Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Climate policies for farmers may be revealing a competitive gap. New research by Beef + Lamb suggests there should be a focus on incentives for farmers who achieve climate change outcomes. Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge we need to keep an eye on what the rest of the world's doing. She says most of the world doesn't have agricultural-specific targets, but a lot of countries are incentivising farmers to reach any kind of reduction. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AI and robot takeover isn't coming, it's here. Well, sort of. A bunch of data's come out on this over the past few days. Seek says job ads mentioning AI have doubled in the past year, up 4.1% from March to April. Nicola Willis reckons AI tools will help shave 9000 odd jobs off the public service in the next four years. Meta has this morning started firing 10% of its workforce, around 8000 workers in the first round, to make way for AI tools. The workers are so brassed off, a bunch of them are signing petitions demanding that Zuckerberg NOT collect their computer-use data. That data is being used to train the AI models that will replace them. Their work is being copied and pasted into a bot that will soon replace them. A petition will not stop this. Nothing will stop business becoming more efficient. Resistance is, in this case, futile. In some cases, new technology is being used to plug gaps, rather than create them. And this is the irony of the new workforce, which is not human labour, but technology: it cuts both ways. Take China, for example. Their problem is not a shortage of jobs but of workers. The ageing population and lack of babies is about to hurt their factories. They're going to lose 37 million workers in the next ten years. That's a few holes to fill in mega-factories. Enter humanoid robots. Barclays, the British bank, reckons 60% of those jobs will be performed by humanoid robots inside the next ten years. Basically, there's more chance your next new colleague will be a bot or an AI tool than ever before. Either learn to get along and play nice with them, or they'll replace you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More encouraging signs in the job market despite global uncertainty and fuel concerns. Fresh Seek employment data shows job ads rose 0.8% in April, up 13% year-on-year. The Employers and Manufacturers' Association's Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge after last year's tariffs, momentum had been building before the Middle East conflict escalated. He says the export sector is still going strong, so at least something is holding up these numbers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Satisfaction the vast majority of the country's Corrections workers are good eggs, despite the arrest of 14 Auckland staff. A dozen have been charged with accepting bribes, while several are also charged with conspiring to supply a Class A drug —namely methamphetamine— to prisoners. They worked at the Mt Eden and Auckland South facilities. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge it's a small portion of the 11 thousand workforce, and he's satisfied the recruiting process is up to snuff. He's confident low wages aren't behind the acts, as you can't buy integrity. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 21 May. 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.

Retailers are feeling the pinch, with card spending plunging across the board. Stats NZ data reveals retail electronic card purchases dropped 1.3% last month. Kiwis are spending more overall compared to last year, but on cheaper food and are cutting back on buying items like clothing. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge margins are being squeezed and cash flows is tight. She says the cost of things like freight and rubbish collection are up, and retailers are bearing the brunt LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party is criticising the Government's proposed public service overhaul, saying its “arbitrary” target will hurt Kiwi families. Willis announced yesterday the Government would reduce the number of departments, increase artificial intelligence use, and cut public servants by nearly 9000 over the next three to five years. Labour's spokesperson for public services Camilla Belich told Ryan Bridge the Government's target of reducing public servants to about 1% of the population was “arbitrary”. “We have a significantly larger number of public servants than 1% at the moment.” Belich said it was unknown how the cuts would affect the services New Zealanders access. She said the overhaul would affect every region in the country. “That's a significant number of jobs that the Government is going to cut at the same time as we've got decade-high levels of unemployment. “This is going to unfortunately hurt Kiwi families and also the businesses that they utilise.” Willis said the money saved will go into frontline roles, but Belich said there was not enough detail to prove that it would be beneficial. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is benefiting from other countries' visa crackdowns as international students look elsewhere. More than 92 thousand students were enrolled last year, up 11% on the year prior, but still well down on pre-Covid numbers. Waikato University Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley told Ryan Bridge it's not just politics in the United States that are leading people here. He says visa policies in Canada, Australia, and the UK are changing too. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We got the inevitable Grinch headlines from the media yesterday, powered by union panic. The public service knew this was coming. Or should have. Judith Collins, Nicola Willis, and Sir Brian Roche have been talking about this since they all got into office. So it's not shocking. It's also not a done deal, yet. All that's really happened, in the final leg of this Government's current term, is a few letters have been posted to some chief executives. They've been asked to mood-board some cuts to staffing. The savings will be banked, but there's no guarantee any of this will actually happen. Winston Peters was right about that yesterday - that's for the election to decide. Back to the unions and opposition complaints. Two basic questions: If these proposed cuts are so bad, so evil, so destructive, so Armageddon, why was a workforce equivalent to about 1% of the population allowed under Helen Clark? Was she an evil Grinch, too? And how can you say the public will suffer, the sky will fall in, the clouds will gather, when you know not what jobs are actually being cut yet? How are you to know there aren't reasonable back-office savings to be made? We're told the money will instead go towards the frontline in health and education. To be fair, the same argument could be tipped on its head. Without knowing what's being cut, how can the Government claim no services will be impacted? The proof of that pudding will be in the eating, but remember the job of figuring out which jobs to axe, without affecting us, the taxpayers, is in the hands of the very people whose jobs are on the line in the first place. If we are to trust them, as the unions and opposition clearly do, should we not trust they'll know how to be surgical and only trim the fat and not the bone? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, the Government's cutting jobs in the public sector, Labour Spokesperson for Public Services Camilla Belich shares her thoughts. International student numbers are bouncing back, up 14 percent on last year, University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley shares his thoughts. Card spend data in April was down 1.3% for the month, equal to $89 million Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young tells Ryan how big of an impact the Iran war has had on spending. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on Police in London saying up to 57 individuals and 20 companies could face criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. 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.

Farmers across Southland have been granted an 18-month extension to submit freshwater plans. The Government's pushed the deadline from the end of the month to November next year. The plans are a key tool for managing risks to freshwater and quality in catchments. Associate Minister for Agriculture Andrew Hoggard told Ryan Bridge it's important all farmers in the region submit their plans. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lack of Government data is making it impossible to know the extent of specialist referral rejections. A new Association of Salaried Medical Specialists report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows one in five GP referrals are being declined. College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Ryan Bridge they have no idea how many people with lower graded conditions are being rejected. He says Health New Zealand doesn't record the proper data, or make each service's threshold clear. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 19th of May 2026, Government's pouring $131 million of the Budget into education, Dr Michael Johnston, NZ Initiative Research Fellow and Chair of the Education Ministerial Advisory Group, shares his thoughts. Southland farmers have been given an extension to submit their freshwater plans, Associate Minister for the environment Andrew Hoggard tells Ryan what the next steps are for the Government. New data shows one in five GP referrals are being turned down, Royal NZ College of GP's President, Luke Bradford tells Ryan what needs to change to improve the situation. Plus, Australia Correspondent Lesley Yeomans has the latest on problems for the development of a massive wind farm in Western Victoria and constant heavy rain across the east coast causing some issues for millions of people. 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.

Calls for the Government to keep up the momentum, as educational reform doesn't follow political timelines. Education Minister Erica Stanford has announced a new $131 million package, which includes spending on workbooks, more maths intervention teachers, and additional testing. New Zealand Initiative Research Fellow Michael Johnson told Ryan Bridge the reforms are positive, but long-term commitment is needed. He says you don't always see results in one electoral cycle, it takes time for the learning to embed and show in the data. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February last year I wrote a piece for the Herald about government department and ministerial overload. It was partly informed by observation and partly by New Zealand Initiative paper on the subject. Luxon's Government has 81 portfolios, significantly more than similar-sized countries and far more than most larger ones. Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Finland all have fewer than 20. The UK, Canada, United States, and Korea have fewer than 30. Australia's population is five times larger than ours, but even they have almost half the number of portfolios. The number has shot up under MMP. Winston Peters got the reincarnated rail portfolio. Michael Wood got Auckland. James Meager got the South Island. Judith Collins got space. This has all got a bit out of hand. I argued then, as I argue now, there are too many reporting lines and departments designed to report into them. We have a plethora of related portfolios that get chopped up and spread out for no good reason; think universities, vocational education, and education. We have three portfolios for young people; children, child poverty reduction, and youth. Imagine if we had 15 Ministers with 15 portfolios. If you're health, you're health. If you're transport, you're transport - yes, that would include infrastructure. Nicola Willis last week hinted that change was coming; "Wait 'till you see the budget, I think you'll like what's in there". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Kingdom isn't facing as many financial troubles as predicted, after the latest data shows their GDP holding steady. The past few months in the UK have been dominated by challenges to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, and many believed the issues in Parliament would damage the country's financial stability. Business Correspondent Vicky Price told Ryan Bridge that, 'what we did see here was in the UK was an increase of 0.6% in the quarter in GDP, which is quite unexpected.' But she said this won't be A relief for Starmer, who faces more leadership challenges from members of his cabinet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 18th of May 2026, National's campaigning on scrapping good character assessments at sentencing for all sexual offenders, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith tells Ryan what a difference this will make. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on UK GDP, UK Labour leadership uncertainty affecting bond markets and the latest inflation data in Europe for April up. Darfield High School Principal Andy England shares his thoughts on the Government's replacement for NCEA. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on central London protests over the weekend and Wes Streeting saying he will be a candidate when there's a leadership election. 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.

Concern that NCEA's revamp could be a little old fashioned. The Education Minister has announced more detail on what's replacing NCEA. Year 11 students will need a foundational literacy and numeracy award under the new system, while senior students face compulsory exams in every subject, and must pass at least three. Canterbury's Darfield School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge there's no doubt NCEA needed a revamp - but this is a bit retro. He's concerned it's oversimplified. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In education, old school is the best kind of school. Secondary students will be forced to learn science, as well as maths and English, in the fifth form. They'll be graded, not on merit or achieved or whatever, but A+ to E. So far so uncontroversial, I would have thought. On top of that, exams will be compulsory in every subject. Gone are the days of handing in pre-prepared essays drafted with the assistance of google. Now, despite the fact 10,000 people provided feedback on the changes, there'll no doubt be union reps upset with change, because they normally are. But old school practices are back in vogue, even in their beloved Scandinavia. Sweeden, for example, is going back to basics in order to get their reading levels back up. They're bringing back physical books and getting rid of iPads and laptops for certain classes. They're bringing back handwriting, not typing. They'll have less time in front of screens. Why are they doing this? It's better for the kids' learning. You're more likely to retain information if you've taken the time to write it out by hand. It imprints into your brain in a way not possible with a laptop or computer. The BBC reports Sweeden's reading levels were top of the class in Europe in 2000 and then started to nosedive around the same time books were replaced by digital in classrooms. So, when people complain about these changes being made, it might be prudent to ask whether there was anything wrong with the way we were doing things. And more to the point, what's happened to achievement since we made changes? Barnyard-style classrooms, more internal assessment, choice-your-own-adventure qualifications, fewer exams and laptops on every desk. These things make student life easier, I'm sure. But easier doesn't mean better, not in the long run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is vowing to maintain a "friendship" with China, despite apparent tensions over Taiwan and Iran. The US President has met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump claims Xi is offering to help in some way with America's war in Iran without providing military assistance, while Xi says it's vital both countries are on the same page about Taiwan. Former Washington Post Asia-Pacific Editor Anna Fifield told Ryan Bridge usually when China makes statements about taking over Taiwan, the US President pushes back – but Trump simply pretended he hadn't heard anything and moved on. She says it's causing concern in Taiwan, as people think the US is becoming less willing to defend them or back them up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natural gas reserves have plummeted to the lowest level in two decades. Latest MBIE annual petroleum reserves data shows a 23% decline in the country's natural gas reserves. Energy Minister Simeon Brown says many of our gas fields are coming to the end of their life, with our largest gas field, off the coast of Taranaki, set to close this year. He told Ryan Bridge new gas fields haven't been discovered in a long time, and the domestic oil and gas industry needs to be reinvigorated. Brown says if no new gas fields are found, then the country needs to look at alternatives. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising international tourism numbers are helping airlines weather the storm of rising jet fuel prices. Air New Zealand's revealed its looking at staff redundancies and even more flight reductions due to the surging cost of jet fuel. It's now forecasting a full-year pre-tax loss of between $340 and $390 million. Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge the rising jet fuel costs are being partly offset by higher international visitor numbers. She says that incredibly strong and resilient demand for travel is putting airlines in a good place to continue. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 15th of May 2026, the bilateral talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have been underway in Beijing, Anna Field, Asia-Pacific Expert and Former Washington Post Asia-Pacific Editor shares the latest. New Zealand's gas reserves are now at their lowest level in twenty years, since records began Energy Minister Simeon Brown tells Ryan what we can do to keep the lights on. Cath O'Brien, Board of Airline Representatives of New Zealand Executive Director shares her thoughts on the airline's expected loss of up to $400 million dollars this year. Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on Starmer's leadership. 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.

It's Friday huddle, pep talk time. New Zealand, we're going to need our number-8 wire, positive, can-do, problem solver attitude now more than ever. Air New Zealand's in the doldrums, Trump's at war in the Middle East, oil's chocked up, Xi's talking about Taiwan again. And for some perspective, if Taiwan kicks off, which some in the intelligence community reckon could happen as early as next year, then things will change pretty quickly. The world could be held to ransom over semi-conductors, not oil. Global GDP could drop 5% - that's Covid-era/GFC level stuff. For us, some sort of quarantine or blockade would be very bad. China's our number one trading partner - 20-25% of our exports, and we're an export nation. If they do what everyone expects they will do then there'd be Western sanctions. What happens to our goods when there's sanctions? The tap gets turned off. Or we turn a blind eye, and that's not likely. When I lived in Beijing, Taiwan was a constant topic of conversation, along with Hong Kong, because they're very important to the Chinese. Not just for historical reasons, but strategic. Their entire eastern seaboard is key to their economic success. It's within spitting distance of Beijing (political centre), Shanghai (commercial centre), and manufacturing and heavy industry port cities. Across the Pacific? America. So, any buffer's a good buffer. This is not to say we should freak out, but that we should be prepared and stay positive. Greg Foran had Covid at Air New Zealand. Nikhil Ravishankar's got a jet fuel crisis. The next guy will have something else. The hits won't stop coming. The world is smaller and dependent on each other via global trade. That means a cough in Taiwan means a cold in Southland, New Zealand. The best we can do is diversify, back ourselves, and stay positive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most New Zealanders think the tobacco industry is influencing government policy. A Talbot Mills survey —commissioned by public health group Health Coalition Aotearoa— has found more than two thirds of respondents think the industry is influencing policy. 55% of respondents support reintroducing low-nicotine cigarettes. Health Coalition Aotearoa Spokesperson Chris Bullen told Ryan Bridge that while all industries want policies oriented towards them, the tobacco industry has a long history, all around the world, of behaving in particularly bad ways. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says New Zealand is different from Europe and our views on immigration aren't the same. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has used a pre-Budget speech in Auckland to promise a "careful" immigration policy that prioritises social cohesion over profit. He says failed immigration policies in Europe and North America have stoked a politics of division. Eric Crampton —the Chief Economist at the New Zealand Initiative business think tank— told Ryan Bridge 2023 MBIE data suggests most New Zealanders view immigration more positively than Europeans. He says Europe is in a very different situation with really "messed up" labour markets. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief China has the upper hand in the highly anticipated talks with the United States. Trump's in Beijing, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the Iran war, trade, and US arms sales to Taiwan. Foreign Policy Analyst and Former US Navy Senior Chief Malcom Nance told Ryan Bridge the United States is behind the eight ball with China having the opportunity to eat America's economic lunch. He says China is the adult in the room as Trump shows he can't maintain a policy platform that would allow the States to take leverage in the Iran war. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 14th of May 2026, Trump's touched down in Beijing ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping, US Intelligence, Foreign Policy Analyst & Former United States Navy Senior Chief shares his thoughts on how the meeting's going to go. A new survey has found, more than two thirds of Kiwis believe our smoking laws are influenced by big tobacco, Health Coalition Aotearoa Smoking Expert Advisory Group Co-Chair tells Ryan, why. The budget operating allowance has been cut from $2.4 to $2.1 billion, Chief Economist at the New Zealand Initiative Dr Eric Crampton shares his thoughts. Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Trump's trip to Beijing and Trump's futuristic "Golden Dome" missile defence system will cost about $1.2 trillion (US) to develop. 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.

You can't escape bureaucrats in Wellington; it's an occupational hazard. Despite the bad press they get, they're not all useless. But it depends on how you use them, and how often. Take the Golden Mile disaster in Wellington, as just one example. The council agrees to a project it can't afford. Expensive. Crazy. Ratepayers revolt. The cost blows out from $160m to $220m. The blowout is $60m - or 30 disco toilets in Wellington dollars. A new Mayor comes in. A review is ordered. Then enter the reviewers: a nine-person panel, supposedly independent. The review is costing $400k, which is at least one bike rack for cyclists in Wellington dollars. Then yesterday there's a meeting. They basically say this thing is still somehow affordable for Wellington, despite the fact the city can't afford a 50c mix at the dairy at present. Enter the Mayor. The Mayor is asking some questions about mission creep. He's not so subtly suggesting that political judgements are being made by these reviewers. Leave that to the politicians, he says. They want their big project, and they don't care which poor old Wellington ratepayers funds it. This is not entirely the fault of the boffins doing the reviewing. Because, as I understand it, the review was set up not to actually make major changes, just tweaks. Which begs the question: why was a review ever needed at all? And why'd it cost $400k? You either don't want to spend $60m, in which case, don't. Or you do, in which case, do. Why the endless spending on pen-pushers and reviews?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government has unveiled its Budget, with the Iran war continuing to loom large. Gross debt is expected to hit $1 trillion for the first time this year, and the federal government isn't expected to be back in surplus until 2036. The Australian Treasury is forecasting inflation will peak about 5%. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says they're dealing with the fifth economic shock in less than 20 years. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge that all the new measures the Budget introduces are backloaded, so they might be spending a bit of money now, and might not get the savings later. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers says New Zealand's sheep meat exports to the US are a win-win for both countries. Trade Minister Todd McClay has revealed he expects the US Government to announce a trade investigation into our lamb imports in the coming weeks, as a means to impose more tariffs. New Zealand exported more than $600 million of sheep meat to the US last year. Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Richard Dawkins told Ryan Bridge our exports compliment the US production season. He says it allows the American consumer to get a taste for lamb, which benefits the American producers as well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Jim Chalmers 4th Australian Federal Budget is out, Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold shares his thoughts. According to Cotality Kiwis are holding on to their homes longer than ever, Property Investors Federation Advocacy Manager Matt Ball shares his thoughts. Trump tariff woes are back for Kiwi lamb exporters, Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair Richard Dawkins shares his concerns. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on UK Ministers calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down and UK Government borrowing costs jumped today amid uncertainty over the future of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. 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 changing property market could start shifting landlord trends. Fresh March quarter data from property information firm Cotality shows almost nine in ten residential properties are being sold for a profit, but it remains below the peak of more than 99% in late 2021. Property Investor Federation Manager Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge there's likely to be a rise in corporate style landlords as rules and regulation changes don't favour the mum and dad type investor. He says it wont be the causal investor trying to get in the market, it will be ones with purpose who know how to make money out of it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. That's basically the message to anyone worried about a capital gains tax in New Zealand. In Canberra last night Jim Chalmers' budget was pitched as a 're-balancing' of 'intergenerational inequality'. Fewer young people own homes in Australia, so they've pit grandkids against grandparents and made tax changes to negative gearing and capital gains. Negative gearing is where landlords make a loss on their rental property - income (rents) are less than expenses. They can claim the difference as a tax deduction on other income. This, by the way, is something they said they wouldn't touch and now they have. Albanese and Chalmers ran an election campaign saying they wouldn't do this. In the same way their Kiwi Labour colleagues claim their capital gains tax will be limited in scope and scale. But what does it achieve? The median cost of a Sydney house is AUD$1.7M. The country median is almost $1m. That's more than Kiwi prices. Try buying a house in Melbourne - Godspeed. The reason these changes are not going to change the game for any young Australian, or young Kiwi flying the coop, is simple: supply. As anyone with a townhouse in West Auckland right now well knows, the faster way to lower prices is to build more of the things. Supply and demand. And with these changes in Australia, fewer homes will be built, not more. Master Builders Australia says the number of homes built in future as a direct result will go down. In the Budget, Treasury, Chalmers' own Treasury, reckoned 35,000 fewer homes will be built over a decade. Hardly a recipe for more affordable housing and 'intergenerational equality'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer may survive in the job, for now. More than 60 Labour MPs are now publicly calling on the Labour leader to resign or set a timetable for departure following Labour's disastrous performance in local elections last week. Four MPs have quit as ministerial aides, calling for fresh leadership. But UK correspondent Enda Brady told Ryan Bridge Labour doesn't yet have another option. He says there is no clear challenger, or anyone who's sticking their hand up calling on the party to back them and sack Starmer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many first-home buyers are still turning to family for financial assistance to get on the property ladder. A new survey —commissioned by insurance company OneChoice— has found almost half of respondents are getting help from the Bank of Mum and Dad. Those who are renting say they feel trapped trying to save for a deposit. Renters United President Luke Somervell told Ryan Bridge the lack of quality rental properties is making more people wanting to buy their own home. He says for a lot of people owning a home is the dream, and a way to get out of renting poor quality homes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An election law expert says it could work in Labour's favour for it to not win many Māori electorate seats. Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has announced she is splitting from Te Pāti Māori and forming her own party. Otago University Law Professor Andrew Geddis says there could be overhang seats if either party wins electorates with a relatively small party vote. He says told Ryan Bridge it would then increase the number of MPs needed for a majority. Geddis says winning the Māori electorates could mean Labour falls short of being able to form a government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 12th of May 2026, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi will run as an independent under the banner of Te Tai Tokerau, Otago University Law Professor Andrew Geddis tells Ryan what this will mean for the Māori party. New housing data out this morning shows, half of all first home buyers expect help from the bank of Mum and Dad, Renters United President Luke Somervell shares his thoughts. UK Labour backbencher Catherine West has pulled back from threatening a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, but she's still telling him to go, UK Correspondent Enda Brady tells Ryan what this means for Starmer's future. Plus, it's Federal budget day in Australia, Australian Correspondent Lesley Yeomans has the latest on what to expect. 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 most interesting thing about the fuel ration plan has nothing to do with fuel rationing. Read the Q&A script the Minister's office provided and you quickly realise this thing will probably never see the light of day in any practical sense. Trump would probably need to drop a nuke for us to get there. And there's no prioritisation until 'Level 4'. It's all very high trust and that's probably for the best. But what the plan spells out, clear as day, are the most important industries, businesses, and government agencies in the country. The ones that actually matter. And top of the list, literally first in line for a 100% fuel allocation, are ambulances, Fire and Emergency, and Police. Tell me the last time these guys were given proper resources to do their jobs effectively? Paramedics are now, according to the union, being asked to do cleaning. They're being told not to change the sheets on gurneys after every patient to save on laundry. They're not fully funded and must go cap-in-hand to keep themselves running. The firefighters spend as much time striking for adequate trucks to fight the fires as they do, well, fighting the fires. And as for Police, yesterday we learnt a third of resignations are due to officers being poached by the Aussies. Some of this stuff is funded by levies, some by taxes, and the rest is just not funded at all. This is not a cry for more taxes to find them, but rather a suggestion that anything not on the critical list is where you'd start cutting costs. What the Government has just done, wittingly or not, is tell us exactly what keeps this country running. It's not a fuel rationing list. It's a blueprint for who is actually important in this country. Emergency services, food, freight, farming, airports, roads. We should be directing resources towards them and cutting red tape around them. That, surely, would be one way of getting the country 'back on track'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says a mix of push and pull factors are responsible for Australia poaching New Zealand cops. 1News reports 144 New Zealand police officers left for Australia in the past year. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says we can't realistically keep up with the pay and incentives being offered. Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen told Ryan Bridge a major push factor is the Government's failure to deliver on its 500 additional police officers. She says there's more pressure for frontline police, with less support and pay compared to Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It'd be easy to draw comparisons and parallels between our upcoming election and the local and federal upsets in Australia and the UK at the weekend. But New Zealand is a totally different kettle of fish. In part, because, unlike the Brits and the Aussies, we run an MMP system. The smaller parties that have traditionally been overlooked, like One Nation and Reform, are doing well because the major parties have failed on immigration and the economy. Our system is designed to allow these smaller parties more say, with fewer wasted votes. But most importantly, mass-migration is not the hot-button political issue here it is in the UK and, to a lesser extent, Australia, where migration, and particularly illegal migration, is a problem. The vast distance you must travel to get here is our saving grace, in that regard. But our isolation is also a curse in many ways. Our labour productivity, low population base and lack of competition in key consumer sectors make us a relatively pricey place to raise a family. We're an open economy heavily reliant on international trade. So when there's a tariff war or international shipping routes get blocked, we are disproportionately affected compared to bigger economies with more domestic demand and buying power. A government report looking at our undersea infrastructure cables - power and internet - shows how vulnerable we are - 99% of our international internet goes undersea. The Cook Strait power cable provides up to 30% of the North Island's electricity. If the Russians or Chinese or somebody else tried to cut us off, we'd be in trouble, and our isolation makes replacing these things more difficult than others. A quarantine or blockade of Taiwan would be the worst-case scenario for our trade-flows. And, as we've been talking about for years now, could happen anytime from 2027 onwards. Our isolation protects us from the threats faced by the UK , America and the Aussies, but exposes unique ones we should guard against. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 11th of May 2026, Police are admitting they just can't compete with the money on offered across the ditch, Labour Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on political uncertainty in the UK likely to affect sentiment after elections, P&O ferries hits holidaymakers with Iran war fuel surcharges and British Steel set for nationalisation in the King's speech. Jimmy Rushton Kyiv Based Foreign Policy and Security Analyst, shares his thoughts on Putin saying the Ukraine war could be “coming to an end”. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey shares the latest updates on the UK PM's job on the line as it seems certain he will face a leadership election and the first passengers evacuated from a Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docked near Spain's Canary Islands have arrived in Madrid. 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.