Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

We’ll get a clearer picture of the Government’s spending plans heading into an election year this afternoon. 

Treasury’s releasing the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update at 1pm, alongside the Budget Policy Statement, setting out the economic outlook and spending priorities. 

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen Andrew Dickens governments are often expected to loosen the purse strings in an election year. 

He ...

A deadly terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach is feeding speculation of potential intelligence errors. 

Two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more. 

A 24-year-old suspect remains in hospital under police guard, while his 50-year-old father, the other alleged offender, was shot dead. 

The younger man, who's suspected of orchestrating the attack, had ...

Yesterday was a sad, morose day reflecting on the Jewish deaths and their horror, made worse by a never-ending stream of video coverage from every angle.

Never has a massacre been as documented and then distributed. The power of citizens with broadcast studios in their phones. The uncensored images spread by the very social media that Australia banned for the under 16s this past week. 

And we saw the victims - dead, dying, and...

Today marks the beginning of road side drug testing - starting exclusively in the Wellington District.

The scheme's pilot will see police conducting random roadside saliva tests - screening for cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine.

The initiative begins in the capital before scaling up from April until coverage is nationwide by mid next-year.

Any drivers whose tests come back positive, will need to do a lab test which also ...

After Bondi It now seems obvious that antisemitism is out the gate. Particularly in Australia with a large population who hail from the middle east, but increasingly so in this country and around the world.

and I don't think the genie is going to be put back in the bottle any time soon.

The conflict in Gaza starting with the Hamas attack on the music festival in October 2023 has only intensified the conflict between faiths.

and you...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday the 15th of December 2025, Police begin roadside drug testing from today, Police Association President, Steve Watt tells Andrew what officers are preparing for. 

UK police tighten security around synagogues celebrating Hanukkah following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest. 

Elliott Smith has the latest o...

Primary school principals are doubling down on their call for a better pay offer. 

Principals belonging to the NZEI union have rejected the Government's latest collective agreement offer, including a 4.6% pay rise.  

They say it's substantially inferior to the deal accepted by secondary school principals. 

Principal Karl Vasau, the principal for Rowandale Primary School, told Andrew Dickens they're working hard to ge...

Swings and roundabouts for the dairy sector, with prices set to weaken. 

Research by Rabobank suggests overall global production peaked last quarter, and this quarter won't be far behind. 

EU and UK are seeing their strongest growth since 2017 and US milk output has increased for five consecutive months. 

Lincoln University Adjunct Professor Jacqueline Rowarth told Andrew Dickens dairy farmers aren't feeling too glum...

Costs to fix our water infrastructure are increasing as we get a better picture of its current state. 

Every council has now submitted their plan under the Government's Local Water Done Well programme.

As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is expected to be almost $48 billion - about $9 billion more than first thought.

Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe told Andrew Dickens with all the plans sub...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 12th of December 2025, primary school principals have rejected the government's latest pay offer, Rowandale Primary School Principal Karl Vasau tells Andrew why.

A new report from Rabobank says there's "too much milk for the market", Director at DairyNZ Dr Jacqueline Rowarth shares her thoughts.

Local Water Done Well is going to cost $9 billion dollars more than previou...

I don’t want to ask what America is thinking, but what are they thinking?

As more details of their social media information requests to enter the States came to light yesterday, the less I wanted to go there.

To get in I need to supply a wealth of personal information, including DNA and all my social media links. Now I love America and its people, but if I have to jump through all those hoops my first reaction is "forget it". 

Could the worst of the brain drain be over?  

Though migration remains low year-on-year, provisional figures show that net migration for October was up 7% on 2024.  

Massey University Sociologist Paul Spoonley told Andrew Dickens he’s optimistic we’re starting to see it plateauing, if not turning around.  

He says the pull of Australia is still very strong, but in terms on non-New Zealand migrant departures, that’s l...

There are areas for improvement in how we prevent cancer, with the number of new cases expected to jump in the next two decades.  

The Cancer Control Agency's latest State of Cancer report shows cancer's on the rise. 

Diagnoses are expected to rise from 30 thousand this year to more than 45 thousand in 2044. 

Cancer Society National Chief Executive Nicola Coom told Andrew Dickens people with cancer are living longer,...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday the 11th of December 2025, Parliament's education and workforce committee has dropped its interim report on youth online harm, Dr Parmjeet Parmar who represents Act of the committee shares her thoughts.

Emeritus Professor & Massey University Sociologist, Paul Spoonley tells Andrew whether or not the worst of the brain drain is over. 

The Cancer Control Age...

ACT says New Zealand isn’t ready to follow Australia with a youth social media ban.

An interim report from Parliament's education committee suggests we consider taking a similar approach to our neighbours, who introduced a ban yesterday.

It's found social media is exposing young people to a wide range of harm.

Act representative Parmjeet Parmar told Andrew Dickens we should watch how the policy unfolds in Australia before moving ah...

The story that keeps getting my goat this week has been the accusation that New Zealanders take too many holidays over the Christmas-January period. 

It’s burbled along since the weekend. Business owners, economists, Simon Bridges, and talkback callers all alleging that the country closes down for a month and that’s killing our productivity. 

But there’s no proof of that and the allegations seem little better than reckons...

An urban planner's giving the proposed Resource Management Act a big thumbs up, calling the reforms awesome and fantastic.   

The Government's confirmed the current RMA will be replaced by two pieces of legislation, one for the environment and one for planning. 

They'll be phased in by 2029.  

Independent urban planner and strategic development expert Bruce Weir told Andrew Dickens there will always be hiccups, ...

Australia's pioneering social media ban is casting ripples around the world.  

The new law sets a mandatory age limit of 16 or older for accounts on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Now countries like Malaysia and Denmark are following the Australian lead with similar approaches. 

AUT communications studies professor Patrick Usmar told Andrew Dickens enforcement will be difficult, but it should limit exposure...