Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A Kiwi oil company is hoping to meet the demand for sunflower oil in New Zealand, which would usually be meeting by imports from Ukraine. Pure Oil currently grow 300 to 400 hectares of sunflowers a year, but would like to expand that up to 1000 hectares while supplies are short. Pure Oil Managing Director Nick Murney joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly at another ANZAC Day commemoration. I can still remember when annual events like this seemed to take forever to get to. When I was 21 I spent a month travelling through Turkey and went over to Gallipoli for the day. It was a day I’ll never forget. What I saw, I never want to see again. I have never seen so many headstones for so many people in one place. It’s...

So while the property market might be cooling in some parts of the country, this might make your eyes water this morning. A new record has been set in Tauranga, where a penthouse apartment at Mount Manganui has sold for $10.2m. To put in context, the rateable value was only about $6 million. Questions are being raised as to how a such a big purchase is justified. Bayleys luxury home and apartment...

Christopher Luxon has been dubbed out of touch following his comments on axing a public holiday. The National party leader made calls to scrap Labour Day to make way for Matariki yesterday. But he has since back-pedalled, saying he was being facetious, and doesn't care what day gets cancelled to make way for it. Council of Trade Unions Policy Director Craig Renney told Roman Travers no public holi...

This morning's inflation rate will be historically high - but economists are divided on how high inflation will be, and how long it will last. Stats NZ will release its latest Consumer Price Index data just before 11am. ASB Economist Mark Smith told Roman Travers the big uncertainty is whether the high inflation continues into next year. “The longer these prices stay up, the more the cost of high...

I often wonder how different things would be for myself if I didn’t listen to the news, the news makers and those with editorial licence. Do you sometimes find yourself buying into impending doom and global catastrophe only to find that things don’t change for you personally? The past few years has been like living through an incredibly drawn out and poorly directed Netflix series that’s sucked yo...

Our Veterans Affairs Minister is preparing to fly to Turkey, after two years of missed Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli. Meka Whaitiri will visit Commonwealth and Turkish memorial sites and tour battlefields on the peninsula. She is scheduled to meet the Governor of Canakkale and attend a castle opening - before hosting a New Zealand trade and enterprise event in Istanbul. Whaitiri says it's wond...

It's been revealed top health officials agreed last November MIQ was no longer justified. A memo from the Director of Public Health to Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said the risk posed by international arrivals transmitting Covid-19, was no longer higher than the risk of domestic transmission. MIQ was kept open for another three and a half months. Travel technology consultant Mike Moore told Roman Travers...

Do you still have concerns about the high numbers of CCTV cameras throughout the country that, in some communities, film your every move once you're on the road or just wandering about town? When New Zealand began installing security cameras en masse, there was an initial outcry from some sectors of society more than others, of 'this is an invasion of privacy' but perhaps the reasoning offered by...

The Prime Minister re-starts in-person trade negotiations today. Jacinda Ardern sits down with Singapore's Prime Minister this afternoon. It's her first meeting with a foreign leader overseas since the pandemic began. A delegation of trade and business leaders are with her, including Zespri. The company's External Relations Director Michael Fox told Roman Travers the Asian market is incredibly imp...

The Central Pulse have won all four quarters of an ANZ Premiership netball game for the first time this season, defeating the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 52-39 in Rotorua. The Pulse letting the same 11-goal three-quarter lead slip in their extra time loss to the Southern Steel last week. Relief for Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire after his side won their first NRL league game of the season. Hal...

As Russia’s war with Ukraine enters the third month, with no end in sight, many of the Russians who fled Russia at the start of the war, are now heading back. Part of this is said to be due to many Russians having hit the hard realities of emigration abroad. Questions are being raised as to how much of this can also be owed to Russian government influence. Senior political scientist at Rand Corpor...

I hope you managed to get out and do some of the things you love to do over the delightfully long Easter weekend. Or perhaps you’ve tried something completely new. I’ve been a cyclist since I can remember, which is a very long time; so this weekend I got out and rode my bike every day, clocking up 240 kilometres over the whole long weekend. Not bad for a middle aged burnt out man in lycra. But as...

One economist says the Reserve Bank has needed to increase the Official Cash Rate for a while.  It's gone from one to 1.5 percent.  Infometrics Chief Economist, Gareth Kiernan, welcomes the central bank coming to the party, and realising we don't need interest levels so low.  He told Kate Hawkesby the housing market's been running rampant and there's been strong household spending.  Kiernan says t...

Concerns have been raised about masks not needing to be worn at schools.   Now in Orange, masks are still compulsory at retail stores, public transport and planes or when visiting a public or healthcare facility.    But they're dropped for hospitality patrons and in schools.   Developmental paediatrician Jin Russell told Kate Hawkesby while it's not mandatory - it's still strongly recommended.   S...

Data suggests that 18-39 year olds could become a "lost generation" as a lot of our young people are planning to try their luck overseas.  Questions are being raised as to how we keep skilled young talent from taking their skills offshore.  Auckland Central MP Chloe swarbrick says we need to make our CBDs more attractive for young people.  AUT Professor of Management Jarrod Harr joined Kate Hawkes...

Hallelujah, praise the Lord, kudos to the Government today for coming to their senses, for ignoring the howls from the epidemiologists, and for finally putting us all where we need to be – into an orange light.   I’m thrilled for the tourists arriving, for the hospitality sector, for retailers, for the events business, for nightclubs and bars, for everyone who’s been hamstrung by a red light.   No...

There are calls to replace aging underground pipes in Christchurch.  An Otago University study has found evidence of asbestos fibres being released by aging underground pipes across the whole city, but the amounts detected don't exceed levels of concern for human health.  Study co-author Dr Sarah Mager says it was concerning to find some of the pipes pre-date 1950.  She says by global standards ma...

Marketing efforts to draw Australians to our shores are being ramped up.  Fully vaccinated Aussies can now come here without needing to isolate, with the first flight touching down from Melbourne just after midnight.  Tourism New Zealand chief executive, Rene de Monchy, says the organisation has been lightly promoting New Zealand to keep people interested.  He told Kate Hawkesby with the border re...

David Jones is leaving Lambton Quay in Wellington.  This will leave a huge hole in the city as in a short time, David Jones became a flagship store for the area.  Foot traffic has been down in Wellington due to Covid, the protests and the council's removal of a lot of on-street parking.  Retail NZ's Greg Harford joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

As of this morning, Australians are welcome back to our shores. The long-awaited welcome mat gets laid out as the border creaks open.  It’s going to be interesting over the next few weeks in terms of how many take up the opportunity – will they come now? Or wait for the ski season? Will our red light put them off? Can they get decent priced flights? Can they get good hotel rooms in parts of the ci...

Welcome relief for farmers as the Government announces it's allowing 1600 primary sector workers into the country.  They'll include 500 each for the dairy industry and red meat sector, and nearly 600 for forestry workers, wood processors and manufacturers.   But Federated Farmers employment spokesperson, Chris Lewis, told Kate Hawkesby it's a slow, frustrating process to bring them here.  He says...

New Zealand is deploying a c-130 Hercules with 50 Defence Force personnel to Germany.   They'll assist with transporting and distributing donated military aid.   We are also spending $7.5 million to help the UK acquire weapons for Ukraine.  Former Defence Minister, Wayne Mapp, joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 40 per cent of Kiwis agree the Government should forcibly bring house prices down to pre-Covid levels.   That would be around a 20 to 25 per cent drop in prices.   These numbers come from a One-Roof consumer link survey.   Kelvin Davidson, Core Logic's chief property economist joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m not sure how many times cars need to ram through the front windows of shops before Police accept ram raids are a problem. And an increasing problem. Ask Gucci and Louis Vuitton Queen Street who got hit yesterday. Ask any Dairy owner, any Liquor store owner, any retailer with glass front doors. They’re fed up.   They’re shelling out of their own pockets for bollards, fog machines, security came...