Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A political commentator is struggling to predict the outcome of the election. 

Election Day is tomorrow, and thousands of votes have already been cast. 

Polls released throughout the campaign have fluctuated, no party showing a clear lead across all of the polls. 

Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the election is all over the place. 

She says something that's also different now is it's not just a red-blue race, we're talking about individual electorate seats having a massive impact. 

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The police union says the Coalition's gang patch ban is working as intended. 

Newstalk ZB's revealed authorities are charging people for unlawful association more than four times as frequently as before the ban came into effect almost two years ago. 

Under the ban, those charged face up to six months prison time or a $5,000 fine. 

Police Association President Steve Watt told Ryan Bridge officers have the skills to identify gang members, whether they're wearing a patch or not, and if they're less visible, the community feels safer.  

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Here's an election prediction for you. 

Look out. Incoming. Hot take. Reckons. Newsflash.

More people New Zealanders will watch sport this weekend than follow the election. 

I was chatting to a mate yesterday, not political, not engaged, plans to vote but doesn't care too much. 

He's been watching Netflix and listening to podcasts. Wouldn't know who Michael Laws is.

Wouldn't know who Qiulae Wong is. 

He's no idiot. He knows his principles and loosely who they align with. 

But, for many New Zealanders, most Kiwis, elections are just noise.

Like Cicadas. Or an air conditioner unit.... Humming away.

News reporters working themselves in a lather. 

Breathless stories being 'broken'.

To the relief of many of you listening/watching this morning, this weekend we have the Football derby, India will ship the Blackcaps, the World Cup semis on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, all eyes on Murrayfield for the All Blacks vs Scotland. 

By the way the weather is looking quite warm, the beach appealing, the BBQ good to go. 

Sport will be the main course, with perhaps a side of election coverage.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 6th of November 2026, Political Commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts on how the campaign has gone so far and what the election result could turn out like. 

Newstalk ZB weekend sport host has the latest on the big weekend of sport ahead -- the A-league Derby, Black Caps and the All Blacks taking on Scotland. 

Fresh Ministry of Justice data shows unlawful association charges have quadrupled since the gang patch ban became law, Police Association President Steve Watt shares his thoughts. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on actor and comedian Russell Brand found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at a south London court and protests once again taking place across France.

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With Guy Fawkes celebrations tonight, vets and animal advocates are renewing their push to end private fireworks sales. 

The Government rejected a recommendation to do so earlier this year.  

The SPCA is urging Kiwis to back an open letter to the incoming Government, calling to end consumer sales, while Fire and Emergency and MetService are warning people to take care. 

SPCA Senior Scientific Officer Dr Alison Vaughan told Ryan Bridge many animals become lost, injured, and are euthanised as a result of fireworks.  

She says that people also tend to forget that wildlife has no idea what's going on, and it can lead to nest abandonment. 

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Tackling the cost of living and corruption, and ending the war in Iran are all top of the agenda for the new Democrat-controlled US Senate.  

Democrats have powered through the US Midterm elections, flipping seven Senate seats and 31 in the House of Representatives from the Republicans. 

Democrat Chuck Schumer is set to be Senate Majority Leader. 

Economist and former Economic Advisor to John McCain Doug Haltz-Eakin told Ryan Bridge we'll likely see a lot of investigations by the Democrats over the next two years. 

He says they'll be looking into the finances around crypto, and things like the secret agreements between the Trump Administration and US drug companies. 

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The latest unexpected rise in unemployment could be a sign the economy isn't doing as well as expected.

Four hundred and 38-thousand people aren't working as much as they could be in the September quarter.

That includes 174-thousand - about 5.7 percent of the workforce - who wanted a job but didn't have one.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge the rise, along with other economic elements remaining weaker than anticipated, could see the Reserve Bank hold the Official Cash Rate in December. 

He says they're trying to balance inflationary pressures, but equally they don't want to kneecap the economic recovery. 

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The world is now officially on Trump Temper Tantrum Watch.  

So far, he's been relatively gracious about the absolute thumping the Dems handed him. 

What happened last night has only happened three times since WWII – both the House and Senate flipping parties. 

The big losers are Republicans, the more MAGA the more damage, Pete Hegseth (look out), and Elon Musk.  

Musk pumped half a billion American bucks at candidates from a party that has now lost control of the law-making agenda.  

Tesla and SpaceX shares are down this morning. Butts are clenching over the Democrats running the ruler on AI companies and spending, and Musk's merger.  

Meanwhile, the race to replace Trump starts today.  

Marco Rubio and JD Vance are the front runners, but Trump's influence now will wane.  

Popularity is power. Trump's has taken a massive punch in the guts.  

Why do we care? Petrol. The war.  

Trump is so far taking this graciously, by Trump-standards, but if he wants to lash out and go bananas, he remains Commander-in-Chief. 

He's lost Congress, but could re-start the war, not just with Iran, but with our wallets.  

Going quietly into the night is not really Trump's style. 

We should be preparing for a meltdown and praying for a miracle. 

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On the Early Edition with Full Show Podcast 2026, American Economist and former economic adviser to John McCain Doug Haltz-Eakin shares his thoughts on the U.S midterm results. 

Unemployment's risen to 5.7%, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains why this reinforces the Reserve Banks move to hold the OCR. 

It's Guy Fawkes tonight, with fresh calls to ban the private sale and use of fireworks, Dr Alison Vaughan Senior Scientific Officer at SPCA explains. 

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest reaction to the midterm results out of Ohio. 

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Labour's Vanushi Walters has taken aim at the Government, saying its flip-flopping on foreign policy has created problems.  

The party's Foreign Affairs spokesperson told Ryan Bridge it's been inconsistent on calling out breaches of international law.  

Walters says the US and Israel's intervention into Iran is an example of when the Government hasn't called it out, with that war having a direct impact on fuel prices.  

National counterpart Todd McClay rejects that, saying we need to be careful about megaphone diplomacy.  

He told Bridge the Government's maintained our independent foreign policy.  

McClay says we can't have Iran developing nuclear weapons, and the Government's called out some of Israel's atrocities in Gaza.  

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How has the job market been faring?  

Stats NZ is releasing its latest quarterly unemployment data at 10.45am. 

Some economists expect unemployment to remain unchanged at 5.6%, an 11-year high, while others expect it will dip slightly to 5.5% or 5.4% – the first fall in five years. 

BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Ryan Bridge they expect the rate to stay the same, but they're also expecting employment itself to increase. 

He says they're forecasting a 0.4% increase for the quarter, so they're pretty confident New Zealand saw some decent job growth. 

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King Charles has expressed sorrow over Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade but stopped short of apologising or offering reparations.

Britain captured and transported an estimated 12 to 15-million Africans to the Americas between 1500 and 1800,  with more than two million dying on the journey.

Opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, the King acknowledged it's a shameful chapter in history.

UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest. 

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After all the hand-wringing and manufactured controversy, the 'Move On' orders are actually not controversial.  

The loser in this story is once again the media. 

The beat the story up into a frenzy. The government was trying to punish, or to use a phrase they readily adopted from Tory Whanau, 'punch down' on, the homeless. 

But what does nine days of the law in action actually look like? Yesterday morning we had the Assistant Police Commissioner Tusha Penny on Ryan Bridge TODAY.

Guess what? 

29 orders were issued. Of them, only four were actually homeless. 

That's 13%. 

None were 'moved-on' for rough sleeping. Zero for begging. There was no 'punching down'. 

To be 'moved on', Police say you have to be behaving badly. Confrontational. Aggressive. Disturbing other people. 

Most New Zealanders will see this for what it is: entirely acceptable. 

Most kiwis see Police for what they are: mostly reasonable.

And unfortunately, most kiwis see the media for what it is: unreliable at best and biased at worst. 

They go big on a story that fits a narrative and 'move on' when proved wrong. 

New Zealanders aren't stupid and see right though it. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 4th of November 2026, Todd McClay and Vanushi Walters join Ryan for an election special panel on foreign affairs and trade. 

BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones tells Ryan what we can expect from the unemployment number out today. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and the UK and EU have agreed a draft deal on removing post-Brexit checks from food and agriculture exports, ahead of the UK-EU summit later this month.

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Labour says it wants to better protect consumers from unfair pricing practices during the cost of living crisis. 

The party wants to shake-up the Fair Trading Act to make sure advertised specials relate to the lowest price in the preceding 30 days. 

It's also promising to ensure loyal phone, internet, and insurance customers don't miss out on specials offered to new sign-ups. 

Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Williams told Ryan Bridge they want things to be more standardised and clearer, so customers know that when these deals are being offered, they're not missing out. 

She says we rely on switching to make the market competitive, but for things like insurance or power, which aren't easy to switch from, there's not enough competitive pressure. 

Williams says the UK brought in a law saying new customers couldn't be offered different rates to what would be offered for a renewal of the equivalent product, and they think that's the right approach to take here. 

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There are concerns rugby league celebrations are coming at the expense of others.  

South Auckland police officers made nine arrests after Sunday's showdown between Tonga and Samoa at the Rugby League World Cup.  

Police had 160 officers monitoring the scenes, with some fans running on to roads, hanging out of cars, and driving dangerously.  

Councillor Alf Filipaina told Ryan Bridge he loves their passion, but it's shocking to see the behaviour. 

He says the council is receiving emails from families with young children, complaining of loud music and horns at three in the morning. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 3rd of November 2026, Labour’s promising a crackdown on business practices it says are pushing up the cost of living, Labour Consumer Affairs Spokesperson joins Ryan. 

Rugby League World Cup celebrations turned sour over the weekend with nine arrests, Manukau Ward Councillor Alf Filipaina is warning people to enjoy the celebrations without disrupting others.

Retailer confidence sky-high despite challenging economy, First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson shares his thoughts. 

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the Reserve Bank of Australia decision and a preview of the Melbourne Cup.

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Consumers could be more hesitant to tap their card this Christmas if the country's government is in a state of limbo.  

Retail NZ's latest Retail Radar report finds 73% of respondents are confident their business will survive the next 12 months – the highest level in two years. 

First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge a definitive lead this election weekend is crucial for consumer confidence.  

He says retailers are typically optimistic, but a strong, decisive direction for the country is important. 

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News alert for anyone who thinks the US midterms will save the world from Trump: they won't.  

The guy can still start wars and raise tariffs without Congress approval. He did so last year and this year.  

Losing the House to Democrats means funding gets harder and legal problems, but it's not a brick wall for the Presidential impulses that most affect us, the rest of the world.  

Latest polling shows a majority of his own supporters are unhappy with the state of the economy.  

Diesel prices are up 70% in America since the start of the war.  

Any impeachment move would be symbolic, as two-thirds of the Senate would need to agree to it. So, that's unlikely, unless he goes off the reservation in a major way. Like, even more major for Trump.  

The big worry is Iran. JD Vance has been back channelling comms to the Supreme Leader.  

The Supreme Leader is sending hints about diplomacy over missiles. That's dropped the price of oil in the last 12 hours.  

But it's just talk.  

The Wall Street Journal reckons the top US commander in the region has been briefed on options for resuming the war after the midterms. Trump's made no decisions.  

But that decision will be his to make as Commander in Chief no matter the outcome of Tuesday's vote. 

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The Head of Europe's central bank is resigning nine months before her eight year term ends. 

Christine Lagarde is stepping down as President of the European Central Bank on February 7th, 2027. 

Her resignation also comes ahead of France's next presidential election, and there's speculation the timing was chosen so her successor could be chosen while the pro-EU Emmanuel Macron was in power. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce joined Ryan Bridge to discuss. 

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Transport spokespeople from both major parties are welcoming the progress on closing the gap with Australia on road deaths. 

Between 2016 and 2018, New Zealand's road death rate was 2.5 people per 100,000 higher than Australia's. 

By last year, that gap had narrowed to just 0.4. 

National's Associate Transport Spokesperson James Meager told Ryan Bridge there are better roads, vehicles, and driver behaviour.  

He says new roads with 110 kilometre limits have seen few crashes and deaths, proving you can move quickly and safely.  

Labour's Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere told Bridge improvements in roadside testing and enforcement has made a difference.  

He says there's still work to go with the numbers of young people seriously injured and road safety data. 

But the two parties are clashing over how Labour would fund its proposed three-year freeze on fuel tax.  

Utikere told Bridge the cost of living is priority, and it would look at scaling back investment from the National Land Transport Fund to help pay for the freeze. 

He says the focus would be on maintaining existing roads, rather than promising new projects the country can't afford. 

Meager says the prospect of scaling back is concerning, and says Labour needs to provide more clarity on what projects would be affected. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday the 2nd of November 2026, Associate Transport Minister James Meager and Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere join Ryan for a election special panel on transport policy. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on the reaction from the UK Budget and ECB President Christine Lagarde to stepping down. 

More people are waiting longer for drug and alcohol rehab, Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm explains why. 

Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on the Gen Z protests spreading across Europe and three days of national mourning in Spain following another fatal train crash which killed 69.

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Where people live could dictate how quickly they're seen by addiction services.  

Health New Zealand figures obtained by Newstalk ZB show more than two thirds of drug and alcohol referrals were within three weeks.  

But only 40.3% in Manawatū's MidCentral health district met that timeframe.  

Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm told Ryan Bridge the addiction space has been chronically underfunded over many years.  

She says wait times in general are too long – the window of opportunity for somebody with addiction who's interested in making a change is very short. 

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Netball New Zealand's board strikes again. And is refusing to do interviews. Again.  

I don't know what it is with these guys but every time there's a bit of good news to celebrate, like the Silver Ferns winning the Constellation Cup, Netball NZ straps on the suicide vest and wanders into the conversation to blow things up.  

Last week they turned down the Mowbray/Williams bid for a private domestic competition. Without warning.  

Williams and Mowbray were told the day after the decision was made and the damage done.  

Nathan Limm, who you'll know from our sport panels, wrote at the weekend about players having to go on the dole because there's no certainty and no contracts to sign.  

The blow-up basically comes down to Netball NZ's principles, at least according to a statement from the CEO.  

They couldn't do a deal because their principles got in the way. 

Anyone reading that will assume it means they worried the money would be put before the sport.  

But for the players, there's no sport without the money. Otherwise, you're on the dole. 

And as for Netball NZ's claim that they're priority is giving players clarity as soon as possible?  

The CEO's communication team has not replied to our requests for an interview. 

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New Zealand Rugby Players' Association boss Rob Nichol has reflected on a needs-must moment for the sport. 

That follows the move for the five Super Rugby city hubs to consolidate franchise operations with their respective NPC teams from 2028, in a bid to reduce overhead costs. 

The governing body are also aiming to have more school leavers attending academies, something Nichol says is paramount in the current landscape. 

He told Ryan Bridge when kids are coming out of school, they really want to know what they're committing to. 

Nichol says the sporting landscape is competitive – it's not like 15, 20 years ago, people have options. 

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First-home buyers are still dominating the market. 

The latest Cotality Westpac First Home Buyer Report finds they made up almost 30% of property purchases in the third quarter of this year. 

It shows lower house prices and mortgage rates are helping, with many tapping into KiwiSaver. 

Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Ryan Bridge it varies, but on average homeowners are spending hundreds of dollars less on their mortgages than a few years ago. 

He says the huge savings there and the lower house prices are a big plus for first time buyers. 

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Possible overhangs, high voter turnout, lower enrolment, and the Opportunity Party all mean the outcome of the election is too close to call, former Labour leader Phil Goff says. 

“Come Election Night, by midnight we may well not know who is going to govern New Zealand and that may take a couple of weeks after that, probably up to the edge of Christmas,” Goff told Ryan Bridge. 

While National could get a “huge overhang” if people split their candidate and party votes, it wasn’t clear if that campaign was working, Goff said. 

He also believed turnout this year would be better than in 2023, based on early voting levels. However enrolment was down, Goff said, claiming up to 100,000 people had been "disenfranchised" by the enrolment cutoff changing. 

The fate of Opportunity was also key, with leader Qiulae Wong saying she would find it very hard to work with NZ First. 

"If the Opportunity Party gets in then there is...a chance that there'll be a change of government. If they don't get in, that makes it much harder for the left-of-centre coalition." 

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Halloween is the new fireworks for kids in New Zealand, and it's a hell of a lot less controversial. 

New Zealand First wants to ban backyard fireworks. Winston loves his horses and they get spooked. 

The Greens back a ban. They love adopted Greyhounds. And cats. 

When I was young, this time of year was all about shooting each other with Godzilla's. Smokebombs. Scraping all the powder off 50 sparklers to make a sparkler bomb. 

But these days Halloween is where it's at. 

The old English tradition has been overtaken by its American competitor. Well, it's not really American but the Americans have made it popular. 

That means it's a growth industry. 

If you're going to get Dracula teeth, you need Dracula blood. If you're getting the blood, why not get the whole costume? 

Australians are expected to spend half a billion dollars on Halloween this year. That's up on last year. 

If this trend continues, there'll probably be no point banning backyard fireworks, they'll just fizzle out on their own. 

And on the whole, that's probably not a bad thing. 

Better for kids to be scared witless than horses and dogs. 

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Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 30 October.
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A gin distillery at the bottom of the country is earning top-shelf recognition. 

Bluff Distillery's been inducted into the prestigious Gin Guild – one of the first in New Zealand to receive the honour. 

Co-founder Chris Fraser was installed as Warden Rectifier at the Lord Mayor of London's mansion earlier this month, just two years since launching the distillery. 

Fraser told Ryan Bridge there's no secret formula behind their success. 

He says it's gin that tastes like gin, as they just stick to the basics. 

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Political paralysis in Israel could leave behind a caretaker government with Benjamin Netanyahu at its helm.  

With most votes counted, the incumbent's just ahead of his rival Gadi Eisenkot, with 53 seats to 48.   

The Arab parties are on a record 19 seats, and the 61 seats needed to govern are beyond the reach of all sides.  

CBS Middle East correspondent Linda Gradstein told Ryan Bridge coalition talks could drag on for weeks, with Netanyahu still in charge in the meantime.  

She says it basically means his government's still the government and can do anything it was previously doing. 

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National Party Finance Spokeswoman Nicola Willis said the Official Cash Rate not going up is "positive news for the economy". 

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was split 4-3 in its decision to hold the rate at 2.75% yesterday. Willis told Ryan Bridge that the Reserve Bank said yesterday inflation was not as high as it previously forecast. 

"Ultimately, this is positive news for the economy because lower interest rates mean lower debt servicing costs for mortgage holders and for businesses." 

With so much uncertainty around the globe, it is important that New Zealand controls its own domestic response, Willis said. 

"We know from our last experience through Covid that when governments keep spending in a big way in response to international inflation pressures, that can make the situation a lot worse for Kiwis." 

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Wanna know something weird?  

1 in 7 Australian adults could imagine falling in love with an AI chatbot. 

They might tease us about our relations with sheep, but at least we're not actually getting into emotional relationships with a rack of computer hard drives.  

Weirdos.  

Anthony Albanese gave a speech yesterday about their new AI laws, which he's trying to pass and trying to get Opposition support for.  

Guess what would be banned if the law passes?  

Emotional Intimacy. How cooked. It's not just about adults, but they're worried young people are making chatbots their best friend. 

How insane is that?  

Did anybody think this would be the pressing issue of 2026?  

To be fair, there's probably a similar chance of this happening here.  

I've got a mate who is dangerously close to his Claude agent. Claude knows everything about him. They chat about life, work, and relationships.  

Anthropic, which is basically the AI emotional pimp of the world, said in its filing for an IPO this week that there is a real risk to its business model that these chatbots could become sentient.  

In other words, they start thinking for themselves.  

If they do that, where does this end? Can a government stop a sentient chatbot from forming relationships with humans, even if they ban it?  

Are people going to want to marry their Claudes?  

Good luck trying to get this messed up genie back in its bottle. 

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Israeli voter turnout's reached a record high in the election that could determine Benjamin Netanyahu's political future.  

CNN exit polls show Gadi Eisenkot's on 52 seats to Netanyahu's 50. 

Security is the leading issue among voters, with many blaming Netanyahu for the October 7th attack.  

CBS Middle East correspondent Linda Gradstein told Ryan Bridge both camps will likely need a coalition to form a government.  

She says the Arab Citizens of Israel, who are at about 20%, could put Eisenkot over the top, but some of his partners are expected to refuse to work with Arab members. 

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The election could factor into whether this afternoon brings the Reserve Bank's third OCR hike of the year.  

Most economists predict a 25 basis point lift to 3%.  

Inflation's sitting at 3.7% – outside its target band.  

Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold told Ryan Bridge there's an argument for holding off until December, but he expects the Reserve Bank will toe the market's line.  

He says it might be disruptive otherwise, so close to the election, but that doesn't mean it's the best idea. 

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A property investor is questioning why Labour's rent-to-own scheme should stop at just state houses.

The party is proposing allowing Kainga Ora to put aside $100 rent a week, working up to a deposit.

Labour would also lift the income cap for 5% deposits to $300,000, making more buyers eligible.

Property Investors Federation Advocacy Manager Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge it's a good idea but it's niche.

He says it could be all for all working people, giving them this $100 credit wherever they go.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 28th of October 2026, mortgage holders are bracing for another OCR hike, Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold tells Ryan what we can expect.

The Labour party want state housing tenants to own their own home, Property Investors Federation Advocacy Manager Matt Ball shares his thoughts. 

Israel is going to the voting booth today, CBS Middle East Correspondent Linda Gradstein has the latest. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the details on two British nationals charged over an alleged plot to assist Iran's intelligence service as part of the investigation into the incident at RAF Fairford and the leaders of Norway and Finland held a rare 'frank' phone conversation with Vladimir Putin.

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This morning I can't stay silent on this issue that's been raised in the campaign.  

This comment, made by New Zealand First candidate and former Defence Minister Ron Mark, is outrageous and wrong.  

Ron, Ron, Ron. There is nothing wrong with an expressing oneself via a man bun. Some call them twat tops. A douche donut. A head turd.  

They've been called a lot of things, but a sign of weakness? No. 

Have you never seen a Japanese Samurai? Or a Norse Viking?  

Both are elite warriors. Samurai fight with swords and use them to literally chop off their enemy's head. 

These guys are tough. Pete Hegseth tough.  

They're ruthless. They're clinical. But also a bit stylish.  

What about Jason Mamoa? They don't call him a Hollywood heavyweight for nothing, do they?  

He's just bought a house in Queenstown worth $15m.  

Do you know what he paid with? Warrior cash.  

Do you know what he looked like doing it? Amazing.  

As anyone who's grown a bun or a top-knot knows all-too well, it takes balls of steel to stick it out through the awkward growth phase.  

Months of uncertainty. Of making a plan and sticking to it. You must wake up each morning to that clown mop, look it straight in the follicles and say... "damn it, I am who I am and I'm not changing".  

That's what I call courageous. These warriors should be celebrated, not sidelined. 

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The UK's new Chancellor is set to deliver his first Budget. 

John Healey will set out Labour's tax and spending plans on October 28th, with tax increases possible. 

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce told Ryan Bridge there have been some hints about what the Budget will include, such as some redistribution of funds from the wealthiest to those who need it the most. 

But she says it'll will be very tight fiscally, and will be watched very carefully by the capital markets.  

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There's potential for National and Labour to find common ground on education, despite disagreement over curriculum reforms. 

National's Erica Stanford told Ryan Bridge she tried to engage Labour while NCEA changes were being drafted, but to no avail. 

She says a recent meeting with Ginny Andersen revealed plenty they agree on —like the structured literacy mandate— but Labour still doesn't like the twice-yearly assessments or an hour of reading, writing, and maths each day. 

Andersen says learning support is one area where the parties could work together. 

She says there's an increasing number of children needing extra support, and it's one of the sector's biggest challenges going forward. 

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Most voters have not realised how difficult New Zealand's fiscal predicament is, says a think tank boss. 

New Zealand Initiative executive director Oliver Hartwich said the ACT Party's manifesto shows it is the "most radical" about getting government spending to 2017 levels. 

Released yesterday, the manifesto pledged to cut "wasteful spending" by $22 billion over four years, getting debt $12.4b lower by 2031 than currently forecast. 

Hartwich told Ryan Bridge that the plan was different from what other parties were offering. 

Nine years ago, 28.5% of GDP was spent by the Government, but currently the figure sits at nearly 33%, he said. 

"I think that a lot of this extra government spending has not resulted in actually making us feel better, in actually delivering better services for Kiwis, and therefore it is right to ask whether we couldn't achieve better results with lower spending." 

Although that message is landing with some of the electorate, most people do not realise how problematic the fiscal situation is, Hartwich said. 

"We all know that our population is going to age over the coming years, and Treasury told us that by 2065 if we don't change our way, we'll face 200% debt to GDP, which would really mean that we would be bankrupt. These are the levels that we last saw, for example, for Greece in the middle of the Euro crisis." 

He said New Zealand ranks "relatively low" on government spending compared to European nations, but they are "all approaching bankruptcy", he said. 

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Odds are on we'll get another hike to the OCR tomorrow. 

That'll take us to 3%. 

Markets are pricing the chance of that hike happening at about 85%. 

It's not great timing for a Coalition government trying to get elected when cost of living is the number one issue. 

But that's obviously not something the Reserve Bank should or would care about. 

Their job is inflation.

All signs point north on that front. It's expected to be higher than the bank predicted in September, their last update. 

Our dollar is weaker compared to our trading partners which means stuff we buy from offshore costs us more.

Throw into the mix the fact oil is also higher and that Trump is planning to re-start bombing in Iran post-midterms, and you can see why the pundits are picking another hike. 

3% is still roughly neutral so you can argue, if they do hike, the bank is being cautious without clubbing the economic recovery in the back of the neck right when its kicking into gear. 

It's yet another reminder that the outcome of the US midterms are weirdly probably, or at least possibly, more important to New Zealand voters' wallets than the outcome of the one happening here at home. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Education Minister Erica Stanford and Labour's Education spokesperson Ginny Anderson join Ryan for an election special discussing schools, children and education policy.

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on the forthcoming budget in the UK and what it means for capital markets and the controversial approval in UK of the new gas field.

ACT wants to slash government spending to help fund health, NZ Initiative Executive Director Oliver Hartwich shares his thoughts on if this is the right approach. 

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the first day of Parliament since Helen Haines attack and no apology from the maker of One Nation’s controversial cartoons. 

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The country's biggest pop culture extravaganza Armageddon starts in Auckland today.  

Around 50 thousand sci-fi, anime, fantasy, and gaming fans are expected to flock to Auckland Showgrounds this weekend.  

It's filled with more than 400 exhibitors, including a reunion of the Supernatural cast, a High School Musical sing-along panel, and international guests like Highlander star Christopher Lambert.  

Organiser Bill Geradts told Francesca Rudkin they're not feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis in the same way festivals and retail are. 

He says last year's October show was one of their best, and this year's tracking to be about the same. 

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Education Minister Erica Stanford’s education overhaul has been impressive this government term. We’re seeing improvements in primary school student achievement, the NCEA qualification is not long for this world, and how good is it to have cellphones out of the classroom?

But for all the changes, there are families who feel the system simply doesn’t work for their child, whose needs, interests or circumstances may not fit comfortably within a conventional classroom.

Yet when someone suggests trying something different, we can become remarkably attached to doing the same thing and hoping for a different result.

That is why charter schools deserve a fair hearing.

ACT has made school choice and educational innovation central to its education agenda for the 2026 general election. It has set a target of 10,000 charter school enrolments by 2029, and a goal of a charter school option in every major town.

As the parent of a child with a brilliant, complex, neurodivergent mind who loves to learn but struggled with the mainstream school environment, this is music to my ears. In order for our child to complete her education, we went down an alternative route. No one was more surprised than we were.

It was hugely expensive and prohibitive for most, but it was brilliant. Our child, who was falling out of school, is now doing a science degree at university. Charter schools will hopefully give more families struggling with children in similar situations the same opportunity.

It is life-changing.

For a young person who has all but given up on education, it could be the beginning of a future that might otherwise have quietly disappeared.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins opposes charter schools.

"We should give all of our schools the tools they need to cater for all of the kids who come through the gate," Hipkins said yesterday.

It is an admirable ambition. But is it the reality? Teachers regularly describe classrooms stretched by complex learning needs, behavioural challenges and inadequate support. Expecting one teacher to meet every need in a crowded classroom is a little like asking a Swiss Army knife to perform open-heart surgery.

Most mainstream schools do wonderful work. But not every child learns the same way, responds to the same environment or thrives under the same structure. A practical, culturally grounded or more flexible approach can be the difference between disengagement and achievement.

There are legitimate concerns about charter schools. Public money must be protected, teaching quality maintained, and private operators prevented from putting profit ahead of pupils. Independence must never mean a free pass. Transparent reporting, financial audits, measurable achievement targets and the power to terminate contracts are essential safeguards.

But if those checks and balances are enforced, why should every school have to follow precisely the same model?

Charter schools are not a replacement for mainstream education. They are another tool in the kit. New Zealand’s children are not all the same, so why insist their education must be?

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Inflation's eased up slightly - but it's also become more persistent and widespread.

The official inflation rate has fallen in the past three months - from 4.1 percent to 3.7 percent - due to a brief fall in fuel prices.

But underlying core inflation has been rising and more items are increasing in price.

Labour's Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds told Francesca Rudkin the government doesn't have a plan to tackle the rising prices. 

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The Indian cricket tour begins tonight with a T20 against New Zealand at a sold-out Hagley Oval in Christchurch. 

The sides last met in March's World Cup final at Ahmedabad, won by the then-hosts. 

However, the start times for this tour seem to be an issue, as an 8pm start means the games won't be ending until nearly midnight. 

Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Andrew Alderson told Ryan Bridge it's not ideal, but the tour is a golden egg. 

He says that it's an amazing opportunity for NZ Cricket to reap the rewards of a broadcasting deal worth millions as well as ticket sales and merchandising.  

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Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges says politically, the Mood of the Boardroom shows a "tactical draw" between National and Labour. 

The survey of business leaders shows dissatisfaction and a desire for more investment in infrastructure, reform, leadership and talk of productivity, Bridges told Ryan Bridge. 

"Because you'd expect, and they are in their numbers, the Nats as a centre right incumbent government to be higher up, I would sort of call it a tactical draw between the Nats and Labour when you look at this closely." 

Unease about "the tail wagging the dog" with minor parties gaining more power in the future government is also present. 

"This is a very small sliver of business. It's the top end of town, let alone it being the electorate... 

"They've got a very clear view about what they like. They tend to like stability, certainty, an incumbent government over change that might be messy and uncertain." 

The former National Party leader said no result in the upcoming election would surprise him. 

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A warning we could see some more nasty inflation spikes before the year is out. 

Stats NZ is releasing the inflation data for the three months to September just before 11 this morning. 

Economists expect it to show inflation’s sitting around 3.7%. 

BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Ryan Bridge they're expecting inflation to rise to 4.7% in the next update. 

He says most of it is due to the spike in fuel prices, but the numbers today will show core inflation is also on the rise. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday the 22nd of October 2026, economists are expecting a mixed bag in today's inflation figures, BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones takes his pick. 

The Black Caps open their five-match t20 series against India in Christchurch tonight at 8pm, with the first game at Hagley Oval, Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Andrew Alderson shares his thoughts on why the match starts so late.

Business leaders are feeling pretty optimistic about our economic trajectory, Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges shares his thoughts.

Plus, US Correspondent Nick Harper has the latest on a US teacher released by Russia, and Steve Witkoff and Putin's meeting. 

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Nearly there.  

Voting's already happening for Kiwis overseas.  

Monday, we start in-country. Two weeks later it's all over and counting begins.  

The result looks as tight as a fish's bum.  

Here's my predictions: 

Opportunity won't get 5% and the Coalition will be returned to power.  

I want to be clear, this is not based off a scientific poll-by-poll or electorate probability calculator.  

It's just a gut feeling of how voters will behave once they get into the voting booth. 

And the fact not everyone who's polled actually turns out to vote, and not everyone who voted is polled.  

If Opportunity does get over the line, of course, Luxon will talk to them, but he's got a strategy and he's sticking to it.  

Campaigning politicians and CEOs do that. There's no point having strategy you abandon at the eleventh hour.  

For me, the key part of last night's leader's debate was Qiulae Wong's vibe on the Coalition.  

If they get in, they'd support with confidence and supply only. 

ACT and New Zealand First's more extreme wish lists might need to be put on ice in return for their support, plus a few sweeteners on innovation and the digital economy thrown in for good measure.  

Either way, there's still a long road ahead.  

We'll have started buying Christmas trees before the Governor General is swearing in a new government. 

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Opioids remain the biggest driver of overdose deaths, often with a cocktail of other substances. 

The latest NZ Drug Foundation report reveals the country's losing around three people a week to preventable overdose. 

It also shows a rise in hospitalisations from stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine. 

Foundation executive director Sarah Helm told Andrew Dickens that in 85% of fatalities, the person had more than one thing in their system. 

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A health sector leader's praising Labour's plan to get our emergency departments into recovery mode but says there are still gaps. 

The party's released its plan combining all their health election policies, including three free GP visits, a stock take of empty hospital beds, and training more extended care paramedics.  

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Andrew Dickens there's a lot to like, but as with other parties, it doesn't address the need for more senior hospital doctors.  

She says the hospital flow component of this policy makes sense, apart from the fact decisions around this are determined by senior doctors. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 21st of October 2026, Police arrests for retail crime are through the roof, Retail NZ CEO explains. 

Labour’s promising to cut emergency department wait times, Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' Executive Director Sarah Dalton tells Andrew if the plan will work. 

The Drug Foundation says three New Zealanders a week are needlessly dying to overdoses; Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm tells Andrew what needs to change.

Plus, Gavin Grey UK/Europe Correspondent has the latest on Prince Harry says he would like to 'reconcile' with his family, and the BBC has confirmed the closure of tv and radio channels BBC Three, BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4 Extra linear broadcast services in Q1 of 2027.

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There's a view retail crime's reduced as penalties have strengthened. 

The Ministry of Justice's latest data shows finalised charges for theft from a retail premises were more than 21,000 for the year to June, more than tripling since 2022. 

Retail NZ believes offending's dropped as much as 30% since last year. 

Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Andrew Dickens retailers are reporting more crime, which means they're able to capture more offenders that account for a number of these issues. 

She says repeat offending is high, with around 60% of offences carried out by 10% of the offenders. 

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The other day Christopher Luxon sent conniptions through the commentariat by saying we'll be lucky to have a Government by Christmas.  

I'm not surprised. 

So we have an election on November 7th. Writ day is December 3rd – that's the deadline for all the votes to be counted.   

It's three weeks later. It's always been three weeks later. 

Now here's a thing: same day voting was removed from this election and the reason given was to make the vote count faster.   

If it's not faster, then the allegations of electoral manipulation will be strengthened.   

That it was done to disenfranchise the votes of the lazy, ignorant, and young.   

So let's watch to see if they beat the deadline aye? 

And by the way, there are 64,000 young voters yet to enrol with three days to go until the deadline, which was brought forward by a fortnight. 

So let's just say we know the vote by the start of December.  

Then the negotiations begin with the so-called minor parties looking to have a stronger hand. That's going to slow things down.  

Then there's Christmas. 

Then there's the January holiday. 

And all this depends on whether the mandate is clear, which it is fair to say is currently looking murky. 

So it's going to be a while. Christmas looks a forlorn hope to me. February seems more likely.   

And then I have odds on any coalition being shaky and it'll be an even bet on whether we'll be back to the polls in a year.  

Buckle yourself in. This is going to be a wild ride. 

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Our Superannuation fund is seeing great returns, but growth is still needed for the long term. 

The 25-year-old fund is now worth $94.35 billion dollars, excluding tax, with it earning $9.3 billion in the past reporting year – a return of almost 14.2%. 

Infometrics' Brad Olsen told Andrew Dickens that it's useful money to have, but the expectation for the fund is to grow it to $200 billion by 2040. 

He says there's a lot of growth still to come, but it's at a time when the bill is still growing and we have to pay for it in the short term. 

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There's excitement in the apple sector over access to 1.4 billion Indian consumers being unlocked. 

Our new Free Trade Agreement with the world's most populous nation takes effect today, with 57% of exports to India now tariff-free. 

The number of tariff-free exports would rise to 82% over time, with the next round of cuts due from next year. 

Apples and Pears Chief Executive Danielle Adsett told Andrew Dickens there's huge demand for our products. 

She says we have the best apples in the world and India's growing middle class want them because they're tasty and can be trusted. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 20th of October 2026, Labour's pledging to ban social media for under-16s within its first 100 days if elected, Secondary Principals Association Chair and B416 expert advisory panel member Steve McCracken shares his thoughts. 

The New Zealand Superfund has posted a 14.17% increase, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen tells Andrew if it's enough. 

The India FTA kicks in from today, New Zealand Apples and Pears CEO Danielle Adsett tells Andrew if it's time to celebrate.

Plus, Nick Harper has the latest on Trump's approval rating and Russia says Putin could hold a meeting with Trump and Xi on ending the Ukraine war. 

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A school leader says it's fantastic both major parties are backing a crackdown on children's social media use. 

Labour says if elected, an under-16 social media ban will go before a select committee within 100 days, alongside a new digital duty of care law. 

National introduced a similar bill to Parliament in August. 

Secondary Principals Association Chair and B416 expert advisory panel member Steve McCracken told Andrew Dickens both policies have merit. 

He says it's hard to determine which is better, as more detail is needed for each. 

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There's an election promise to train more dentists in Otago – the first increase in training numbers in 10 years.  

And if it comes to pass, you'll have to ask, why did this not happen earlier? 

In John Key's day, economic policy supercharged our economy on the back of mass immigration and surging property prices.  

But as our population rapidly grew, nobody stopped to have a hmm.  

More people are going to need more dentists.  

But as has been New Zealand's want for a long time now, we took the growth but did not invest in the services it demanded.  

It's the same for doctors.  

New Zealand has had only two medical schools since the 1960s, and for about 20 years successive governments kept a fairly tight cap on medical student numbers. 

The cap was only substantially lifted in 2024 after years of warnings about doctor shortages.  

The New Zealand Government has approved a third medical school, to be based at the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Waikato. 

The decision was announced in July 2025 and work is now underway to establish the school. 

The first intake is expected in 2028, with an initial intake of 120 students per year.  

If we have a shortage of qualified medical staff, it has been entirely of our own choosing and has smacked of short termism that will only cost us more than if we had done it in the first place. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday 19th of October 2026, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall joins Andrew to discuss health policy ahead of the election. 

National wants to scrap the right to silence in child murder cases if re-elected, Victims advocate Ruth Money shares her thoughts.

Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on Germany and France agree on EU car policy, with easing of vehicle emissions targets for the sector and more protection for their car industry and the UK's growth better than expected in August. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on riots and looting in France and demonstrators and riot police fighting pitched battles in the centre of Tirana, Albania for the fifth day in a row. 

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A suggestion National's promise to remove the right to remain silent could be expanded beyond cases involving children.

If re-elected, the party wants to remove the right, when a child under 12 is killed. 

The party admits the policy may breach the Bill of Rights Act, but says bringing accountability to unresolved cases outweighs the potential harms.

Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told Andrew Dickens the right to remain silent is also an issue in adult murders.

She says for example if there's two people in a house where someone's been killed, they can both remain silent and refuse justice for the victims family.

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The split voting thing. 

In the weekend papers were full of full-page ads paid for by RCR.  

This appears to be the vessel for Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to promote their tactical voting tactic to create an overhang that benefits the centre right. 

I don't like it the same way Don Brash doesn't like John Key telling people how to vote and of course their platform benefits in that they have money to buy the ads. 

People have accused me of not liking it because it benefits the centre right.  

No, I don't like how Te Pati Māori do it either. 

If the left were to do it, I wouldn't like it.  

If Jim Anderton, the multi-millionaire socialist, had tried it I would have called it out too.
 
And now national has said the sweetheart deal with ACT in Epsom is over.  

Again, people telling people how to vote.  

They're all as bad as each other. 

The problem is 2 votes. 

So, I looked at what might happen if we had just one vote that counted for both the electorate MP and towards a national total that could create a proportional parliament. 

And yes, it could.  

It could still cause an overhang if parties win more electorates than their national voting share entitles them to. 

But it would certainly stop all this jiggery pokery and attempts to game the system which just seems undemocratic to me. 

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After a decisive victory over the Wallabies last week, it's time for round two. 

The All Blacks secured the Bledisloe Cup, but pride is still on the line as the two teams clash at Sydney's Accord Stadium. 

Newstalk ZB's Elliott Smith told Andrew Dickens the Kiwi side will be wanting to go our and deliver a similar performance to what we saw at Eden Park, given they got back on track after three losses in South Africa. 

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A solar advocate agrees National's six-month timeframe to get plug-in solar in shops is doable.  

New Zealand doesn't yet have regulations to permit the trade of plug-in systems.  

National's pledging to prioritise finishing work already under way in getting them into shops if re-elected. 

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Andrew Dickens it's a simple process, which many countries including the US, UK, and places across Europe have made the most of. 

Labour's policy is similar but says changes to enable plug-in solar would be within 12 months of a government it leads taking office. 

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A patients advocate says the news of Starship treatment delays isn't about making anyone look bad, but keeping families informed.

The Auckland children's hospital's confirmed about 20 chemotherapy cycles have been delayed by a few days due to staffing shortages. 

Health NZ says it had to make adjustments amid high demand and high staff sickness.

Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland told Andrew Dickens he's thankful for the whistleblower who revealed this, because no one knew.

He says the way it's been handled and the messaging from Health NZ leaders has been deplorable.

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of October 2026, Cancer treatments for children at Starship hospital have been delayed, Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland shares his thoughts. 

After a whopping at Eden Park last week, the Wallabies are getting ready to stare down the All Blacks again, Elliott Smith joins Andrew from Sydney. 

National's promising to get plug-in solar panels on shelves within six months if re-elected, Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey tells Andrew how big of a difference this will make. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Peter Anderson has the latest on an inquest’s which has heard the family of 24-year-old William Chapman, who died after entering a tiger enclosure, had concerns about his mental health care and the British government is threatening to ban all Eritreans from entering the UK if the east African country doesn’t accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders.

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Yesterday's talkback outrage was all about the MPs and the gangs.  

A meeting that was condemned by both the Chrises in the Leaders debate.  

But despite this weight of opinion, Marama Davidson doubled down on the visit – and then she promised more funding for gang run social programmes. 

Well, I don't think Marama quite understands the issue. 

I actually don't mind MPs talking with criminals to better understand where they're at, and I don't mind them talking with gangs.   

There are 11,000 gang members now, with tens of thousands of related whanau, many of whom need intervention by the State.   

Whether it's support for single mothers, or rescuing of children from abusive homes, or housing. It's good to see these issues first hand with your own eyes.  

However, the real problem was the social media posting of the photos.  

They legitimised the gangs and even celebrated their existence to the wider public.  

To not see that was silly and naive of Marama, particularly in a week where the Greens are polling better than ever.  

The fact that it was done so close to the election means it's been weaponised and once again, it casts doubts around the Greens being equipped to have their hand on the tiller of this country.  

And it's interesting that Chlöe Swarbrick has been silent.   

When asked if the event was acceptable, Ms Swarbrick did not give a definitive yes or no. Instead, she stated that she needed to “understand more of the context as to what has played out here". 

She's learnt a lot over the years and knows better.   

Unlike Marama Davidson. The reason the right attack Ms Swarbrick and not Marama is that they know one is a threat and the other is an irrelevancy.   

You get the feeling that the co-leadership thing is a thing of the past. 

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Is there a clear winner in the wake of the second major leaders debate? 

Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the NZ Herald's Leaders Debate last night, clashing on education, geopolitics, and wages, amid other things.  

Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the real competition wasn't just between the two leaders, but rather whether or not they could sell to the people watching why they should vote for them. 

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This year is set to be one of the highest graduating years in the history of the New Zealand Police, despite wings often not being at capacity. 

Around 730 recruits are expected to graduate from police college in 2026, almost 50% more than the average over the past two decades. 

Police say the incoming pipeline remains healthy with more than a thousand people in different stages of the application process. 

Associate Police Minister Casey Costello told Ryan Bridge it hasn't come at the cost of standards, which have actually been lifted. 

She says a change in the way they promoted the career has led to more people applying. 

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New Zealand's looking to attract more tourists from Europe and the US to reduce our reliance on Australians.

Stats NZ data shows almost 249 thousand overseas tourists arrived in August - 99% of 2019 levels.

The figure includes more Australians than in any August on record.

But Tourism Holdings Chief Executive Grant Webster told Ryan Bridge Chinese visitors have overtaken Australians as Queenstown's biggest tourism market - a significant shift.

He says that diversification is a good thing as we're heavily reliant on Australia, with them making up around half of all arrivals.

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Story of the week this week goes to a Herald piece about Ngaire Ashmore, the principal of Auckland Girls' Grammar.  

Ten years ago, she took over and turned the place upside down.  

Where there was failure, there's now a 92% university entrance mark for Year 13s. It was less than 50% when she started.  

The article gives the impression of a driven, serious, and quite determined leader, there for the right reasons.  

We need more of them.  

Interestingly, one of the things she found most difficult was not the kids, but the teachers.  

Getting them to believe the kids could actually do better and be better. Be more successful. That was the challenge.  

Thank goodness she's succeeded.  

We often, rightly, put focus on the curriculum and the style of teaching and the assessments, but at the end of the day, leadership, vision, goals, and guts are what drive organisations to improve. 

It's as true in business as it is in schools. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 15th of October 2026, political commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts on the New Zealand Herald Leaders debate.

New Zealand is a whisker away from pre-covid tourism levels, Grant Webster Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive tells Ryan how the industry has bounced back. 

Record numbers of new cops are about to hit the street; Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello tells Ryan how close we are the Government's Police target.

Plus, US Correspondent Katie Fisher shares the latest on US inflation rising to 3.7% year-on-year in September, driven by higher energy prices and Ukraine’s military has suddenly had its access to Starlink satellite internet terminals restricted as the Trump administration increases pressure on Ukraine to halt long-range strikes on Russia’s oil industry immediately.

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Employers are being warned cocaine use is surging in workplace drug testing. 

Drug Detection Agency data shows the drug made up 3.2% of positive tests in three months to October, up 118% year on year. 

Amphetamine-type substances, including meth, accounted for 25.4%, up 9.4% over the past year. 

Chief Executive Glenn Dobson says there are similar trends in the US and Australia. 

He told Andrew Dickens that most workplaces have a drug and alcohol policy that guides employers on how to deal with drug use. 

Generally, Dobson says, rehabilitation is offered, as they’re looking for the employee to stop taking the drug and make the workplace a safer place.  

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School leaders want more information from Labour on its plan to scrap a mandated hour of reading, writing, and maths in schools, while achievement results are improving. 

Leader Chris Hipkins announced last week teachers would be given more choice over how they spend their time. 

But a Curia Market Research poll shows 74% of Kiwis support the mandated hour policy. 

Secondary Principals' Council chair Steve McCracken told Andrew Dickens it ensures the subjects are taught regularly and consistently across the country. 

He says his school is seeing an increase in literacy and numeracy results already, and hearing the same from other schools. 

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There are concerns a flood of cheaper aluminium imports from China could lead to local manufacturers shutting their doors. 

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer has declined a request for safeguard measures to protect them.  

MBIE noted the domestic industry is struggling, with the increase in imports just one reason among many, including increasing costs. 

E tu National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh told Andrew Dickens these plants are the lifeblood of regional communities. 

She says when we lose industry in this country it doesn't come back, and its effects flow more widely than just job losses. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 14th of October 2026, a new poll shows just how popular the hour of reading, writing and maths has become, Secondary Principals Association Chair Steve McCracken tells Andrew if teachers are on board with it too.

There's concern for New Zealand's aluminium industry after the Government rejected protection against cheap imports, ETU National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh shares her thoughts. 

Our increasing love of Cocaine is bleeding through into the workplace, the Drug Detection Agency CEO Glenn Dobson shares his thoughts. 

Plus, UK Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on hundreds of French supermarkets have been hit by a cyber attack that caused their fridges and freezers to heat up, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros and UK PM Andy Burnham under growing pressure after he claimed Russia did interfere with the Brexit referendum. 

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So, if Qiulae Wong is generally considered to be the best thing in last night's debate, how did she do it and how is her fringe party keeping popular enough to perhaps enter Parliament? 

Her greatest strength last night was acting like a normal person. 

It struck me that she was the only person on our screen that was not a career politician. 

That includes the panel who were full of broadcasters who make their living talking about politics all the time. 

Q is 38. She's had career background in sustainable business. She's been successful enough to buy a house. She's got kids. She is comfortable speaking her mind.  She's authentic. 

Beside her were two politicians who have only really been politicians and an old warhorse who seems to have been there since the Treaty was signed. 

So, she appears like a normal person and that is attractive to 8% of the population at the moment, which gives her party the trump hand. 

But make no mistake, Opportunity's policies are the most radical in play right now. 

The Citizens Income, or UBI, or Basic Income Guarantee, or whatever you want to call it, combined with a Land Tax, are a pretty out there platform. 

They are far more radical than anything the Greens have come up with. It makes a Capital Gains Tax seem moderate. 

If Opportunity ever got their way New Zealand would go through a painful transformation. 

But her trick has been that she appears to be prepared to compromise, with seemingly everything, unlike the radical Greens. And she reacts with a common sense that is absent in her policies. 

It's the Peter Dunne effect coming back.  So, is the Opportunity Party the United Future of today? Destined to hold the balance of power and then fade away? 

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The Greens want to keep a tight rein on AI. 

The Party wants people held accountable for decisions made using Artificial Intelligence, and to have a public register of AI systems used by Government agencies. 

It wants people to be able to opt-out of AI-assisted decision making and wants to put a pause on hyperscale data centres.  

Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan told Andrew Dickens AI needs to be sensibly regulated, as it's a manmade tool that should enhance but not replace.  

He says their proposal would allow the benefits of AI to be shared by everyone instead of just a few. 

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ASB says elections aren't usually a handbrake for business or household decisions.  

Fresh analysis from the bank has found activity doesn't tend to slow down before an election or speed up right after one.  

Senior Economist Mark Smith says there were two exceptions around the 2008 and 2020 elections but adds that was probably because of the GFC and the pandemic. 

Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Andrew Dickens from what they're hearing, businesses are looking past the short-term uncertainty to the longer-term opportunities ahead.  

She says investment and hiring intentions have remained pretty positive. 

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A tax expert suggests National's trademark tax relief seems a fair way off, with little wiggle room in its fiscal plan.

The Party says it can't offer tax cuts until it gets on top of debt. 

It says all its commitments are costed, matching Labour's $2.4 billion Budget operating allowance. 

Tax expert Geof Nightingale told Andrew Dickens the $7.5 billion left over arrives in 2029, so it's a long way out. 

He says 2029 is an election year, so there will be spending promises then too, which will make it difficult to promise a tax cut. 

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 13th of October 2026, National’s dangled the carrot of tax cuts, but not until the books are back in surplus tax expert Geof Nightingale shares his thoughts.

The Greens' newest policy takes on their biggest rival yet -- AI, Green Party MP Lawerance Xu Nan explains how they plan to regulate it.

ASB are challenging the old idea that business grinds to a halt before an election, Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson shares what activity she's seeing from businesses.

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on an Australian engineer finally leaving IRAQ five years after being arrested and jailed and an iconic Australian band furious after song used illegally by Pauline Hanson at a conservative conference.

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With National finally releasing its fiscal policy, it’s easy to generalise the plan as more of the same. 

The only difference from Labour is that they are in love with pay equity, which comes at a huge cost and leaves the whole balancing act with very little wriggle room. 

But the enormous ogre under the bridge is the rapidly expanding cost of Superannuation.  

How long are we going to talk in circles about this? 

ACT has said lets raise it to 67. That’s not crazy.  

In Australia, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and Norway it’s 67. In the UK it’s 66, but it's planned to go to 68.  

Canada and Japan are like us, but more and more we’re becoming outliers. 

All it takes are political leaders saying let’s do it.  

David Seymour has. Chris Hipkins hasn’t, and now National is saying we’ll do it if everyone else wants to do it.  

National, Labour, and New Zealand First are running scared because they’re scared of how older people will react.  

But if you’re already getting it what’s your beef? You can’t sit there and complain about our books and being resistant to it.  

I’m in my 60s. It won’t affect me so what’s to worry about? 

50-year-olds will be jittery about it. 

Under 40s should already know the issue and should be preparing for a new eventuality.  

But the leaders of our biggest parties seem unable to lead if some people might react negatively, which doesn’t seem like leadership to me. 

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The election season is well underway, and employment is a key issue for many voters.

National has pledged more drug testing for beneficiaries, to ensure more Kiwis are ready to get into work, and Labour has voiced opposition to this idea.

National Social Development Minister Louise Upston says she's confident the Government's measures to reduce unemployment are working - but there's more to be done.

"We've seen 84,000 people leave welfare into work in the last year, so we're really confident that the measures that we are making are working."

Meanwhile, Labour social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime has pushed back on this scheme. 

"Labour has a plan, where we are talking about expanding apprenticeship boost, introducing trades training and expanding that - and a new work package, where we're going to create a whole lot of jobs." 

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Trump has made a new diesel deal with Russia, and it's sparked concerns in Europe.

Under the agreement, 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel will be released to the US immediately, followed by a further 500,000 next month.

Business correspondent Vicky Pryce says some people are worried about the optics of this arrangement - especially in terms of what it could mean for Ukraine.

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Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 12 October.
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A view it's clearly time our political parties come together to tackle the issue of superannuation.

National and Labour have agreed they'll support a cross-party political accord on the retirement system.

Act and National are both campaigning on gradually raising the super age to 67.

Labour and New Zealand First are both campaigning to keep it at 65.

Superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen told Andrew Dickens some cross-party consensus on this is overdue.

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There’s been a concerted campaign by Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to get National voters to split their vote and engineer an overhang.

A move John Key has said would be the opposite of clever.

Over the weekend, Don Brash went to print again to explain why it’s a good idea.

The upshot is that National’s strength in the electorates could mean a loss of list seats, which would affect several senior ministers, including Nicola Willis.

In the piece, he argues that National voters are smart enough to work out split voting for themselves and don’t need John Key telling them how to vote.

The irony is that Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray have been telling people how to vote all along.

Mr Brash believes it’s the only way for National to save a centre-right coalition, but there is another way: be more popular.

The other disconnect is that many on the right already believe New Zealand has too many MPs, and yet here are Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray wanting even more, perhaps as many as 124.

Another irony is that many on the right can’t stand it when Helen Clark butts in with her tuppence-worth, yet here is a former leader of National and ACT doing exactly the same thing at the age of 85.

What’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. I would prefer Mr Brash to zip it, sweetie.

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The Greens are condemning National's plans to drug-test people on welfare and reduce payments. 

National's promising to randomly drug test ten thousand beneficiaries next year. 

From April 2028, it would also cut Jobseeker payments for people on the scheme for two of the previous three years, claiming it'll push people into work. 

Greens' Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March told Andrew Dickens drug testing beneficiaries does not create jobs, and the reason unemployment is high is not because they may or may not be using substances. 

He says the only thing this will create is jobs in the drug testing industry, and it won't address the unemployment crisis that currently exists. 

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Eden Park's CEO is looking forward to welcoming the All Blacks back to the Fortress. 

The stadium is hosting the first Bledisloe Cup clash this weekend, the All Blacks taking on the Wallabies for the first time since they returned from South Africa. 

Nick Sautner told Andrew Dickens the All Blacks have a phenomenal record at the stadium, as they haven't lost to Australia there since 1986, and they want to make sure that streak continues.  

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2026, the Green Party is not happy with National's benefit policy, Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menedez March explains why. 

The trans-tasman rivalry’s back at Eden Park, CEO Nick Sautner tells Andrew what to look out for. 

Labour say they have a plan to tackle unfair plane ticket costs, NZ Herald Aviation Journalist John Weekes tells Andrew if the plan is viable. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on UK Police accept warrants used to search the home of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor were unlawful and Germany will face threats together, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said as he announced a series of defence and security partnerships. 

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Labour's making big promises in aviation if re-elected.  

The Party would require airlines to publish airfares including every fee upfront - making the full cost clear. 

It would mandate automatic refunds when big airlines like Air New Zealand and Jetstar cancel or significantly change flights, and for them to publish data on cancellations and delays. 

New Zealand Herald Aviation Journalist John Weekes joined Andrew Dickens to break down the policy. 

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I had to chuckle after yesterday's interview with Mr Abercrombie from the PPTA who grudgingly accepted that improvements to the education sector by the government is a factor in teacher registrations being up 40 per cent this year 

Mr Abercrombie, other industry advocates and the Labour led opposition have been dead set against the changes but now they’re slowly admitting that things are better 

It makes you wonder why they were so negative from the get-go, and I can only put it down to tribalism 

If it’s an idea from the right, it has to be evil and wrong and bad for the kids and the vulnerable 

Now this is also a weakness on the right. The Coalition spent the first year merrily throwing out any initiatives from the previous government whether it had good aspects or not. 

The us good, them bad narrative is childish. And expensive and slowing us down

3 Waters was thrown out and replaced with the same thing, the only difference being it’s voluntary with no governance.  The upshot is that we’re even further behind in finding funds to fix our water supply 

I could go on. 

The cancelled ferries when the problem was actually the gold-plated ports 

Chris Hipkins big mistake in the leader's debate was to threaten to throw out an hour of tuition of the basics if they get in.  A policy that is popular with parents and Mr Abercrombie even said works 

These flip flops from all sides are exhausting

When National won the last election, they said the adults are back. Well, when is that actually going to happen. 

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The lawyers of US death row inmate Christa Pike have asked for evidence to be preserved from her botched execution. 

The 50-year-old survived two lethal injections in Tennessee last week – a death sentence imposed for murder in 1996. 

A statement from her lawyers yesterday stated she's now conscious and speaking, still handcuffed in hospital, and receiving critical care. 

US Correspondent Nick Harper told Andrew Dickens Pike's lawyers argue there were problems with the IV lines involved. 

They claim at least seven needles were used to try to get the doses into her system, one even bent at a 90-degree angle. 

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A warning there are drawbacks to instant payments as Labour vows to make it possible 24/7 by 2030. 

The party wants to bring more competition to the sector helping fintech companies take on the big four banks. 

Part of Labour's plan to achieve this is by introducing e-money licences for businesses offering services like digital wallets and payments.  

Massey University Financial Professor Claire Matthews told Andrew Dickens that currently, if you're subject to scams there's a small window to get the money back. 

However, she says, when you have real-time payments, that's gone. 

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The country's teacher pipeline is showing signs of recovery. 

Education Minister Erica Stanford is crediting the School Onsite Training Programme for a 40% jump in the number of Kiwis training to be teachers between 2023 and now. 

But the current figure of 4,500 is still well below the 6,800 training in 2010. 

PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Andrew Dickens there are jobs waiting for those entering the profession. 

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