Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

There’s more belief in the housing market.   ASB's latest Housing Confidence survey shows net 51% of people expect house prices to rise.   It's the highest reading since October 2021, before the start of the most recent housing market downturn.   Senior Economist Kim Mundy says last time expectations were at this level, annual house price growth was at almost 30%  - this time it's at 2.2%.   So, s...

The number of students leaving home schooling increased last year.   Education Ministry figures show 2,286 children exited home education, the highest number on record.  More than half those leaving had been learning from home for less than a year.   Total home school numbers remain well above pre-pandemic levels.   Secondary Principals' Council Chair Kate Gainsford told Mike Hosking that there ar...

Rotorua's Mayor is feeling upbeat about the Government's new emergency housing laws.   Families with children living in emergency housing for more than 12 weeks will go to the top of the social housing waitlist.   The verification process, eligibility settings, and obligations will also be strengthened for those entering emergency housing.   Tania Tapsell told Mike Hosking that there's a lot of ch...

Nikki Haley has withdrawn from the US presidential race meaning we're in for another Biden-Trump election.   The former South Carolina governor announced her decision to suspend her campaign this morning, a day after Super Tuesday.   Republican frontrunner Donald Trump beat her soundly in all but one of the 15 nominating contests.   US correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking that Haley has ye...

The Police Association President says military academies for youth offenders are worth a crack.   The Government plans to have an Oranga Tamariki-run pilot programme by the middle of this year.   Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that people who sponsored earlier models tell him they saw kids coming in with no self-esteem and leaving with their mana restored.   He says th...

It’s a bad look for the country as the Prime Minister's plane woes make worldwide headlines.   The Air Force's Boeing 757 never left the ground yesterday due to a technical fault with the nose landing gear.   It meant Christopher Luxon had to fly commercially to Melbourne for ASEAN talks, missing a couple of meetings due to the delay.   Auckland University marketing lecturer Marilyn Giroux told Mi...

Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium swapped its usual green field for two hours of acrobatic entertainment from pop star P!nk last night.   The three-time Grammy award winner drew 37-thousand people to the first New Zealand show of her Summer Carnival tour.   The Country's Rowena Duncum was there – and told Mike Hosking that P!nk's acrobatics were impressive.   She says it was phenomenal how she could...

The first-ever government-funded space mission is scheduled for take-off this morning.   The American-New Zealand mission will see the MethaneSAT satellite launched into space to study global emissions from agriculture and measure methane leaks from oil and gas production.   Auckland University Spacecraft Mission Operations Director Chris Jackson says the ultimate goal is to drive down global warm...

What was already a busy day for Christopher Luxon has just become busier.   A fault with New Zealand’s Defence Force plane has forced the Prime Minister fly commercial to Melbourne for today's ASEAN summit.   He has a tight schedule to keep to, meeting with eight South-East Asian leaders on the sidelines of the special ASEAN-Australia summit.   Newstalk ZB Political Reporter Demelza Jackson told M...

The National Road Carriers Association says the Government's draft transport plan is a great step in the right direction.   It features a half billion-dollar pothole prevention fund and 15 Roads of National Significance.   It'll be funded in part by a $25 increase in vehicle registration fees in each of the next two years.   Chief Executive Justin Tighe-Umbers told Mike Hosking that the policy's f...

Germany has admitted to an apparent hack by Russia of a military meeting where personnel discussed giving Ukraine long range missiles and possible targets.   Europe correspondent Gavin grey told Mike Hosking the hack is being investigated but it is being questioned why the video conference was held on the WebEx platform rather than a secret internal army network.   Meanwhile, the first vessel to b...

A coalition of health charities has slammed the Government’s decision to give ministerial responsibility for free school lunches to David Seymour after the Act leader campaigned for the programme to be abolished.   Speaking to Mike Hosking on Early Edition, Co-chair of the Health Coalition Aotearoa Professor Boyd Swinburn says nobody wants to see kids trying to learn on empty stomachs.   Universal...

Vladimir Putin is warning NATO countries of tragic consequences if they were to send troops into Ukraine.   The Russian President is referring to comments made earlier in the week by his French counterpart.   Emmanuel Macron was speculating on opening the doors for European ground troops being sent to Ukraine.   Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that following Sweden and Finl...

The Government is making it illegal for New Zealanders to support Hamas.   It's designated Hamas' political wing a terrorist entity, the same as its military wing.   It will also ban from New Zealand several extremist Israeli settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.   Strategic analyst Paul Buchanan told Mike Hosking that it's about tightening relations wi...

The Coroners Court is recommending mandatory safety helmets on e-scooters after its report into an Auckland man's death.   The man crashed into a concrete power pole on a modified e-scooter while under the influence of methamphetamine.   Radiology registrar Mark Bekhit says a lot of the e-scooter injuries he's seen have been alcohol or drug-related.   He told Mike Hosking that he can't be sure peo...

The US Presidential race is heating up as both Joe Biden and Donald Trump win the Michigan Primary votes for their respective parties.   But President Biden's victory in the Democratic race wasn't all smooth sailing, with a sizable contingent issuing a protest vote.   Thirteen percent of voters, which says they weren't uncommitted.   Newshub US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking that man...

Newshub's imminent closure has put the size of our population in the spotlight.   Advertising agency owner Vaughan Davis told Mike Hosking that New Zealand is like the Chatham Islands of the world.   He said that maybe we're just too small a country for two TV networks.   Davis said we try to have the big country stuff but it's just five million people on an island, far away from everywhere.   Up...

Christchurch Airport's Tarras project is slowing down.   The airport had been developing a Central Otago airport on 800 hectares of land in the small town of Tarras.   It's been put on hold due to the need of co-investment from both public and private sources.   Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry told Mike Hosking that the Tarras project hasn't met community demands and expectations as...

This year is set to be harder than the last for many New Zealanders.   The Reserve Bank has opted to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.5%, in line with most economists' expectations.   It isn't expected to cut the OCR for a while, possibly not until the middle of next year.   Westpac Senior Economist Kelly Eckhold told Mike Hosking that some households will be finding it harder to pay the...

International nurses are flocking to our shores - but not with the skills required. Gore Hospital recently had 80 nurses apply for an emergency department role - but say only 98 percent of applicants had the relevant qualifications. It comes as the country is four and a half thousand nurses short. Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler told Mike Hosking that they're being turned away due to a sk...

The Government is making decisions on how it carves up funding for our young people. It's allocating just under 10.7 million dollars of Ministry of Youth Development funds to 34 community youth organisations. The funding covers areas from education to mental health - as well as helping those living in regions affected by flooding in early 2023. Youth Minster Matt Doocey told Mike Hosking that he's...

New South Wales police have officially been uninvited from Mardi Gras, Sydney’s pride event.   Senior Constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon has been accused of murdering Sydney gay couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, and as such, the precinct has been asked not to appear.    Debate over the police's involvement with the march began after Lamarre-Cordon allegedly shot his ex-boyfriend and his new partn...

Fast food operator Restaurant Brands says that despite making record sales, it still has major cost issues.   The operator of KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Junior, and Taco Bell has posted $1.3 billion in full-year sales.   Its net after-tax profit was $15.8 million, down half a million annually.   Brad Olsen, Infometrics Principal Economist, told Mike Hosking that while spending value was up 4.2% year o...

Communication problems are running rampant between the Education Ministry and schools.   The Government's ordered a review of school building projects, saying they've inherited a school property system "bordering on crisis".   Already the ministry has put 20 projects on pause, with up to 350 in doubt.   Auckland Primary Principals' Association President Kyle Brewerton told Mike Hosking that the pa...

A lack of transparency with Wellington Water is being blamed for the region's water woes.   The Capital's water provider yesterday admitted that it's failed to meet Ministry of Health fluoridation targets at least 95% of the time over recent months.   It comes as the region grapples with leaks and water shortages.   Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung told Mike Hosking that the water agency won't...