Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A political commentator says people shouldn't expect any big ticket policy announcements from the Prime Minister's State of the Nation address this afternoon.  Christopher Luxon is preparing to deliver the set-piece speech to business leaders at a lunch in Auckland today.  Former National ministerial advisor Brigitte Morten told Francesca Rudkin it's expected to be about economic growth,...

Donald Trump is once again facing legal action, this time over his immigration plans.  The US President is wanting to stop issuing citizenship documents for US-born children, whose mothers are in the country illegally and temporarily, and whose father isn't a US citizen or resident.  But more than 20 states have since sued Trump over the scheme.  US correspondent Mitch McCann told F...

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 23rd of January. Inflation has settled at 2.2% for the year to December, matching the previous increase in the September quarter. Westpac's Satish Ranchhod speaks to Francesca about what it means.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will give his state of the nation speech today. Former National Ministerial Advisor Br...

Annual inflation has remained at 2.2% for the year to December according to the latest update from Stats NZ. It's slightly above what the Reserve Bank had forecast but economists say it shouldn't impact the potential of a February OCR cut. Rent was the largest driver of the annual increase, rising 4.2% in the past year. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says inflation pressures should conti...

I am so pleased to see NZ Herald Business Journalist Kate McNamara continue to write about the woes in the Ruapehu District.   Why? Because the Ruapehu region has been hit hard with indecision around the two ski fields, the sudden closure of the Chateau two years ago; followed by the loss of over 200 jobs when Winstone’s pulp and timber mills shut down late last year.  This region has ta...

Almost 70 people have been killed in a fire at a Turkish ski resort.  The 12 storey Grand Karla hotel in Bolo was engulfed in flames in the early hours of the morning and took 12 hours to be extinguished.  UK and Europe correspondent Gail Downey told Francesca Rudkin the scenes from Bolo have been harrowing.  She says footage circulating on Turkish social media shows people using be...

Donald Trump's sweeping changes to US policy are already garnering pushback.   Trump's immediately begun wielding his new presidential powers, signing off 26 orders and backtracking 78 of Joe Biden's after being sworn in His withdrawals from the World Health Organisation and the Paris Climate Agreement have prompted global concern. US Correspondent Nick Harper told Francesca Rudkin the new De...

A principal says schools across the country are struggling to fill teaching roles.   More than 400 principal and teaching roles are currently being advertised in the Education Gazette.   In 2024 there were almost 1600 vacancies - a similar number to recent comparable years.   Lumsden's Northern Southland College Principal Pete Wilkinson told Francesca Rudkin that traditionally, it's...

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 21st of January. Donald Trump has been ssworn in as President for his second term - the first non-consecutive second term since the 1800's. Election expert Sean Trende joins us from the U.S. Water New Zealand's Chief Executive reacts to a new report which has found our water infrastructure is leaking at a very high rate....

Stats NZ will release Consumer Price Index inflation numbers for quarter four on Wednesday, and economists are predicting it will be within the Reserve Banks's target range of 1 - 3% It comes off the back of December card spending numbers which saw retail spending increase by 2% NZ Institute for Economic Research Deputy Chief Executive Christina Leung says they're expecting a rise of 0.6% for the...

There is a lot going on in the world this week.   This Friday The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences provides some lighthearted relief from the world's challenges by announcing the Oscar nominees for the 2025 Academy Awards.   The nominees were due to be announced on January 18th, then January 20th, before being delayed again, giving those impacted by the fires still raging in S...

Professional dog walkers say proposed Auckland Council changes will impact their services.   The council's looking at limiting the number of dogs people can walk at once to six, with only three of those able to be off a leash.   There are also changes proposed to keep dogs out of places with vulnerable wildlife at parks, and to provide some places that are completely dog free.   Cas...

There are pleas for more investment in the country's water infrastructure.  Otago University research shows 21% of piped water is being lost – in comparison, the Netherlands loses 5% and Germany 6%.  They're also wasting around $122 million each year.  Water New Zealand chief executive Gillian Blythe told Francesca Rudkin different technologies like thermal imagery or acoustic devic...

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 21st of January. Donald Trump has been sworn in as President for his second term. Election expert Sean Trende joins us from the U.S. Water New Zealand's Chief Executive reacts to a new report which has found our water infrastructure is leaking at a very high rate compared to other countries. Auckland Council is considerin...

Donald Trump has been inaugurated President for the second time. It's the first time since 1893 a president has been sworn in for a second non-consecutive term, the last being Grover Cleveland. Trump has promised to to issue multiple executive orders on day one, with immigration and border protection a big focus. Real Clear Politics Senior Election Analyst Sean Trende says things have changed sinc...

Well, it’s a big day in the United States today - and in Panama, Greenland, Canada, Mexico, and the many countries who are going to feel the weight of President Trump’s return.   Today is a day of ceremony, tradition and balls; but most importantly a day of action as Trump begins to fire off the first of the many executive orders promised on the campaign trail.   What I find most interes...

Following last minute strikes over Gaza and a three-hour long delay, an Israel-Hamas ceasefire has begun.  Israel is expecting to receive 33 hostages from Hamas over the coming weeks. The first three hostages have been returned to Israel, after spending around 15 months in captivity. Hamas says for every hostage released, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails. UK and Eu...

Nicola Willis will pick up a new role with a new name in the Economic Growth Portfolio - formerly the Economic Development Portfolio occupied by Melissa Lee. Willis told Francesca Rudkin she is planning to identify the barriers for small businesses, industry leaders and entrepreneurs.  The change is among a variety of shakeups to cabinet - Doctor Shane Reti has lost the health portfolio, Sime...

The Black Foil's finished fourth in front of a home crowd in the Sail GP over the weekend.  Beat out by our rivals across the Tasman, Australia's Tom Slingsby said recovering after a technical scare was what helped them win the maiden final.  Sports reporter Elliott Smith joins early edition, giving a run down of the weekends sailing, the powerhouses taking on the Australian Open and Auc...

The stage is set for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.  In less than 24 hours he will be sworn in as the 47th United States President, however dangerously cold temperatures are threatening the ceremony's outdoor venue.  The former President isn't missing a beat with promises to conduct 100 executive orders on day one of his second term.  Marco Rubio's former chief of staf...

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Monday the 20th of January. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has reshuffled his cabinet with health and the econom y the renewed focus. Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis talks to Francesca about her expanded role. Matt Terrill joins the show live from the United States a day before Donald Trump's inauguration as president fo...

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has made a series of changes to his cabinet for the new year. Melissa Lee has been demoted from his ministerial team, taking her economic development and ethnic communities portfolios off her. Lee’s economic development portfolio had morphed into economic growth, which has been given to Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “[Willis'] focus will be on leading the Governm...

Like many of us over the summer, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used his downtime to reflect on the year that had been, and like many of us put together his in and out list for 2025. This is the way young people do New Year’s Resolutions these days. But what’s in and out took on a new rather crude spin yesterday afternoon when he announced a reshuffle of Ministerial roles for National MPs. ...

According to the group who are upset about the monopoly-duopoly that's happening in our grocery sector, you could save, at most per person, about $74 per year. That's if they were to have perfect competition in the sector, which obviously would be very hard to achieve.     Do you know what else costs you $80 a year?   A friend and I were chatting at the gym the other day and he show...

I've got an amazing wonder drug to tell you about New Zealand, and it saved me in the last couple of weeks.   People are talking about it from top of the country to the bottom and it's not Ozempic.   No, I'm not taking Ozempic, though, I wouldn't mind trying it. I think a lot of people are curious.   David Seymour made this drug a priority. Yes, I'm talking about pseudoephedrine. &n...