Advertise on podcast: Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A view more practical training for drivers will be essential, with the full licence test in the rear-view mirror.  After passing the restricted licence test, drivers under the age of 25 will have to wait out a mandatory 12-month period before they can apply for a full licence.   Those aged over 25 will have to wait six months.   Institute of Driver Educators President Mark Revill-Johnson told Ryan Bridge it's important to get training all the way to a full licence.  He says lots of people fail that test for things like speeding and failing to follow stop and give way signs.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growers are counting the cost as drinking habits change.  Around 100 thousand tonnes of grapes —a fifth of the crop— were left on the vine last year after exports couldn’t keep up.   Soljans Estate vineyard manager Tai Nelson told Ryan Bridge they just haven't been able to sell their product.  He says demand generally has dropped.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy appears to be turning a corner, and we'll learn today whether the unemployment rate will follow suit.  Stats NZ is providing its latest employment update at 10.45am.  Economists are divided on whether the unemployment rate will remain unchanged at the historically high 5.3%, or will dip slightly to 5.2%.  Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Ryan Bridge jobs have started to trickle through, but it’s just enough to stabilise the rate, rather than bring it down.   He says they’re expecting things to turn towards the middle of the year, improving over the course of the next year or so.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The British Prime Minster says Lord Mandelson has let the country down as he quits the House of Lords.  UK Police are now investigating allegations that Mandelson shared internal government information with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.  The latest release of Epstein files also show pictures of Mandelson in his underwear with an unidentified woman.  UK correspondent Mike Pearse told Ryan Bridge the Government told him if he didn't resign, they would've introduced legal powers to sack him. He says it's turning out to be one of the biggest political scandals in the UK in recent years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 4th of February 2025, the government's scrapping full drivers license tests, Mark Revill-Johnson, President of the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators shares his thoughts.  The first job market statistics of the year come out today, Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon tells Ryan where he thinks the unemployment rate will sit. The wine industry’s nursing a bit of an oversupply hangover, Soljans Winery Vineyard Manager Tai Nelson tells Ryan how it's been impacting their winery. Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Mike Pearse has the latest on Peter Mandelson stepping down as a lord.  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 inflation thief might be gone but it lurks in the corner and if you’re not careful, it happily leaps out and steals your wages. Last week we spoke about the fact their inflation’s running hot - almost 4%.  They’re now world leaders, with the highest rate in the developed world. More than the UK, US, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, and France. Not something Albo or anyone in Canberra should be proud of. So yesterday the Reserve Bank of Australia did what central banks do when things are getting too spicy - they hike rates.  They’ve just done a quarter of a percent. They’re likely to do another one next month. Labor has a very generous system that gets Aussies into houses. First home buyers can get in with 10%, there’s cash at the ready.  Housing costs are partly driving this inflation. No such thing as a free lunch. The subsidies are also helping to drive house prices, which in places like Sydney, Melbourne, and even Brisbane are completely out of reach and not even comparable to our big cities. Now the interest rate hikes these young new buyers are going to have swallow, as rates go up, will leave an estimated 1.3 million mortgage holders under stress. Roy Morgan says that’s 30% of mortgage holders.  Albo and Labor are overseeing near record highs of government spending - almost 30% of GDP. Now, the problem is that when the private sector runs up against competition from the public sector it can cause the whole thing to fizz and bubble up to the point of overheating.  And overheating needs cooling, and cooling causes pain.  So, the next time politicians on this side of the Tasman tell you more borrowing and spending will solve our problems, ask them how much, from where, for what exactly and whether the spend carries an inflation risk or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canterbury farmers are being urged to plan ahead amid concerns over winter feed supplies.  A series of significant hailstorms, combined with persistently wet conditions, has made it a tough season for arable farmers across the region.  Federated Farmers is encouraging early discussions between arable and dairy farmers, warning crop damage could reduce feed available for winter-grazed dairy cows.  Mid Canterbury President David Acland told Ryan Bridge it’s not panic stations just yet, it’s a push for people to check in and secure the feed they need.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelson's Mayor has kicked off a conversation about whether alcohol licensing laws are too strict.  Nick Smith was unable to buy a bottle of wine at the Ready to Roll concert on Sunday, at Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson.   It was being sold by the cup – the rule in place thought to be an effort to stop intoxication.  New Zealand Winegrowers Chair Fabian Yukich told Ryan Bridge there should be a little common sense.   He says you can try to cut out every possibility of everything going wrong, but in the end that becomes impractical.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Principals are looking to see more detail on the Government's new standardised school reports. The nationally consistent assessments in reading, writing, and maths will roll out this year, with students from Years 0 to 10 ranked against one of five progress indicators twice a year. Reports are also planned to give advice to parents on how they can help out at home. Secondary Principals' Council Chair Steve McCracken told Ryan Bridge some subjects have a lot more nuance for marking, especially in Years 9 and 10 He says there's a lot more in the English curriculum than just putting things into five categories. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 3rd of Feburary 2025, school report cards are getting a government makeover, Secondary Principals Council Chair Steve McCracken tells Ryan how big  if a difference this will make.  Nelson Mayor's taking a swipe at what he calls “over-zealous” alcohol licensing laws, New Zealand Winegrowers Chair Fabian Yukich shares his thoughts. Agribusiness had a cracker 2025 but farmers are being warned don’t pop the champagne just yet, mid Canterbury Federated Farmers President David Acland tells Ryan what farmers need to look out for.  Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on a meeting which failed to re-unite the Australian government coalition which remains split ahead of parliament today and a new search for alleged fugitive cop killer Dezi Freeman has begun. 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 same crowd who moan and complain when we don't have enough cash to upgrade schools or pay teachers and nurses more are the same lot who throw eggs at Crown cars and chant 'shame' at ribbon cuttings for mining operations.  The latest whinge is about Otago Council giving road access to some Aussie gold miners to mine gold in an area that was basically founded on doing just that.  You don't get wealthy sitting on your hands or waving banners.  That's not how you create communities people want to live in, in which teachers earn a decent wage, and nurses don't work 16-hour shifts.  A country that looks a bit more like, oh I don't know, Australia - you know, the place all our kids are moving too.  You can't have your cake and eat it too.  Critical minerals, another example. Why wouldn't we do a deal and pull it out of the ground?  Everyone else is doing it. By the way, a lot of this stuff goes into electric cars and electronic tech, like the cell phones and computers the Greens use, rather than into things like SUVs. So what's the problem now? Some facts before people get themselves too carried away, before you start to imagine giant open-cast pits stretching from coast to coast, blighting the landscape.  Current mines make up 4000 hectares of land. That's 0.015% of our total land mass.  And the Conservation estate? 0.5% If we are serious about creating a wealthy country where society functions, our elderly have warm homes, and our kids see a future, we need to start doing something about it.  Something other than waving banners and getting poorer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The families of the six victims caught in the Mount Maunganui landslide will begin heading home - with all bodies now recovered from the site. They'll have one last visit to the former campsite before it's handed back to the Tauranga City Council with clearing taking place when it's safe.  The council's meeting today to decide what type of investigation into the incident will be conducted.  Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge it's going to be tough for families.  He says they have to now leave the support and go back to their own home for funerals, so making sure they're supported is critical. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday the 2nd of February 2025, changes to ADHD prescriptions have officially kicked in, Gen Pro Chair Dr Angus Chambers shares his thoughts.  Police have officially ended all recovery operations at Mount Maunganui, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell tells Ryan what happens from here.  Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.  Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Mike Pearse has the latest on the US Department of Justice releasing more than three million pages from the Epstein files and ICE protests at Olympics. 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.

Those opposing our FTA with India have got be guilty of economic treason, don't they? We're a small trading nation with lots of food, and world markets who need our red meat and our milk.  The closer the country, the better. The higher-value-add, the better.  And the sugar on top is tariff-free access, so our competitive advantaged producing the world best dairy and sheep and beef, and Kiwifruit, can all me admired and loved by the word at a reasonable price.  When Helen Clark and Phil Goff signed the deal in Beijing back in 2007, two-way trade was $8. It's now $41-billion. It's now our largest trading partner. We are on the cusp of another bonanza just like with a country much bigger and meddle class about the crack on.  It's to come the third largest economy in the world. However, some kiwi politicians believe this is somehow a bad thing. That selling our best produces to other countries at cheaper prices, unencumbered another' tax regime, how is that not a good idea?  Why because we may have take an 1700 Indians on working visas coming here?  So what. They work hard, they hussle. They don't piss around fishing at the beach or sitting on the couch when they should be working.  Migrants do the jobs iwi's feel they're too posh to do in society. It's hard work. Honest work. And it needs to be done.  Why not let people who want to work, work. And you don't, you don't get anything.  Fish till your hearts content.  But this country should be filled with ambitious people who want to make the most of it. That's what FTAs do and I can't understand people don't it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view that increased employment will be the key to our economic bounce back.   Infometrics says there's worrying indicators which show economic momentum is fragile.  But more signs of improvement are expected by midyear, when labour market conditions should be turning.   Infometrics’ Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge that they are expecting the economy to pick up this year, they’re just a bit cautious.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.