Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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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