Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

I've got an amazing wonder drug to tell you about New Zealand, and it saved me in the last couple of weeks.  People are talking about it from top of the country to the bottom and it's not Ozempic.  No, I'm not taking Ozempic, though, I wouldn't mind trying it. I think a lot of people are curious.  David Seymour made this drug a priority. Yes, I'm talking about pseudoephedrine.  I felt sick, I took it, the symptoms disappeared.  I had a wedding recently and people said they wouldn't have come without it.  What must it be doing for our productivity as well?  Fewer sick days.  I spoke to a friend of mine who's a mum, she's got young kids, and you send your kid to daycare, they get all the bugs under the sun, they bring the germs home. The kids are gross and they pass it on to mum and dad.  Mum and dad go down like flies, they take time off work, et cetera, et cetera. And then bam, pop the miracle drug. Pseudo mums and pseudo dads.  So they are absolutely over the moon about this. It's the drug we forgot we needed, isn't it?  I said to my friend, what about the meth addicts? Because that's the argument, you know, the meth addicts will get it and then they'll cook it up and it could be stolen.  It's the precursor to p and she said, I don't care, they'll find it anyway. And I just need to get through my work week and get the kids to school.  So thank you David Seymour for Pseudoephedrine. And thank you to Big Pharma. It's really underrated Big Pharma, a lot of people give it a hard time.  It's like big oil, you know, just sometimes they do good things.  So cheers to whoever it is that makes it.  This opinion piece was originally published August 30, 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guilty verdicts have been reached in France's mass rape trial.   Dominique Pelicot's been jailed for 20 years after drugging and raping his wife Gisele and inviting dozens of strangers to do the same for over nearly a decade.   He was also found guilty of taking indecent images of his daughter and his two daughters-in-law.   Of the other 50 men on trial, 46 were found guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault.  Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney told Andrew Dickens that there’s been some disappointment around the sentences for the other men, as they received sentences of between 5 and 8 years.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's teaming up with the private sector to get on top of text scams.  When people report scam texts as junk on some phones, text messages will soon go directly to the Department of Internal Affairs.  It can then share the info with telcos so they can be blocked.  Rush Digital founder and chief executive Danu Abeysuriya told Andrew Dickens we have to work together to solve this problem.  He sees it as a good approach because if you get a few reports of spam, thousands of further texts can be blocked.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stabilising the economy is not as simple as investing more.  Stats NZ figures out yesterday show GDP fell 1% in the three months to September.  They also revised the preceding quarter down to 1.1% contraction, with both figures putting us in deep recession.  ANZ Economist Henry Russell told Andrew Dickens the Government should be investing more, if it weren't dealing with its own deficits.  He says there is going to be another shock on the horizon and the country needs to be prepared to respond to that.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 20 December. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced changes to free speech rules for universities, saying it's concerned that they are currently taking a risk based approach and need more diverse opinions. The new rules will set out expectations for universities on how to approach freedom of speech issues and each one will have to adopt a free speech statement. They will also be prohibited from taking positions on issues that don't relate to their core functions. Tertiary Education Union President Sandra Grey says there isn't a problem here that needs to be fixed. "It feels like we've got a heavy-handed approach from a government that apparently is anti-regulation but is now going to put in place the whole lot of requirements on a community that just doesn't need it." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is my last editorial for the year.  What a year it’s been, we started in January with Golriz shoplifting, we watched 10,000 jobs go from the public sector and the private sector follow suit as cash stopped bouncing around the economy. National blamed Labour for everything and Labour blamed National. We watched Scott Robertson fail to be the second coming but when the All Blacks were good they were very good. The Treaty Principles Bill debate came, saw and divided. The hikoi invaded parliament, but didn’t set up camp. The entire Newshub newsroom disappeared and others seem vulnerable so that’s less eyes on the game.   Construction crashed, power surged in price, mills closed and towns pondered what their citizens will do next. The snow fell late, a football team landed on the ground running, we found out state care was not caring. A war in Ukraine rolled on, a war in Gaza started, a country finally expelled it’s dictator, Iran bombed Israel and Israel bombed Iran and world war 3 seemed closer than ever. China eyed Taiwan, China eyed the pacific, the States eyed China and we were asked to choose sides more and more.  Then Donald Trump won America by saying we’ll keep it simple and keep America first, and tariffs are back.  We’ll never forget you 2024, but frankly we’re sick of the sight of you.  It’s time to go to your family, go to your favourite place, watch another sunrise, rest and recuperate because in 2025 we’ve got a big job fixing all this shit up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many Americans could be in trouble this Christmas.  Amazon workers across a number of facilities in New York, Illinois, and Southern California are gearing up to strike later this week.  The strike would take place the week before and during Christmas and Hanukkah, the two biggest gift giving holidays in the US.  US Correspondent Toni Waterman told Andrew Dickens the workers are calling for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.   She says they’re currently at a bit of a stalemate, as Amazon is refusing to recognise the union representing the workers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure investment is being held up as being paramount to keeping New Zealand's economy on the right track.  Stats NZ will release GDP data for the third quarter just before 11am today.  The major banks are all predicting between a 0.2% and 0.4% contraction, meaning our third technical recession in two years.  Kiwibank Senior Economist Mary Jo Vergara told Andrew Dickens a lack of infrastructure investment has made the last few years particularly volatile.   She says in a time of recession, building roads, hospitals and schools will help the economy.  Vergara says cuts to the US Federal Reserve also impact our economy and exporters.  She says our small economy is heavily reliant on the performance of the global economy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Lake Alice survivor understands the frustration at the Government's torture redress.  Eligible people tortured at the psychiatric hospital in the 1970s can take an expedited payment of $150 thousand or apply for independently assessed redress.  Payments will be made between March and December next year.  But survivor Jim Goodwin told Andrew Dickens these people have spent their lives being fobbed off and may feel it's not good enough.  He says this is also being determined by government ministers and heads of government departments – the very people who have fobbed them off.  Goodwin says it seems to him that this won't be the full and final settlement, but rather the $150 thousand is just the start.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 19 December. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olympic medal-winning sports have been given a funding boost heading into the 2028 Los Angeles games. High Performance Sport New Zealand's announced it's investing $162.8 million for 36 national sporting organisations over the next four years. Rowing, Yachting, Athletics and Para Athletics, Cycling and Para Cycling, and Canoe Racing and Para Canoe are the Podium sports which will receive increased investment - sports that contributed to 16 of New Zealand’s 20 medals won at the Paris Olympics. Rowing NZ's Chief Executive Simon Wickham has welcomed the funding boost. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the fast track world, where parliamentarians have been given the right to approve projects they reckon are good for the country.  Last night Chris Bishop even referred to himself, Simeon Brown and Shane Jones as the troika - a Russian word referring to 3 parties being a ruling body, so even he knew the remarkable power he was giving himself.  That power has been watered down but the underlying concern remains.  We all know projects that have been disasters, or contained unintended consequences, or that favoured investors and not the community.  We’re also aware of so many projects run by cowboys that we have regretted. Suburbs built in flood zones, dams built in unstable land, and various in fill nightmares and runoffs from industry that have poisoned waterways and caused environmental disaster. And all of that was while more regulation was in place.  A senior city planner in Auckland is on record as saying there’s a handful of developers who get their consents in a month because their application is word perfect and compliant from the get go, most others go back and forth as they try to circumvent the rules. These days construction costs are worse than legal costs, so any corners they can cut they will.  I totally get that we need to progress and get stuff done and so I support the new act.  But I’d warn the politicians pushing it that bad decisions will affect your legacy and I also warn that politicians and public servants are not geniuses at picking the right horses, and that should be obvious a week after the solar zero debacle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of December, the Treasury has released its half yearly update, and the readings are grim. Barbara Edmonds pushes back against the blame being laid at Labour’s feet.  A review has proposed a raft of changes to regulations in the early childhood sector, Early Childhood New Zealand CEO Kathy Wolfe joined to discuss the proposal.   And Andrew wants to know who’s paying $74 to park in Auckland’s CBD.  Get the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early childhood educators are welcoming the Government's proposed changes to the sector.  A review has made 15 recommendations to simplify and modernise regulation to help better provide safe, high-quality care and education.  Regulation Minister David Seymour says they represent a major shakeup, promoting innovation, quality, and growth.  But Early Childhood New Zealand chief executive Kathy Wolfe told Andrew Dickens they also need to mitigate all potential risks.  She says they need to work with Seymour to ensure these recommendations land in the right places and are fit for purpose.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grim readings from the Treasury's half year economic and fiscal update. The government's books will stay in the red until at least 2029, a year later than previously predicted. Although the government says it will aim to return to surplus a year earlier.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is blaming the opposition for the bad result, saying in the past five years Labour added more than $100 billion to our debt. Labour's Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds has pushed back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News that Wilson Parking in Fort Street, Auckland, is the most expensive parking in New Zealand says a lot more than just a company creaming it.  If you turn up first thing at the park and you use the on site machine then a days parking will cost you $74. Now who pays $74 for a days park? If you park casually then it will cost you $22 an hour - more than the minimum wage.  I’m picking that if you park in this park then you’re not working in hospo, you’re earning enough to blow money like this, you don’t feel you have an alternative and you love your car and want to park near work.  So let’s break that down. The average wage in Auckland is $72,000 a year, after tax that’s $900 bucks a week in the hand. The median rent is $700 dollars, you need $100 a week for power, phone internet and gas, you need to eat. So where’s the money for that park? The only people paying that earn way more than $72 grand. On the alternative, most don’t have a car park. 50 per cent of workers in Auckland’s CBD take public transport into work. That’s because they don’t get a park from their employer and they don’t earn enough to face the parking charges. That’s not their choice, it’s an economic necessity, that’s why public transport is critical to our productivity. Remember that the next time you complain about a bus lane. And finally a love of the car distorts the debate, because there are plenty of parks that don’t cost that much. Like the city owned downtown car park, a car park which is half empty most days, which is why the council has sold the car park to developers to become a skyscraper and much more expensive parking. But park there and you may have to walk, so many don’t and pay a fortune on wasted productivity. There comes a time in every city where the ease and convenience of driving to town becomes only available to the better off and that kills a CBD, a CBD that has already been gutted by suburban malls and cinemas.  The fact that so many Aucklanders are prepared to pay so much to park a car in the CBD it makes me believe that the idea of congestion charges in an attempt to reduce traffic will fail, we’re just going to pay to stay stuck in the same traffic queues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report gives an insight into how we're using pharmaceutical and psychedelic drugs.   The 2024 New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey of more than 10,000 people shows a quarter of recent psychedelics users took the drugs for their mental health and wellbeing.  Author Dr Robin van der Sanden says there's growing awareness among the general public about their potential benefits.  She says it's a global trend, fuelled by things like recent clinical trials of LSD for terminal cancer patients.  van der Sanden told Andrew Dickens that there is a concern about health and safety, namely mixing the substances with alcohol, or the risk of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expectations are low as Treasury allows a peek into its books later today.  Economist Cameron Bagrie says in the 2024 update, various scenarios were presented for this year.  He told Andrew Dickens it seems we're on track with the downside prediction.  Bagrie says it forecast net debt climbing to 45% of GDP and the operating balance remaining in deficit.  Treasury will unveil its half yearly economic and fiscal update at 1pm.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two of the Australians who fell gravely ill after drinking pina coladas at a Fiji resort have returned home.  Seven Australians staying at the high-end Warwick Resort have been hospitalised.  Tanya Sandhoe and her teen daughter Georgia landed in Sydney last night after getting medical clearance to fly.  Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Andrew Dickens it's a suspected mass alcohol poisoning.  She says investigations are continuing into what happened, with toxicology reports expected soon.  New Zealand's travel advice to Fiji's been updated, warning of a potential drink spiking and methanol poisoning.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.