On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 26th of June 2026, The Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is under investigation over allegations of inappropriate conduct, NZ Herald Senior Investigative Reporter Michael Morrah shares the latest.

National's proposing low-interest loans for solar and home energy upgrades, National Party Energy Spokesperson Simeon Brown tells Ryan why the policy is important.

Tama Potaka's backed down on his plan around the potential sale of conservation land, Greenpeace Campaigner, Gen Toop shares her thoughts.

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on the UK heatwave and Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging an Andy Burnham-led government to stick to what she is doing because it is "beginning to bear fruit", as she defended her handling of the UK economy.

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Green Peace say the public's opposition to conservation land being sold off, is loud.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka's removing a clause in a Bill that would've allowed for further sales of conservation land, if land's deemed not important to nature, and a sale's agreed to by DOC.

It follows significant public outcry.

Green Peace Campaigner Gen Toop shares her thoughts with Ryan Bridge.

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Most kiwis have an environmental bent to them that most of the rest of the western world just doesn't have. At least, not to the same extent.

Most people, left and right, use the outdoors here. We have quite a close relationship to it.

Matt Watson and his million fishers put Sane Jone's supposedly industry-friendly fishing clauses in the bin.

Now the same has happened with Potaka and his Conservation clauses.

In both cases, emotion overcame facts.

I spoke to Potaka the day before he U-turned, and he made some pretty clear promises. No parks, no bushland, no Great Walks, no protected species, would be destroyed or sold off under the bill.

The problem was the door was left ajar open for a future government to potentially sell bits of Conservation land.

Anyone who thinks that means a government would sell Tongariro National Park to the highest bidder is not serious or mad.

They were targeting, at least according to Potaka, land with old disused government buildings on them in a state of disrepair.

But the law left the door open, ajar, with caveats like sign-off from the DOC boss, for the sale of land most of us probably wouldn't want sold.

And opponents drove a truck through that hole.

Potaka looked like a deer in headlights.

They should have seen this coming. Especially after the fishing misstep.

This to say it'll cost them votes. It just means there's a perception out there - and it's not necessarily true - but there's a perception that not only are they not for the environment - as Potaka kept saying - but that they are against it.

Whatever that vague phrasing means.

It, clearly, resonates with quite a few kiwis.

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There’s optimism amongst the country's chief financial officers.

Employment Agency Hunter Campbell's Mood of the CFO survey has found 57% of businesses have met or exceeded their revenue targets.

But 45% are concerned the world economy is going to deteriorate.

That figure's twice as high as last year's survey.

Hunter Campbell Managing Partner Lee Marshall told Andrew Dickens New Zealand businesses are getting on with it, and we’re trucking along better than expected.

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Far North Police are being met with a wall of silence nearly two months on from a fatal hit and run.

They've been investigating the death of 18-year-old Jahkani Hamilton last month, when he and an associate were knocked off their dirt bikes near Kaikohe.

Police say the investigation's being hindered as witnesses and their supporters are actively choosing to say nothing.

Defence lawyer Steve Lack told Andrew Dickens everyone's entitled to the right to silence.

He says it's sometimes difficult to break down whether someone's a suspect, accused, or simply a witness.

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Pike River families are disappointed by mixed messages from New Zealand First over planned health and safety law changes.

Leader Winston Peters told protesters yesterday he'll dump the Health and Safety at Work Act amendments if re-elected next term.

Stand with Pike spokesperson Sonya Rockhouse told Andrew Dickens Peters earlier told families he didn’t support the bill in its current form, leaving them feeling encouraged.

She says Peters did an interview this week which made them even more positive, but overnight his rhetoric has changed.

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On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Thursday 25th of June 2026, Brooke Van Velden's accused Winston Peters of last-minute politicking, after NZ First threatened to withhold support for health and safety reform, Pike River Campaigner Sonya Rockhouse, tells Andrew what happened at Parliament.

Lee Marshall Hunter Campbell Managing Partner shares his thoughts on the annual Hunter Campbell mood of the CFO's report.

Defence Lawyer Steven Lack warns against the weakening the right to remain silent.

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Marco Rubio travelling through the Middle East trying to convince US partners that the MoU with Iran doesn’t leave them vulnerable to future attacks, as the 60 negotiation process is well underway and in a major test of Zohran Mamdani’s influence, all three of the candidates he backed in last night’s Democratic primaries won their races, signalling a shift to the left for the party.

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The hubbub yesterday over the Conservation Amendment Bill brought to light three issues for me.

Firstly, how bad much of our law is, and that stems back to how it’s written and processed. Secondly, that many concerned organisations are not afraid to scaremonger and exaggerate to win their way. And thirdly, how many New Zealanders rely on social media to keep informed on the issues of the day.

For those who were spooked by the news that land in the Conservation estate could be swapped or sold, they only had to go to Google, and they could find a myriad of expert opinion.

For many, much of the new law updates were sorely needed for a piece of legislation that is 40 years old.

On Newsroom, one expert planner also pointed out the sales and swaps of conservation land already happens, and all this amendment does is make the process less clunky. Others pointed out that it takes power away from a Minister which was a check and balance.

All agreed it’s a badly written law that’s been rushed and is currently before a select committee with a tight deadline of July 2nd. A complaint about our modern law that Sir Geoffrey Palmer pointed out last week.

But one wondered why the reality and the rhetoric were so different, and that lies at the feet of groups like Greenpeace and Forest and Bird who made it seem like 60% was going to be sold.

And then that was amplified by so many getting their information from biased social media, and not realising the full story.

A word of advice to the Government: you’ve failed to explain this and you might want to take the foot off the gas.

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