Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The move from a hard border to a soft border around Auckland is being welcomed by trucking operators.  Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Kate Hawkesby it would have made a chaotic summer period even worse.  “Kiwirail is going to have its network out, it’s peak season. You’ve got to get food, gifts, everything else on the back of the truck. Added to that, we...

Many of us are aware now of how brutal the MIQ system has been in restricting people coming home, and separating families and friends from each other.  But this story is particularly tragic.  Shelley Grierson is currently stuck in MIQ and is desperately trying to get a compassionate exemption to self-isolate at home.  Her sister has terminal leukaemia and has been given days to live.  Despite her...

I spoke yesterday to a construction consultant about the housing building boom going on right now and how it’s hampered by supply chain interruptions and inflationary pressures.   Basically, the cost of building is doubling.  And as inflation creeps, its tentacles are hitting everywhere and everyone.  Auckland City Mission says it's seen the highest demand for its services over the past three mont...

Retirees say they've had a gutsful.  This is on the back of the Retirement Commissioner saying back in June, that there needs to be an urgent review into the retirement villages act.  Research showed low satisfaction around village contracts.  Associate Minister for housing Poto Williams says a review was warranted, but may take time.  And now it's taking too much time, and the Retirement Village...

There are safeguards in place in My Vaccine Pass to prevent fraud.  People can log in or call My Covid Record to request their pass, which will be in the form of a QR code, from later this morning.  Once the traffic light system's in place, the pass will give double-jabbed people access to all sorts of things such as gyms, bars and sporting events.  AUT computer science expert Ken Johnson told Kat...

Auckland's Mayor says there's no way the Government is keeping a hard border around the region this summer.  The Government will make an announcement today about the plan for Covid borders.  Our newsroom understands Aucklanders will be locked in by the borders for the next month, before travel restrictions are eased in time for Christmas.  Mayor Phil Goff told Kate Hawkesby a hard border, with che...

So, as I said last week with the other two polls, what you look for is a trend. And multiple polls showing the same thing is a trend.  And the trend’s not good.   Not surprisingly, with the shambolic vaccine rollout, the cluster that is MIQ, divisive policies and controversial mandates. Three waters, He Pua Pua, a never-ending lockdown for Auckland, businesses going belly up, a token insulting ult...

Some cheeky shoppers could be in to make a killing - reselling supermarket collectables at an eye-watering price.   They're using the launch of Countdown's Lego-like brick collection to their advantage - re-selling the items on Trade Me for as high as $200.   Trade Me spokesperson Ruby Topzand says told Kate Hawkesby it's not something new.     She says the most recent craze was the New World SMEG...

There's relief for doctors at news they'll be able to get a booster shot from the end of this month.  Anyone over 18 who's been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for six months will be able to get a third jab.  Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director, Sarah Dalton, told Kate Hawkesby she heard from a lot of members who were concerned it wouldn't be until next year.  “Certain...

The cost of materials for house construction continue to climb.   The Cordell Construction Cost Index shows a 1.6 percent increase in the three months to September- almost twice the expected increase.   Disruptions to the supply chain, and increased demand for housing are being blamed for the price jumps.   Construction Management consultant Mike Blackburn told Kate Hawkesby the industry has been...

Absolute downbuzz on Freedom Day plans from Andrew Little this weekend.  He called our much anticipated ‘Freedom Day’ “nothing of the sort.”  Just when we thought escape to a red traffic light was coming November 29th, Little told Newshub, “You might have misunderstood what the Prime Minister has been saying, the Prime Minister said on the 29th of November Cabinet will do a significant check-in on...

Taylor Swift once again caused some frenzy over the weekend when she released a re-recording of one of her albums.  She's re-recording her first six albums, after a dispute with her old record label.  But despite being originally released nearly ten years ago, Red has become the most streamed female album in a single day on Spotify.  We have been able to track down a Swiftie, one of Taylor's bigge...

Principals are being urged to do all they can to encourage unvaccinated staff members to get the Covid-jab.   All education workers who have contact with students must have their first jab by the end of today.   Those who don't comply will be barred from entering school grounds.  Auckland University's Head of Initial Teacher Education Paul Heyward, told Kate Hawkesby school leaders shouldn't be gi...

Queen Elizabeth II missed out on the Remembrance Sunday service in London to pay tribute to Britain's war dead because she sprained her back, Buckingham Palace said Sunday.   The service is one of the most important events on the 95-year-old monarch's calendar, and was meant to be her first public appearance after taking a few weeks off to rest under doctor's orders.  British media reported that t...

The world’s top carbon polluters, China and the United States, agreed Wednesday to increase their cooperation and speed up action to rein in climate-damaging emissions, signalling a mutual effort on global warming at a time of tension over their other disputes.  In back-to-back news conferences at U.N. climate talks in Glasgow, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and U.S. counterpart John Kerry said...

The Duchess of Sussex has apologised for misleading a British court about the extent of her cooperation with the authors of a sympathetic book about her and Prince Harry.  The former Meghan Markle, 40, is embroiled in a court battle in London over a British newspaper’s publication of portions of a letter she wrote to her estranged father after her 2018 marriage to Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizab...

So, what you look for with polls is a trend, and when we say the wheels are coming off this Government, it seems the polls now back that up. It’s a downward spiral.   Two different polls out yesterday both confirm the drop for Labour, and the drop for Ardern personally. I’m not surprised and I doubt many Aucklanders would be surprised. If anyone has reason to feel aggrieved, let down and cast adri...

A former National MP says the Three Strikes Law made the country no safer.   The Government's scrapping the law which was created by Act in the National-led coalition government 11 years ago.   It meant people convicted of a third serious violent, sex or drug offence would automatically get the maximum sentence without parole.   Former National MP and Government justice advisor Chester Borrows say...

Research is suggesting rural hospitals are being ignored in the Covid-19 pandemic.  A study published in today's New Zealand Medical Journal says DHBs have a poor understanding of rural hospitals and facilities, and feel uncertain on managing Covid patients.   Otago University researcher Garry Nixon told Kate Hawkesby part of the problem is around the physical resources available and workforce sho...

A worsening surge of inflation for such bedrock necessities as food, rent, autos and heating oil is setting Americans up for a financially difficult Thanksgiving and holiday shopping season.  Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year earlier, leaving families facing their highest inflation rate since 1990, the Labor Department said Wednesday. From September to October,...

MIQ has to go and it’s important the pressure keeps being applied to the Government on this, because this is a government that responds to pressure.    As Justice Venning pointed out in Murray Bolton’s successful judicial review of his MIQ exemption, under the Bill of Rights, every New Zealand citizen has the right to enter New Zealand without “unreasonable limitation”. And in those two words are...

A move to get kiwi kids interested and engaged with farming and the primary sector.  Entries are now open for the Junior Young Farmer of the Year for the 2022 season.  It's aimed to get school kids from both town and country engaged with the primary sector and where our food comes from.  NZ Young Farmers CEO Lynda Coppersmith told Kate Hawkesby they want children to better understand the connectio...

The return to school in lockdown areas is being called a dog's breakfast.  Auckland and Waikato schools will welcome back students from Wednesday.  Years 1 to 8 will return part-time, and schools can offer half days or alternate days by year group.  Papatoetoe North School Principal Stan Tiatia told Kate Hawkesby he's livid and can't believe the responsibility has been put on principals to sort ou...

Covid restrictions are failing to dent investor confidence.  ASB's latest survey shows net investor confidence reached 25-percent in the three months to October - its highest point in almost five years.  Net confidence in Auckland reached 31-percent - its highest point in more than seven years.  ASB Senior Economist Chris Tennent-Brown told Kate Hawkesby people are thinking beyond their short-term...

Under pressure from rising infections and worried health experts, the British government on Wednesday urged millions of people to get booster vaccine shots but resisted calls to reimpose coronavirus restrictions such as mandatory mask-wearing.  Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government would “stay vigilant, preparing for all eventualities,” but would not trigger its “Plan B” of bringing bac...