Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A tax expert believes Labour's changed stance on interest deductibility makes complete sense. 

Labour's confirmed it won't change the current Government's rules allowing landlords to deduct 100% of interest in tax returns.  

It had previously criticised the policy as a tax cut for landlords, but Chris Hipkins believes their proposed Capital Gains Tax will address the issue. 

Deloitte Tax Partner Robin Walker told Ryan Bridge changing the rules would just be deferring when interest deductions get made. 

She says logically what would happen if deductions were denied is revenue from a capital gains tax would go much further down from what's forecast. 

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A student leader believes universities will hit a wall when it comes to funding without the Fees Free scheme.  

Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds says despite supporting more than 300,000 students from 2018-2025, covering more than $2 billion in fees, it didn't meaningfully lift participation or provide a good return.  

But Victoria University of Wellington Students Association president Aidan Donoghue told Ryan Bridge universities will have to change tack without the scheme. 

He says they will have to ask for more government funding or require more from students. 

Donoghue says fees have already increased 20% in three years. 

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There's a suggestion consumer spending is recovering, but essential costs are leaving less for the fun stuff.

Kiwibank research reveals more than 71% of card transactions in August was on credit cards – the highest share since records began in 2002.

A decade ago, credit cards made up less than half of card spending.

Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge power bills and rates are eating into disposable income.

He says there's a structural shift underway, with more money going towards essential costs and less into the retail sector.

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Labour has finally seen the light on interest deductibility. 

That's where a landlord, like any other legitimate business in New Zealand, is able to deduct the expense of its capital borrowing, i.e. a mortgage, against taxable income. 

After expenses, what's left over is taxed. 

This is a genuine surprise to me. The word I'd been getting from some Labour MPs, and the industry, was that they would allow a 50% deduction rather than the current 100%. 

Of course, the deduction has always made sense and arguments against made little. 

"Housing shouldn't be a business because it's essential" has always been a bogus line. Food, electricity, and water are also essential. They're all free and able to deduct interest on their borrowing to own and build supermarkets, wind turbines, and treatment plants – whether publicly or privately owned. 

There are two reasons for this: 

Labour's capital gains tax revenue would have been hit by landlords claiming the deductions at point of sale, leaving a hole in their free GP budget. 

It's also a play for the centre. They're dropping in the polls – the nine new taxes adverts are, I think, largely to blame. 

Continuing landlord tax cuts (as they like to call them) is a play from the same political handbag as National's supermarket break-up. 

Neither party's MPs like the move. They're Captain's calls. They're centre plays. But they don't, in their hearts, these MPs, like backing them. 

On latest polling the legacy parties are scrapping for less than 60% of the vote, their lowest collective share on record. 

National's trying to out-Labour Labour, and Labour's trying to out-National National. 

The risk for both is that it only angers their base, who run screaming into the arms of Chlöe or David. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 22nd of September 2026, the Tertiary Education Minister says the taxpayer sent over $2 billion on the defunct fees free policy, VUWSA President Aidan Donoghue 
shares his thoughts. 

More Kiwis are relying on our credit cards to pay for stuff as cost-of-living pressures bite, Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie explains.  

The Labour Party has announced it will not campaign on reintroducing a tax rule that would cost residential property investors, Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker shares her thoughts.

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on Anthony Albanese’s bid to get Australia onto the UN Security Council.

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An expert believes National's proposed pre-school check carries merit and is definitely worth exploring.

The party says its early childhood policy will set clearer expectations for what children are checked on before school.

If re-elected, National wants to end screen and device use in ECE and introduce a School Start Check before children transition to primary school. 

Advocates for Early Learning Excellence Chair Kelly Seaburg told Ryan Bridge it's good to see if children can manage basic things like getting dressed and going to the bathroom.

She says the checks may help show if additional teaching strategies are required.

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Labour says it will tackle the supermarket duopoly in its first 100 days, if it forms the next government. 

The party will force Foodstuffs and Woolworths to break their wholesale and retail arms up into separate businesses. 

It says it will also crack down on big companies ripping people off - by making price gouging illegal. 

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Williams told Ryan Bridge the idea for a wholesale-retail split comes from the Commerce Commission's work. 

She says National could have done this in 2025 - when Woolworths brought a credible plan to transition the industry to separate wholesalers. 

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There's thing happening with parents, responsibility and the state.

Kids are wither misbehaving or not learning, parents are putting their hands up, and the state is having to regulate, what kids can and can't do.

I was watching the news last night and a researcher was telling the story of an early childhood teacher.

Teacher said parents had turned up with their toddler to class, handed over an Ipad with the kid, and said that the child would not eat any meals without being plugged into an Ipad.

You can't tell me parents haven't heard screen time is bad news.

Remember ECE is for kids who are three months to 5 years old.

So, perhaps to offset what the kid is being allowed to do at home, National wants to ban screens in class for toddlers.

In the UK, the state is now going after parents whose kids are behaving badly and turning into crooks.

If your kid commits crimes, you could lose your benefit or be sent to prison or fined.

So, we have the state basically saying that parents are not controlling their kids - either on screens or on the streets - and so steps in to parent for them.

Or use doll out punishment to force them to parent properly.

Which begs the question, what's happened to parenting?

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 21st of September 2026, Labour Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Williams tells Ryan about Labour's policy to split the retail and wholesale arms of Woolworths and Foodstuffs.

National's promising to ban screens at early childhood centres and tighten limits for years 1 to 3 at Primary school, Advocates for Early Learning Excellence Chair Kelly Seaburg tells Ryan if this would help the learning needs of young children. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on the UK Bank of England not changing interest rates while US Fed and ECB and Japan did raise and Canada becoming a possible associate membership of the EU, and EU banks urged to become possibly stronger to compete with the US.

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the US and Denmark announcing a deal on Greenland's security, resolving a diplomatic dispute sparked by President Donald Trump's threats to seize it by force and UK parents could lose their benefits or face prison sentences for their children's crimes under reforms to the youth justice system. 

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The GDP has grown as expected – rising 0.2% in the June quarter. 

Construction was the biggest boost, up 2.7%, driven by more residential building projects. 

It's the largest increase in construction activity since the June 2023 quarter.  

Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma told Ryan Bridge they've been seeing steady signs of improvements in both business and consumer confidence, so it's good to see that confidence turning into real growth. 

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A Canterbury principal likes the idea of taking politics out of curriculum decisions, but says it’ll be interesting to see whether that happens in practice.  

If elected, Labour's promising a pause the Government's school curriculum overhaul, including delaying the replacement of NCEA by a year. 

It also wants to establish an Independent Council for Curriculum and Assessment. 

Darfield High School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge the proof will be in the pudding. 

He says Labour is promising to make decisions guided by evidence rather than playing politics, but whether that does happen is up in the air. 

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The Firefighters' Union says it's been warning the Government for years about problems at Fire and Emergency. 

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has lost confidence in the agency's CEO Kerry Gregory, accusing him of withholding information about a serious incident for a year. 

The agency has also been referred to the Serious Fraud Office. 

Professional Firefighters' Union National Secretary Wattie Watson told Ryan Bridge Gregory and the board need to go. 

She says the union has been trying to get the Government's attention over the “dire” state of Fire and Emergency for years. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of September 2026, construction was the biggest boost to GDP, Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma explains where the boom has come from. 

Labour’s hitting the brakes on the NCEA curriculum overhaul, Darfield High School Principal tells Ryan about what teachers and parents are looking for. 

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has expressed no confidence in FENZ chief executive Kerry Gregory, NZPFU National Secretary Wattie Watson shares her thoughts. 

Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on King Charles is hosting an AI summit, warning of ‘existential danger’ in the wrong hands and the Palace have hit back strongly on comments Princess Diana’s brother claims he made shortly after her death. 

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What a week.  

AI's going to kill us all – unless Putin gets there first. More drones and flare-ups from him, allegedly, in the skies above Europe.  

Trump's pushing Carney into the arms of another lover in Ursula von der Leyen. It was all hugs and kisses in Strasbourg.  

The Aussies are making big moves to cut immigration. Central bankers are hiking off the back of war and oil.  

And here in New Zealand, we're dropping the C-bomb in Parliament again.  

This time it was Debbie from the Māori Party.  

Things got a bit out of hand.  

While the world was busy dealing with important matters, like preserving humanity, Willie Jackson was defending Debbie's C-bomb.  

Parliament's bouncer, The Sergeant-at-Arms, was called on to help kick him out of the House!  

Wild times in the debating chamber. 

The Sergent is rarely called on to bounce politicians because politicians normally take their punishment and leave. But Willie was having none of that.  

The Sergeant, whose frankly baller job title is up there with the Usher of the Black Rod, was thankfully saved from getting his hands dirty.  

He didn't need to bust out the Mace and start prodding the pollies with it. Jackson eventually left the Chamber. Parliament carried on.  

As did the rest of the world, which was a bit busy on more important issues of the day. 

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Blowback from a business advocate on National's plan to break up Foodstuffs.  

If elected, and if the Commerce Commission agrees, the party would separate Pak'nSave from New World and Four Square to create more competition. 

But Foodstuffs warns there'd be significant implications and would affect more than 500 locally owned and operated stores. 

Business NZ Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard told Ryan Bridge threatening to split up private property is hugely alarming.  

She says it sends a terrible signal to overseas investors – that the government could essentially take away business. 

Beard also says there's a lack of evidence to suggest our food is more expensive than other countries. 

She told Bridge that while food prices have gone up, they're no higher than Australia and the UK. 

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The economy is expected to keep improving as the year goes on.  

Stats NZ is releasing GDP data for April-to-June later this morning. 

Economists are expecting economic growth will come in between 0.1% and 0.3% for the quarter and between 2.2% and 2.4% for the year. 

Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge we could soon get back to the growth we were seeing last year. 

We says we took a detour in the June quarter because fuel prices got so expensive, but quarter three is suggesting a number up around 0.8% to 0.9%. 

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Two classic American food brands are landing in New Zealand, with Auntie Anne’s pretzels and Carvel soft serve opening in Auckland this month. 

Auntie Anne’s sells pretzels, lemonades, dips, and “pretzel dogs”, with more than 1,200 stores across 600 international locations. 

Carvel claims to have invented soft-serve ice cream. 

NZ Cinnabon franchise owner Kathan Parikh told Ryan Bridge they'll use mostly New Zealand ingredients while sticking to the classic American recipes. 

He says Kiwis travel a lot and this is a great opportunity for them to enjoy America on home soil.   

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 17th of September 2026, the Business community not happy with National’s plan to bust up Foodstuffs, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard explains. 

Auntie Anne’s and Carvel Ice Cream are opening their first NZ stores in Auckland this month, Kathan Parikh NZ Cinnabon franchise owner, tells Ryan why he's bringing the new chains into the country. 

The June quarter GDP number is out today, independent economist Cameron Bagrie shares his thoughts.

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the Federal Bank's rate decision and Trump choosing not to back Saudi Arabia in Houthi violence. 

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Nicola's supermarket smash-up is not serious.  

She's playing a very risky political game and she knows it.  

Cost of living is the only game in town this election – win on the cost-of-living battle and you win the war.  

Nicola thinks by looking tough on supermarkets she'll earn the respect of the 'squeezed middle'.  

But, as I've said many times before, even if you wipe out all the so-called 'super profits' the supermarkets are making, you benefit by a few extra dollars per week.  

But there's a big "if" here. 

Our supermarkets are run very efficiently. Yes, they are dominant, too dominant, but that allows economies of scale in a long, thin country of five million people.  

Mess with that for political gain and you risk prices actually going up, not down.  

That is not my view. That is the view of the very report which Nicola relied on to make her grand pronouncement yesterday.  

In other words, this whole thing could end up costing us more than it saves us.  

Nobody knows for sure. No governments in the world have gone in with an axe and split up a live supermarket chain in real time. 

The very threat of it will put the willies up investors. Who's going to be investing in New Zealand's supermarket industry before the second half of 2027? 

That's how long a second report will take to answer those questions.  

And guess what, those risks, those 'scenarios', those best guesses on calculators by modellers will still be there in 12 months' time.  

At which point, National will shelve this idea. It won't happen.  

This isn't happening. It's not serious. It's politics. It's election year.  

Some are saying this is Nicola's Jacinda nuclear-free, oil and gas moment.  

But it's not. Jacinda actually did the ban. Nicola's not.  

Jacinda fired the gun, Nicola's just waving it around the supermarket for a photo-op. 

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There's a view changes to the fast-track system shouldn't be made carelessly.  

The amendments to the system working their way through Parliament will mean councils can claw back greater costs from developers.  

Independent urban planner and strategic development expert Bruce Weir says there probably is some room for developers to pay more.  

But he told Ryan Bridge the Government shouldn't be rash with changes.  

Weir says we don't want to put developers off as it can actually be quite difficult to get projects through.  

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It's being suggested New Zealand is still suffering from a minimum wage freeze 30 years ago, and ACT's pledge would do long term damage.  

The party wants to set up a training wage for under-20s in their first year, allowing them only 60% of the minimum wage – that's $14.37 an hour. 

ACT also wants to freeze the minimum wage for three years. 

E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh told Ryan Bridge the wage is already well below what people need to survive on. 

She says the policy sends a message that some New Zealanders aren't worthy of earning enough to live. 

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Tax cuts are back on the campaign agenda.  

Nicola Willis dropped a wee hint to the BusinessNZ election conference yesterday. 

Bracket creep is hurting workers – as wages increase and you creep into a higher tax bracket, you pay more marginal tax. That's not fair.  

So, something might be done about it.  

I say "might" because there are caveats and they're big ones.  

National must be re-elected. Its coalition partners would need to agree. That was far from a done deal yesterday. 

And the Government must have the books back in surplus – the plan is 2029/30. 

But as I said yesterday, even then it's wafer-thin, and how many times have we been promised a surplus that doesn't eventuate?  

More times than I can count. It feels like a mirage.  

We'll find out more after the fiscal update at the end of the month. On October 11th, ACT will make its pitch for flatter tax rates.  

New Zealand First is working on a foreign investment tax incentive. The Nats are looking at changes to the R&D tax credit.  

So, tax cuts, rather just hikes, are on the election agenda.  

But not quite worth getting particularly excited about. 

Too many hoops to jump through, hills to climb, and water to go under bridges before this becomes a serious pitch voters should start thinking about and factoring into a decision before November. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Children's Commissioner Jane Searle shares her thoughts on the damning report into the missing Phillips children. 

ACT’s small business policy is ruffling a few feathers, especially among the unions E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh tells Ryan why the policy is problematic for workers.

A quick change has been made to laws that will affect fast-track developments, independent urban planner and strategic development expert Bruce Weir tells Ryan if the changes go far enough. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on Nato fighter pilots have shooting down a drone that entered Lithuania's airspace overnight.

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The Children Commissioner's demanding action, with a multitude of failures in the search for the Marokopa children brought to light. 

A four-year manhunt for notorious fugitive Tom Phillips ended a year ago when he was shot dead by Police. 

An inquiry finds our public agencies overlooked concerns, delayed action and missed opportunities to find the children earlier and prevent their disappearance. 

It criticises the lack of information sharing, particularly across Oranga Tamariki and Police. 

Commissioner Jane Searle told Ryan Bridge this report makes it clear coordination needs to be better across government agencies. 

She says it's not easy, and cases like this are very complex, but it can be done. 

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Net migration is back on the rise as the brain drain eases. 

Stats NZ data shows the number of people moving here in the year to July outnumbered those leaving by 20,300. 

Annually, that net migration has risen almost 55%, with arrivals up 5% and departures down 4%. 

Immigration Expert Simon Laurent told Andrew Dickens that much as it has in the past, the security and safety of New Zealand is making it an attractive place to put down roots. 

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Surging global oil prices and bond yields could keep inflation higher than expected and force the Reserve Bank to raise the OCR faster than expected. 

Some economists now expect the Official Cash Rate to reach 4% before the end of the year. 

The Government says the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update —due out in two weeks— will try to reflect changes in borrowing costs. 

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Andrew Dickens further conflict in the Middle East is pushing up oil prices, as fears grow about an AI bubble burst. 

He says both of these things are happening, amidst mounting concerns about government debt. 

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July's record tourism numbers are being seen as a reflection of investment finally paying off.   

Stats NZ data shows 256,600 overseas tourists arrived during the month, overtaking pre-Covid numbers from July 2019 by 0.4%. 

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Andrew Dickens the effort from local councils, regional tourism operators, and the Government is bearing fruit.  

She says July is usually a quiet time, so the big win is the 70% jump in business events that keep the likes of Rotorua afloat. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 15th of September 2026, international visitor numbers are finally back above pre-Covid levels, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell tells Andrew how the government's tourism push has helped. 

Migrant arrivals for the year were up 5%, immigration expert Simon Laurent shares his thoughts. 

Our debt situation might be catching up to us as the global bond markets start to get anxious, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains. 

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on Pauline Hanson asked to apologise over nasty and divisive comments about First Nations Australians and the first confirmed case of bird flu, an endangered an Aussie sea lion.

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The past week has seen immigration policies come to the fore. 

New Zealand First is signalling a tougher immigration stance, longer waits for residency and citizenship, a referendum to cap new residency approvals at 20,000 a year, and a 30-year population plan tying migrant intake to infrastructure capacity.  

Labour is also tightening its settings, extending residency qualification to four years and promising a Government Policy Statement. 

But as economists like Bernard Hickey point out, these policies miss the real immigration pressure. 

New Zealand issues more than 230,000 temporary work visas annually, largely for lower-paid roles on our farms, in our kitchens, and even in our beauty salons. 

The temporary workers aren't here forever. But when they go, they're replaced but other temporary visa holders.  

This quarter of a million of temporary visa holders is still driving population growth, straining infrastructure, and suppressing wages.   

They come with problems that no-one is addressing. 

Not for the first time, politicians can't see the wood for the trees, and not for the first time, they then release policies that are primarily designed to get votes but not to address the issues. 

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A Russian drone has hit a train near the Ukraine-Poland border, moments after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other top European security officials had been present.

No one died in the attack, and all passengers were safely evacuated.

Johnson had been passing along the same line on a different train, returning from a conference in Kyiv.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's plenty of speculation behind the motives of the strike, with Ukraine claiming Johnson's train was the intended target.

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The UK's GDP grew by 0.4 percent in July, surprising economists after no growth was predicted.

The economic growth was driven by several key sectors, and boosted by more businesses investing in AI and data centres.

Business correspondent Vicky Pryce says the World Cup also helped contribute to the growth, with more people spending money in pubs and restaurants over the July period.

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The City Rail Link finally launched over the weekend and it's set to bring extra foot traffic to Auckland CBD, but concerns have been raised over the potential risks.

National's promising a dedicated Auckland Transport police team if elected, pledging an extra $7 million per year through Budget 2027 to recruit the extra officers.

Auckland Councillor Alf Filipaina says this is the right move, and he's been consistent in saying that the community needs to be protected.

"We need to protect the community, in particular, within the CRL - along with the transport officers." 

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A clear standout - as Labour rolls out a raft of proposed changes to our KiwiSaver scheme.

The party's promising to lift the employer contribution rate to six percent by 2032 - if elected. 

Labour would also introduce compulsory employer contributions, even when employees have paused or reduced their own share. 

Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds shares the latest with Ryan Bridge. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Labour Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds shares the details of Labour's KiwiSaver policy. 

Auckland Councillor shares his thoughts on the opening of the CRL and if we need to establish Auckland Transport Police to keep people safe. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on UK GDP, the European Central Bank raising rates and a look ahead to the UK rate decision. 

Plus, UK/ Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the UK national security adviser saying Europe must be ready to endure "real hardship" this winter if it is to keep up economic pressure on Russia and Reform UK receiving two £36m donations from British cryptocurrency billionaires. 

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There's a reason we talk a lot on this programme about bond markets, growth, central bank decisions and wars in far-away places.

There was, and probably still is, a school of thought that people either don't want, or don't understand, financial markets, currencies and economics.

I've always thought this was BS. It's why we focus on them a lot. They're important because they tell a story about where we've been and, more importantly, what's next.

People aren't stupid. Most of the correspondence, emails and letters I get are from people far smarter than me.

Though, that's not really saying much. More about me!

This week we're getting GDP for Q2. It'll show we've gone sideways to slightly forwards, if you listen to the bank economists.

Which is better than backwards, which is where they were picking we would go a few months ago.

This is StatsNZ data and is, of course, itself backwards-looking.

It'll show us where we've been.

For a look at where we're going, we had the PMI, that's the manufacturing index out Friday.

It was off slightly July-August, but still in expansion. And still above the long-term average.

What's more, it tells us that forward orders are looking good.

It bodes well for Q3.

As always, there's a reason to talk about the numbers. Not just the ones we'll hear about this week.

But the ones which give us clues about where we're heading next.

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The All Blacks are hoping to rally after back-to-back losses to the Springboks. 

But this time they're not on South African territory, instead the two sides are clashing on the neutral ground of Baltimore in the United States. 

But whether or not the All Blacks manage to tie the series, former Springbok Kevin Putt believes Dave Rennie has already got the tick. 

He told Ryan Bridge he's gone toe to toe with the 'Boks, so people can see he's doing his job okay. 

Putt says this is more of a test of New Zealand Rugby and what's happened over the last four years with their development of young players, and NZR may be found wanting. 

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A retired US politician believes the Iran war has no end in sight.

The Wall Street Journal reports top advisers told President Trump privately that his war would likely drag on through the rest of his term. 

It differs from his comments yesterday, in which he was telling supporters it'd end immediately after the November mid-terms. 

Former Defence Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta told Ryan Bridge that's unlikely. 

He says this is Trump claiming everything will be fine, but in reality, the war will go on.

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A warning from a constitutional law expert that every time the Government rushes legislation, it risks a major stuff up. 

The Ministry of Social Development's apologising after 30 thousand winter energy payments and main and supplementary benefits were wrongly cut.  

It was caused by an error in legislation which was passed under urgency through Parliament last year.  

Graeme Edgeler told Ryan Bridge these mistakes happen a lot under urgency, but they don't always have such drastic consequences. 

He says skipping the select committee process means losing that extra chance for people to point out mistakes as officials will often be working on the legislation and fixing errors as they go. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 11th of September 2026, the Ministry of Social Development has released its review into two issues that meant thousands of pensioners, veterans and beneficiaries had their benefits incorrectly cut, constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler shares his thoughts.

Former US Secretary of Defence and former Director of the CIA Leon Panetta, joins Ryan to share his thoughts on the US/Iran war and when he thinks it will end. 

The All Blacks hoping to rally after back-to-back losses to the Springboks, former Springbok Kevin Putt tells Ryan how he thinks the game will go.

Plus, visitors to England will soon face paying a Tourist Tax for their accommodation, with Mayors to be given the power to set rates, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest. 

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A clearer direction for the hospitality sector, with red tape set to be slashed. 

The Ministry for Regulation's completed a review into cumbersome rules hindering food and drink operators from doing business.  

It highlights several recommendations designed to make things easier for the sector.

Regulation Minister David Seymour told Ryan Bridge the changes would make life easier for people in the industry trying to make a buck. 

Ministers are now working on an Action Plan. 

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Tech New Zealand's hoping AI becomes a hot topic this election as Labour releases its policy on the new technology. 

If elected, the party wants stronger regulations on the use of copyright materials, private information, and the energy needed to power data centres.  

Labour also wants stronger oversight through an Office of AI and would establish an online safety regulator. 

Tech New Zealand chief executive Graeme Muller told Ryan Bridge they've been calling on politicians to focus on AI for the last two elections. 

He says this is a technology which will be more impactful than any that's come before, so it's good people are taking it seriously. 

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House prices could be on track for a much faster recovery than ASB expects.

The bank says national prices are still 15% below their late-2021 peak and won't fully recover until 2029.

But real estate agent Rawdon Christie thinks the market's about to pick up.

He told Ryan Bridge the sheer number of people he's talking to points to a strong start to 2027.

Christie says that's because people have accepted the fact we're in a stable market, with not much changing and not wanting to wait.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday the 10th of September 2026, the Minister for Regulation, David Seymour tells Ryan how big of an impact the Hospitality review will make for the sector and what comes next. 

Real Estate Agent Rawdon Christie shares his thoughts on ASB picking house prices will return to 2021 peaks by late 2029. 

Labour's put out an AI policy and wants data centres to find their own energy supply, Tech New Zealand Chief Executive Graeme Muller shares his thoughts. 

Plus, US Correspondent Nick Harper has the latest on the US/Iran war and oil prices and a preview of Trump's big speech at the Republican Convention.

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Do we really need a Minister of Booze?  

Back in the good old days, they were all Ministers of Booze. The whole cabinet – especially Robert Muldoon.  

But the idea that we need a Minister responsible for alcohol is well-intentioned, like all 80-odd portfolios that reviews and recommendations have created.  

This one is a recommendation from the Hospitality Sector Regulatory Review.  

The review was done by the Ministry for Regulation – that was created to cut red tape and make government less complicated.  

It's recommended creating a new agency and transferring Ministerial responsibility.  

It was announced by the Minister for Regulation, David Seymour, whose role was also set up to cut red tape.  

Can you see the problem here?  

There are no doubt good reasons to make rules simpler and get rid of regulations.  

But creating a new Minister and ministry who then does a review and recommends creating another agency and transferring responsibility to a new Minister just sounds backwards.  

It's like bacteria. Bureaucratic bacteria. They multiply and spread everywhere.  

One minute it's a single cell, the next minute it's split into two. Next minute there's four. It goes on and on.  

We need fewer jobs in Wellington, not more.  

Remember, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Finland who are similar size to us, they all have fewer than 20 Ministerial roles. The UK, Canada, United States, and Korea have fewer than 30.  

The saving grace is that no decisions on the review have been made. Why not just cut the red tape and send the pollies for a beer at Bellamys? 

This piece initially stated that there would be a new Minister created - that was incorrect.

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Israel's taking several measures against the UK, including closing its consulate in Jerusalem and banning 11 MPs from entering the country. 

The move's in retaliation to the UK saying it'll ban the imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.  

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens the language used in the British Parliament was startling, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband calling it "ethnic cleansing".  

He says it's not how ministers of the past would've framed it.  

France, Canada, and Spain are among the 12 countries imposing similar sanctions. 

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Queenstown's Mayor says National's alternative to a bed tax is better than nothing.  

The party's pledging to change how the International Visitor Levy is spent, pouring $100 million into conservation a year and $50 million for tourism.  

The rest would be dished out to councils based on how many international visitor nights they get.  

Queenstown would get $17.1 million in the first year, with John Glover telling Andrew Dickens it's not as good as a local accommodation levy, but there's currently very little else. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 9th of September 2026, new numbers on how students are are comparing with the rest of the world and it's good news, Secondary Principals Association Chairman Steve McCracken shares his thoughts.

Nationals got an alternative to a bed tax, redirecting international visitor levy money to councils, Queenstown Mayor John Glover tells Andrew where the money will go.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand says supports Labour's policy for changes to Emissions Trading Scheme; Chair Kate Acland shares her thoughts. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on Israel unleashing four countermeasures against the UK after Britain’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Parliament the UK will ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.

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Beef + Lamb New Zealand is welcoming Labour's plan to review the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Labour says ETS prices are too low to meaningfully cut emissions, and make planting exotic forests more attractive than growing food.

It wants farmers to adopt new technology to reduce emissions and isn't campaigning on making them pay directly for agricultural emissions.

Beef + Lamb Chair Kate Acland told Andrew Dickens Labour is starting to recognise how important farming is to the economy.

She says Kiwis are among the most emissions efficient farmers in the world - and stopping farming isn't the way to cut agricultural emissions. 

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Well, the jungle drums are starting to thrum for the fast-track regime.  

Word on the street is that legal action is coming for a number of the proposals currently before the committee. 

Meanwhile, there was a fiery Auckland Council meeting yesterday full of anger at residential fast-track developers. 

Mayor Wayne Brown has vowed to be a thorn in the side of subdivisions looking to circumvent the council, considering telling fast-track developers —and future residents— it won’t provide or fund basic services to them. 

The problem is the developers are using the new system to gazump planning rules.  

Fast-track was designed to speed up the process of getting consents, but not to supplant the regulations currently in place.  

There's been a stampede by housing developers who want quick consents, but they also want more latitude for their plans.  

A prime example is the re-development of the Devonport township.  

The developers there have proposed a series of eight storey buildings, but the Unitary Plan currently only allows four.  

That's got locals concerned that the picturesque main road will be overwhelmed, but they'll have no say. 

The fast-track is there to make the gaining of consents faster, but not to fundamentally change the plan that's currently in place.  

The great success so far is the Port of Tauranga, whose plan was stuck in bureaucratic limbo for seven years. Now in a matter of months the plan has been approved, but it is still a plan that adheres to planning regulations in place.  

So expect some expensive legal action as locals and councils put the spanner in the works of the developers trying to push the boundaries for a quick buck. 

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Germany's far-right AfD is piling pressure on parties to work with them after a state election win. 

Preliminary results show the party is three seats short of an outright majority in Saxony-Anhalt. 

However most German political parties refuse to work with the AfD. 

If it finds support, it would be the first far-right party to govern a German state since World War II. 

Sky News European Correspondent Alastair Bunkall told Ryan Bridge there's a chance they could try and govern as a minority, but even then they'd probably still need an agreement to make sure anything they wanted to pass got across the line. 

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The oil and gas industry is welcoming the first loans from the Government’s $200 million Gas Security Fund.

It's investing $23.5 million into two projects, including drilling a new well and accessing deeper gas at existing fields. 

Both with be run by Todd Energy, while there are 17 other proposals sitting on the Government's desk. 

Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge the loans are being used for existing field and infrastructure, so they offer one of the quickest opportunities to get more domestic gas into the market sooner.  

He says if they're successful, both projects expect to have gas flowing by the end of 2027. 

Carnegie says this is a public-private partnership at its best. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Todd Energy getting up to $23.5 million in government loans for gas security projects, Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie shares his thoughts. 

The Government’s splashing another $5 million on regional tourism, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell tells Ryan what the money will go to in Rotorua.

Europe is shaking in it's boots after the far right party AFD's win in Saxony-Anhalt, Sky News Europe Correspondent Alastair Bunkall has the latest out of Germany.

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on a leaked text shows huge amount tipped for Solomon Islands from the Australian Government and American football fans descend on Melbourne for an historic NRL match at the MCG.

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Overseas visitors are being encouraged to get out of the main centres so our tourist hotspots stay fully booked all year round.  

The Government's putting $5 million into six initiatives designed to entice travellers to visit the regions, ahead of the peak season.  

Rotorua NZ will lead a $995 thousand food campaign focused on Chinese visitors, as well as co-leading another aimed at Australian and US tourists. 

Mayor Tania Tapsell told Ryan Bridge the overseas focus is important, so businesses thrive in the quieter months when there's less domestic travel. 

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We've got another report from another ratings agency, Moody's.  

They've taken a look at our credit, they've taken a look at our economy, much the same as the S&P one we spoke about last week. 

But here's a few things this country cannot afford to forget.  

We are a trading nation; we have a small population. Unless we sell stuff to the rest of the world, which the world then pays us for, we are a backwater. 

We are a money-go-round; we are a low-income poor cousin at the bottom of the Pacific. 

Dairy, meat, kiwifruit, honey, you name it. If we don't have strong export industries, we're basically buggered. We need more of them, of course.  

We have tourism, let's not whinge too much about the campervans. 

The world's cooked at times, and there'll be another Hormuz before long. 

Hell, the current Hormuz isn't over yet and that means we need storage for diesel, which we're doing, but we need more of, for gas, which Genesis is looking at, and Todd and Uncle Shane are trying to find, and data centres.  

I know they're controversial, I know people hate them, but they shouldn't be.  

If done well, and by well, I mean they wash their own faces, then tick tick.  

The other thing we desperately need are roads that don't wash out when it rains. Petrol taxes pay for that, so let's maybe not cut our nose off to spite our face in that regard. 

It's pretty simple really, we need to keep doing what we're doing, we need roads to get our stuff to port, we need oil to keep the country moving, we need ships coming and going and we need something new on the horizon always. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 7th of September 2026, National’s promising to make it easier to get into your first home if re-elected, Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson tells Ryan what difference it would make to the property market. 

Former Senior Royal Protection Officer Scott Hamer shares his views on Prince Harry and Meghan's security since moving back to the UK. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce shares 

Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on Police in Southeast England accused of being slow to react after major disruption at the Port of Dover in Kent due to a large group of masked men holding a demonstration about illegal migration and Nigel Farage says he "frankly wasn't listening" during a conversation with his former chief of staff and an undercover reporter discussing what appears to have been a scheme to funnel foreign money to Reform UK.

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National's plan to expand the First Home Loan scheme could help more people buy their first home - but isn't expected to transform the housing market.

The party wants to widen access to five percent deposits.

If elected, National would increase the income threshold so anyone earning less than 300-thousand dollars combined could access the scheme - up from the current 95-thousand dollars for single buyers or 150-thousand for more than one.

Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Ryan Bridge the change will have a limited impact - and shouldn't push house prices higher.

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Told you when this whole thing kicked off that it wouldn't end tomorrow, and it hasn't.

This is the war between the US and Iran. It is still going on.

The biggest problem was always going to be the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Hormuz is not open.

In fact, there were tankers going through the other day in a shoulder that the US should be said should be safe, and guess what, they weren't. 

Now, over the weekend we've had Leon Panetta, this is the US former US Defence Secretary.

He was also CIA Director under Obama.

He's said, yeah, look, it's one of those things. It's at risk now becoming another forever war in the Middle East, which is exactly what everybody doesn't want.

We've had these before, we've had many before, Iraq, Afghanistan, you name it.

He says the likelihood is this war is going to continue for another six months without being resolved. 

And at the same time, you've got chaos at the Pentagon.

You've got Hegseth going after and firing people left, right, and centre, or senior military commanders leaving their posts.

And just imagine if you were one of the frontline soldiers here, if you were on some Navy frigate in the middle of the Gulf, although they're having a wee holiday in Thailand at the moment, of course, but if you were on a Navy frigate in the middle of the Gulf and you were reading updates on your phone or you're reading updates from command going, oh, he's gone now.

Oh, who's in charge here? And what exactly are we doing? Quite disconcerting.

And I think Leon Panetta makes that point very well.

This war is not going to end in a hurry, certainly not in the next six months. 

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The All Blacks are preparing for the third test in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry. 

South Africa levelled the series in Cape Town, making this match effectively the decider, even though there is a fourth test in Baltimore. 

They're clashing at FNB Stadium in Soweto – the match kicking off at 3.10am Sunday.  

Former All Blacks Captain Sean Fitzpatrick told Ryan Bridge that the team is finishing well, so they're doing something right. 

He says they just need to get the crucial moments in the first 20 to 25 minutes right. 

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The property market's remaining subdued with a suggestion it'll be a while until there's real growth in prices. 

Cotality data shows values on average fell by 0.4% over August, marking the fifth declining month in a row. 

It notes global geopolitical tensions, the OCR lifting, and the upcoming general election is contributing to market uncertainty. 

Real Estate Agent Rawdon Christie told Ryan Bridge the high amount of homes for sale is also probably supressing potential price increases. 

But he says they saw a pretty healthy August, as vendors are meeting the settled market where it's at. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 4th of September 2026 the All Blacks take on the Springboks for their third test in Johannesburg, former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick tells Ryan what we can expect. 

House prices continuing to fall for the fifth month in a row, real estate agent Rawdon Christie shares her thoughts. 

The ACT Party is calling for an end to race-specific placements at medical school, Warwick Bagg, Auckland University Dean of Medical and Health Sciences shares his thoughts on the policy. 

Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on the King, President Macron and PM Burnham attended the unveiling of the Bayeux Tapestry last night at the British Museum. 

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ACT's plan to campaign on scrapping Māori and Pacific med school places is being seen by some as electioneering.

A review into Auckland and Otago university admission programmes is part of the ACT-National coalition agreement, but its findings haven't been made public.

An ACT spokesperson claims the scheme shows unjustified discrimination.

Auckland University Medical Dean Warwick Bagg told Ryan Bridge the findings should be released so the facts can be debated.

He says it's about giving Māori and Pacific students the highest chance to succeed, where the school system doesn't.

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Look don't mind confessing you, dear listener, that I don't read many books. 

I do listen to them on audio, I do read on holiday, but who has the time to actually sit down and get stuck into hundreds of pages? 

People don't even watch full movies anymore.   

You can't do much when you're checking your phone on average one billion times per hour. 

But I did happen to stumble across one of the best reads I've had in a while a few weeks back in Barry Crump's 'A Good Keen Man'. 

It's unpretentious. It's funny. It's outrageous. It paints a picture of New Zealand and New Zealanders that I think most can relate to. 

We generally get along with each other. We generally call a spade a spade. We don't like people who bullshit or cheat. 

We like a fair fight. We love the bush, the beach, the beautiful place we get to call home every day. 

I've now finished two other Crump books, and I am getting through the audio version of some short stories. 

What an adventure. If you haven't read or listened to them, you should. 

They should be compulsory reading for anyone wanting to become a New Zealander. 

I'm aware it's an election period. There's a lot of fighting and whinging. 

But really, if you take a step back, look at the people around you – your neighbours, your mates, your country. 

We're not doing too bad. We've got a lot to be grateful for. 

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Banks aren't expected to increase fixed rates after the latest OCR hike. 

The Reserve Bank raised the Official Cash Rate another 25 basis points yesterday, bringing it to 2.75%. 

Governor Anna Breman says they are moving it towards a neutral level of around 3%. 

Co-operative Bank CEO Mark Wilkshire told Ryan Bridge the hike was largely expected, so those rates were already built in. 

He says the increase will be passed through to variable home loans quite quickly, but they're not expecting to see fixed rates rise. 

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A warning to asset owners across the country to take lessons from Wellington's Moa Point disaster. 

The Government has released the findings of an independent Crown Review into the massive February malfunction at the wastewater plant. 

It doesn't blame a single technical fault, but finds decades worth of significant gaps in accountability and risk management from asset owners. 

Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe told Ryan Bridge maintenance woes became normalised, which caused problems to pile up. 

She says there are lessons around the fact there was fragmented accountability and misaligned authority.  

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Methanol producer, Methanex, has confirmed it is shutting the Taranaki plant that has run for 40 years. 

It says it's struck a deal to sell most of its natural gas entitlements under current contracts, starting in next year's first quarter. 

The company says continued decline in domestic natural gas, and no clear pathway to meaningful new supply, means continued operations in New Zealand aren't sustainable. 

Carnegie told Ryan Bridge says Methanex stepping back will free up some gas to be used elsewhere, but it's a bit like a snake eating its own tail. 

He says we're gaining that gas but losing a major manufacturer and exporter.  

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 3rd of September 2026, Co-Operative Bank CEO Mark Wilkshire shares his thoughts on the Reserve Bank hiking the OCR for the second time. 

The country's biggest gas user Methanex announcing its getting out of New Zealand, Energy Resources Aotearoa John Carnegie tells Ryan this is the economic cost the country is paying for a shrinking domestic gas supply.

We've finally got answers about what happened at Moa Point, Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe explains.

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Iran saying the US bombed a wedding party in Sirik, killing at least four people and a women has been arrested for taking photos of jury members outside the courthouse in the Lindsay Clancy trial. 

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There's an air of arrogance and butt-covering to the stench that is Moa Point.  

In a nutshell, the council, its water management company, and the contractor were all a bit shit at their jobs.  

And Wellington's South Coast has been shat on – 14 billion litres of raw sewage, to be precise.  

None of them took charge of and ownership of the water treatment plant. And they didn't talk to each other or listen to some quite critical information and warnings.  

Anyone getting Mount Manganui vibes here?  

But the part that gets me, and should get us all, is the no show from ratepayer-funded bureaucrats ducking for cover.  

Council infrastructure leaders, who clearly are leaders in job title only, did not meet with the Crown Review team to tell them about their role in this shambles.  

They were asked for in-person meetings. They were asked to sit down in front of somebody and explain themselves.  

And they ran. They ducked. They gave written responses.  

14 billion litres of Wellington's digested breakfasts on the beach deserves more than written answers.  

It's like the politicians who dodged the Covid inquiry. Why would you do not front up in person unless you had something to hide? Why would you not speak in person, unless you were worried about what you'd say? 

Did lawyers and comms staff, at the ratepayers' expense, review all those written responses before you hit send?  

People don't necessarily lose trust in councils over mistakes. Mistakes happen to us all.  

Coverups and accountability dodgers – they're the ones who flush our trust down the toilet. 

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New Zealand's netball ecosystem is breathing a sigh of relief after confirmation of a privatised domestic league for next season and beyond. 

Rich-lister couple Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams are set to take the licence for the competition and its teams via an initial agreement with the sport's national body. 

Former Silver Fern Marg Foster told Ryan Bridge this is a really good thing, but they can't just rely on philanthropy.  

She says there's a lot of things they'll need to be able to get out of this deal, such as making it commercially attractive so investors can get a genuine return. 

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Another OCR hike is widely expected today and the Reserve Bank could signal more are coming. 

It announces its decision at 2pm, with the Official Cash Rate expected to rise from 2.5%. 

Economists are picking one or two further hikes. 

Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge the Reserve Bank's view has shifted sharply since the start of the year. 

He says they're pretty locked in for 3% between now and Christmas. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 2nd of September 2026 another OCR hike is looking likely from the Reserve Bank, Westpac chief Economist Kelly Eckhold tells Ryan what we can expect.

New Zealand and America are teaming up to build a port for the Cook Islands; international relations professor Robert Patman shares his thoughts.

Netball New Zealand have made the decision to privatise the domestic league; former Silver Fern Marg Foster reacts to the news.

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on laundry rooms being turned into prison cells to combat overcrowding in UK jails and an investigation underway after a man died near Notting Hill Carnival in London following a police pursuit. 

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The US appears to be re-engaging with the Pacific as it invests in Cook Islands infrastructure.

New Zealand's pledged to co-invest with the US to build a port on the Penrhyn atoll in the Cooks, a former military base.

China had been interested in seabed mining in the area.

Otago University International Relations expert Robert Patman told Ryan Bridge the Trump administration hasn't shown a lot of interest in the Pacific until now.

He says what it is interested in is combatting China, so this is an incentive for them to get back to being much more active in the region.

PM Christopher Luxon is travelling to Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum today.

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IP lawyers will be licking their lips with all these AI cases landing on their desks.  

The latest, we spoke about it yesterday, was Sony and Warner going after Anthropic.  

Their argument is basically that Anthropic's AI models, the ones we use to get answers to questions, scrape and bottom trawl the internet for information.  

That information, including song lyrics, is often IP owned and produced by humans or companies. So, scraping it and using it to sell as a product is theft.  

Media companies in New Zealand take a similar view.  

If the robot is scraping content produced, at cost, by a news business, then how is that not also theft? 

But if you think about it, humans do this all the time. I do it every day. It's actually what I'm paid to do. I ingest large amounts of information and then use it to inform interviews and content.  

Lawyers do it for legal cases. Politicians do it. Businesses do it. We all do it in one way or another.  

And we all use the information the internet provides for our own purposes. Usually, to make money.  

Knowledge is power and content is king.  

So, the question then becomes, what is the difference between us doing this and using this information and an AI model doing the same? 

Surely Claude is committing no greater crime than the rest of us.  

Of course, how they get their hands on the information is key.  

If you're ripping it off bit torrent, then you might have other problems. But if you're getting it from a paid subscription, isn't that what we do?  

In the news business you credit your sources. But not always. There's a point where the collective weight of the information you've consumed becomes your own thoughts and your own IP.  

Are robots any different? 

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The Government's being criticised for giving the country the run-around with next year's fuel tax.  

It's cancelled the 12 cent per litre hike and equivalent lift to road user charges that were set to take effect in January.  

The next rise of five cents a litre now kicks in from January 2028.  

AA Fuel Spokesperson Terry Collins told Ryan Bridge the Land Transport Fund has been under stress because it's unable to get enough money to do the work that's needed. 

He says any time there's funding uncertainty or money is removed from it, it adds to the problem, kicking it down the road and making it bigger in the future. 

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ACT's proposing changes to Permanent Resident Visa requirements to make sure holders are actually living here.  

The party wants to increase the initial two-year travel condition for Resident Visa holders to five. 

Residents would be able to travel freely in and out of the country after this period, but would need to spend at least 730 days here during any rolling five-year period. 

Immigration Spokesperson Parmjeet Parmar told Ryan Bridge they want people to be living, working, and contributing in New Zealand. 

She says they're welcoming all migrants who genuinely want to be here, but her job is to fix the system if it's being exploited. 

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There are concerns Labour's graduate nurse policy could simply shift staffing pressures from hospitals to aged care.

Labour's promising $525 million to give every graduate nurse a job offer after they pass their exams.

But the Aged Care Association says while that could ease pressure on hospitals, it could leave aged care struggling to recruit.

Chief Executive Tracey Martin told Ryan Bridge that's what's happened historically. 

She says generally when the hospitals stop hiring, their workforce is stable.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 1st of September 2026, the Government has agreed not to raise the fuel excise tax next year, AA fuel spokesperson Terry Collins shares his thoughts. 

Act says it wants permanent residents to actually reside in New Zealand, Act Party MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar explains.

Labour’s promising every graduate nurse a job in the public health system if re-elected, Aged Care Association Chief Executive explains more of the nurses are needed in aged care to keep up with demand. 

Plus Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on massive fines and new rules for e-scooter riders in Queensland and a baby’s body found in a rubbish bin in Sydney.

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You know how New Zealanders love it when foreign countries, or media, or even tourists talk about us?  

They're always the most read stories on news sites – it's like a national pastime.  

Oh look! Brad Pitt says New Zealand is beautiful! Oh look, Jason Mamoa did a bungee and Queenstown is beautiful! 

Well, have I got news for you, New Zealand.  

S&P, the global ratings agency, has just done a bungee on our country's finances.  

It's mostly good news: low net debt, growth of 2.5% a year, good Government. Safe, sound, stable outlook.  

The equivalent of a 4-star Tripadvisor review.  

But there's one number that should be making headlines – it's on page 4.  

10%. 

Our country has been borrowing more money to fund stuff, including everyday spending and election promises. 

They issue bonds, or debt, to investors and pay them interest for the pleasure.  

Those interest costs are going up because of the bond market sell-off we've been talking about on this show.  

S&P says the amount we're paying interest will reach 9% of government revenue (i.e. tax) in 2029.  

That means for every million bucks the Government earns in tax, it pays almost $100k just on interest on its debt.  

Interest is our fourth most expensive item on the Government's books – more than we spend schooling our kids through primary and secondary.  

S&P says interest costs of more than 10% of revenue could result in 'weaker debt metrics'. 

That's not a good thing. It means we're stretching ourselves. We could get a credit downgrade.  

People start looking at us sideways asking, can those guys pay back what they owe us or are they taking the Mickey?  

That's not the sort of reputation this country can afford. 

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Students are underwhelmed by the loan changes National would make, if re-elected. 

Graduates would be able to pay off their debt over a longer period - with compulsory repayments lowered from 12 to 10 percent. 

But those living overseas would be charged an extra one percent in annual interest. 

Victoria University Student Association president Aidan Donoghue told Ryan Bridge students have raised plenty of issues this year - that this policy doesn't touch on. 

He says there's no talk about increasing the income threshold for when you start repayments, or any changes to repayments if you're still studying. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 31st of August 2026, National's promising to cut student loan repayments if re-elected, VUWSA President Aidan Donoghue tells Ryan if this will make much of a difference for students.

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on a Jackson Hole meeting of Central bankers but while US fed and ECB now anticipated to raise rates in September, warnings this weekend if fertiliser shortages threatening food supplies in the UK and economies so far seem to be still able to grow both in the UK and Europe.

The All Blacks winning streak in South Africa has ended with the Springboks winning 33-26 in Cape Town, former All Blacks Captain Sean Fitzpatrick shares his thoughts.

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on a vessel that capsized off northern Cyprus and Andy Burnham saying two infamous police killers will remain behind bars.

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Two questions for you this morning if you're buying or have bought a property recently.

1. Did you get a pre-purchase inspection done?

2. And did that person have a qualification? 

Remember leaky buildings? Well, there are a builders and surveyors out there who reckon we're sitting on another leaky building saga. 

There was a very good piece in the Herald at the weekend about this. 

New builds, builds less than 10 years old, failing. Looks spick and span on the outside, underneath, the timber's damp. There's mould. 

Water is getting inside the walls of houses that are pretty new.

I don't know about you, but when somebody builds a house, or apartment, it should keep the water out. 

I've spoken to some builders and tradies about this. They're worried too. 

They tell me there are two problems. One is builders and developers who cut corners, using materials sourced from overseas that look the similar to products we use here, but aren't. 

The other red flag they talk about is price. There are builders and developers undercutting them on jobs with prices that seem absurd. 

How on earth can you build something for 75% of the cost of the rest of your competitors? 

Now I know what you're thinking. Chill out, bro. I got a pre-purchase inspection. 

And the Council signed it off. 

Bad news. Anyone can call themselves a building surveyor or inspector. 

I could. I could start a business tomorrow. Inspect your house. Write a report. Charge like a wounded bull. Take some photos on an iPhone. Email you a report. And bob's your uncle. 

You don't need a licence. You don't a formal qualification. You don't even need insurance, according to the Herald piece. 

The thing about these types of stories is that it's mostly anecdotal.

How widespread is this problem? Is it 1% of new builds? Is it 20? 

You don't know what you don't know. 

And by the time you find out, your walls are wet and filled with mould. 

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The All Blacks are back in action this weekend for their second clash against the Springboks. 

They're aiming to keep their momentum rolling after a clean sweep of the tour so far and a decisive victory in their first test against the South African side.  

Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith joined Ryan Bridge to discuss the changes to the team, and how he thinks things will play out this time around. 

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Crypto investors are hoping a new policy will stop punishing them in the long term. 

ACT's campaigning on modernising regulations, including allowing tax-free profits on crypto held for more than a year, and a 12 month brightline test. 

Party Leader David Seymour believes our tax system currently treats crypto coins as an asset. 

Swyftx New Zealand Country Manager Paul Quickenden told Ryan Bridge every time you buy or sell, there's effectively a capital gains tax. 

He says there's a lot of work for a very small amount of tax. 

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Freight drivers are warning against pushing back roading projects. 

Labour's promised no hikes to the fuel excise over the next three years, if elected.  

Instead it'll consider pushing back National Land Transport Fund projects to make up for the reduced income. 

Transporting NZ Chief Executive Dom Kalasih told Ryan Bridge this would be a mistake as a reliable road network is extremely important for productivity. 

He says any holding off on roading investment is false economy – it's short term gain for long term pain. 

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Are we about to witness the return of the pothole? 

Both Labour and National want to freeze increases to the petrol tax.  

Labour would stop 22c a litre over three years. The Nats probably won't, coalition willing, go ahead with the 12c hike pencilled in for January.  

The problem is this money goes into a big fund —along with RUCS from trucks— to pay for building and fixing our roads.  

Remember at the last election, people were angry as hell about potholes. They're nasty things. Wheely annoying. Rim-wreckers. Rim-shredders. 

Panel beaters had a field day, performing more rim jobs than you could shake a stick at. 

We had 62k potholes back then. Highest number in a decade.  

The money to fill them in comes from the petrol tax – it's ring-fenced into a pothole fund. Less money in that mean means crapper roads.  

To make matters worse, Labour wants to raid this fund to pay for cheaper bus fares for city folk. It's one of their election promises.  

So, the fund is being starved on new money at the same it's being robbed – a Peter to pay Paul-type situation.  

The coalition's making its call on Monday about the funding.  

The easy route is to stop the tax. The hard route is to hike it.  

Which means no matter who's in charge, we'll probably have cheaper gas next year but wrecked rims, and that includes, ironically, the buses. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 28th of August 2026, National says it won't increase the petrol tax in January by 12 cents a litre, Transporting NZ CEO Dom Kalasih tells Ryan why this is problematic for roading infrastructure.

Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith is in Cape Town for the All Blacks game against the Springboks, he tells Ryan what we can expect. 

Paul Quickenden Swyftx NZ Country Manager shares his thoughts on ACT launching its plan to make NZ a country of crypto-pioneers.

Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on UEFA is pursuing criminal legal proceedings against Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino and new data showing there has been a significant fall in the sue of hotels to house asylum seekers waiting for a Home Office decision.

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ACT's pledging to abolish the Climate Commission. 

The Party claims it's cost $100 million since it was established and only writes reports, duplicates work, and proposes ridiculous ideas. 

They're proposing folding responsibility for assessing emissions reduction progress into mega-Ministry MCERT, culling the Commission and its Board. 

NZ Climate Change Research Institute's Adrian Macey told Ryan Bridge while there are some issues with the Commission's target recommendations, having an independent voice is important.  

He says they don't just make targets, they also look at how the country can prepare for the impact and adapt to climate change. 

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The dairy sector's booming, but some are calling for more support to ensure it continues. 

A report commissioned by DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association has found dairy exports reached almost $29 billion in 2025, and supports more than 51 thousand jobs. 

It also finds the dairy sector is a backbone of much of regional New Zealand's economy, wages, and job market.  

Association Executive Director Kimberly Crewther told Ryan Bridge farmers want policy that supports innovation. 

She says there needs to be reliable infrastructure domestically, with abundant and affordable energy 

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The overall economy seems to be holding together as it slowly gets back on track. 

Westpac's August overview forecasts 2% growth across this year – accelerating to 3% in 2027.  

It points to an uptick in activity after falling flat in the three months to June.   

Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge the war in Iran has played into a lot of uncertainty in recent months, but the economy's bounced back well. 

He says import and export numbers have been phenomenal, and a lot of that's coming from regional growth. 

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Meta's cut a landmark US trial over teen social media addiction short, agreeing to pay US$18 billion in a settlement deal.

29 US states brought the case against the Instagram and Facebook owner in a California federal court.

As part of the agreement the social media giant will include daily limits and night-time blocks for teenage users on its platforms.

New York correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge it's unclear if the changes will be rolled out internationally.

He says interestingly the deal means Meta doesn't have to admit any guilt at the cost of a lot of money. 

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How much do you really want the value of your property to fall?  

Plenty of us say we want cheaper house prices, but do we really mean it? 

Once you own a house, you usually have mortgage on it. The less your house is worth, the less equity you have. 

Your net worth goes backwards. 

In New Zealand, half of the average household’s wealth is land and property. 

That is now worth 1.9% less today than it was a year ago. 

Overall household wealth in this country has basically been flat for four years. That means we’re not getting richer and it’s because house prices have been soft. 

Is this what you want more of?  

This election there are parties planning to tax those assets. From capital gains to land taxes. That is likely to mean even lower prices. 

When this happens, we get a bit worried about our situation in life and we get gun-shy with the debit card. 

We stop buying stuff. We’re less confident. The economy slows down as a result.  

Again, is this what we really want? 

Now I know what you’re thinking, that’s all fine unless you’re trying to buy a house. Which is fair. 

Except that house prices are now the cheapest they’ve been in a decade. 

Cotality says the national house value has dropped to 6.7 times your income. 

In 2021, it was nearly 10 times your income. 

In Auckland, you can’t sell an apartment or townhouse for love nor money. 

The question now is how low is too low? 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Westpac have upgraded their GDP forecast, Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie tells Ryan what this means for our economy.

Act wants to abolish the Climate Change Commission, Adjunct Professor at the NZ Climate Change Research Institute Adrian Macey shares his thoughts. 

Dairy exports reached $28 billion in the year to December, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand Executive Director Kimberly Crewther shares hr thoughts. 

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Meta’s agreeing to pay up to $18 billion US to settle the claims its platforms harmed children and tributes for the death of Dolly Parton.

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A number of wins for Auckland as the city heads into a new era.  

The fourth annual State of the City report, commissioned by the independent non-partisan Committee for Auckland, compares the super city to others globally.  

It scored well on innovation, international business events, and the number of people coming here, but did less well on things like productivity and keeping talent. 

Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck told Ryan Bridge Auckland now has the International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link's about to open. 

She says it can now leverage investments like this to drive density, growth, and vibrancy. 

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Wellington's Mayor says new rates cap could mean cutting back on important work. 

The Government's clarified key aspects of its plan to cap council rate hikes at 4%, which is expected to come into force in 2029.  

Councils would be expected to prepare for it from next July, although the scheme excludes water services. 

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Ryan Bridge they currently have a work programme underway to shore up the city against potential slips. 

He says not continuing with this goes against another government instruction to make sure they're climate resilient. 

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This past week is proof a four-year Parliamentary term is probably a good idea. 

Elections disrupt the housing market. People get scared off buying for fear of the unknown – who knows what government will get in and what they'll do to price of a house. 

Same goes for business decisions – should I buy that extra tractor if a pro-regulation party gets round the cabinet table? 

But the bigger problem, and we've seen it with this frankly farcical social media ban announcing this week, is legislation. 

The Nats called Labour's bluff and announced it. Then Labour called the Nats bluff and said they'd support a first reading before the election. 

Only for the Nats to turn around and say oh no, we actually don't have time this term. 

There's a 100-bill log jam of bills —potential new laws waiting to get debated — sitting in Parliament. 

It's like the Southern Motorway on, well, pretty much any day of the week and any time. She's backed up like a dump truck. 

RMA reform is a priority, but outside that, she's a pretty ropey agenda. 

Politics at election time actually gets in the way of what Parliament is supposed to do, which is pass laws. 

City deals get ripped up on the fly. Mayors across the country get butthurt. 

Of course, elections are not the enemy of democracy. They're the basis of it. 

But too many, too often, is probably doing more harm than good. 

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Labour's determined to see the end of smoking in New Zealand if re-elected to government.

The party plans to reinstate the Smokefree Generation, introduce a licensing regime to stop illicit sales, and cancel tax breaks for tobacco companies.  

Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says smoking's our leading cause of preventable death. 

Action for Smokefree 2025 Director Ben Youdan told Ryan Bridge it's not necessarily a policy that would make a huge difference in reducing smoking. 

He says it would potentially sustain low smoking rates among young people, but it doesn't address the 250,000, largely older adults, who are still smoking.  

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 26th of August 2026, the Government’s pushing ahead with its 4% rates cap, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little shares his thoughts.

The Labour party says they'd bring back our Smokefree generation goals if they get back in government, Action for Smokefree 2025 Director Ben Youdan tells Ryan why this is important. 

A new report shows Auckland is quickly becoming a world-class city once again, Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck tells Ryan what work needs to be done to improve the city. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on an adviser to the Kremlin, saying there might be a "semi-military" response against UK drone factories and Police say five young men who died after their vehicle hit a police car on a dual carriageway may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”.

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Retail's been taking a hit since the Iran war began, with people staying home to save money and fuel. 

Stats NZ data shows the June quarter's inflation and seasonal-adjusted sales volumes fell 0.5% on the three months to March, but after accounting for surging fuel prices, petrol station sales actually plunged 13%. 

The only significant growth was in computer and appliance store sales, with sectors that rely on people driving around and using discretionary money —accommodation, hospo, car dealers— also seeing drops.  

ASB Senior Economist Jane Turner told Ryan Bridge they expect consumer spending will remain fairly modest throughout the rest of the year, with a more meaningful recovery coming next year. 

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Scepticism as Health New Zealand claims staffing levels may not be as bleak as they look. 

The agency's released data across almost 615 wards last year, showing for 740-thousand shifts, around a quarter were below the target level at some point. 

Chief Nurse Nadine Gray says the figures could represent five minutes or less of under-resourcing across an eight hour shift. 

But Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland told Ryan Bridge he tends to believe the Nurses Organisation, which is concerned patients' needs aren't being met. 

He says anyone who's spent time in hospitals lately will know that staff are overrun. 

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The Government wants under-16's banned from social media, but any law change is many months away.  

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the move yesterday, which will require platforms to verify age via face scanning or either digital or physical IDs. 

It's not clear if the bill will have enough support, with ACT and New Zealand First agreeing to disagree, and Labour yet to fully back it.   

Labour's Technology and Media Spokesperson Reuben Davidson told Ryan Bridge they want to make sure the bill isn't just lifted from what other countries are doing. 

He says they want to make sure it's actually designed to work in the very specific New Zealand context. 

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