Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Criticism of the Government's climate deal with a major investment company is being disputed. BlackRock Capital has launched a $2 billion fund to help New Zealand achieve 100 percent renewable electricity. ACT condemned the announcement saying it amounts to the Government micro-managing energy supply. But BusinessDesk journalist Dileepa Fonseka says this isn't the case. Fonseka says the fund doesn...

I got sent a video yesterday, which I assume is doing the rounds, of the Point England shooting in Auckland on the weekend. 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon in a suburban neighbourhood in Auckland. That makes three shootings in a week by the way for our country, three separate gunmen on the loose – still at large – and three victims dead. It seems unfathomable that this is the state of our country r...

The All Blacks' squad for the 2023 World Cup has been named. Former player Richie McCaw announced the 33 players heading to France at an event in Napier last night. The first game with France verses New Zealand is Saturday 9th September local time. So will the boys handle the heat? Sky Sports rugby commentator Tony Johnson joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Police in Victoria are keeping an open mind after three people died from a poisoned mushroom lunch, cooked by their daughter-in-law. Another guest is in critical condition in hospital. Australian correspondent Donna Demaio told Kate Hawkesby the daughter-in-law is denying any malice.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's main fast food company says its full year profit could be half of last year's. Restaurant Brands, responsible for KFC, Taco Bell, Carl's Junior and Pizza Hut, is blaming inflation. Devon Funds Management Retail Manager Greg Smith told Kate Hawkesby there's a clear driver of higher costs in the sector. He says the price of ingredients has risen threefold in some cases. The company is...

A plea for action has come to address the recent spate of violent crime. Police are raising concerns about rising gang tensions, after fatal shootings in Auckland's Point England and Palmerston North's Highbury over the weekend - both linked to gang rivalries. They're also continuing to hunt for the man wanted over Thursday's fatal shooting in downtown Auckland. Heart of the City Chief Executive V...

"It’s a fantastic place to grow up as a kid... and it’s also a great place to retire... it's the in-between bits that are tricky,” said Neil Finn when once asked what NZ was like. It’s the same now I’d argue. He also said, and bear in mind this is many, many years ago, that it was "the worst place in the world to be if you had any ambition.” That’d be true now too I reckon. And at the risk of soun...

Auckland's Business Chamber is keen to see some momentum on a second harbour crossing. The Government's released a plan which will include two 3-lane vehicle tunnels and a light rail route connecting Albany and the CBD. Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges told Kate Hawkesby that the plan is positive, and he'd love to see more details. He wants to know if it can be sped up, and exactly how much i...

So what is going on with people throwing objects at musicians on stage?   I know. It’s not the most pressing issue in the world today, but it’s Friday, after all.   What we’ve seen at recent concerts is a breakdown in the social etiquette that normally sees an artist and an audience coming together respectfully. We’re seeing an increase in aggressiveness and rudeness – from both sides -  and the d...

Surgery wait times continue to be lengthy, despite the Government saying its targeted approach is working. Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says the total number of planned care treatments, including minor operations, is increasing nationwide. People waiting longer than three years for treatment now either have a date and plan, or have been treated, and officials are working their way down from ther...

It’s taken over a year, but maybe, just maybe, all the disruption to teenage schooling is coming to an end after the government accepted a recommendation by the Arbitration Panel and offered to increase secondary teachers’ base salaries by 14.5 percent by December 2024.   This package to settle the teachers and principal’s agreement is the final offer from the Government, and will add $680 million...

GDT results have taken a sharp dive - down 4.3 per cent. Whole milk powder - which more or less dictates Fonterra's farmgate milk price - is down 8 per cent. It's all painting a fairly bleak outlook for farmers.. Wayne Langford, Federated Farmers National president, joined Early Edition to discuss the impact of the figures. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We don't know how bad the Government's books are, but there are signs things are worse than previously thought. National is calling on Finance Minister Grant Robertson to be up-front about the state of the books. Robertson has confirmed he's called in Crown chief executives for a meeting about financial restraint. But Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Francesca Rudkin the Finance Min...

Claims National's approach to parental leave is more "flexible" than the current rules. A member's Bill proposed by National's Nicola Willis would allow parents to take paid leave at the same time, one after the other, or in overlapping instalments. Currently, primary carers can't take parental leave together. Labour was the only party to vote against it - using its majority in the House to block...

I’m amped by this new study on coffee. I know, I know, everyday a new study telling us something we should or shouldn’t be doing that we thought previously we could or couldn’t do. Llike chocolate’s bad for you, then it’s good, wine’s bad for you then it’s good, coffee’s the devil and now it’s good. But still, I love a good bit of research, especially broad spectrum studies and this latest one on...

Unemployment figures are out today - and it's the last data set before the election. It's currently sitting at 3.4 percent and no-one is expecting much change to that. Sharon Zollner is ANZ's Chief Economist and she joined Kate Hawkesby ahead of the figure's release. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The retail sector is pointing to Government justice policies as a reason for increasing crime. Police figures suggest only 2.3 percent of reported retail crime results in arrests. The number of retail offences reported to police last year was over 125,000, up from 61,000 in 2021, although that year saw lengthy Covid-19 lockdowns in several regions. Sandringham Business Association Chair Jithin Chi...

The National Party is slamming Labour's legacy in schools. Education Ministry data shows last year 75 percent of school leavers attained NCEA Level 2 or above - down from 81 percent in 2017. Maori school leavers fared worse - with just 59 percent getting NCEA level two or above. National's Education Spokesperson Erica Stanford told Kate Hawkesby she's not surprised. She says it's been a trend that...

A friend of my nephew was king hit from behind in town by a bouncer several months ago when he was out in Auckland city. He was a visitor from the US, being shown around NZ, being shown some nightlife in Auckland. He wound up in hospital needing several stitches to his head. The bouncer didn’t like the look of them, came down some steps after them, followed them a short distance along the street a...

In the latest in a series of attacks, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy says war is returning to Russia. Russia's Defence Ministry says it brought down three Ukrainian drones after a strike on Moscow yesterday. It damaged a high rise building before being intercepted.  Newshub's Europe correspondent Lisette Reymer joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss the developments. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio....

Businesses are continuing to struggle under cost pressures. Latest Centrix data shows a climb in business credit defaults, with company liquidations up 36 percent year on year. CEO of Small Business Voice, Max Whitehead joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss the effects on owners. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pay will be just one part of the puzzle in getting teachers on board in negotiations. An arbitration panel has recommended secondary school teachers get a 14.5 percent pay rise over three instalments. Secondary Principals' Association Chief Executive Mike Newell says it's a pragmatic pay offer which compromises on the 17 percent rise teachers wanted. He told Kate Hawkesby other things are missing...

So I’ve just been to Sydney last week and I’ve got to go again this week – these are not holiday trips, these are events I’m attending so I’m in and out, but here’s what I can tell you about Australia, it’s going off. And by that I mean it’s energized, it feels ambitious, it’s got everything going for it that we used to have but have sadly lost. Even in Melbourne when we were there a few weeks bac...

Plenty of ways to spin the Government's tweaks to its rent-to-buy scheme. Changes to the Progressive Home Ownership programme will allow eligible people to buy existing homes, instead of just new-builds. The income cap is also rising from $130,000 to %150,000. AUT construction expert John Tookey told Kate Hawkesby that if you're in power you say it's a marvellous scheme that's done well and being...

There’s support for some aspects of the ACT Party's personal grievance policy, and scepticism over others. ACT wants all personal grievance cases brought before the Employment Relations Authority resolved within a month. Its proposed legislation would see staff who don't manage that facing dismissal. The Employers and Manufacturers Association says the current timeline of cases is too long. Head o...