Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The election season is well underway, and employment is a key issue for many voters. National has pledged more drug testing for beneficiaries, to ensure more Kiwis are ready to get into work, and Labour has voiced opposition to this idea. National Social Development Minister Louise Upston says she's confident the Government's measures to reduce unemployment are working - but there's more to be done. "We've seen 84,000 people leave welfare into work in the last year, so we're really confident that the measures that we are making are working." Meanwhile, Labour social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime has pushed back on this scheme. "Labour has a plan, where we are talking about expanding apprenticeship boost, introducing trades training and expanding that - and a new work package, where we're going to create a whole lot of jobs." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump has made a new diesel deal with Russia, and it's sparked concerns in Europe. Under the agreement, 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel will be released to the US immediately, followed by a further 500,000 next month. Business correspondent Vicky Pryce says some people are worried about the optics of this arrangement - especially in terms of what it could mean for Ukraine. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 12 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.

A view it's clearly time our political parties come together to tackle the issue of superannuation. National and Labour have agreed they'll support a cross-party political accord on the retirement system. Act and National are both campaigning on gradually raising the super age to 67. Labour and New Zealand First are both campaigning to keep it at 65. Superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen told Andrew Dickens some cross-party consensus on this is overdue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a concerted campaign by Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to get National voters to split their vote and engineer an overhang. A move John Key has said would be the opposite of clever. Over the weekend, Don Brash went to print again to explain why it’s a good idea. The upshot is that National’s strength in the electorates could mean a loss of list seats, which would affect several senior ministers, including Nicola Willis. In the piece, he argues that National voters are smart enough to work out split voting for themselves and don’t need John Key telling them how to vote. The irony is that Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray have been telling people how to vote all along. Mr Brash believes it’s the only way for National to save a centre-right coalition, but there is another way: be more popular. The other disconnect is that many on the right already believe New Zealand has too many MPs, and yet here are Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray wanting even more, perhaps as many as 124. Another irony is that many on the right can’t…

The Greens are condemning National's plans to drug-test people on welfare and reduce payments. National's promising to randomly drug test ten thousand beneficiaries next year. From April 2028, it would also cut Jobseeker payments for people on the scheme for two of the previous three years, claiming it'll push people into work. Greens' Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March told Andrew Dickens drug testing beneficiaries does not create jobs, and the reason unemployment is high is not because they may or may not be using substances. He says the only thing this will create is jobs in the drug testing industry, and it won't address the unemployment crisis that currently exists. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eden Park's CEO is looking forward to welcoming the All Blacks back to the Fortress. The stadium is hosting the first Bledisloe Cup clash this weekend, the All Blacks taking on the Wallabies for the first time since they returned from South Africa. Nick Sautner told Andrew Dickens the All Blacks have a phenomenal record at the stadium, as they haven't lost to Australia there since 1986, and they want to make sure that streak continues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2026, the Green Party is not happy with National's benefit policy, Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menedez March explains why. The trans-tasman rivalry’s back at Eden Park, CEO Nick Sautner tells Andrew what to look out for. Labour say they have a plan to tackle unfair plane ticket costs, NZ Herald Aviation Journalist John Weekes tells Andrew if the plan is viable. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on UK Police accept warrants used to search the home of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor were unlawful and Germany will face threats together, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said as he announced a series of defence and security partnerships. 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.

Labour's making big promises in aviation if re-elected. The Party would require airlines to publish airfares including every fee upfront - making the full cost clear. It would mandate automatic refunds when big airlines like Air New Zealand and Jetstar cancel or significantly change flights, and for them to publish data on cancellations and delays. New Zealand Herald Aviation Journalist John Weekes joined Andrew Dickens to break down the policy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had to chuckle after yesterday's interview with Mr Abercrombie from the PPTA who grudgingly accepted that improvements to the education sector by the government is a factor in teacher registrations being up 40 per cent this year Mr Abercrombie, other industry advocates and the Labour led opposition have been dead set against the changes but now they’re slowly admitting that things are better It makes you wonder why they were so negative from the get-go, and I can only put it down to tribalism If it’s an idea from the right, it has to be evil and wrong and bad for the kids and the vulnerable Now this is also a weakness on the right. The Coalition spent the first year merrily throwing out any initiatives from the previous government whether it had good aspects or not. The us good, them bad narrative is childish. And expensive and slowing us down 3 Waters was thrown out and replaced with the same thing, the only difference being it’s voluntary with no governance. The upshot is that we’re even further behind…

The lawyers of US death row inmate Christa Pike have asked for evidence to be preserved from her botched execution. The 50-year-old survived two lethal injections in Tennessee last week – a death sentence imposed for murder in 1996. A statement from her lawyers yesterday stated she's now conscious and speaking, still handcuffed in hospital, and receiving critical care. US Correspondent Nick Harper told Andrew Dickens Pike's lawyers argue there were problems with the IV lines involved. They claim at least seven needles were used to try to get the doses into her system, one even bent at a 90-degree angle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning there are drawbacks to instant payments as Labour vows to make it possible 24/7 by 2030. The party wants to bring more competition to the sector helping fintech companies take on the big four banks. Part of Labour's plan to achieve this is by introducing e-money licences for businesses offering services like digital wallets and payments. Massey University Financial Professor Claire Matthews told Andrew Dickens that currently, if you're subject to scams there's a small window to get the money back. However, she says, when you have real-time payments, that's gone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's teacher pipeline is showing signs of recovery. Education Minister Erica Stanford is crediting the School Onsite Training Programme for a 40% jump in the number of Kiwis training to be teachers between 2023 and now. But the current figure of 4,500 is still well below the 6,800 training in 2010. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Andrew Dickens there are jobs waiting for those entering the profession. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tick of approval for National's small business plan. The party's released a 47 point plan to cut red tape around things like employment disputes and health and safety. Small Business New Zealand founder Phil Wicks says it creates a fairly cohesive plan. He told Andrew Dickens while any help is appreciated, what businesses really want is a growing economy. Wicks says that gives businesses the confidence to hire more staff or invest in more equipment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Andrew Dickens and I'm the fill in guy and I'm filling in for Ryan Bridge and I'm filling in all week and I'm doing three days next week and three days the week after and the reason for that is that Ryan is preparing to do telly stuff with Herald now. And last night he was doing the first of the big ones and it was a 90-minute thing called The Future of New Zealand. Now it had politicians, it had seven politicians, yeah we had some politicians, but the big thing about this, the difference was all the other people, all the business leaders, all the entrepreneurs, all the tech bros were all having their say about the future of New Zealand. There was even a dancing robot! And to see Ryan Bridge dancing with a dancing robot on telly was actually quite some sight. So here are some highlights if you haven't seen it. Of course after Jack Tame sucked us into the are billionaires' immoral debate, Tamatha Paul, the Green, had some ideas. She reckons obviously that billionaires are immoral. Yeah, yeah, yeah.…

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday 8th of October 2026, Labour is promising to shake up the banking sector if re-elected, Professor Claire Matthews head of the school of accountancy, economics and finance at Massey University shares her thoughts. National’s got a 47-point plan to cut red tape for small businesses, Small Business NZ Founder & Director of BSP Advisory, tells Andrew if this will make much of a difference. Erica Stanford is celebrating a 40% uplift in new teacher enrolments since she got a hold of the portfolio, PPTA President shares his thoughts. Plus, US Correspondent Nick Harper has the latest on Christa Pike who is conscious and speaking after a botched execution in Tennessee and the White House explains away Trump comments on Iran “take out” of LA and San Diego, saying he was not calling for attack on US cities. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener…

A political commentator believes a lot of weight still sits with the undecided voter. Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the first main leaders debate last night. The TVNZ clash saw the pair tussle over tax, education, health, the cost of living, and crime in front of a studio audience of undecided voters. The audience gave Hipkins the win with 49% support to Luxon's 24%. But commentator Brigitte Morten told Andrew Dickens 27% percent were still undecided. She says we're only a couple of weeks out from voting opening, and for a lot of people there's a lot of soft vote. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pressure's on the next government to keep the momentum going on business confidence. The NZIER's latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion shows 40% of firms expect the economy to improve in the coming months. That's up from just 14% last quarter. Business Canterbury Chief Executive Leeann Watson told Andrew Dickens businesses want policies that lift productivity, and more certainty about what's ahead. She says they want to make sure they have access to the right people and compliance is reduced. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2026, political commentator Brigitte Morten tells Andrew who won the TVNZ leaders debate. Business confidence is rebounding as we head towards the election, Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson explains why. National’s promising to cut foreign aid to pay for new medicines, if it leads the next government, Chief Executive of Medicines New Zealand Graeme Jarvis shares his thoughts. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the UK’s main Opposition party has pledged to invest £10bn in a new missile and drone defence system to defend the UK if they win the next general election and Trump has said the US moved its bombers out of RAF Fairford in the UK because of "some threats" to the base. 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's potential for a positive ripple effect as National pledges to boost medicine funding. The party's announced it'll cut 10% of the foreign aid budget, using the savings to increase Pharmac's budget by $604 million. It would also introduce new cancer cell therapy and lower the bowel screening age to 50 by 2029. Medicines NZ CEO Graeme Jarvis told Andrew Dickens medicine's an important part of any health system. He says they help with productivity within hospitals, and help with patient outcomes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National’s trade-off between foreign aid and Pharmac is a sign of just how far we’ve fallen. Firstly, our spend on medicines through Pharmac has always been woefully low. It pales beside Australia’s investment and that’s never made sense to me. Medicines funded by Pharmac save money within the health system by preventing ongoing costs through hospitalisation and ongoing care. The way we’ve underfunded it has been a false economy, but successive governments have found excuses to keep it running on fumes. It should be appropriately funded, but it isn’t. So now National has decided to rob Peter to pay Paul by reducing our foreign aid. Not all of it, about 10% of it. But that will still be enough to lower our perception as a compassionate country actively participating on the world stage. In an ideal world we would be wealthy enough to fund both. But we’re not. And in that is more proof that we are a shadow of the country we used to be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns National's $800 million promise for a major Canterbury road will be able to deliver enough bang for its buck. National is promising to start construction on the Belfast-to-Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass if re-elected, with the money allocated in Budget 2027. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Dom Kalasih told Andrew Dickens that's about $73 million per kilometre. He says the concern is whether the project will deliver enough value for money and stay within budget. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's vowing to make life easier for mechanics so more time can be spent training the next generation. If elected, the party would force car makers to share information, tools and manuals, with local mechanics so they can do a job. It would introduce a right of repair law —like Australia— and require the Commerce Commission to enforce the rules. Consumer Affairs spokesperson Arena Williams told Andrew Dickens we have an aging workforce of mechanics. She says workshop owners are looking at selling instead of training young mechanics. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 6th of October 2026, National is pledging $800 million to fully fund the 11-kilometre Belfast to Pegasus motorway in Christchurch, Transporting NZ Chief Executive Officer Dom Kalasih tells Andrew why infrastructure comes at such a cost. Labour is promising to make it cheaper and easier to repair your car if elected, Labour Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Williams explains. Kiwis loving the cocaine more than ever according to new research, Drug Detection Agency CEO Glen Dobson shares his thoughts. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the Federal Government defending costs and guest list of major climate summit in Fiji and more details emerging about the fly Dubai pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack a plane and his Australian connection. 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.

Cocaine seems to be appealing to New Zealanders right across the spectrum. The Drug Trends Survey shows respondents reporting cocaine use increased from 11% in 2018 to 31% this month. The frequency of use is also increasing, with most people who reported using it in the past six months using it at least monthly. Drug Detection Agency chief executive Glenn Dobson told Andrew Dickens it appears to be easier to access and is becoming a lot more socially acceptable. He says it's not the glamour drug it was in the 80s and 90s but has become popular right across a broad range of society. Dobson also says cartels seem to be getting a grip on production. He says producers are getting better at growing the plant and extracting cocaine, and New Zealand is becoming a target for supply. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour finally released their fiscal plan over the weekend It was much anticipated. In fact, commentator after commentator for weeks now have been demanding it Now it’s being dissected, and mostly by the current coalition parties. But here’s the thing: where’s National’s? And why don't they have the same pressure? And how about ACT? Yesterday I asked David Seyour what spending he will cut to afford the loss of revenue from the KiwiSaver tax exemption, and he said enough and their fiscal plan is forthcoming What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, so I would like to see these plans soon. Meanwhile I bumped into Jenny Marcroft at a Sunday market in the weekend, and I asked her where she’ll be on the list. She has no idea. She’s waiting. We’re waiting. There’s only 32 days until the election. Advance voting in New Zealand begins in 21 days, and overseas voting begins in 16 days. And in those days are weekends and rugby tests and more. I just feel this election campaign has been going forever but a…

The suspect accused of murdering Reform UK's Ann Widdecombe has been charged with preparing acts of terror, including against party leader Nigel Farage. 28-year-old Joshua Kerry was charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts, according to police. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Kerry is due to appear in court later this week. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation across Europe jumped to 3.8 percent in September - a higher rate than economists were predicting. This increase was largely down to energy costs, and these are expected to make inflation rates go up further. Business correspondent Vicky Pryce explained how these rates could increase, and how that's likely to impact households. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT is confident its KiwiSaver plan would put more in people's kitty by retirement. The party wants to scrap the Government contribution to KiwiSaver, and the tax paid on investment earnings made through the scheme. It says the tax relief created, would be more substantial than the up to $260 currently contributed by the Government. Leader David Seymour says someone with a small balance, less than $15,000 may initially be worse off. "A builder, $60 grand a year through their career - they start when they're 20, by the time they retire, they would be $210,000 better off not paying tax on their returns." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday the 5th of October 2026, the Act Party wants to scrap tax on Kiwisaver investment earnings, Act Party Leader David Seymour explains. Labour's laid out it's highly anticipated fiscal plan, Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie shares his thoughts. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the details on Inflation rising sharply in Europe and Europe agreeing to release more crude and refined strategic stocks to release pressure on diesel prices and prevent US diesel export ban, Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the man accused of murdering a former UK Prisons Minister and Immigration spokesperson for Reform UK has also been charged with preparing acts of terror including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and UK PM scraps controversial plans to curb some jury trials. 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…

An economist says it will be tough to achieve the numbers set out in Labour's fiscal plan. The party says all its election commitments are fully costed - with the country returning to surplus in 2028/29. Labour would keep the Budget operating allowance tight at 2.4 billion dollars - and reinstate its pay equity scheme at a cost not yet determined. Economist Cameron Bagrie tells Andrew Dickens health seems to be the big winner from the plan - but there are trade-offs in other areas like education. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of living is once again a key issue in the election But what seems strange to me is that somehow New Zealanders believe it’s a problem that only affects us. A cursory skim through international papers shows it’s an issue for every market on earth Here much blame has been heaped on supermarkets Our duopoly of massive supermarkets are viewed with suspicion with many, including politicians believing they’re rorting us and every party having some sort of proposal to reign them in National and New Zealand First want to break the duopoly up forcibly in classic command economy style normally associated with the left The Green Party want to spend billions on a state owned Kiwimart While ACT just want to cut red tape So yesterday Chris Quin from Foodstuffs appeared on Q + A to defend supermarkets. He pointed out we are the 13th cheapest grocery market in the OECD and that supermarkets make 2.3 cents in the dollar. This is a very important point. Our supermarkets seem profitable purely because of the volume…

Election campaigning is well underway, with the first week complete. So how are all the parties faring? Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge so far, National seems to be on the front foot and Labour on the back. She says they both started out strong with their campaign launches, but PREFU bolstered National's position, while attention on Labour's student loan policy died pretty quickly, and PREFU has put pressure on them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strong support from tourism operators for more domestic-like trans-Tasman travel. If re-elected, National will trial a fully digitised airport process for Australians travelling here or Kiwis heading across the ditch. Eligible travellers could get through gates on facial recognition without the need for a passport. Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism CEO Mat Woods told Ryan Bridge some people don't have passports due to the costs and processes involved. He says making a trans-Tasman flight more like a domestic one creates fewer barriers and opens up the market to more people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A commercial law expert's hesitant over whether Labour's proposed fee and subscription laws would actually do their job. The Party's promising to protect consumers from hidden costs by requiring all mandatory fees be included in the upfront price. It would also see subscriptions as easy to cancel as it is to sign up. But Auckland University Professor Alex Sims told Ryan Bridge she's unsure whether it would work in practice. Sims says we have lots of strong consumer laws that get ignored and questions the point of adding more when current ones aren't enforced. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 2nd of October, week one of the campaign down, political commentator Brigitte Morten provides analysis. Labour's campaigning on getting rid of "hidden fees", Auckland University Professor in Department of Commercial Law, Alex Sims explains how much control a government can have over businesses's. National's promising passport free travel across the Tasman, CEO Destination Queenstown & Lake Wanaka tourism tells Ryan how much of a difference this would make. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on hundreds of prisoners across England and Wales are being released early today under a new scheme designed to free up prison space and the governor of the Bank of England has warned Artificial intelligence could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for…

Trump's getting desperate to fix gas prices ahead of the midterms and usually when he's trying to do something for America, there will be losers and that could well be the rest of us. We spoke a few weeks ago about the fact he was looking into a ban on diesel exports. The industry didn't like it – they thought it wouldn't bring prices down. They lobbied the White House and said the idea could actually push prices up. Well, Trump's now had advice on it. He's also shoulder tapped some allies to let them know what might be about to happen. The Brits are worried enough to hold meetings with the Europeans. Unlike New Zealand, the UK still refines fuel. But it doesn't refine enough diesel to meet its domestic demand. So it imports it. In the past three months, about a quarter of diesel imports came from the US. Much more comes from third parties, who in-turn source it from America. If supply gets cut, we'd be screwed on price. We, along with Asia and the Aussies, could see shortages. Even a partial ban or cap…

A warning our Emergency Departments are in a state of crisis. A report from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine finds admissions rose 21% over the past decade, far exceeding the 13% population growth. It says more money has to go into building capacity and numbers of doctors working in EDs. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge the report shows that while on the surface funding has increased, but when you look at the complexity of care needed, increased admissions and population growth, it's not keeping pace with the real level of need. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns funding cuts will have even wider impacts on the screen industry's future. The New Zealand Film Commission is cutting its annual Core Funding Programme, saying it wants to put the money into fewer and higher investments. It currently provides more than a million dollars in support to ten industry groups each year. Screen Production and Development Association President Irene Gardiner told Ryan Bridge they'll have to find a way through. She says it's concerning but at the same time not shocking, given the current economic climate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026 EDs saw a record 1.4 million patients last year, Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director, Sarah Dalton shares her thoughts. The NZ Film Commission’s cutting its core funding supporting 10 film and screen organisations, SPADA President Irene Gardiner tells Ryan how this will impact the film industry. The PPTA is urging teachers to keep control of marking their students work amidst a rise in marking by artificial intelligence, Associate Professor of Digital Education Futures at University of Canterbury Kathryn MacCallum shares her thoughts. Plus US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on US forces formally withdrew from Iraq on Wednesday, ending a two-decade military presence and death row inmate Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a schoolmate three decades ago, is due to be executed in Tennessee on Wednesday, becoming the first woman that state has put to death in more than two hundred years. Get the Early Edition Full…

The debate over AI marking in schools is back, with secondary teachers warning the tech could eventually replace human judgement. A paper presented to the PPTA says automated marking is likely to expand under the qualification replacing NCEA, and assessment decisions must remain in human hands. Canterbury University Associate Professor of Digital Education Kathryn McCallum told Ryan Bridge AI could be useful for simpler assessments, where human judgement isn’t needed, to speed up the process. But she says the risk is that teachers aren't able to understand learners and give feedback when the tech is used. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health is one of those areas where you can churn through cash. It's expensive to visit your GP, but also expensive to fund. The amount taxpayers spend on health has gone up 100% over the past decade. It was around $15 billion in 2016, it's now up over $30 billion. The population has not increased by that much – only roughly 15%. But there are always better medicines to buy. Unions to settle pay negotiations with. New equipment to buy. Hospitals to replace. It's a money pit. Every election we get the same message, which is basically "let's put more money in the pit". And both Labour and National are saying they will do this. Hell, even ACT is saying the same. But are we missing a trick by always focussing on money in and patients out? Diabetes and obesity are massive problems for the health system. As is aging, though we can't do much about that. But where is the focus in this campaign, outside of New Zealand First's policy, on the food pyramid and keeping ourselves healthy and fit? You are what eat. That's…

The owner of ChatGPT has scrapped its latest AI model after safety concerns. OpenAI says its GPT-6.1 Astra model missed the bar, as it would've performed tasks, like browsing the web, by itself. Debate's intensifying about risks posed by the tech, with Reuters reporting rival AI company Anthropic plans to warn investors of potential existential threats. Tech commentator Oskar Howell told Ryan Bridge you can't have rogue AIs off doing what they want. He says a recent OpenAI system gained access to a number of Australian government systems, which may've prompted this roll back. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT Party leader David Seymour says while the PREFU numbers are “hopeful”, they rely on there being further significant reduction in Government spending by the end of the decade. Asked how reliable the forecast was, Seymour told Ryan Bridge the 2023 PREFU had promised a $2 billion surplus by the current financial year, with debt at $193 billion, and in reality it was now at $209 billion. “So what this document has told us is that the surplus will be two years later than we were promised last election, and debt will be $16 billion higher than we were promised last election,” he said. Government spending was currently 32.5% and needed to be below 30% by 2030 for the PREFU figures to be accurate. “As the person in the Government who's been saying, 'Guys, we've got to save more money, we've got to save money faster', all of this slippage is in some ways a vindication, but also very bad news,” Seymour said. “We’re going to have to work a lot harder if we're going to make the numbers real this time, as they did…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 30th of September 2026, Treasury’s now forecasting a $4 billion surplus in 2028/29, up from $2.6 billion, Act Leader David Seymour shares his thoughts. Auckland Council is ditching postal voting, Auckland Councillor Richard Hills explains why he voted to ditch it. Open-AI is scrapping the rollout of its new model, tech commentator Oskar Howell tells Ryan if this is a concerning move. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it is clear a "foreign actor" had been involved in the arrests of five young men near an RAF base in the west of England used by the US Air Force and the UK PM announcing a cut in pensions to pay for social care and a new government body to invest in Britain's electricity grid. 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.

The form of democracy used in the country's biggest city is about to change. Auckland Council members have voted to shift from postal voting to in-person booth voting, making them the first to do it since 1992. The current proposal has been costed at between $31 and $40 million, but the council's asked staff to drive that down to $20 million. Councillor Richard Hills told Ryan Bridge they're not saying this would completely change the turnout rate for the election, but it would help with integrity and trust. He says nobody uses the post for anything besides local elections nowadays, so it's time to move away from it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much cash will we get back from tax cuts? Nicola Willis will soon make an announcement about their timing and potential value, if they get back to the Treasury benches. The good news out of yesterday's PREFU is that the books are out of structural deficit this year. That means when the Government borrows new money going forward, it will be for capital spending, not to keep the lights on. We've essentially been borrowing money by issuing bonds to pay for day-to-day spending. Fixing potholes with a credit card when the cost of borrowing is heading north is not a particularly smart way to run the books. The books are helped by the economy growing. When the economy grows, our wages grow with it. Inflation pushes our wages into a higher tax bracket. It's what they call bracket creep. You end up paying more tax because the tax brackets don't change, even when our wages do. So, the Government's books are improving off the back of Kiwis paying more taxes. How much is that worth? The PREFU reckons around one…

The Government's books are being opened today, giving a financial read of the state of the economy. Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update will show how Crown debt, expenditure, and revenue are tracking. National's Nicola Willis has let some small details slip, saying people will like what they see. Infometrics' Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge they expect a slightly rosier look than what was seen in the Budget, but timing will have an impact. He says Treasury would've finalised the numbers towards the end of August, but things like fuel prices and bond rates have lifted quite materially in the weeks since. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disappointment from a building voice over MBIE's slow response to working on overheating new homes. The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment say they're working on the issue, but changes will require more technical work and sector consultation. Officials told RNZ hot homes wouldn't be part of the Building Code review in 2028, but instead the next one five years away. Green Building Council chief executive Andrew Eagles told Ryan Bridge it's a real shame as homes should be a sanctuary. He says instead, people have discomfort and stress living in homes like ovens or saunas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Treasury is set to open the government's books for the pre-election economic and fiscal update, Brad Olsen Principal Economist at Infometrics tells Ryan what we can expect. New research released to Newstalk ZB shows 68% of schools surveyed have accidentally published an image despite parental privacy restrictions, Darfield High SCHOOL Principal Andrew England shares his thoughts. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment isn't review the rules around overheating properties until 2031, Green Building Council CEO Andrew Eagles shares his concerns. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on another rate hike expected today as the treasurer talks up budget savings and plans for a massive data centre in Sydney. 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.