Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Devin Conway has gone from developing into one of the best players in the world, to looking completely shot of confidence, Elliott Smith says.  Liam Lawson's contract has come to an end, has he done enough to secure his place?  Elliott Smith joins Early Edition to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party says the National government is not on track to achieving current emissions targets.  Green Party MP Steve Abel joins Early Edition to talk about the party's emissions reduction plan.  LISTEN ABOVE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast for Monday 9th December 2024. Big developments in Syria have seen rebel forces take over the capital. Otago University Middle East Expert Dr Leon Goldsmith joins the show. The Greens have released their emissions reduction plan - will it ever be put in place? Party MP Steve Abel has the details. Not a great day for Liam Lawson on the race...

Cabinet today, and the promise this week is that we're going to get a ferry plan.  Apparently there might be an announcement on Wednesday.  It's been a year since Nicola Willis pulled the plug on the Kiwirail's ferry plan and it wasn't because the ferries were so expensive, in fact, these ferries were a really good deal. It was because of the cost of the port side developments.  And...

Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson is confident with New Zealand's decision to go with a four-prong pace attack in this morning's second cricket test against England in Wellington.  The hosts have left frontline spinner Mitchell Santner out of the starting eleven after assessing the Basin Reserve pitch.  ZB Cricket Correspondent Andrew Alderson joined Ryan Bridge to preview the first da...

A better end to the year than expected for the dairy sector.  Fonterra has raised its forecast Farmgate Milk Price's midpoint for the second time in less than a month.  It's up 50 cents to $10 dollars, citing strong demand from China and south-east Asia.  Forsyth Barr Senior Analyst Matt Montgomerie told Ryan Bridge that demand from China has been sluggish for some time, so it’s ple...

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to address his nation this morning following yesterday's ousting of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.  Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that Macron's future is increasingly uncertain.  He says Macron doesn't have a Prime Minister or a government and can't hold fresh elections until the middle of next year.  Barnier is staying on as...

There’s a warning from the Police Association that the wait for more cops will hurt the force.  The Government wants 500 more cops by the end of next year.  But new commissioner Richard Chambers says to ensure proper training, June 2026 is more likely.  Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge the delayed timeline will have an effect.  He says they are already moving...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 6 December. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it looks like looks like police will miss the deadline of adding 500 extra sworn officers by 2026. What we were promised should take two years. Now the new Police Commissioner, when fronting scrutiny week in parliament, he said it will take 2.5 years.  So an extra six months - will anyone really care? Probably not. Should we care?  When there are more bad guys out there doing bad thin...

The Green Party's concerned beneficiaries will be slapped with massive debt due to the Ministry of Social Development's mistakes.  MSD's revealed nearly 1-in-4 benefit entitlements aren't being processed correctly.  It's cited complexity of cases, systems challenges and weakness within its internal capability, and says accuracy's been declining for three or four years.   Greens Soci...

The manhunt continues for a gunman after a top US executive was fatally shot in the back in New York's Manhattan.   The victim is 50 year old UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson.   Police say it was a brazen, targeted attack carried out by someone who was proficient with firearms.   US Correspondent Kate Fisher told Ryan Bridge that authorities are telling people not to panic.   Sh...

More international students are keen on studying in New Zealand.  Data shows the number of international students has grown by 6% since last year.  Universities are still at a pre-pandemic capacity, despite the growth in the sector this year.  Education New Zealand General Manager Geoff Bilbrough told Ryan Bridge that countries like Canada and Australia putting caps on foreign stude...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 5th of December. Nearly one in four beneficaries are being paid incorrectly when the target is 95% correct payment. What is the Ministry for Social Development doing wrong and how can it be fixed? Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March joins the show. The government is looking at advice on our biog...

That's basically the question you've got to ask yourself after the latest wool snub. This time it was Kāinga Ora saying no to Kiwi made woollen carpet for state houses, and yes to synthetic imported stuff.  Why? It's cheaper. We've been here before, you'll remember the school classrooms - same story. It's happened again despite the coalition agreement deal with New Zealand First ensuring wool...

A  government appointed scientific panel has found that by reducing our methane emissions to 24% by 2050 we would meet the goal of not seeing additional warming above 2017 levels. But the climate change commission has warned there's no evidence to support changing the existing target of up to 47 percent.  Associate Minister for Agriculture Andrew Hoggard says the government will work wit...

All Black Sevu Reece has avoided conviction a second time after damaging a Christchurch property.  The 27-year-old crashed a car into a garage door after being asked to leave a post-Cup Day party last year.  The Crusader's been discharged without conviction after admitting a reduced charge of wilful damage.  In 2018, Reece was granted a discharge for assaulting his then-partner.&nbs...

There's hopes a shakeup at Auckland Transport will bring more democratic decisions.   The council will now take control of transport policy and planning, as well as road control.   A new Auckland Regional Transport Committee will be created to develop a 30-year transport plan – agreed to by Cabinet and the council.   Howick Local board Chair Damian Light told Ryan Bridge it could me...

The former Health New Zealand chair says a lot of the estimate issues we're seeing carry over from the DHBs.   The health service has reported a $1.1 billion deficit – lower than the $1.76 billion it was initially signalling.   The revised deficit was revealed at yesterday's review of the Ministry of Health, and has prompted backlash from opposition MPs.   Former Chair Rob Campbell...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 4 December. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a question for you this morning - How much will ever be enough to spend on health?  The answer is there will never be enough, so you got to make do with what you got.  At least that is what Health New Zealand is trying to do.  At the moment, we spend $30 billion bucks a year, that's just taxpayer money on health. It is middle of the road for the OECD in terms of percenta...

It was a landmark judgement on a more than 20-year court saga surrounding Māori customary rights to the foreshore and seabed.  The Supreme Court's allowing an Attorney-General appeal against a Court of Appeal judgment, made in October last year.    It's rejected the judgment as a narrow interpretation of criteria for customary marine titles, and reaffirmed the role of tikanga Māori...

The nurses’ union is confident today's strike won't negatively impact patients.  Bargaining between the Nurses Organisation and Health New Zealand is deadlocked, with workers opposing changes which would see a reduced number of nurses caring for patients.  They say it risks patient safety and are walking off the job at every Te Whatu Ora facility nationwide between 11am and 7pm today. &n...

More targeted support is on the way for beneficiaries on the jobseeker benefit, but questions have been raised about punishing people who don't move for jobs. Job losses have been a big problem in regional New Zealand this year, with two big mills closing in the Ruapehu District costing over 200 people their jobs. Mayor Weston Kirton told Ryan Bridge there simply aren't any regional jobs around. "...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday the 3rd of December. More people are joining the jobseeker benefit, making the government's target harder to meet. Could jobseekers who don't move for work face punishment, and what are regions that have had big employers close down seeing? Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton joins the show.  The Supreme Court will allow the...