Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

A boost for the vaping industry as the Government asks for tenders for devices for long-time smokers. Health New Zealand's provided three thousand of the devices since January, under a pilot programme. But Newstalk ZB can reveal it plans to order more - including flavours like cinnamon and blueberry at the maximum legal nicotine level.  Health NZ is talking up the PR benefits to suppliers, saying it will increase their health system profile, credibility and visibility.  General Practitioners Aotearoa Chair Dr Buzz Burrell shares his thoughts with Ryan.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when you thought local council couldn’t get more absurd and extravagant, they’ve dreamt up a new way to not make decisions. To do less, with more. Citizens assemblies. A crackpot idea the Romans once used. But Romans did lots of weird stuff we stopped doing, and this should be one of them. They’ve got one on the boil in Whanganui.  In Napier, 40 unelected locals have just finished sitting around talking about where to put a new swimming pool and what that pool might look like.  Four weeks later. $800 per person, including refreshments and god knows what else - $100,000 total from the rates take. It's basically a catered chinwag between neighbours that they call an assembly.   And guess what? They couldn’t come up with a consensus on where to put the pool. Despite all the expertise, the opinions for Africa, the specialists, the Lamingtons, no location was decided.  You can’t make this stuff up. Why bother with a council, a Mayor, an MP? Like DJ sets and recycled period cups, these citi

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 7th of October 2025 David Seymour's hitting the gas on school attendance targets, lead Principal of the Manurewa attendance service, Cathy Chalmers shares her thoughts on the new plan.  Health NZ is ordering thousands more vapes to help smokers quit, General Practitioners Aotearoa Chair Dr Buzz Burrell tells Ryan what GPs think of it.  The Commerce Commission says it won’t investigate sky-high airport costs despite pressure from airlines, NZ Airports Association Chief Executive Billie Moore shares her thoughts.  Plus Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the defence treaty between Papa New Guinea and Australia.   Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are questions over how the Government will tackle the benefit serving multiple family members under one roof.  From November next year, parents who earn more than $65,500 must support their 18 and 19-year-olds, rather than them going on the benefit - with a few exceptions. Former Welfare Expert Advisory Group member, Phil O'Reilly told Ryan Bridge those on $65,000, tend to be on some sort of benefit themselves.  He says there'll be a complex interplay at the lower end, of how much Government support the parent and young person will get. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belief attitudes towards bail is a reflection of a global decline in law and order. Convictions for crimes carried out by someone on bail rose by almost 12-thousand between 2015 and 2024.  Amongst these, homicide and related convictions more than doubled to 25. Criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Ryan Bridge a law-and-order decline stems from social media and leads to some not taking bail as seriously. However, he says 80-percent of people who are on electronically monitored bail for example, are compliant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 6th of October 2025, The Government’s cracking down on youth benefits, Former Welfare expert Phil O'Reily shares his thoughts.  Andrew Alderson has the latest from weekend sport.  Criminal lawyer, Steve Cullen shares his thoughts on new numbers on crime while on bail.  Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on UK police forces being granted powers to put conditions on repeat protests and Harrods setting aside more than £60m in its plan to compensate alleged victims of historical abuse. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freedom is the thing I think we love the most about living in our country like ours: democratic, pretty liberal. We fight, to protest, we argue, we debate. But unlike it seems most of the rest of the world, we don't get physical. We don't kill each other for our beliefs.  We express ourselves and then we try find a solution.  Look around the world section of your newspaper this morning. From the Middle East, to Africa, to Europe, to Georgia. To parts of America, even.  And you'll see places falling apart at the seams or freedom crushed into a thousand pieces.  We have in this country, for the most part, standards about how we don these things. We have boundaries. Two things that worry me about this.  Protesters taking it too far as they did over the weekend and live streaming from outside the personal home of Member of Parliament.  Their own personal home. Where their partner. Where their children visit. Where family friends stop by for a coffee.  Their sanctuary. Their deca

It’s the final round of the Rugby Championship this weekend.  The All Blacks are taking on the Wallabies on Saturday night, in a sold-out Optus Stadium in Perth.  Seven changes have been made to the side and Scott Barrett is back in the captaincy.  Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge inconsistency is likely the focus for the All Blacks.  He says there are still so many questions around this team, and until they start stringing wins together, the questions will remain.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producers want pork from abroad plated up with transparency.  The Government's raising minimum spacing requirements to 13% while time in farrowing crates drops from 33 days to just seven.  Farmers need to implement the changes by 2035.  NZ Pork Chief Executive Brent Kleiss told Ryan Bridge 60% of Kiwis eat imported pork, so it would be ideal to introduce standards for them too.  He says if consumers were able to see clearer information about where their pork is coming from, it would give them more choice.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 3 October. 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.

One of Māoridom's biggest movements has split with Te Pati Māori.   Toitu Te Tiriti —which led the hikoi on Parliament last year— has voted to distance itself from the party. Leader Eru Kapa-King is the Party's former vice President and son of one of its current MPs - has told Te Ao Māori news the party has a dictatorship model of leadership.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Te Pati Māori has internal issues it needs to work through. Political Commentator, Liam Hehir shares his thoughts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At what point do you say this local government election's a failure, a flop, not worth the paper it's written on? I think we're fast approaching that point now.  Even in Auckland - our biggest city. Super-City. With the most responsibility, the biggest burden to shoulder after amalgamation, the turnout with two weeks left to go is 9.2%. Last year it was 35%. That's not a mandate. It's a vote of no confidence in the entire system.  If you think about it, it's not like Kiwis aren't engaged in democracy. We come in national elections at a rate closer to 80%.  So, you ask yourself, what's the problem with local government? Two things.  1. Too many of them. You axe all regional councils, half the number of local ones. And turn the system from Council-Mayor to Mayor-Council. We have 78 local authorities for 5 million people. It's nuts.  Once they get to the council table, the mayor becomes a cuck to whatever looney tune nut-bar has made it on there with a few hundred votes and a dream of ri

Property values have ticked up again after a five-month fall.  Cotality data shows property values in New Zealand edged up by 0.1% in September.  Across the main centres, Wellington dipped by 0.4%, with Auckland also down 0.2%.  It follows a cumulative -1.6% drop over the five months to August.  ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge the regions that are doing the best are the ones who have had good export outcomes or tourism seasons.  Tauranga for example, he said, has had two bumper seasons of kiwifruit exports.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Federal Government workers are bracing for days without pay.  Republican and Democrat lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement on a spending bill.  US correspondent Mitch McCann says the shutdown's likely to last almost two weeks.  He told Ryan Bridge until then, affected staff aren't getting paid, even if they're in essential roles.  McCann says people like airport security staff and park rangers are expected to keep working every day without pay.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gut Cancer Foundation says author and broadcaster Nigel Latta played a vital role in raising awareness of the disease.  The high-profile clinical psychologist has died from stomach cancer this week – he was 58.  He was heavily involved with the Gut Cancer Foundation following his diagnosis, educating people about the symptoms and risk factors.  Foundation CEO Liam Willis told Ryan Bridge the increased awareness means people are more likely to get themselves assessed.  He says the earlier these cancers are detected, the better the chances of survival.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 2 October. 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.

Disappointment the Government's energy reforms haven't prioritised keeping electricity prices down. Changes include allowing Crown-controlled gentailers more government capital for projects, plans for a new gas import terminal and giving the Electricity Authority more power. Electric Kiwi CEO Huia Burt told Ryan Bridge this could result in wholesale prices reducing by about 2% per annum. She says that amounts to a few dollars off a power bill, but for a bold reform, we'd be talking hundreds of dollars less per year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday was MMP in action. It was exhibit A of a coalition government. Without a single party with a clear mandate, you end up with piecemeal positions. You get a report done then you cherry pick which options are palatable to everybody and effective for nobody. In this case they picked just two of the ten options. Seymour would have liked the option of flogging off the 51% of energy companies we do own, but on the other hand, Matua Shane wanted the buy the rest back.  It’s what we call a political halfway house.  Critics on this side say we needed more intervention, critics on that side say less. What we voters need decide is whether this country needs bold action or incrementalism. Do we need radical, or do we want to comprise? In 2020, Jacinda scored the first single party majority since 1993 (first under MMP) then burned the reputation of absolute power. Let’s be real - nobody’s going to give National carte blanche come 2026. So if the polls, Mood of the Boardroom, and talk on the st

Faster access to primary and specialist mental health and addiction care is having a flow-on effect.  The latest data shows nearly 84% of people are accessing primary care within a week, surpassing the government's target, while 80.3% are accessing specialist support within three weeks.  Some regions, including Northland, Gisborne and Nelson Marlborough don't meet either of the targets.  Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey told Ryan Bridge the work continues, but it's good to see some signs of improvement.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on Hamas as Donald Trump gives it three or four days to respond to his proposed peace plan.   The deal would end the war, see hostages returned, Israeli troops pulled out of Gaza, and Trump leading an interim Government.   It's been supported by our Foreign Minister Winston Peters as well as European and Middle Eastern leaders.  CBS Jerusalem correspondent Linda Gradstein told Ryan Bridge there's been very little indication of what Hamas will do.   She says initial reports suggest Hamas is leaning towards accepting the deal, and they're under a lot of pressure from Qatar.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.