. But the UN is actually an ineffectual bureaucracy. A giant global virtue signaller judging its signatories to an idealistic standard that is often unachievable in the modern world. There's nothing wrong with the UN writing these reports because it might be nice to live in a world full of unicorns, but they're just words and often have little deep context. David Seymour obviously took offence at one such report and in a fit of pique late one night, drunk on the power of being Deputy Prime Minister, fired off an angry letter signed Grumpy of Epsom. That's obviously not his job, and it's right that he's been told off about it. And that's about that. It's caused a minor tiff amongst the coalition partners because of process and pecking order, but it's not the major crack in the coalition that some claim. And don't worry about so called international embarrassment because the world has a lot more to be embarrassed and worried about rather than some little report by an arm of the UN that criticises one piece of legislation in a very small country globally. So, chill out about the UN. They're not the boss of us. They're not the boss of anyone. That's their biggest problem in getting anything tangible done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A turning point for Auckland. The third annual State of the City report has been released, showing how we compare on a global scale. It highlights strengths in sustainability, resilience, and culture, but says we lag behind in prosperity, skills, and innovation development. Deloitte's Future of Auckland Lead Kate Sutton told Andrew Dickens that Auckland's at 40% of GDP while the productivity per capita is about 20% lower than comparable cities around the world. She says we're doing more for less, and a step up needs to be done to deal with the structural reasons behind it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here we go again. The polytechs that were centralised by the last government are going to be de-centralised by the current mob. It's not quite back to the future because it won't be the same as we had before the politicians started tinkering. There will now be ten polytechs run locally, six others will have to prove their financial viability, but it still feels like we're going back to where we started from. And this ideological flip flop isn't free. The Labour Government allocated hundreds of millions of dollars over several years to support the merger and transformation of the vocational education sector. And now National has budgeted $200 million to fund the reversal. Key Cost Drivers in this change include swapping out the IT and systems integration across multiple institutions from centralised to local. Obviously, staff restructuring, which includes finding new staff for the polytechs and firing some staff created in the centralisation. Then there's branding and communications and legal and compliance costs. It isn't cheap and at the end of the day, we're back to square one. The same things happening over at Health New Zealand. It's happening all over the country as the government reverses Labour's changes. People are packing up their desks that they packed up four years ago. Now who to blame? Labour for coming up with the new ideas in the first place, or National's dogged determination to reverse everything the last mob did because they've built their brand on not being Labour? I don't know about you but the whole thing feels like wasteful government spending, and are we substantially better off?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 15th of July 2025, Secondary Principals Council Chair and Aotea College Principal Kate Gainsford joins Andrew Dickens to discuss the number of students passing the NCEA literacy and numeracy co-requisite tests slowly on the rise. Dr Sandra Grey, National Secretary of the Tertiary Education Union, shares her thoughts on the Government's plan to replace Te Pūkenga and return to a more localised polytech model. Kate Sutton, Future of Auckland Lead at Deloitte, breaks down a new global report comparing Auckland's strengths and weaknesses on the world stage. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the incredible story of a German backpacker found alive after surviving 11 days lost in the harsh outback. 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.

Concerns we're narrowing the focus too much in the push to improve literacy and numeracy rates. Small improvements were seen on last year with 57% of NCEA students achieving the numeracy standard, 61% achieving the reading standard and 55% achieving the writing standard. Secondary Principals Council Chair, Kate Gainsford told Andrew Dickens the focus hasn't been spread across other important subjects like science or languages. She says we need to ensure we don't neglect other parts of the curriculum while also looking at the basics. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, a group of well-known organizations published an open letter to the Prime Minister. Organizations like the EMA, 2degrees and Consumer New Zealand all signed the letter calling for the government to reform the energy sector. Chief Executive of Consumer New Zealand John Duffy said that the government needs to have a fast, but measured response. He said, ‘[We don't] want the minister to rush into a knee-jerk reaction.' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 14 July. 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 Government's unveiling new initiatives in hopes of doubling the international education sector. Education Minister Erica Stanford wants it to contribute 7.2 billion dollars to the economy by 2034. The Government's plan begins with expanding work rights to all tertiary students in approved exchange programmes. It's also allowing eligible students to work 25-hours per week - up from the current 20. It will also investigate a new short-duration work visa and streamlining multi-year visa application. Act Tertiary Education Spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar told Andrew Dickens she welcomes the news.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I find it ironic that the government and the electorate are once a gain keen on getting rid of some of the layers of our council bureaucracy. First NZ First's Shane Jones publicly questioned the role of regional councils, pondering whether “there's going to be a compelling case for regional government to continue to exist”. Then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that the Government was looking at local government reform. On Friday Matthew Hooten wrote a piece about Regional Councils reiterating Chris Bishop's question that he's been asking many local councillors. Is there any point in having regional councils. So it's on the table. Of course the battle against bureaucracy is alive and well around the world. Duplication of services and excessive layers of governance means that savings could be made easily and safely and it's something we've always discussed. Last term the government reformed District Health Board from 20 boards into a single entity Health New Zealand or just that reason but the new government has taken against that and they've announced a return to locally delivered healthcare because they believe that in regional decision making is the best way to go. We're still waiting to see what that will look like. Meanwhile reform of regional councils looks awfully like the formation of Auckland's Super City. A reform that has a heap of enemies because of it's devolution of power away from communities. As Hooten says the reason we hate the Super City are the Council Controlled Organisations a move that was supposed to replicate State Owned Enterprises. But the problem there is that we can't but shares in CCOs so they become the worst of things. A mongrel hybrid of Council bureaucracies and Private Monopolies. So we seem to like amalgamating public bodies but then when it happens we moan that our voices are no longer heard and that bureaucracies have become too huge and out of control. So, what is it people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is determined to have more success in the air against France during Saturday's second test in Wellington. The French aerial assault often caught the ABs on the hop in the narrow first test win, an area Robertson says the All Blacks have been tidying up in practice. Weekend Sport Host Jason Pine told Andew Dickens that defusing their ariel game is essential, and Caleb Clarke, who is coming on as injury cover, is a big part of that. “He's probably the All Blacks' best winger in terms of diffusing the high bomb.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belief all sectors will need to step up to deal with online scammers. The new Anti-Scam Alliance brings together government agencies, banks, telcos, digital platforms, and consumer groups. The task force will share data about scams to shut them down in real time. Banking Association chief executive Roger Beaumont says it will make a difference if all participants play their part. He says particularly social media companies and digital platforms need to do what they can to interrupt scams. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday 11th of July 2025, the Government's going to address the country's scamming issues head on with a anti-scam alliance, NZ Banking Association Chief Executive Roger Beaumont, tells Andrew Dickens the difference it will make. The All Blacks are taking on France this weekend in Wellington, Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine shares his thoughts ahead of the game. Just under 30 thousand New Zealanders left the country for Australia last year, the highest level of emigration across the ditch since 2012. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on a new deal between the UK and France which addresses small boat crossings. 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.

New migration numbers may be painting a bleak picture of our economy. New Zealand saw it's highest net migration loss to Australia in the year to December in more than a decade - with 30 thousand leaving. Overall net migration for the May 2025 year levelled out at a gain of just under 15 thousand. But ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Andrew Dickens net migration is normally about a 30 thousand person inflow. He says over the past few years, there's been a sharp slowdown in the number of people coming in, and we've also seen record numbers leaving - which reflects the weakness in the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another poll. Another rush of fevered opinion, and yet still so far away from an election. The poll business is booming. Once upon a time we had just the two TV networks in the game, but now they've been joined by others. Keeping the opinion writers in business and politics as the leading news driver in this country. So this one was paid for by the Taxpayers Union and it breathlessly reports that New Zealand First is on the rise and is now the third most popular party. Winston may be 80, but it looks like he's here to stay. And the two major parties are pretty equal at 30 odd each - there is no dominant party right now in New Zealand. Other than that, the other take away is that we don't like the leaders of the major parities. Both leaders have popularity rankings less than 20%, and that's because they're both demonstrably a bit average. That's particularly concerning for National and the Prime Minister, who learned that 80% of New Zealanders don't rate him as PM. It reflects a deep dis-ease about where the country finds itself. In a week where we found that we grew not one jot in the last financial quarter, people are wondering why we've got so stuck in the mire. National's easy answer at the last election was that Labour was useless. But 18 months into National's governance I feel people are still wondering where we're going and whether, maybe, they're a bit useless too. I blame politics and the urge to politicise every issue and polarise the voters. Our current default position from our politicians is the other side is crap. Vote for us. But the country is saying you're both crap. There is no truth teller out there leading the way through the murk. And in this vacuum of leadership Winston shines by just doing the basics as a Foreign Minister well and not being useless. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mortgage-holders will be holding their breath in after yesterday's OCR announcement. The Reserve Bank's opted to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 3.25% while signalling the possibility of further cuts. But new ASB research suggests interest rates remain volatile, with several opposing forces at play. Finance and Mortgage Association Country Manager Leigh Hodgetts told Andrew Dickens that they're holding out hope for a cut in August. She says that people are looking for a bit of relief in their household spending, which would come from interest rates coming down. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax rebate scheme's helped boost the number of people employed in the video game sector by more than 20%. The four-year, $160 million Game Development Sector Rebate allows eligible studios to claim back 20% of their spend. Forty studios will receive a share of $22.4 million this year, for its second year. Game Development Association Executive Director Joy Keene told Andrew Dickens the sector's booming compared to a few years ago. She says it's been a game-changer, as a lot of New Zealand studios were looking to move to Australia because of their rebate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday 10th of July 2025, the Reserve Bank kept the OCR at 3.25%, Finance and Mortgages Association country Manager Leigh Hodgetts tells Andrew Dickens what this means for mortgages. Our video game sector is having a major boom due to a government tax rebate, NZ Game Developers Association Executive Director Joy Keene shares his thoughts. Some Jobseeker beneficiaries are being sent to Tasman and Marlborough to help with the clean up of flooding, Rural support trust top of the South Chairperson and Former Tasman District Mayor Richard Kempthorne tells Andrew how much of a difference they're making for clean up support. Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the Texas floods and President Trump meeting with African Leaders Following USAID Cuts. 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 Rural Support Trust believes beneficiaries will make a difference to the flooding clean-up in the upper South Island. The Government's activated a beneficiary task force in Tasman and Marlborough, to support those affected by severe weather. Tasman has 600 work-ready beneficiaries. Rural Support's Top of the South chair, Richard Kempthorne told Andrew Dickens the initiative's worked well before. He doesn't know what happens if people are physically and mentally capable and refuse to do the work. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a while now I've been thinking that the Reserve bank and the Government are working at cross purposes for the country. Yesterday the Reserve Bank kept the OCR at the same rate it's at. The reason: increasing inflation and little or no growth in GDP. Now the Government has an agenda of growth, growth, growth. So reduced interest rates could help stimulate the economy that has some very flat spots in between primary produce and tourism. But the Reserve Bank's purview is inflation, and low interest rates fire on consumerism and inflation. So, the rate isn't lowered. It's fair to say the Reserve Bank won't do what the Government would like it to do. Meanwhile, the Government pulls back on all government spending, including stuff that fires on an economy, like construction, public builds, roading, and more. If you want proof: Government accounts in the 11 months to the end of May for investing and operational activities was $3 billion less than forecast and $6.4 billion less than the same 11 months a year ago. So, the money isn't stirring. And as the interest rates have fallen, we're not using the cheaper cash to spend. Our farmers and our businesses and households are choosing to pay back debt instead. The Government wants private capital to invest in this country, but the cash isn't cheap, and the investments aren't coming, and as I said before why would anyone want to invest in this country when even the government is keeping it's wallet shut? So welcome to year three of recession with no change in sight unless the policies of the Reserve Bank and the Government work in tandem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins was on with Kerre Woodham yesterday, as well as with Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW, and he talked about the Covid inquiry – insinuating it was slanted against Labour because New Zealand First is now part of a National government and had drawn up the scope of the inquiry to benefit them. It also came out that he has drafted written responses to the questions the Commission might ask of him, but he is non-committal about fronting up for a verbal grilling – a good cross examination. Now also on the table is Jacinda Arden, who doesn't look like showing despite the wish of many for her to be held to account. But the thing about this Commission is that it is not a trial, it's an inquiry. It's a show trial, really. It's a political thing and Chris Hipkins is still in the political game, unlike Jacinda Ardern. So he needs to handle this thing well. He was the Minister of Health during the pandemic. In fact, he was the Minister of just about everything, because he was the most competent in his party. So if he wants to be the leader of this party going into the next election, he really must turn up and face that cross examination of what he was part of. But we know what he did – it's already there and black and white. But what we don't know is the thought processes that drove his actions, and we haven't had the chance to question him. And what we don't know is his thoughts, with hindsight, as to what he might have done better. So if he's honest about learning lessons about pandemic management because there's gonna be another pandemic in the future, then he really must turn up and face the heat. It'll be good for him. It'll be good for us. If he doesn't, the conspiracy theorists that he mentioned yesterday will bring all their bias to bear against him next election. Chris Hipkins has choices: face up and tell the truth, stand apart and let speculation by what he calls “conspiracy theorists” run wild, or just quit. Quit his aspiration to become Prime Minister one more time and enjoy a retirement from public life. It's in your court, Chris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes a move to boost New Zealand's use of AI will get small businesses on board. Science Minister Shane Reti's announced the Government's first strategy for using Artificial Intelligence to reduce barriers to adoption and promote responsible use. He says it could lift our GDP $76 billion by 2038. BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Andrew Dickens AI use for Kiwi small businesses is currently well behind Australia. She says to boost their productivity they need to embrace it, and there are plans to help support them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton's not losing sleep over the French rugby team's decision to snub the city. The Les Bleus are basing themselves in Auckland for as long as possible before the third test against the All Blacks in Waikato next week. A spokesperson says the team prefer the facilities in Auckland. Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate told Andrew Dickens the city does sporting events very well, using its co-hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup as an example. She says the event was very pleased with the facilities at FMG Stadium and believed Hamilton's hosting was some of the best. The Mayor says thousands of visitors are heading to the city for the game. Southgate says they're going to pack out local business and accommodation and thinks it's the French team's loss. The second test is on Saturday night in Wellington. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's expected to press pause on the Official Cash Rate this afternoon, but that's not it's only option. The OCR's sitting at 3.2% after six consecutive rates reductions since last August. Mortgage rates have followed it down over that time, falling to about 5%. ANZ Chief economist Sharon Zollner told Andrew Dickens a 25-basis-point cut wouldn't be a bad idea, given GDP may have gone backwards. She says that more than offsets the fact that GDP in the first three months was stronger than expected. Zollner says it matters quite a bit that momentum's flagging at the moment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The red carpet's been rolled out for French President Emmanuel Macron for his first visit to the UK since Brexit. The three-day visit marks his first time there since 2008. Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to hold meetings this week, expecting 'good progress' on issues like illegal migration. UK and Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens the UK wants to be more welcoming towards Europe. He says UK dignitaries have shown a great deal of warmth towards Macron. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of July, the OCR has been cut six times in a row... what will happen today? ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner joins Andrew Dickens to discuss why a cut should happen, but probably won't. Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard explains what the Government's new AI strategy means for business. And Mayor of Hamilton Paula Southgate reacts to Les Bleus snubbing a stay in the Tron for the final test in the series. 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.

Iwi-owned entities have emerged in good shape following the country's economic downturn. ANZ's annual Te Tirohanga Whanui report reveals iwi surveyed saw asset values grow a median 4.1% in the 2023-2024 year. Auckland University Professor of Māori Management Jason Mika told Andrew Dickens iwi have focused on being prudent when it comes to treaty settlements. He says they only get one shot, so they're doing all they can to be careful while also being innovative with how they manage these assets. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.