A view more practical training for drivers will be essential, with the full licence test in the rear-view mirror.

After passing the restricted licence test, drivers under the age of 25 will have to wait out a mandatory 12-month period before they can apply for a full licence.

Those aged over 25 will have to wait six months.

Institute of Driver Educators President Mark Revill-Johnson told Ryan Bridge it's important to get training all the way to a full licence.

He says lots of people fail that test for things like speeding and failing to follow stop and give way signs.

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Growers are counting the cost as drinking habits change.

Around 100 thousand tonnes of grapes —a fifth of the crop— were left on the vine last year after exports couldn’t keep up.

Soljans Estate vineyard manager Tai Nelson told Ryan Bridge they just haven't been able to sell their product.

He says demand generally has dropped.

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The economy appears to be turning a corner, and we'll learn today whether the unemployment rate will follow suit.

Stats NZ is providing its latest employment update at 10.45am.

Economists are divided on whether the unemployment rate will remain unchanged at the historically high 5.3%, or will dip slightly to 5.2%.

Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Ryan Bridge jobs have started to trickle through, but it’s just enough to stabilise the rate, rather than bring it down.

He says they’re expecting things to turn towards the middle of the year, improving over the course of the next year or so.

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The British Prime Minster says Lord Mandelson has let the country down - as he quits the House of Lords.

UK Police are now investigating allegations that Mandelson shared internal government information with convicted sex offender - Jeffery Epstein.

The latest release of Epstein files also show pictures of Mandelson in his underwear with an unidentified woman.

UK correspondent Mike Pearse told Ryan Bridge the Government told him if he didn't resign - they would've introduced legal powers to sack him.

He says it's turning out to be one of the biggest political scandals in the UK in recent years.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 4th of February 2025, the government's scrapping full drivers license tests, Mark Revill-Johnson, President of the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators shares his thoughts.

The first job market statistics of the year come out today, Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon tells Ryan where he thinks the unemployment rate will sit.

The wine industry’s nursing a bit of an oversupply hangover, Soljans Winery Vineyard Manager Tai Nelson tells Ryan how it's been impacting their winery.

Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Mike Pearse has the latest on Peter Mandelson stepping down as a lord.

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

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The inflation thief might be gone but it lurks in the corner and if you’re not careful, it happily leaps out and steals your wages.

Last week we spoke about the fact their inflation’s running hot - almost 4%.

They’re now world leaders - highest rate in the developed world.

More than the UK, US, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain and France.

Not something Albo or anyone in Canberra should be proud of.

So yesterday the RBA did what central banks do when things are getting too spicey, they hike rates.

They’ve just done a quarter of a percent.

They’re likely to do another one next month.

Labor has a very generous system that gets Aussies into houses. First home buyers can get in with 10%.

There’s cash at the ready.

Housing costs are partly driving this inflation.

No such thing as a free lunch.

The subsidies are also helping to drive house prices, which in places like Sydney, Melbourne and even Brisbane are completely out of reach and not even comparable to our big cities.

Now the interest rate hikes these young new buyers are going to have swallow, as rates go up, will leave an estimated 1.3 million mortgage holders under stress.

Roy Morgan says that’s 30% of mortgage holders.

Albo and Labor are overseeing near record highs of government spending - almost 30% of GDP.

Now, the problem is when the private sector runs up against competition from the public sector it can cause the whole thing to fizz and bubble up to the point of overheating.

And overheating needs cooling, and cooling causes pain.

So, the next time politicians on this side of the Tasman tell you more borrowing and spending will solve our problems, ask them how much, from where, for what exactly and whether the spend carries an inflation risk or not.

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Canterbury farmers are being urged to plan ahead amid concerns over winter feed supplies.

A series of significant hailstorms, combined with persistently wet conditions, has made it a tough season for arable farmers across the region.

Federated Farmers is encouraging early discussions between arable and dairy farmers, warning crop damage could reduce feed available for winter-grazed dairy cows.

Mid Canterbury President David Acland told Ryan Bridge it’s not panic stations just yet, it’s a push for people to check in and secure the feed they need.

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Nelson's Mayor has kicked off a conversation about whether alcohol licensing laws are too strict.

Nick Smith was unable to buy a bottle of wine at the Ready to Roll concert on Sunday, at Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson.

It was being sold by the cup – the rule in place thought to be an effort to stop intoxication.

New Zealand Winegrowers Chair Fabian Yukich told Ryan Bridge there should be a little common sense.

He says you can try to cut out every possibility of everything going wrong, but in the end that becomes impractical.

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