Simon Laurent: NZ Association of Migration and Investment Chair on net migration hitting a two year high

Net migration is back on the rise as the brain drain eases.  Stats NZ data shows the number of people moving here in the year to July outnumbered those leaving by 20,300.  Annually, that net migration has risen almost 55%, with arrivals up 5% and departures down 4%.  Immigration Expert Simon Lau…

Brad Olsen: Infometrics Principal Economist on how an uncertain global bond market could impact New Zealand

Surging global oil prices and bond yields could keep inflation higher than expected and force the Reserve Bank to raise the OCR faster than expected.  Some economists now expect the Official Cash Rate to reach 4% before the end of the year.  The Government says the Pre-election Economic and Fisca…

Tania Tapsell: Rotorua Mayor on tourism arrivals overtaking pre-Covid numbers

July's record tourism numbers are being seen as a reflection of investment finally paying off.    Stats NZ data shows 256,600 overseas tourists arrived during the month, overtaking pre-Covid numbers from July 2019 by 0.4%.  Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Andrew Dickens the effort from local cou…

Full Show Podcast: 15 September 2026

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 15th of September 2026, international visitor numbers are finally back above pre-Covid levels, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell tells Andrew how the government's tourism push has helped.  Migrant arrivals for the year were up 5%, im…

Andrew Dickens: Politicians are missing the real immigration problem

The past week has seen immigration policies come to the fore.  New Zealand First is signalling a tougher immigration stance, longer waits for residency and citizenship, a referendum to cap new residency approvals at 20,000 a year, and a 30-year population plan tying migrant intake to infrastructur…

Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on Russian drone striking train behind Boris Johnson and other dignitaries near Ukraine border

A Russian drone has hit a train near the Ukraine-Poland border, moments after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other top European security officials had been present. No one died in the attack, and all passengers were safely evacuated. Johnson had been passing along the same line on a d…

Vicky Pryce: business correspondent on the UK GDP going up by 0.4 percent

The UK's GDP grew by 0.4 percent in July, surprising economists after no growth was predicted. The economic growth was driven by several key sectors, and boosted by more businesses investing in AI and data centres. Business correspondent Vicky Pryce says the World Cup also helped contribute to th…

Alf Filipaina: Auckland Councillor on the launch of the City Rail Link and whether extra police are needed

The City Rail Link finally launched over the weekend and it's set to bring extra foot traffic to Auckland CBD, but concerns have been raised over the potential risks. National's promising a dedicated Auckland Transport police team if elected, pledging an extra $7 million per year through Budget 20…

Barbara Edmonds: Labour Finance Spokesperson on its KiwiSaver policy

A clear standout - as Labour rolls out a raft of proposed changes to our KiwiSaver scheme. The party's promising to lift the employer contribution rate to six percent by 2032 - if elected.  Labour would also introduce compulsory employer contributions, even when employees have paused or reduced t…

Full Show Podcast: 14 September 2026

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, Labour Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds shares the details of Labour's KiwiSaver policy.  Auckland Councillor shares his thoughts on the opening of the CRL and if we need to establish Auckland Transport Police to keep people safe.  …