Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Today marks the beginning of road side drug testing - starting exclusively in the Wellington District. The scheme's pilot will see police conducting random roadside saliva tests - screening for cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine. The initiative begins in the capital before scaling up from April until coverage is nationwide by mid next-year. Any drivers whose tests come back positive, will need to do a lab test which also checks for 25 other substances. Positive tests can result in 12 hour disqualifications from driving and possible infringement notices. Police Association President Steve Watt shares his thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Bondi It now seems obvious that antisemitism is out the gate. Particularly in Australia with a large population who hail from the middle east, but increasingly so in this country and around the world. and I don't think the genie is going to be put back in the bottle any time soon. The conflict in Gaza starting with the Hamas attack on the music festival in October 2023 has only intensified the conflict between faiths. and you don't want to victim blame but Israel's reaction to the original attack has not calmed the situation but further radicalised Moslems. Presenting talkback on the Gaza situation over the past 2 years I have been at pains to separate the Israel State from the Jewish faith but that has been impossible for both sides. Not helped by Netanyahu who goes out of his way to make sure you know the faith is the state and vice versa. Any talk of Gazan bloodshed by Israel is always pulled back to October the 7th 2023. And any talk about the Hamas atrocity is always linked back to the Israeli counter moves. Any criticism of Israel's actions is always branded antisemitism by supporters of Israel. Both sides now locked in a deadly dance with no middle ground of peace. A dance that has been there since 1948 but today is more furious than ever. Blessed are the peacemakers they say but where are they. One reported blessing is that the Australian hero who disarmed a Bondi attacker was himself an Arab. A local fruit shop owner. Showing that the killers are not indicative of all Moslems. Hopefully that might ease the wave of Islamophobia that is almost inevitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday the 15th of December 2025, Police begin roadside drug testing from today, Police Association President, Steve Watt tells Andrew what officers are preparing for. UK police tighten security around synagogues celebrating Hanukkah following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest. Elliott Smith has the latest on the weekend's sport. Plus, James Cameron's warned about the future of our film industry, Chair of Screen Music and Sound Guild, John McKay shares his thoughts. 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.

Primary school principals are doubling down on their call for a better pay offer. Principals belonging to the NZEI union have rejected the Government's latest collective agreement offer, including a 4.6% pay rise. They say it's substantially inferior to the deal accepted by secondary school principals. Principal Karl Vasau, the principal for Rowandale Primary School, told Andrew Dickens they're working hard to get huge changes implemented quickly, and they want acknowledgement. He says they're drawing a line in the sand. The Public Service Commissioner says he's disappointed the offer hasn't been accepted. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swings and roundabouts for the dairy sector, with prices set to weaken. Research by Rabobank suggests overall global production peaked last quarter, and this quarter won't be far behind. EU and UK are seeing their strongest growth since 2017 and US milk output has increased for five consecutive months. Lincoln University Adjunct Professor Jacqueline Rowarth told Andrew Dickens dairy farmers aren't feeling too glum, coming off good margins. She says they feel good when people want their product, and that joy's clearly spreading to other countries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Costs to fix our water infrastructure are increasing as we get a better picture of its current state. Every council has now submitted their plan under the Government's Local Water Done Well programme. As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is expected to be almost $48 billion - about $9 billion more than first thought. Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe told Andrew Dickens with all the plans submitted, we've now got a better picture of water infrastructure than we ever have before. She says it's like when you look at your own house and realise you've got to spend some money fixing a roof or painting a window. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 12th of December 2025, primary school principals have rejected the government's latest pay offer, Rowandale Primary School Principal Karl Vasau tells Andrew why. A new report from Rabobank says there's "too much milk for the market", Director at DairyNZ Dr Jacqueline Rowarth shares her thoughts. Local Water Done Well is going to cost $9 billion dollars more than previously estimated, Water New Zealand Chair Gillian Blythe tells Andrew why water is so expensive. Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on more than 600 artefacts of significant cultural value stolen from Bristol Museum's archive and Iceland will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. 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.

I don't want to ask what America is thinking, but what are they thinking? As more details of their social media information requests to enter the States came to light yesterday, the less I wanted to go there. To get in I need to supply a wealth of personal information, including DNA and all my social media links. Now I love America and its people, but if I have to jump through all those hoops my first reaction is "forget it". The Land of the Free is no longer the Land of the Free Speech. Say the wrong thing on social media and they may cancel you. This is worse than anything under Biden or Obama, it's cancel culture writ large. And the irony is that it's so dumb. If you're really an enemy of the States, you've already cancelled all your social media. This will cancel the tourists, not the terrorists. Righto: here's the most bonkers thing I heard yesterday out of Trump's America Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the State Department's official use of the typeface Calibri, calling the Biden-era move “wasteful,” and ordered the return of Times New Roman. He called it a part of a push to stamp out diversity. Now how does that work? Well in 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken ordered the typeface change to Calibri to improve accessibility for readers with disabilities, such as low vision and dyslexia, and people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers. Now that was true, it was invented for people with low vision, and by the way it's Microsoft Office's default font and apparently it works, but apparently that's woke. So back to Times New Roman we go, and the left are saying it tallies with MAGA's obsession with all things Roman. And it would all be just a funny margin in history if it wasn't so expensive and therefore wasteful. You'd think that you'd just ask everyone to change their default and off we go. But no. Teams are going to have to check every little unit. Apparently, that's $145 thousand an agency, and there's a lot of agencies in American bureaucracy. And here's the real rub: Times New Roman takes more ink. And then when you calculate the sheer volume of wordage coming out of the American state, the cost actually mounts into the many millions. The right often complains about the cost of crazy left-wing ideology, seemingly blissfully unaware that they're just as ideologically crazy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the worst of the brain drain be over? Though migration remains low year-on-year, provisional figures show that net migration for October was up 7% on 2024. Massey University Sociologist Paul Spoonley told Andrew Dickens he's optimistic we're starting to see it plateauing, if not turning around. He says the pull of Australia is still very strong, but in terms on non-New Zealand migrant departures, that's looking a bit healthier. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are areas for improvement in how we prevent cancer, with the number of new cases expected to jump in the next two decades. The Cancer Control Agency's latest State of Cancer report shows cancer's on the rise. Diagnoses are expected to rise from 30 thousand this year to more than 45 thousand in 2044. Cancer Society National Chief Executive Nicola Coom told Andrew Dickens people with cancer are living longer, but we could have less cancer to begin with if we introduced more screening. She says other OECD countries we compare ourselves to are preventing more cancer because they do far more in the cancer prevention space than we do. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday the 11th of December 2025, Parliament's education and workforce committee has dropped its interim report on youth online harm, Dr Parmjeet Parmar who represents Act of the committee shares her thoughts. Emeritus Professor & Massey University Sociologist, Paul Spoonley tells Andrew whether or not the worst of the brain drain is over. The Cancer Control Agency has released it's 2025 report, Chief Executive for the Southern Cancer Society Nicola Coom shares her thoughts. Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Trump's rally in Pennsylvania and plans in the US to scrutinize foreign visitors social media. 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.

ACT says New Zealand isn't ready to follow Australia with a youth social media ban. An interim report from Parliament's education committee suggests we consider taking a similar approach to our neighbours, who introduced a ban yesterday. It's found social media is exposing young people to a wide range of harm. Act representative Parmjeet Parmar told Andrew Dickens we should watch how the policy unfolds in Australia before moving ahead with our own. She says this is a natural experiment happening in real time, and it would be irresponsible to rush forward with a ban. LISTEN ABOVESSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story that keeps getting my goat this week has been the accusation that New Zealanders take too many holidays over the Christmas-January period. It's burbled along since the weekend. Business owners, economists, Simon Bridges, and talkback callers all alleging that the country closes down for a month and that's killing our productivity. But there's no proof of that and the allegations seem little better than reckons. Let's remember that the rest of the Christian world are also off for Christmas-New Year, so we're not losing competitiveness over that week. And the northern hemisphere closes down for August while we're working our butts off. Maybe some of the people moaning about the summer break have lost track of reality for most New Zealand workers. The minimum statuary leave for most New Zealanders is 4 weeks after a year of employment. 20 precious days that week out over 12 months. There are four big school holiday periods that parents need to think about. For most New Zealanders, a big summer holiday might last until the second week of January and the longer you take over summer the longer you have to work over the rest of the year. Only a few people casually skive off for January. The successful business owners who have managers in place. The semi retired. And the superstars whose success during the year grants them privilege - I'm looking at you Mike Hosking. And the other group are the lawyers, partly because courts close down. But while judges have nice summer holidays they're only allowed a week in Spring during the rest of the year. So the lawyers bugger off to their beautiful baches. And that's why lawyers were the most concerned at the dropping of the new Resource Management system this week with a 6 week submission period. It means they're going to have to work all summer. Like the rest of us. And that's why they're grumpy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An urban planner's giving the proposed Resource Management Act a big thumbs up, calling the reforms awesome and fantastic. The Government's confirmed the current RMA will be replaced by two pieces of legislation, one for the environment and one for planning. They'll be phased in by 2029. Independent urban planner and strategic development expert Bruce Weir told Andrew Dickens there will always be hiccups, but the changes are great. He says the compensation element of the changes could be a headache, however previous planning rules were frustrating and full of nonsense. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's pioneering social media ban is casting ripples around the world. The new law sets a mandatory age limit of 16 or older for accounts on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Now countries like Malaysia and Denmark are following the Australian lead with similar approaches. AUT communications studies professor Patrick Usmar told Andrew Dickens enforcement will be difficult, but it should limit exposure to the thousands of ads kids had been seeing every week. He says parents now won't need to persuade their kids to get off it, and teachers won't need to monitor it as much, because they can just say it's the law now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Supreme Court decision has finally settled the long-running battle over whether family carers should be paid. The ruling —brought by parents Christine Fleming and Peter Humphreys, who care for their severely disabled adult children— confirms family carers are entitled to pay. Employment lawyer Joe Williams told Andrew Dickens it's a monumental shift in how these workers are recognised and how the Government will need to respond. He says it brings them a minimum wage entitlement, holiday pay, and protections against unfair treatment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 10th of December 2025, the government's announced it's replacement of the RMA, independent urban planner and strategic development expert, Bruce Weir shares his thoughts. The Supreme Court's ruled parents caring for their severely disabled adult children will now be recognised as home-workers, employment lawyer Joe Williams, tells Andrew how big of a difference this will make to people's lives. Hundreds of thousands of under 16s in Australia will be kicked off their social media accounts from today, AUT communication studies academic Patrick Usmar tells Andrew whether or not New Zealand should follow suit. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on a new report into the activities of a top British spy inside the IRA during The Troubles and a man who received four parking tickets when a disabled bay was painted around his car while he was away on holiday. 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.

So today is the day the Australians lead the world with a social media ban for people under 16. Good luck with that. The kids who still want to be online will get around it. Because, you know, kids and computers. They can't speak the Queen's English, but they sure can speak computer. They'll VPN and forge and weasel their way through the same way we all got our hands on booze when we were underage. And the kids who'll actively skirt the law are either the ones who believe social media benefits their life in society, or they're hoping one day that they'll get some positive self-affirmation even though more often than not they're bullied, and of course, the bullies themselves, because bullying is fun for them. They're not going to pay attention to some words in black and white written by some old parliamentarians in a grand hall wearing their fancy clothes. And the kids aren't going to be thankful. You've taken away their town hall, their community centre, their pub. They're going to be resentful. And I reckon there's a lot of parents who think social media has rotted their kids' brains. Why? Well, they've gone socialist haven't they? So, it's virtue signalling and we all know how we feel about virtue signalling, even if the virtue is a good one. And speaking of which, I found the whole argy bargy between the B416 crew and the Prime Minister to be generally distasteful. It seemed like the parties were more concerned about who got the credit for the posturing rather than helping the kids themselves. But the message is out there and it's a good one. Keep your kid's social media usage as low as possible. You're the parent. Parent. So, my boys are in their 20s and they grew up with all of this. I remember asking them if they'd been cyber bullied on social media. Their reply was not really. If you're being hassled, you block the idiots. And turn the phone off. I was so proud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hurricanes have revealed a $2 million loss is projected for the current financial year, after announcing a new leadership structure. Local developer Malcolm Gillies has stepped in to buy the Wellington Rugby Union's 50% stake in the Super Rugby franchise. NZ Rugby will also take a minority shareholding and bolster the 'Canes with loans. Interim CEO Tony Philp told Andrew Dickens rugby's had a difficult few years, but there's certainly opportunities at the club to settle the finances moving forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rural Communities Minister believes a new wool deal will take the sector to a whole new level. It's a significant milestone for the country's wool sector, as Wool Source confirms its first commercial export order. The Wool Research Organisation company's signed a deal with a Japanese company, for eight tonnes of Kiwi products. Minister Mark Patterson told Andrew Dickens its currently constrained by capacity, but it's a big step forward. He says there's a very small laboratory and there's plans to scale it up as demand increases. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are hoping an RMA shake-up will deliver a faster, cheaper consenting system. The Government's today announcing significant changes to consenting as part of a shake-up to the Resource Management Act. It's expected to slash the need for consents in 46% of cases that currently need them. Federated Farmers' spokesperson Mark Hooper told Andrew Dickens layers of added costs hold farmers back from getting on with normal farm operations. He says they have to go through expert planners, consultants, and iwi for consents, which takes time and is a large bureaucratic cost. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For as long as I've been in talk radio, I've been talking to people about RMA reform - and I've been in talk radio since 1996. The Resource Management Act was introduced in 1991 and it has ballooned into an albatross around our necks. To comply you need to pay a fortune. To check your compliance authorities, have to spend weeks reviewing your plans. So today we learn what comes next. Now the reason the RMA grew like a cancerous growth around our progress is simple: too many people took too many liberties and caused too much damage. Worrying about their margins, they took shortcuts, and then projects failed. Like so many laws, we had to take into account the lowest common denominator: the developer who did it cheap, did it bad, and then liquidated the company to leave others to clean up the mess. That experience is why many will not welcome a simplification of the rules today, but the overcompensation for the bad actors has cost us all too much. Today I'll be looking for the efficiencies, but also looking for the safeguards to protect us from the cowboys who are far too many in our country these days. But it's a mammoth piece of legislation and it's taken a mammoth effort to review it. Ryan Bridge spoke to a bloke who's been working on fixing the law for eight years last night. I wish Chris Bishop all the best of luck today - the work needs to be done. But once again, I beg the developers not to take the piss. Your selfish concern for your bottom line has resulted in this mess, so just stop it. Build it once, build it right, and make it last. Care about your legacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 9th of December 2025, the Government's announcing a major shake up to the Resource Management Act, Federated Farmers RMA Reform Spokesperson Mark Hooper tells Andrew what he's hoping for. Kiwi company wool source has landed its first big export deal with Japan, Rural Communities Minister Mark Paterson tells Andrew what the deal means for farmers. The Hurricanes will start the new season with a different ownership model, interim Hurricanes CEO Tony Philp shares his thoughts. Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on more pressure on Sports Minister over her taxpayer funded trips to sporting events and a federal police blitz targeting people they allege are a threat to Australian cohesion. 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.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday 8th of December 2025, Andrew Coster has made explosive claims in an interview with Q&A, lawyer and former cop Matthew Hague shares his thoughts. Elliot Smith has the latest on the weekend's sport. A new report from ASB shows clear signs of life for the economy in 2026, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen shares his thoughts. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on a man arrested on suspicion of assault after a number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be pepper spray at London's Heathrow Airport and four people have been arrested after custard and apple crumble were flung at a display case containing part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. 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.

One person's been arrested after a string of pepper spray attacks at London's Heathrow Airport. Twenty-one people suffered injuries, with five needing hospital treatment, after an argument escalated in a terminal carpark. Social media footage shows a large armed police response, as the area was temporarily locked down. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens police were quick to say it wasn't related to terrorism or a protest. He says the people seemed to know each other, and got into an argument, which led to someone spraying a substance at people they didn't like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What to make of the Andrew Coster interview on Q and A yesterday Firstly why did he do it. Obviously he felt he had been thrown under the bus by Judith Collins, Mark Mitchell and Richard Chambers at their recent press conference So he was prepared to throw them under the bus as well. And he does have a point when the IPCA report did not mention corruption but the politicians and the new police commissioner inferred it. The protection of his name is the reason he negotiated with the Public Service Commissioner regarding the delay in resigning from his latest job and frankly I don't blame him But the problem is he has no proof of his claims. And so now we have a he said, he said situation with nobody able to provide concrete proof of their claims. He may have briefed Mitchell and Hipkins of the situation but which situation was he talking about. An affair gone wrong or a police force covering up for one of their own. and how much detail of anything did he giver in these informal briefings. Who knows? The fascinating fact he mentioned is that the police is a 3 billion dollar business which makes the job of Police Commissioner one of the biggest in our economy. Ask any CEO whether they take notes of any conversation about their business and they'll tell you it's imperative. One would have thought it's imperative for any Minister of the Crown as well. My whole impression of the interview is that everyone was a bit loose. It's a tawdry tale of bad judgement at the top of our public service. And the buck always stops at the top It also reminded me that the political battles at the top levels of our public service are vicious affairs with everyone playing a hard game. And with Richard Chambers in a competition with a very competent police officer, who had a hidden sex life and predilection for animals, you wonder how he never knew anything One can only hope that Coster and Ms Z find a new normal and peace and everyone learns to take their jobs more seriously See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

80% of trained secondary teachers will have a base salary of more than $100 thousand from late next month. PPTA members have voted to accept a collective agreement offer from the Government. The settlement includes a 4.6% pay increase over two years, increased allowance for teachers with greater responsibilities, and a million dollar a year fund for professional development. Secondary school Deputy Principal Pip Tinning told Ryan Bridge she felt this was as good as it was going to get. She says they've got a lot of stuff coming up, and it feels like time to just move on. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Minister says we're still at the table for the Paris Agreement, despite the targets being challenging. The Coalition rejected all three recommendations made to it by the Climate Change Commission yesterday. It means it won't be including international aviation and shipping emissions in its 2050 reduction target. Simon Watts told Ryan Bridge they remain committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and are still part of the global conversation. He says they're challenging targets in reality, but they have the intent of hitting them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Retirement Villages Association is calling out the Government for issuing a double whammy against the sector. Newly announced Retirement Villages Act 2003 amendments include ensuring money on a unit is paid back within a year after a resident leaves. Interest will also be payable after six months if a unit remains empty. Association Executive Director Michelle Palmer told Ryan Bridge the moves could seriously jeopardise the sector. She says they were the ones who suggested the interest element, which the Government has taken and then topped with the full repayment at 12 months. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of a British woman who was killed by a nerve agent smuggled into the UK have spoken out following an inquiry into her death. 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess died in 2018, after spraying herself Novichok from a fake perfume bottle discarded in Salisbury by Russian agents. The inquiry states Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the use of it to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal. Sturgess' mother Caroline says a narrative's been created online, that's been distressing for family. She says she wasn't a known drug user as had been reported, she was a very loved, mother, daughter and granddaughter. UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 5 December. 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.

This is my last day on Early Edition for 2025. I'll be on Drive for a few weeks from Monday and while I won't lie, I'm looking forward to few sleep-ins before Christmas, I will miss our wee 5am club. It's a huge privilege to be here with you every morning as you wake up, head off to work, off to school sport or home from a night shift yourself. Your messages and emails bring so much to the show, so I want to thank you for all your feedback. The good, the bad, the hilarious, the thoughtful, and even the nutty ones. This show is as much yours as it is mine. The beauty of this early hour is the breaking international stories we bring you. The sad ending to the Tom Phillips happened overnight this year. We've had elections, budgets and updates on wars in far flung places. This show is designed to keep you up to date with business as much as politics, after all, the real engine and true heart of this country doesn't whir and beat out of Wellington, but out of the staff rooms, factories, farm paddocks, workplaces, and boardrooms of our economy. And on that front, 2026 is going to be better. We're tipped to grow faster than the Aussies, Brits, and Americans next year and the one after. To everybody who listens to this programme, whether you're here for the whole hour, ducking in or ducking out, maybe waiting for Mike to start… thank you. A very special thank you to producer Mckenzie who has kept this show on the road and for getting the good gets. You're smart beyond your years and I trust you completely. A big shout out to Samuel who sets up our interviews the night before and has landed us some great gets this year. Thanks team. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you get a decent break and some time off with your families. See you bright eyed and bushy-tailed in 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shoppers are travelling from around the country to witness today's Ikea launch. The mega-retailer will start trading at 11am but the car park will open at 8:30am. Heavy traffic's anticipated, including 40-minute queues to exit the motorway at Mount Wellington. It could take punters up to an hour just to enter the carpark. First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge it's the most anticipated retail opening New Zealand has seen. He says everyone knows about Ikea, but we haven't had it within reach. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the stars have aligned for the first concert at Christchurch's new stadium. Six60 and Synthony will open the music calendar at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha next May - following Super Rugby's Super Round a month earlier. It's backed by the Government's 70-million-dollar Major Events fund. Duco Events Promoter David Higgins told Ryan Bridge Synthony wouldn't be part of the lineup without that funding. He says these events are very expensive to run, and organisers have to make a risk-return judgement if it's their own neck on the line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday the 4th of December 2025, Andrew Coster's resigned with immediate effect employment lawyer Gareth Abdinor shares his thoughts on why he was placed on leave for so long. Ikea opens in Auckland today, First Retail Group Managing Director tells Ryan whether the hype will last. Six60 and Synthony will play the first ever live show at Christchurch stadium, funded by the government's events fund, Duco Events promoter David Higgins tells Ryan what concert-goers can expect. Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the US and Venezuela and the Kremlin saying it's wrong to suggest Putin rejected US proposals for peace in Ukraine. 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.

Andrew Coster's three weeks of silence and negotiating speaks volumes about the sincerity of the apology delivered yesterday. If you really felt that way. If you hadn't until yesterday, realised what had gone on, which he had, of course, but he saw the report long before any of us did, then surely, you'd have come straight out starting blocks with an apology to Ms Z. Wouldn't that be a bit more credible? As for the government. They've obviously been trying to get him out without paying him too much. The bill is three months paid out. Essentially gardening leave. And, crucially, an statement from the government that thee was no cover-up. That's despite the IPCA report having the strong whiff of one, or as Judith Collins put it, the walk, talk and quack of one. Coster's obviously done the calls in his head. The longer you stay on and fight, the messier it gets, reputation-wise. He'll be thinking about the next job, whatever and wherever that may be. He strikes me as the sort of guy with a plan to maybe one day get into politics. Local cop boss. Top cop boss. New 'modern' approach to policing. A champion of progressive policing. That sort of resume would get you pretty close to the top of a left-leaning party pretty quickly, I would have thought. He's not stupid. But this scandal will rule him out of politics and pretty much all top public sector jobs in New Zealand, pretty much for life. As the Police Association boss told us yesterday on this programme, front-line officers are being taunted over this. Association with that sort of damage doesn't evaporate quickly. And the media culpa, the sorry, wasn't quick enough.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pivotal year ahead for Liam Lawson after confirmation his seat is safe in Formula 1 in 2026. Red Bull has confirmed Lawson will retain his spot in Racing Bulls and be joined by 18-year-old debutant Arvid Lindblad. Herald motorsport correspondent Eric Thompson says Lawson will have plenty to race for. He told Ryan Bridge that 2026 will be the year for him to cement his position on the Formula 1 grid. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says when it comes to new policing targets, the devil will be in yet-to-be-confirmed detail. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has announced four new targets, including raising New Zealanders trust and confidence from 69 to 80-percent. It follows the force taking a major hit in the wake of the McSkimming scandal. Association President Steve Watt told Ryan Bridge it's good to have goals, but information is scarce. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This story should shock everybody, but it won't. Sadly. The headline? Former Covid response lead Alister Thorby stole $1.8 million from DHBs. From us, taxpayers. This guy was 25 and yet somehow in charge of the DHBs' response to the Covid pandemic in the Lower North Island. He stole almost $2m over five months. He bought cars, holidays, a house. He was an MIQ boss. He submitted invoices for work that never happened. One invoice was for $300k. Two of the companies he invoiced for didn't even exist. Now, this is bad for two reasons: 1. How on earth does some 25-year-old who's been in the job just five months, bill $1.8m and get those invoices paid? That's criminal. Who signed off on the cheques? Who was in charge? It's outrageous. 2. The timing. The Judge in this case points out the money went out the door at a time when the Government was scrambling to deal with Covid. Except this guy was employed October 2021 to June 2022. We were letting DJs through the boarder for Rhythm & Vines by then. The Wiggles were performing at Spark Arena. So that doesn't add up, in my mind. It wasn't panic stations, it was BAU by then. So, who was writing these cheques on our behalf? Something tells me this guy probably wasn't alone in taking the piss and taking us for a ride. Give fraudsters an inch, they'll take a mile. This was, after all, peak Ardern/Hipkins money tap era. We were throwing money out the window like there was no tomorrow. Was this the tip of the iceberg and will anyone, other than the guy to duped us, be held responsible for the fact it was allowed to happen in the first place? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 3rd of December 2025, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has set new 2026 targets to lift public trust, Police Association President tells Ryan how he can lead the Police to doing so. Liam Lawson will keep his Racing Bulls seat for 2026, former, motorcycle racer and Herald motorsport Journalist Eric Thompson tells Ryan what Lawson will need to prove next year. New data shows one in five school principals quit within their first year, Darfield High school Principal Andy England tells Ryan why so many principals are quitting. Plus. Uk/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on jury trials in England and Wales for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years will be heard by a judge only and the UK government admits 12 prisoners have been accidentally released in the past three weeks. 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.

SkyCity's pulling together the final touches on its colossal International Convention Centre ahead of its February 11th opening. A large fire in 2019, when the building was nearing completion, set the project back significantly. Now with just two months to go, SkyCity's locked in more than 100 conferences and events at the new venue. General Manager Prue Daly told Ryan Bridge an estimated 30% of their events each year will be international. She says they've got inquiries all the way out to 2032, and the team is working to make sure they can bring them to New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are doubts the proportion of homeowners in New Zealand will grow significantly anytime soon. Kiwibank's Annual State of Home Ownership Index finds 57% of non-owners feel locked out of the market, improving by 6%. 60% still find cost of living the biggest obstacle to owning a house. Squirrel Mortgages Chief Executive David Cunningham told Ryan Bridge that problem's always existed, adding that home ownership typically stays around 65%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.