Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

An international relations expert says it's important New Zealand shows its face at a big climate change conference.  COP 26 is taking place in Glasgow at the end of the month.  Patrick Bayer from Strathclyde University says told Kate Hawkesby United Nations decision-making happens on a consensual basis.  "Every country that is not represented to is going to throw a spanner the works, in terms of...

The Breast Cancer Foundation says at least 133 women across the country won't know they have the disease right now.   The national breast screening programme was put on hold at level 4 and has been running at reduced capacity from level 3.   Breast Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Ah-Leen Rayner says told Kate Hawkesby barriers to participation need to be removed.  She says screening needs to con...

The Government's books are supposedly in better shape than expected.  The Finance Minister revealed a deficit, a business would call that a trading loss, of only $4.6 billion.  Mmmm...we lost $4.6 billion.  That said, the Budget picked a number more like $15 billion, so it could have been a lot worse.  But one thing caught my ear in the announcement.  Kainga Ora properties (what we used to call Ho...

Support for New Zealand to have another tilt at hosting the Commonwealth Games.  Organisers have reduced the number of mandatory sports down to athletics and swimming.  Auckland business association Heart of the City says the event would bring increases to GDP and tourism.   Birmingham is hosting next year's games, but the slot for 2026 remains open.   Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck to...

A call to set aside MIQ spaces for the parents of babies who are about to be born.  The ACT Party and some health experts are calling for the Government to prioritise them.  Plunket chief executive Amanda Malu told Tim Dower every baby deserves to have as little stress and anxiety as possible, particularly in the first weeks of their lives.  "It's a pretty important category, we think, those about...

Work is underway to target low vaccination rates in rural communities.  Dunedin Medical School research has found people who have had at least one jab is 11 percent lower in rural areas.   The rate of people with at least one dose is 726 per 1000, compared to 816 per 1000 urban residents.   Rural GPs Network Chief Executive Grant Davidson told Tim Dower going to the people is the answer.  "Above T...

The only good thing to come out of yesterday is that I won a bet.   My husband bet me that they’d loosen something or announce something yesterday.   That they’d throw a bone, announce a target, unveil some details, open something up, name the Northland absconder, something, anything.   He said there was no way they could just do nothing. There was no way they could keep locking us down at this le...

Across the ditch, gyms are struggling to get their members back after lockdown.   Sydney's having to offer free workouts, new programmes, and promise better ventilation to drag people away from the comfort of home work-outs.   Questions are still being raised as to what stage Auckland gyms can re-open.  Richard Beddie, Exercise NZ CEO joined Kate Hawkesby.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

Pushback on the idea that some businesses need to fail after lockdown.   Economist Shamubeel Eaqub suggested some businesses should be left to fail, so others can thrive.  He says the Government shouldn't be expected to prop up businesses who go under post lockdown, as there will be too many businesses and not enough demand.     Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois told Kate Hawkes...

The Government's decision to delay the reopening of Auckland schools by a week, is being seen as the right call, despite some believing it will result in lost learning for some children.  As well, all school and early learning staff who have contact with students, must be fully vaccinated by January 1, and have their first dose by November 15.  Developmental paediatrician Dr Jin Russell told Kate ...

Despite Auckland being in it's longest lockdown ever, daily Covid-19 cases keep climbing up.  Yesterday we had 60 community cases, 56 of them in Auckland.  Covid's also hit the regions now, with cases in Waikato, Northland and Bay of Plenty.  Today the Government's announcing whether any restrictions will be loosened.  University of Otago senior lecturer in primary healthcare and general practice...

It’s lucky we weren’t on air last week, because we probably would’ve been sacked.   I mean there are only so many swear words tolerable on air, but expressing the rage of Aucklanders right now would use up a lot of them.   I get the overwhelming sense now that people are angry, and over it. I mean they were angry and over it a while ago, but it seems to be gaining momentum. There’s less empathy fo...

So the South Korean show Squid Game has taken the world by storm.  Despite being a Korean speaking show, it's number one in Netflix in 90 countries, and is soon to become the most popular show ever on Netflix.  The show is about people who face severe debt play a series of deadly children's games to win a cash prize.  If you lose, you're dead.  There have been roll on affects from the show, sales...

Here's something to look out for in the next few months, or perhaps on the last day of Parliament before Christmas.  Today's Herald reports there's about four billion dollars in debt on the Government's books.  This is money owed by New Zealanders to the Crown, for a whole bunch of different reasons.  About half of it is due to MSD, the Ministry of Social Development, that comes down to overpaid b...

You'll be aware Chinese warplanes have been flying sorties into Taiwan's air defence zone.  Naturally, Taiwan is a bit stressed by all this, saying military tensions are the most serious in 40 years.  Its defence minister says China could be capable of a full scale invasion by 2025.  From the research house Rand Corporation in Washington, Scott Harold joined Tim Dower.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudi...

The cancellation of Canterbury's A and P show is a huge economic loss for the region.  Three Cup and Show events - the Agricultural Show, Addington Cup Week and Riccarton Park Races - were expected to generate more than four million dollars of visitor spend.  Christchurch Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner told Tim Dower Christchurch NZ is looking at other events which could mitigate the loss of visitors....

National MP Chris Bishop is feeling vindicated by the Government's decision to introduce rapid antigen tests in some hospitals.  He told Tim Dower it's something he's been calling for, for some time.  "Other countries have them, they use them. They are a useful tool to pick up Covid in the community and we should be using them."  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great to see the TV news last night, and clips of Auckland people so relieved to get out into the park and meet a few friends.  Ordinary, working people finally getting permission to enjoy a sniff of normality.  And for the most part, they're diligently doing all the right things; wearing their masks and keeping their distance.  Meanwhile, the outlaw element has apparently been carrying on as norm...

Covid-19 has sneaked through the Auckland boundary.  In Kawhia and Karapiro the finger's been pointed at outsiders sneaking to their holiday places.  Some say the gangs have brought it in with their Methamphetamine deliveries.  The mayor of Waipa Jim Mylchreest has called for all the North Island to go back at level 3 with Auckland.  Immunologist Dr Dianne Sika Paotonu joined Tim Dower.  LISTEN AB...

Frustration from businesses that want to do more to help, during the Covid-19 crisis.  The Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey shows CEOs rate Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ability to build confidence with business, a 1.97 out of five.  Employers and Manufacturers' Association Chief Executive Brett O'Riley told Tim Dower businesses feel grumpy, sombre and frustrated.  "And really looking to wo...

A PR expert says the Government needs to attract more people if they want to get vaccination rates up.   Just over 20 percent of New Zealanders still haven't had a single dose of the vaccine.   Pead PR chief executive Deborah Pead says the Government is making steps in the right direction with the national day of vaccination on October 16th.   But she told Tim Dower certain groups have been demoni...

Like a good supporting act, one of the country's biggest summer festivals is supporting the Government's vaccine certificate.  Festival and concert-goers will need to be fully vaccinated this summer in order to attend large scale events.   A printable digital Covid-19 vaccine certificate is expected to be available from November  Rhythm & Vines co-founder Hamish Pinkham told Tim Dower it's a good...

Vaccine passports are on the way.  The Government wants a system up and running from November in time for the summer event season.  They'd be both printable and in digital form, although you wouldn't need one for the pharmacy for example, or the supermarket.  OK, on the face of it, so far so good.  Especially in places where there's close contact.  There is a growing expectation among customers th...

Job listings are continuing to rise, despite the Covid-19 restrictions and Auckland's lockdown.  Trade Me job listings are up by nearly a half in the third quarter  Enterprise Recruitment chief operating officer Ian McPherson told Tim Dower there's a shortage of supply in most sectors, at most levels.  He says that's because the borders are shut, and international students and travellers can't com...

The Reserve Bank makes its monetary policy review announcement this afternoon.  The guts of it is the Official Cash Rate, which is still at 0.25 percent.  Inflation is outside the target range right now at 3.3 percent; so what should we expect?  ASB's chief economist, Nick Tuffley, joined Tim Dower.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.