Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A health sector leader's praising Labour's plan to get our emergency departments into recovery mode but says there are still gaps.  The party's released its plan combining all their health election policies, including three free GP visits, a stock take of empty hospital beds, and training more extended care paramedics.   Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sara...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Wednesday the 21st of October 2026, Police arrests for retail crime are through the roof, Retail NZ CEO explains.  Labour’s promising to cut emergency department wait times, Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' Executive Director Sarah Dalton tells Andrew if the plan will work.  The Drug Foundation says three New Zealande...

Retailers are celebrating the Police crackdown on retail crime. Annual Ministry of Justice data to June, shows record-high finalised charges for theft from a retail premises, topping 21-thousand - more than tripling since 2022. Retail NZ believes offending's down as much as 30 percent since last year. Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Andrew Dickens Police's national retail crime unit has had suc...

The other day Christopher sent conniptions through the commentariat by saying we'll be lucky to have a Government by Christmas.  I'm not surprised. So we have an election on November 7.   Writ day is December 3.   That's the deadline for all the votes to be counted.   It's 3 weeks later.   It's always been 3 weeks later. Now here's a thing.   Same day voting was remov...

Our Superannuation fund is seeing great returns, but growth is still needed for the long term.  The 25-year-old fund is now worth $94.35 billion dollars, excluding tax, with it earning $9.3 billion in the past reporting year – a return of almost 14.2%.  Infometrics' Brad Olsen told Andrew Dickens that it's useful money to have, but the expectation for the fund is to grow it to $200 billi...

There's excitement in the apple sector over access to 1.4 billion Indian consumers being unlocked.  Our new Free Trade Agreement with the world's most populous nation takes effect today, with 57% of exports to India now tariff-free.  The number of tariff-free exports would rise to 82% over time, with the next round of cuts due from next year.  Apples and Pears Chief Executive Daniel...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 20th of October 2026, Labour's pledging to ban social media for under-16s within its first 100 days if elected, Secondary Principals Association Chair and B416 expert advisory panel member Steve McCracken shares his thoughts.  The New Zealand Superfund has posted a 14.17% increase, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen te...

A school leader says it's fantastic both major parties are backing a crackdown on children's social media use. Labour says an under-16 social media ban will go before a select committee within 100 days, if they're elected, alongside a new digital duty of care law. National introduced a similar bill to Government in August. Secondary Principals Association Chair and B416 Expert Advisory Panel membe...

So, there's an election promise to train more dentists in Otago. The first increase in training numbers in 10 years.  And if it comes to pass you will have to say why did this not happen earlier.  In John Key's day economic policy supercharged our economy on the back of mass immigration and surging property prices.  But as our population rapidly grew nobody stopped to have a hmm.&nb...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Monday 19th of October 2026, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall joins Andrew to discuss health policy ahead of the election.  National wants to scrap the right to silence in child murder cases if re-elected, Victims advocate Ruth Money shares her thoughts. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce ha...

A suggestion National's promise to remove the right to remain silent could be expanded beyond cases involving children. If re-elected, the party wants to remove the right, when a child under 12 is killed.  The party admits the policy may breach the Bill of Rights Act, but says bringing accountability to unresolved cases outweighs the potential harms. Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told Andr...

The split voting thing.  In the weekend papers were full of full-page ads paid for by RCR.   This appears to be the vessel for Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to promote their tactical voting tactic to create an overhang that benefits the centre right.  I don't like it the same way Don Brash doesn't like John Key telling people how to vote and of course their platform benefits in that th...

After a decisive victory over the Wallabies last week, it's time for round two.  The All Blacks secured the Bledisloe Cup, but pride is still on the line as the two teams clash at Sydney's Accord Stadium.  Newstalk ZB's Elliott Smith told Andrew Dickens the Kiwi side will be wanting to go our and deliver a similar performance to what we saw at Eden Park, given they got back on track afte...

A solar advocate agrees National's six-month timeframe to get plug-in solar in shops is doable.   New Zealand doesn't yet have regulations to permit the trade of plug-in systems.   National's pledging to prioritise finishing work already under way in getting them into shops if re-elected.  Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Andrew Dickens it's a simple process, which many countri...

A patients advocate says the news of Starship treatment delays isn't about making anyone look bad, but keeping families informed. The Auckland children's hospital's confirmed about 20 chemotherapy cycles have been delayed by a few days, due to staffing shortages.  Health NZ says it had to make adjustments amid high demand and high staff sickness. Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulhollan...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 16 October. 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.

Yesterday's talkback outrage was all about the MPs and the gangs.    A meeting that was condemned by both the Chris's in the Leaders debate.    But despite this weight of opinion Marama Davidson doubled down on the visit. And then she promised more funding for gang run social programmes.   Well, I don't think Marama quite understands the issue.   I actually don't mind...

Is there a clear winner in the wake of the second major leaders debate?  Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the NZ Herald's Leaders Debate last night, clashing on education, geopolitics, and wages, amid other things.   Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the real competition wasn't just between the two leaders, but rather whether or not they could...

This year is set to be one of the highest graduating years in the history of the New Zealand Police, despite wings often not being at capacity.  Around 730 recruits are expected to graduate from police college in 2026, almost 50% more than the average over the past two decades.  Police say the incoming pipeline remains healthy with more than a thousand people in different stages of the a...

New Zealand's looking to attract more tourists from Europe and the US, to reduce our reliance on Australians. Stats NZ data shows almost 249-thousand overseas tourists arrived in August - 99 percent of 2019 levels. The figure includes more Australians than in any August on record. But Tourism Holdings Chief Executive Grant Webster told Ryan Bridge Chinese visitors have overtaken Australians as Que...

Story of the week this week goes to a Herald piece about Ngaire Ashmore, the principal of Auckland Girls' Grammar.  Ten years ago, she took over and turned the place upside down.  Where there was failure, there's now a 92% UE entrance mark for Year 13's.  It was less than 50% when she started.  The article gives the impression of a driven, serious and quite determined leader th...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 15th of October 2026, political commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts on the New Zealand Herald Leaders debate. New Zealand is a whisker away from pre-covid tourism levels, Grant Webster Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive tells Ryan how the industry has bounced back.  Record numbers of new cops are about to hit t...

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.&nbsp...

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 Princip...

Our local aluminium sector says it's been left with no protection from a flood of cheaper imports from China.  Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer has declined a request for safeguard measures to protect them.  Production has slowed down 40 percent in this country, and the sector says thousands of jobs in manufacturing and downstream businesses are at risk.  Etū Na...