More consistency across the Tasman in the standards for goods and services - could reduce administrative burdens and free up business capacity.

A new agreement aims to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve quality and meet regulatory requirements in New Zealand and Australia.

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge we were out of kilter with the Aussies on about 24 standards - so businesses effectively had to hire someone just to handle the paperwork.

He says it's a main below-the-surface issue and barrier for businesses - that can put them off doing the work.

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This government's running into similar problems Jacinda's one did on energy - they're getting too much 'official' advice and reports.

The problem when you ask 'the experts' for advice on every thought that pops into your head is that they tend to agree with it. And if they don't. you tend to ignore them.

And what does that tell you about the need for the advice in the first place?

Latest case in point is the LNG terminal in Taranaki. A billion bucks. We'll be paying a levy on our power bills to fund it.

Big announcement at the beehive theatrette yesterday.

The 'official advice from MBIE and the rest was that this is the way to go. This will save us all, on average, apparently, $1 a week on electricity.

If we're lucky. Because remember, as with all advice, there are caveats. The caveats are 'depends on this" and "depends on that".

So, we've got an announcement and we hope for the best and this thing will be built, come hell or high water, bar a change of government, by 2027.

When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, we'll import LNG and keep the lights on.

BUT.

Last year we had the Frontier Economics report. Same issue but different set of 'advisors'.

They're an independent global consultancy crowd.

What they said was quite different.

They told us it would basically be a dumb idea to build an import terminal because you've got a massive, fixed cost spread over a relatively small amount of output - because you're only using this as a back-up.

You can't sell an LNG terminal once you're finished with it. These particular advisors made the point that it's quite a specific piece of kit and could well turn it one of this country's biggest white elephant investments.

Yet here we are less than a year later with a different set of advice and another vague plan.

There's no doubt this country needs a plan to deal with energy security. But depending on who you ask, this is either brilliant or batshit.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 10th of Feburary 2025, The Government's given the all clear to build an LNG import facility to help with energy security, Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie shares his thoughts.

The Government's signed a new standards agreement with Australia, Infometrics CEO and Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains.

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on a multi million dollar boost to help veterans transition to civilian life and an investigation into work conditions on a luxury cruise liner docked in Darwin.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff has quit - claiming he's responsible for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.

Morgan McSweeney's position had been in doubt - after emails revealed Mandelson’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson's facing a criminal investigation - into claims he'd passed sensitive information to Epstein.

UK correspondent Mike Pearse told Ryan Bridge the scandal has Starmer's popularity waning.

He says a new poll reveals Starmer has the support of fewer than one in five people in the UK - with some of his own MPs saying it's a matter of time before he pays the price.

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I was having a good old debate with a mate at the weekend about interest rates.

We're of the age where, mortgages are a thing.

In Auckland, quote a bog and annoying thing.

Paying them down is the aim of the game.

Now this mate of mine knows a bit more about this stuff than I do and watches the markets closely. He's worried about the middle of the year - potentially this recovery if that's what we can official call it yet - coming to a bit a standstill/abrupt halt.

We've spoken before about elections putting the kaibosh on growth. We've spoken about Bill English's comments about our recovery, unlike across the ditch, coming isn't spite of a rebound in house prices.

In Australia, everything's how. The weather. House prices. Inflation. Growth. Employment.

It's like they're on a different hemisphere to us.

There was a good podcast talking about some of this, Of Interest, with a Westpac economist.

The RBA'S rate is now 3.85%. Ours is 2.25%. It's been about 15 years since there's been such a big gap between the two.

We usually cycle together most of the time but we have drifted apart to the point where one's so far over the hill, we can't see each other anymore.

This is all by design, of course. We were way more aggressive. We engineered a recession to crash inflation.

They went a loft softer to take into account employment.

They have a duel mandate. The coalition got rid of ours.

The Aussies are now upping rates again because their inflation is taking off again. Ours has a mild case of fever but nothing like there's at early 4%.

The question anyone thinking about this stuff, with a mortgage is asking themselves, is this.

Would you swallow a bit of inflation to have an economy that's actually firing?

In other words, in future, would you rather this was handled the Aussie way? Or the Kiwi way?

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Westport’s only air link could be cut within months.

Originair won’t guarantee its Westport-Wellington service beyond May after failing to secure Government and local funding.

NZ Airports Association CEO Billie Moore says Westport is one of the last remaining airports still co-owned by the taxpayer.

She told Ryan Bridge taxpayers already cover half the airport’s annual shortfall, just to keep essential services running.

Moore says the public contribution needs to be beneficial.

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A Wellington City Councillor says he's frustrated to see yet another example of the capital's water infrastructure failing.

Heavy rain flooded the city's wastewater treatment plant's lower floors, causing sewage to leak into Tarakena Bay, writing off equipment and forcing the plant to shut down.

Untreated wastewater is currently flowing into the southern coast, with Wellington Water saying it could take days to fix.

Wellington Eastern Ward Councillor Sam O'Brien told Ryan Bridge it's an ongoing issue, and this isn't an isolated thing.

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