Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The primary sector's going gangbusters, with a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus for the first time in five years.  Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit for the same time last year.  The dairy sector's been the big winner.  Federated Farmers Dairy Chairperson Richard McIntyre told Ryan Bridge a lot of dairy farmers have smiles...

The country's soon going to see if the Government will stay true to its proclaimed 'year of growth'.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hours away from unveiling her second budget and is promising no frills or excess.   It's been slowly teasing figures, with a vast majority of initiatives being funded through cost-savings and cuts.  Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges told R...

Providing I make it to 65, and you don't count your blessings, but assuming for a second that I do, I don't expect I'll be receiving the full pension.  And you know what? I'd rather receive less, at a later age, than pay more taxes through my working life. In 2006, the number of Kiwis aged 65+ was 495,000. It's increasing by about 80 people a day and is likely to reach 1 million by 2028. By 2...

The Government has identified increased foreign investment as an important strategy to raise economic growth. Shane Jones told Ryan Bridge to pay attention through the course of the day. He says if we're not happy about using coal we have to think of other ways to boost the gas industry and interest in New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 22nd of May 2025, It's Budget day today, Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges and Council of Trade Unions Economist Craig Renney tell Ryan Bridge what we can expect.  Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is making a case for Octopus farming, he tells Ryan why it could benefit us.  We had a trade surplus of 1.4 b...

Z Energy is looking to top up the supermarket conversation.  Newsroom reports the gas station chain is expanding its grocery offering as part of a diversification push.  Chief Executive Lindis Jones says it will target customers looking for convenience between their large shops – for snacks or staples.  Monopoly Watch spokesperson Tex Edwards told Ryan Bridge it's still not going to...

Postponement of the Privileges Committee recommendations in Parliament gives National a chance to take the moral high ground.  The debate of the suspension recommendations for those who did a haka during the Treaty Principles Bill's vote last year was adjoined after 20 minutes.  The Leader of the House Chris Bishop moved the vote until June 5th, to leave this week free for the Budget. &n...

A new report from JLL says almost 255-thousand square metres of new retail space is needed over the next five years, to meet demand. It says Kiwi consumers still value in-store shopping, despite the rise of online shopping. Retail NZ's Ann-Marie Johnson says told Ryan Bridge this shows there's a positive future for retail following a tough period for the industry. She says we've been through cycle...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 21st of May 2025, House leader Chris Bishop revealed a last-minute decision to delay the vote on Te Pati Maori's privileges committee punishment, Political commentator Brigitte Morten shares her thoughts. A new report from JLL we need nearly 250,000 square metres of new retail space in the next five years to keep up with demand, Ret...

Politics is all about perception and the perception of his last time on the ninth floor was bad for three reasons.  Crime - they were too soft.  Spending - too much waste. And debt - too much with nothing to show for it. All of this fed into the cost-of-living crisis. Basically, Labour was too loose on the purse strings and the gangs, too harsh on businesses and middle New Zealand. ...

A view that AI could be used as a tool in school exams in the future.  NZQA investigated 876 alleged exam breaches last year, and almost 60 involved AI.  Principals believe the technology was used in some of the 200-odd authenticity breaches.  Canterbury University Associate Professor of Digital Education Kathryn MacCallum told Ryan Bridge AI use is seen as cheating, which isn't alw...

Parliament's Speaker will hold all the power in today's vote on three Te Pati Māori MPs.  The Privileges Committee's proposing 21-day suspensions for the party's leaders, and a seven-day suspension for MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for their behaviour at last year's Treaty Principles Bill vote.   The public gallery will be closed for safety and security reasons.  Political Commentato...

The government's set aside $65 million over four years to loosen the capitalisation rules for investors that could be putting them off.   Infrastructure NZ chief executive Nick Leggett says told Ryan Bridge this sends a signal to the world that New Zealand wants partners for building infrastructure. He says if people want a stronger economy and money to pay for schools and hospitals, infrastr...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 20th of May 2025, the Government's announced it will allow foreign businesses to fund a bigger chunk of their investments in New Zealand through tax deductible debt, Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett shares what this will mean for investment in infrastructure.  Educators are cracking down on the use of AI in school exams, Dr Kat...

Government debt is the worst it’s been since the 1990s but today, two days out from a Budget designed to fix it, our Parliamentarians be debating a haka.  The public largely doesn’t care about this stuff. Pocketbook politics always trumps theatrics - except if you're Te Pati Māori. No matter how today’s debate over the Privileges Committee report goes, and it could go on for a long time, Te P...

Auckland FC have beaten Melbourne Victory by one point. It means the team is one game away from making the grand final. Newstalk ZB’s Andrew Alderson talks to Ryan Bridge about the game, Super Rugby over the weekend and Ryan Fox’s dreams coming true. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London and the EU will hold their first bilateral summit tomorrow since Brexit. It’s a big moment for the bilateral bitterness provoked by Brexit. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey says it’s ‘a really significant moment.’ LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will officially announce its annual budget this Thursday. It comes as Wellington’s economy has been particularly hit hard over the past 12 months. The capital’s seen public service job cuts, people working from home and slow infrastructure. What does the city need from the budget? Business Central CEO Simon Arcus talks to Ryan Bridge ahead of the budget. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Monday 19th of May Full Show Podcast 2025, the Government's committing $164 million over four years for five new 24/7 urgent healthcare clinics, Health Minister Simeon Brown has the details.  Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekends sport.  It's budget week this week, Business Central CEO Simon Arcus tells Ryan Bridge what's on the business Wis...

Improvements to urgent care are set to roll out over the next four years.  The Government is increasing funding by 164 million dollars - 41-million dollars a year.  Health Minister Simeon Brown says it will take pressure off the rest of the health system, especially our overburdened EDs.  He's laid out the order that each region will get the boost.  See omnystudio.com/listener...

Here's a question for your Monday morning.  If somebody came up to you on the street and asked for DOB, next of kin, phone number, personal address, your interests, sports and hobbies.... what would you say?  Bugger off. Why do you want all that? What will you do with it? Do you need it?  and yet, when some random business asks you this stuff while you're buying shampoo or a compute...

A large social services provider is welcoming the Government's new cross-sector social investment approach.  The Social Investment Fund is receiving $190 million in this years budget, aiming to invest in social services early to prevent future harm and save costs.  Social Service Providers Aotearoa CEO Belinda Himiona told Ryan Bridge it allows the work to be tracked across different gov...

Auckland FC are heading across the ditch for the first leg of the A-League semifinal.  They’re facing off against the Melbourne Victory at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Saturday, before returning home to Mt Smart for the second leg.   CEO Nick Becker told Ryan Bridge they want to go in there tomorrow night and lay down their intentions.  He says the team won’t take anything for granted.&...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 16th of May 2025, Social investment is getting a boost, Belinda Himiona from Social Service Providers Aotearoa CEO shares her thoughts on $190 million going towards a new social investment fund.  Putin didn't turn up for peace talks with Ukraine, Kyiv based foreign policy and security analyst Jimmy Rushton tells Ryan Bridge what h...

Questions have been raised over what can actually be achieved today with Russia and Ukraine both backing away from sending their leaders to peace talks in Turkey. After the Kremlin confirmed it's sending low-level official Vladimir Medinsky, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to send his Defence Minister instead. Zelenskyy says Russia isn't serious about real talks after he'd challeng...