Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A disappointing start for university students looking to kick off the year with a bang. Orientation Week events are canned as Covid-19 puts a dampener on the student experience. University of Canterbury Students' Association president Pierce Crowley told Kate Hawkesby it's unfortunate. But he says they're still looking to put on some scaled-down events. “It’s going to be barbecues and quizzes kind...

Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she still plans to carry on working. The diagnosis prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britain's political spectrum for the famously stoic 95-year-old. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a fixture in the life of the nation, the queen reached t...

A “chaotic shambles” is how one reporter this week described the Government’s RAT kit rollout for critical workers - and that sums up the week really - if not the whole pandemic, let’s be honest.  We’ve got a cumbersome and clunky critical worker RAT kit rollout requiring businesses to register with six forms of ID.   Six.   Set up systems in their workplace to manage this, get hold of the RATs an...

83 percent of nurses say patients aren't receiving complete care in hospitals due to understaffing.   A major independent report has been looking into a safe staffing programme that was put in place 15 years ago, and found 13 out of 20 DHBs haven't been following it.   Along with this, it highlights just how bad the short staffing has become.   New Zealand Nurses Organisation acting chief executiv...

Several alcohol companies are continuing to illegally supply Dunedin students free drinks, in exchange for advertising.   Police have warned those companies, but with O-Week starting on Monday, the problem is likely to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.   Doug Sellman, director of the National Addiction Centre joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

According to some experts, we should expect to see the protesters outside parliament for the long haul.  Chris Cahill from the Police Association says they'll still be there in three months.  Questions are being raised about the kids at the protest.  Newstalk ZB understands protesters have created a school or daycare amongst themselves, but how do we feel about kids being at the protest for three...

I don’t have a problem with David Seymour meeting with the protesters.   The Prime Minister does, obviously, but that's because he broke ranks of what up until now has been a pretty united front from all politicians. But Seymour decided dialogue might be a good thing - his justification being that "as protests change, so must the approach". And his view of it was that the extremists had gone, it w...

The Tenants Protection Association says new regulations for property management have been a long time coming.  The organisation, based in Christchurch, is backing the Government's proposal.   Rental property managers would need a licence and would be subject to an independent complaints process.   Association manager Penny Arthur told Kate Hawkesby that process is the biggest thing they'd hoped to...

As was inevitable, my daughter’s school had its first Omicron case this week and in came the email notifying parents that a student had tested positive. They immediately followed that up with the very calm assurance that this should have no impact on school attendance, that all students - unless you’d been notified as a close contact - were safe to return to school, that health and safety protocol...

Police finally seem to be going harder on the protesters that are causing inconvenience to the people of Wellington.  Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has issued an ultimatum, move your cars off the streets, or they will be towed.  This comes as we are now in week two of the protesters causing havoc in the capital, and nearby businesses have had a gutsful.  Owner of the iconic Backbencher pub Ali...

Our wild weather over the last three weeks has caused huge damage to our crops throughout the country.   Arable farmers are describing this month as the harvest from hell.  Federated Farmers Arable chairperson Colin Hurst joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DHBs could offer employment to final year medical students, if Omicron puts too much pressure on our hospitals.   The number of Covid patients in hospitals have been rising daily, since last week.  The Resident Doctors Association says they're short across the board for doctors, critically so in emergency departments.   National secretary Deborah Powell says they've been planning for a surge, whic...

As a born and bred Aucklander, who I’m ashamed to say, once voted for Phil Goff as Mayor, I can honestly say, we won’t miss him.   You don’t need to live or work in Auckland to see what an absolute cluster it is. The place is a mess. The CBD’s been obliterated, the roads ruined, the infrastructure is shocking, the traffic’s the worst it’s ever been, the development of shoddy buildings and infill h...

With daily Covid cases coming within an inch of hitting that one thousand mark, more of us will be close contacts and have to isolate.  That could mean more stress for workers who're going to have to pick up the slack.  One expert predicts that a "tidal of wave of risk" is coming.  He warns some workers are at risk of being exploited and taken advantage of to fill the gaps.  Chris O'Reilly is CEO...

Queenstown businesses are in crisis, with the Chamber of Commerce saying most expect to close within a week.   The carnage has been sparked by the number of Covid-19 cases and close contacts having to go into self-isolation.  The number of active cases in the Queenstown-Lakes region reached 41 as of yesterday - the highest anywhere in the South Island.   Queenstown Chamber of Commerce CEO Ruth Sto...

Contenders in the Auckland mayoral race are lining up.  Phil Goff is standing down as Mayor of Auckland, a post he's held since 2016.  Councillor Efeso Collins and HeadQuarters bar owner Leo Molloy have put their hands up for the job, and Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck is expected to as well.  Massey University Associate Professor Grant Duncan told Kate Hawkesby Collins is a strong contender becau...

The Biden administration on Friday escalated dire warnings of a possibly imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could happen at any moment, even as emergency diplomatic efforts continued. U.S. officials said the United States is preparing to evacuate its embassy in Kyiv, and Americans in Ukraine are being told to leave within the next 48 hours. Adding to the sense of crisis, the Pentagon...

Trevor Mallard has officially lost the plot. If you're in any doubt, google the column my colleague Heather du-Plessis Allan wrote for the Herald On Sunday yesterday. She pointed out his disturbing overreach whereby he “advised” media to stay away from protestors outside Parliament. Heather questions how much of this is actually 'advice' versus instruction – and how democratic is it really to keep...

Ryan Fox secured the biggest title of his career by winning the Ras Al Khaimah Classic by five shots on Sunday. It was the 211th-ranked New Zealander's first victory in a 72-hole format on the European tour. His only other title was in a Super 6 tournament in 2019 that featured a six-hole knockout format following 54 holes of strokeplay. Fox went into the final round in Abu Dhabi with a six-shot l...

An international analyst says New Zealand would be impacted by a war in Europe. United States intelligence has indicated a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. The New Zealand Government has told New Zealanders in Ukraine to leave immediately. Democracy Project International Analyst Geoffrey Miller told Kate Hawkesby war would affect oil prices and New Zealand's trade. “If you’ve got a war in...

Trevor Mallard's predecessor is telling him to grow up. David Carter, Parliament’s Speaker during the last National-led government, has lashed out at Mallard's handling of the Parliamentary protest. Anti-mandate protestors are into the seventh day of their rally on the grounds of Parliament. Mallard's had sprinklers on, and blasted them with some of the world's most hated songs in an attempt to mo...

Prince Charles has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating.  A message on his official Twitter page said Charles tested positive on Thursday morning UK time and was "deeply disappointed" not to be able to attend a scheduled visit in the city of Winchester in southern England.  Charles, 73, met dozens of people during a large reception at London's British Museum on Wednesday evening. He...

I’m just wondering this morning if we, as women, need to apologise now for being women. Or for calling ourselves women. Is it insulting that we are happy to be women?  Adele has been in hot water this week for her acceptance speech at the Brit Awards as she collected the gong for Artist of the Year. It used to be two categories, Best Male Artist and Best Female Artist, but in a move we should’ve a...

Small and medium-sized enterprises are feeling the pinch under the Covid-19 protection framework.  A new survey by MYOB shows more than half expect to see a negative impact on the financial health of their business, if the country stays in Red for more than a month.  Almost a quarter believe they will take a significant financial hit.  Head of Go to Market at MYOB Jo Tozer told Kate Hawkesby they'...

National says the Government's new close contact exemption scheme has too many barriers.  In phase two of our Omicron response, critical business workers found to be close contacts won't need to isolate, if they return negative rapid antigen tests.  But companies wishing to sign up, will still need to meet certain criteria.  National's Covid-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop told Kate Hawkesby...