Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Workplace harm's costing the country billions of dollars a year.   A report from the Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum has found workplace harm cost the country $5.5 billion in 2025.   Forum Chief Executive Francois Barton says that's made up of a mix of injuries, illness and deaths.  He told Ryan Bridge the industries with the highest rate of harm are the primary industries...

Fifty-one business leaders have signed an open letter from business think tank the New Zealand Initiative urging political parties to drop interventionist policies.   It responds to campaign proposals to structurally reform the grocery sector.    National and New Zealand First propose splitting Foodstuffs.   Labour wants grocery brands split into separate retail and wholesale a...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, the independent review into how the Reserve Bank under Adrian Orr handled the Covid and post Covid era has landed, ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith shares his thoughts.  Prominent business leaders have signed an open letter calling on all parties to protect private property rights and freedom of contract, NZ Initiative Executive Dir...

The problem with writing books and not fact-checking them properly is that you get yourself tangled in knots.  At best, forced to apologise. At worst, sued.  I haven't read the one launched in Wellington yesterday. I watched the press conference and the stand-up afterwards.  There was one allegation made of note that has been denied by the current and past board chairs of the Taxpay...

A tax expert believes Labour's changed stance on interest deductibility makes complete sense.  Labour's confirmed it won't change the current Government's rules allowing landlords to deduct 100% of interest in tax returns.   It had previously criticised the policy as a tax cut for landlords, but Chris Hipkins believes their proposed Capital Gains Tax will address the issue.  Deloitt...

A student leader believes universities will hit a wall when it comes to funding without the Fees Free scheme.   Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds says despite supporting more than 300,000 students from 2018-2025, covering more than $2 billion in fees, it didn't meaningfully lift participation or provide a good return.   But Victoria University of Wellington Students Association...

There's a suggestion consumer spending is recovering, but essential costs are leaving less for the fun stuff. Kiwibank research reveals more than 71% of card transactions in August was on credit cards  – the highest share since records began in 2002. A decade ago, credit cards made up less than half of card spending. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge power bills and rates...

Labour has finally seen the light on interest deductibility.  That's where a landlord, like any other legitimate business in New Zealand, is able to deduct the expense of its capital borrowing, i.e. a mortgage, against taxable income.  After expenses, what's left over is taxed.  This is a genuine surprise to me. The word I'd been getting from some Labour MPs, and the industry, was t...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 22nd of September 2026, the Tertiary Education Minister says the taxpayer sent over $2 billion on the defunct fees free policy, VUWSA President Aidan Donoghue  shares his thoughts.  More Kiwis are relying on our credit cards to pay for stuff as cost-of-living pressures bite, Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie explains....

An expert believes National's proposed pre-school check carries merit and is definitely worth exploring. The party says its early childhood policy will set clearer expectations for what children are checked on before school. If re-elected, National wants to end screen and device use in ECE and introduce a School Start Check before children transition to primary school.  Advocates for Early Le...

Labour says it will tackle the supermarket duopoly in its first 100 days, if it forms the next government.  The party will force Foodstuffs and Woolworths to break their wholesale and retail arms up into separate businesses.  It says it will also crack down on big companies ripping people off - by making price gouging illegal.  Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Willia...

There's thing happening with parents, responsibility and the state. Kids are wither misbehaving or not learning, parents are putting their hands up, and the state is having to regulate, what kids can and can't do. I was watching the news last night and a researcher was telling the story of an early childhood teacher. Teacher said parents had turned up with their toddler to class, handed over an Ip...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 21st of September 2026, Labour Commerce and Consumer Affairs Spokesperson Arena Williams tells Ryan about Labour's policy to split the retail and wholesale arms of Woolworths and Foodstuffs. National's promising to ban screens at early childhood centres and tighten limits for years 1 to 3 at Primary school, Advocates for Early Learning...

The GDP has grown as expected – rising 0.2% in the June quarter.  Construction was the biggest boost, up 2.7%, driven by more residential building projects.  It's the largest increase in construction activity since the June 2023 quarter.   Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma told Ryan Bridge they've been seeing steady signs of improvements in both business and consumer confidence, so i...

A Canterbury principal likes the idea of taking politics out of curriculum decisions, but says it’ll be interesting to see whether that happens in practice.   If elected, Labour's promising a pause the Government's school curriculum overhaul, including delaying the replacement of NCEA by a year.  It also wants to establish an Independent Council for Curriculum and Assessment.  Darfi...

The Firefighters' Union says it's been warning the Government for years about problems at Fire and Emergency.  Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has lost confidence in the agency's CEO Kerry Gregory, accusing him of withholding information about a serious incident for a year.  The agency has also been referred to the Serious Fraud Office.  Professional Firefighters' Union...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of September 2026, construction was the biggest boost to GDP, Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma explains where the boom has come from.  Labour’s hitting the brakes on the NCEA curriculum overhaul, Darfield High School Principal tells Ryan about what teachers and parents are looking for.  Internal Affairs Minister Broo...

What a week.   AI's going to kill us all – unless Putin gets there first. More drones and flare-ups from him, allegedly, in the skies above Europe.   Trump's pushing Carney into the arms of another lover in Ursula von der Leyen. It was all hugs and kisses in Strasbourg.   The Aussies are making big moves to cut immigration. Central bankers are hiking off the back of war and oil. &nb...

Blowback from a business advocate on National's plan to break up Foodstuffs.   If elected, and if the Commerce Commission agrees, the party would separate Pak'nSave from New World and Four Square to create more competition.  But Foodstuffs warns there'd be significant implications and would affect more than 500 locally owned and operated stores.  Business NZ Director of Advocacy Cat...

The economy is expected to keep improving as the year goes on.   Stats NZ is releasing GDP data for April-to-June later this morning.  Economists are expecting economic growth will come in between 0.1% and 0.3% for the quarter and between 2.2% and 2.4% for the year.  Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge we could soon get back to the growth we were seeing last year.&...

Two classic American food brands are landing in New Zealand, with Auntie Anne’s pretzels and Carvel soft serve opening in Auckland this month.  Auntie Anne’s sells pretzels, lemonades, dips, and “pretzel dogs”, with more than 1,200 stores across 600 international locations.  Carvel claims to have invented soft-serve ice cream.  NZ Cinnabon franchise owner Kathan Parikh told Ryan Bri...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 17th of September 2026, the Business community not happy with National’s plan to bust up Foodstuffs, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard explains.  Auntie Anne’s and Carvel Ice Cream are opening their first NZ stores in Auckland this month, Kathan Parikh NZ Cinnabon franchise owner, tells Ryan why he's bringing the new...

Nicola's supermarket smash-up is not serious.   She's playing a very risky political game and she knows it.   Cost of living is the only game in town this election – win on the cost-of-living battle and you win the war.   Nicola thinks by looking tough on supermarkets she'll earn the respect of the 'squeezed middle'.   But, as I've said many times before, even if you wipe out a...

There's a view changes to the fast-track system shouldn't be made carelessly.   The amendments to the system working their way through Parliament will mean councils can claw back greater costs from developers.   Independent urban planner and strategic development expert Bruce Weir says there probably is some room for developers to pay more.   But he told Ryan Bridge the Government s...

It's being suggested New Zealand is still suffering from a minimum wage freeze 30 years ago, and ACT's pledge would do long term damage.   The party wants to set up a training wage for under-20s in their first year, allowing them only 60% of the minimum wage – that's $14.37 an hour.  ACT also wants to freeze the minimum wage for three years.  E tū National Secretary Rachel Mack...