Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

I saw a story yesterday that caught my eye because it was positive and seemed to be offering up a solution by way of cleaning up truancy rates. It’s a campaign being run in Northland, and according to the story I saw, it’s having great success at stopping kids from wagging school. "Let's Get to School Tai Tokerau" is running in 150 schools across the region and at its heart are messages from child...

In a job market severely short of labour, it seems the winner in all this are temp workers. They’re making a killing as employers are wanting them to fill the holes left by the absent migrant workers. Add to that ongoing staff sicknesses. This means pay rates for temps have gone up considerably, with a temp executive assistant now able to charge as much as $60 an hour. Beyond Recruitment CEO Liza...

The NSW government has confirmed that speed camera operators will no longer be able to “hide” behind other vehicles or bushes to catch out unsuspecting motorists. It comes after infuriated drivers accused speed camera operators of deliberately hiding or not displaying their warning signs throughout the year, particularly on rural and regional roads across the state. The NSW government announced th...

I think the only feasible thing that can happen now with the mask mandate is that they get rid of it. When even the Government’s favourite boffin (Michael Baker) says masks aren’t that essential anymore, you’ve got to wonder whose left supporting them. Add to that the fact they’re even up for discussion – the fact they’re now being talked about by the PM herself as something we may be able to revi...

A claim tightening the Proceeds of Crime Act isn't the right way to deal with gangs. It's understood the Government will announce a law change which will make it easier for police to seize gang assets held under associate's names. The law will also make it harder for criminals to shelter money with KiwiSaver. National Party Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told Kate Hawkesby while it's good to go...

Local Government New Zealand is hoping voters will get to know the candidates in the upcoming local body elections. It's an unprecedented move and comes amid reports of conspiracy theorists and extremists looking to get elected. Grant Duncan is an associate professor at Massey University, he joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local body elections are upon us and there's concern at the number of so-called fringe candidates looking to get elected. Now the club for councils, Local Government New Zealand, is so worried about this, it's launched a campaign to get voters more engaged with the process. Which sounds a bit like they're saying ‘Hey, make sure you pick one of our approved people.’ And what is a fringe candidate a...

A Bill which would require public sector agencies to use clear and concise language is making progress in Parliament. Labour's Nelson MP Rachel Boyack's Plain Language Bill would require agencies to have a designated plain language officer. Rachel Boyack joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So we've talked a bit about high absence rates among teachers and students at schools. This is due to Covid and other winter illnesses. We also know our literacy and numeracy rates are pretty appalling. So what are some solutions? Learncoach is a kiwi business that are launching its’ anti-cheating software, that allows students to do their assessments digitally and remotely. Founder and CEO David...

A survey in the UK has found the majority of actors and voice talent feel that artificial intelligence is a threat to employment opportunities. This comes as more companies are using AI for voiceover work, instead of an actual person. More AI start-ups are developing tools for use in film and audio, including making AI voices that can be used for marketing campaigns. Toby Ricketts is an award winn...

It’s becoming more apparent every day that this Government is on its way out and I just wonder whether that’s why they’re spiralling now into the realm of the nutty. The KiwiSaver tax announcement certainly looked like it. And now the embarrassment of axing that within about 5 minutes of announcing it due to such widespread backlash. What a cluster. This is a government in real trouble, it's figur...

Australia has announced an update to their Covid isolation requirements- people will now only be required to isolate for 5 days instead of 7. Australian correspondent shares the public reaction and mass confusion with Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's still room for improvement when it comes to taxing investment fund fees... despite the Government pulling the pin on its GST on KiwiSaver fees proposal. The plan was axed less than 24 hours after it came to light following a wave of opposition. Deloitte tax partner Allan Bullot says there are two buckets here -- the KiwiSaver one, and the non-KiwiSaver one. He says the non-KiwiSaver side i...

A theory the outpouring of grief would be much larger if Princess Diana died today. It's 25 years since the 36-year-old died in that Paris car crash. Her death highlights the relationship between the crowd and the Crown, and how that has evolved with the Royal Family today. Otago University anthropologist Dr Susan Wardell says social media might've enabled a more coordinated response en masse. LIS...

Auckland mayoral candidate Wayne Brown is continuing to cast doubts on the value of the City Rail Link. He says the 4.4-billion dollar project was designed for a pre-Covid world, and won't deliver the benefits originally promised. “I think you’ll find when the city rail finishes, when the costs have gone up, the times have gone up, and the passengers will go down.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

Apparently a quarter of us intend to change jobs over the next 12 months. This would come as a shock to my dearly departed grandfather who worked at the Post Office his entire life and would never have dreamed of changing jobs. Back then when you had a job, it was for life. Not anymore.   A workplace wellbeing survey of 1200 workers showed a large chunk of us feel undervalued, under supported, and...

An attempt to tidy up the GST charged on different investment products. The Government is planning to impose GST on Kiwisaver fees, which will give it an extra $225 million a year. Kiwisaver provider Pathfinder's Chief Executive John Berry told Kate Hawkesby unfortunately for investors, the tidy up is quite brutal. Modelling suggests it will raise fees and mean $103 billion fewer saved in accounts...

Tweaks are being made to the cost of living payments. It comes after the Auditor-General wrote a scathing letter to Inland Revenue. The letter has essentially told IRD to get their act together, saying the process has been rushed, which resulted in compromised certainty and accuracy. With the next payments due on Thursday, questions have been asked as to whether enough has been done to solve the i...

Ram raids and joyrides are thought to be why car theft insurance claims are up. AA Insurance reveals car theft and attempted theft have increased by 36.5 percent nationally, and 43 percent in Auckland over the last 12 months. Head of motor claims Beau Paparoa says vehicles targeted tend to be of lower value, more than five years old and often parked on the street. He says it appears to be consiste...

When Thomas Phillips first went missing into dense bush with his kids back in 2021, I wrote an editorial at the time saying police and welfare agencies weren’t taking it seriously enough in my view. There was a lot of talk at the time about leaving it to the community, leaving it to the family, trying to understand that rural New Zealand is different to what those of us in cities are used to.  I w...

NASA's mission control will meet tomorrow to discuss their next moves, if they can get the engine problems under control. The next-generation rocket programme was meant to blast off last night from Florida's Cape Canaveral, but was delayed due to an engine bleed. US correspondent Anna Burns-Francis told Kate Hawkesby it doesn't look like this will be an easy fix. She says NASA has four days to mak...

Newstalk ZB sports reader Kate Wells joined Kate Hawkesby for a wrap of the weekend's sporting action. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waikato horse riders are continuing their fight to be able to ride their animals on Raglan's beaches. In 2020, the local council began enforcing a by-law banning horses and vehicles on the main beach, but a procedural error means it's not legal. The council is now planning to create a new by-law to rectify its mistake, and block horse access to beaches again. Horse Advocates Access Waikato Secreta...

A victims' advocate is joining calls for an overhaul of the youth-justice system. National wants tougher penalties for young people who commit robberies and ram raids. It says while there's been a halving of prosecutions of young people since 2017 – ram raids have increased 518 percent under Labour's watch. Ruth Money told Kate Hawkesby tougher punishments aren't the solution, as there are major s...

“All I do is cry” was the quote that broke my heart over the weekend. The ODT had a story about the state of Queenstown at the moment, and it talked to café and restaurant owners who’re still in dire straits over lack of staff. They claim there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and that this is worse than Covid was.  Hospitality NZ’s regional manager was quoted as saying that it’s such a pressu...