Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 16th of March 2025, we get the latest on the Iran War as it enters its third week. Donald Trump has requested allies help open the Strait of Hormuz - UK Correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan whether Europe is likely to help.  Ryan has some advice for the Labour Party - don't automatically agree with the unions.  And Andrew...

Last week ended with a bizarre situation where Labour effectively came out against a pay rise for teachers. They did this because that’s what the unions wanted. And what the unions want, the unions usually get. Union strategy 101 is getting everyone who’s not a member to become one. The tactic is peer pressure. If you can deprive non‑union members of a pay rise while dragging out pay negotiations,...

Concerns the Middle East conflict will make rising grocery prices worse. The Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index finds suppliers charged 2.3 percent more on average in February, compared to a year earlier. Annual average produce department costs rose 2.9 percent, the fastest in two years. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge this doesn't capture ri...

Hamilton's welcoming the Homegrown Music Festival back to the city where it all began.  Organisers announced last year the festival would leave Wellington after being held on the capital's waterfront for 18 years.  Homegrown Chief Executive Andrew Tuck says Hamilton's Claudelands Oval will offer two-and-a-half times as much space, with acts like SIX60 and LAB set to take the stage. ...

An electrification advocate says the rising price and falling supply of gas may not be a bad thing in the long-term.  PwC research —commissioned by Gas Industry Co— has found New Zealand's gas market will need to shrink sharply as domestic supply declines.   It warns this could mean business closures, job losses, and higher energy costs.  Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Ryan B...

New Zealand is still a long way off from car-less days, AA fuel spokesman Terry Collins predicts.  Government ministers yesterday were receiving advice on emergency fuel measures that could be taken if fuel stocks got too low as a knock-on effect of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.  But Collins told Ryan Bridge Early Edition the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act, which allows for car...

We're learning a few hard truths this week and the old saying rings true - you don't know what you've got 'til its gone. Parties on the left and the right all crying out for more oil. Turns out, it's actually still quite important. A decent supply of it at a stable price. And we're a long way off from that strait opening and running at full capacity again. Trump's talking victory. Winston tol...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 13th of March 2025, the Government could consider car-less days to help with fuel security, AA Fuel Spokesperson, Terry Collins shares his thoughts.  Homegrown Festival is back, but this time in Hamilton, Homegrown Festival Founder Andrew Tuck shares his thoughts.  According to a new report the Maui gas field could run dry by...

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga is a contender to be named as one of Dave Rennie’s assistant coaches, possibly on defence.  The Moana Pasifika mentor would replace Tamati Ellison.  Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby, Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge it’s not really a surprise.   He says he’s got a strong connection to Rennie, having played under him for Wellington and the NPC going bac...

Labour's new education spokesperson says giving non-unionised educators pay increases will divide teachers further. Boards can now make individual employment offers to non-NZEI primary teachers after the union rejected three recent deals. Ginny Andersen told Ryan Bridge it undermines existing bargaining and teachers would get more under the collective if it kept being negotiated. She says this is...

The impact of the Heinz Wattie's restructure won't be felt by growers straight away.  The company plans to shut three manufacturing facilitates in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and packing operations in Hastings.  It's because of a planned move away from selling frozen vegetables, Gregg's Coffee, and several dips, which means 350 jobs are on the line.  Process Vegetables...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Labour's new education spokesperson Ginny Anderson shares her thoughts on non-union teachers offered a pay rise from the Public Service Commission.  Watties is looking to axe production of its frozen vegetables, Chair of Process Vegetables NZ David Hadfield explains how it will impact growers.  All Blacks legend Tana Umaga has...

I can't see what the problem is with teachers getting a pay rise. If that sounds weird, it's because it's the union complaining.  The union that's always saying teachers are undervalued and underpaid doesn't want the pay rise. They're actually going to take legal action to try and stop it happening.  It's upside down day today folks.  The primary teachers' union is dragging out thei...

The Government's under pressure to act to ensure airlines can continue operating.  Air New Zealand's raised fares due to rising jet fuel costs, increasing domestic fares by $10, short-haul fares by $20, and long-haul fares by $90.  Air Chathams has also raised its standard fare by $20.  Chief Executive Duane Emeny told Ryan Bridge the Government could be playing a role in helping th...

A lawyer who represented opponents of vaccine mandates says the real test of the Covid inquiry is whether the country learns from its mistakes.  The second phase of the inquiry has found New Zealand's overall response was effective.  But it's found some mandates lasted too long, and the Government didn’t always communicate well with Kiwis.  Lawyer Matthew Hague told Ryan Bridge peop...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 11 March. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movement in housing affordability could spell good news for first home buyers.  Cotality NZ's Housing Affordability report for Quarter 4 2025 shows the national value-to-income ratio fell to 7.2.  This is the lowest level since a brief period in 2019 and before that 2016 The Property Investors Federation's Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge it is still higher than the long-term national average...

You've got to feel a bit for the Air New Zealand boss.  If ever there was a poisoned chalice, he's drinking from it. He's glugging it back. Drowning in it. They've suspended their guidance after the gas price went nuts. Doubled on Iran. That's after announcing a loss of $60 million for the half year. And now they're hiking prices up to $90 on international fares and, reportedly, looking at cu...

New research highlights a need to send more public health procedures to the private system.  Westpac's latest healthcare report shows New Zealand currently spends about 10% of GDP on healthcare, split between 7% on public care and just 3% on private.  It argues the private sector is nimbler, with extra capacity that can help cut wait times and improve outcomes.  Private Surgical Hos...

“Enormous” swings in the price of oil are making it very difficult to gauge the severity of the shock to markets from the Iran war, ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner says. Oil hit $120 per barrel yesterday but dropped back below $100 after the G7 nations signalled they could release strategic oil reserves. Zollner told Ryan Bridge she agreed with Finance Minister Nicola Willis' assertion that the...

Little is known about Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but he’s likely to continue his father’s “hardline, hostile attitude” toward the US, Israel and the West more generally, one expert says. Andrew England, the Financial Times’ Middle East editor, told Newstalk ZB’s Ryan Bridge that hostility would be compounded because Khamenei's father, mother, wife and sister have all been killed....

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025, ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner shares her thoughts on how the New Zealand economy will react to the war in Iran.  A new Westpac report says we need to send more public health procedures to the private system, NZ Private Surgical Hospitals Association CEO Chris Roberts shares his thoughts. Iran has appointed a new supreme leader...

The war in Iran is not a shocking event in the sense that we knew it was coming. Trump has been not so much hinting, but sounding a fog horn for months. As we’ve been covering on this show, he’s been amassing military assets in the region since the end of January.  So not surprising. What has surprised is Iran hitting their neighbours, the Gulf states, so hard, including oil fields and refine...

Israel is launching a new wave of strikes in Tehran, which has been choked by smoke following attacks on its energy resources.  Iran state-media says a new supreme leader has been chosen but they're yet to be named.  Israel is also claiming its first military deaths of the war with two soldiers dead in southern Lebanon.  Iran continues to lash out at US allies with Saudi Arabia auth...

A shake-up to GP trainee employment could make the pathway into general practice more appealing. Health New Zealand will now directly employ all first-year trainees not already in private practice - with applications opening today for next year. Currently, doctors must switch to being employed by the College of GPs. Health Minister Simeon Brown told Ryan Bridge it’s been one of the barriers discou...