Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday 19th of October 2026, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall joins Andrew to discuss health policy ahead of the election.  National wants to scrap the right to silence in child murder cases if re-elected, Victims advocate Ruth Money shares her thoughts. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on Germany and France agree on EU car policy, with easing of vehicle emissions targets for the sector and more protection for their car industry and the UK's growth better than expected in August.  Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on riots and looting in France and demonstrators and riot police fighting pitched battles in the centre of Tirana, Albania for the fifth day in a row.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The split voting thing.  In the weekend papers were full of full-page ads paid for by RCR.   This appears to be the vessel for Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to promote their tactical voting tactic to create an overhang that benefits the centre right.  I don't like it the same way Don Brash doesn't like John Key telling people how to vote and of course their platform benefits in that they have money to buy the ads.  People have accused me of not liking it because it benefits the centre right.   No, I don't like how Te Pati Māori do it either.  If the left were to do it, I wouldn't like it.   If Jim Anderton, the multi-millionaire socialist, had tried it I would have called it out too. And now national has said the sweetheart deal with ACT in Epsom is over.   Again, people telling people how to vote.   They're all as bad as each other.  The problem is 2 votes.  So, I looked at what might happen if we had just one vote that counted for both the electorate MP and towards a national total that could create a proportional parliament.  And yes, it could.   It could still cause an overhang if parties win more electorates than their national voting share entitles them to.  But it would certainly stop all this jiggery pokery and attempts to game the system which just seems undemocratic to me. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A solar advocate agrees National's six-month timeframe to get plug-in solar in shops is doable.   New Zealand doesn't yet have regulations to permit the trade of plug-in systems.   National's pledging to prioritise finishing work already under way in getting them into shops if re-elected.  Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Andrew Dickens it's a simple process, which many countries including the US, UK, and places across Europe have made the most of.  Labour's policy is similar but says changes to enable plug-in solar would be within 12 months of a government it leads taking office.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of October 2026, Cancer treatments for children at Starship hospital have been delayed, Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland shares his thoughts.  After a whopping at Eden Park last week, the Wallabies are getting ready to stare down the All Blacks again, Elliott Smith joins Andrew from Sydney.  National's promising to get plug-in solar panels on shelves within six months if re-elected, Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey tells Andrew how big of a difference this will make.  Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Peter Anderson has the latest on an inquest’s which has heard the family of 24-year-old William Chapman, who died after entering a tiger enclosure, had concerns about his mental health care and the British government is threatening to ban all Eritreans from entering the UK if the east African country doesn’t accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there a clear winner in the wake of the second major leaders debate?  Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the NZ Herald's Leaders Debate last night, clashing on education, geopolitics, and wages, amid other things.   Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the real competition wasn't just between the two leaders, but rather whether or not they could sell to the people watching why they should vote for them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's looking to attract more tourists from Europe and the US to reduce our reliance on Australians. Stats NZ data shows almost 249 thousand overseas tourists arrived in August - 99% of 2019 levels. The figure includes more Australians than in any August on record. But Tourism Holdings Chief Executive Grant Webster told Ryan Bridge Chinese visitors have overtaken Australians as Queenstown's biggest tourism market - a significant shift. He says that diversification is a good thing as we're heavily reliant on Australia, with them making up around half of all arrivals. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 15th of October 2026, political commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts on the New Zealand Herald Leaders debate. New Zealand is a whisker away from pre-covid tourism levels, Grant Webster Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive tells Ryan how the industry has bounced back.  Record numbers of new cops are about to hit the street; Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello tells Ryan how close we are the Government's Police target. Plus, US Correspondent Katie Fisher shares the latest on US inflation rising to 3.7% year-on-year in September, driven by higher energy prices and Ukraine’s military has suddenly had its access to Starlink satellite internet terminals restricted as the Trump administration increases pressure on Ukraine to halt long-range strikes on Russia’s oil industry immediately. 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.

School leaders want more information from Labour on its plan to scrap a mandated hour of reading, writing, and maths in schools, while achievement results are improving.  Leader Chris Hipkins announced last week teachers would be given more choice over how they spend their time.  But a Curia Market Research poll shows 74% of Kiwis support the mandated hour policy.  Secondary Principals' Council chair Steve McCracken told Andrew Dickens it ensures the subjects are taught regularly and consistently across the country.  He says his school is seeing an increase in literacy and numeracy results already, and hearing the same from other schools.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 14th of October 2026, a new poll shows just how popular the hour of reading, writing and maths has become, Secondary Principals Association Chair Steve McCracken tells Andrew if teachers are on board with it too. There's concern for New Zealand's aluminium industry after the Government rejected protection against cheap imports, ETU National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh shares her thoughts.  Our increasing love of Cocaine is bleeding through into the workplace, the Drug Detection Agency CEO Glenn Dobson shares his thoughts.  Plus, UK Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on hundreds of French supermarkets have been hit by a cyber attack that caused their fridges and freezers to heat up, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros and UK PM Andy Burnham under growing pressure after he claimed Russia did interfere with the Brexit referendum.  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 Greens want to keep a tight rein on AI.  The Party wants people held accountable for decisions made using Artificial Intelligence, and to have a public register of AI systems used by Government agencies.  It wants people to be able to opt-out of AI-assisted decision making and wants to put a pause on hyperscale data centres.   Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan told Andrew Dickens AI needs to be sensibly regulated, as it's a manmade tool that should enhance but not replace.   He says their proposal would allow the benefits of AI to be shared by everyone instead of just a few.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax expert suggests National's trademark tax relief seems a fair way off, with little wiggle room in its fiscal plan. The Party says it can't offer tax cuts until it gets on top of debt.  It says all its commitments are costed, matching Labour's $2.4 billion Budget operating allowance.  Tax expert Geof Nightingale told Andrew Dickens the $7.5 billion left over arrives in 2029, so it's a long way out.  He says 2029 is an election year, so there will be spending promises then too, which will make it difficult to promise a tax cut.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With National finally releasing its fiscal policy, it’s easy to generalise the plan as more of the same.  The only difference from Labour is that they are in love with pay equity, which comes at a huge cost and leaves the whole balancing act with very little wriggle room.  But the enormous ogre under the bridge is the rapidly expanding cost of Superannuation.   How long are we going to talk in circles about this?  ACT has said lets raise it to 67. That’s not crazy.   In Australia, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and Norway it’s 67. In the UK it’s 66, but it's planned to go to 68.   Canada and Japan are like us, but more and more we’re becoming outliers.  All it takes are political leaders saying let’s do it.   David Seymour has. Chris Hipkins hasn’t, and now National is saying we’ll do it if everyone else wants to do it.   National, Labour, and New Zealand First are running scared because they’re scared of how older people will react.   But if you’re already getting it what’s your beef? You can’t sit there and complain about our books and being resistant to it.   I’m in my 60s. It won’t affect me so what’s to worry about?  50-year-olds will be jittery about it.  Under 40s should already know the issue and should be preparing for a new eventuality.   But the leaders of our biggest parties seem unable to lead if some people might react negatively, which doesn’t seem like leadership to me. 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 ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.