Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast for Friday 7th February 2025, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mike Brown is travelling to Beijing today where he is expected to sign a major partnership deal between the Cook Islands and China. Geoffrey Miller explains what it means for New Zealand.  Federated Farmers are calling on the Government to double the amount of funding landowner...

The Government's announced a funding boost for Māori economic development projects on the eve of Waitangi Day.  Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says $7.1 million will go towards three projects in Northland and Taranaki.  He says a major infrastructure upgrade at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is going well, and some new facilities will be open in time for this year's celebrations....

The opposition is criticising Kainga Ora's turnaround plan.  The Government's told the landlord to focus on its core service: social housing.  It's announced savings including ending sustainable housing certification requirements and shedding a quarter of its staff.  Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty told Andrew Dickens he's perplexed that the Housing Minister calls this a...

This week it was the perennial should he or shouldn’t he go debate about the Prime Minister.  Personally, I’d always go to Waitangi if I were Prime Minister, even if it was just for one of the days of ceremonies.  The Air Force is weak but they’re perfectly capable of getting him to both Waitangi and Akaroa if he wanted to.  It’s said his non-attendance is a snub of Māori but there’...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 5 February. 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.

An economist says some groups of people will be hit harder by rising unemployment. The country's labour market data for the final quarter of 2024 will be released this morning.  Most experts predict the unemployment rate will rise from 4.6-percent to about 5-percent.  ASB senior economist Mark Smith told Andrew Dickens the Wellington region's likely to be heavily impacted He says it pick...

An ageing population is playing into an increase in urban Land Search and Rescue missions.  Over the past six months, the volunteer group's been called on 23% more year-on-year.  It's meant 22% more volunteer responders have been deployed.  Chief development and project officer, Johnny Franklin told Andrew Dickens that alongside alpine and bush rescues, urban rescues have been of pa...

An environmental law professor says it wouldn't make sense to pull out of the Paris Agreement.   Speaking to The Country, ACT Leader David Seymour's floated the idea of New Zealand leaving the agreement, suggesting it appears half the world is leaving.  It follows US President Donald Trump pulling the United States from the climate deal.  Waikato University's Dr Nathan Cooper told A...

A mortgage broker is advising people to hedge their bets as uncertainty continues over upcoming Official Cash Rate announcements.   Centrix is hoping the Reserve Bank will make more cuts, as its latest Credit Indicator report shows almost half a million New Zealanders are behind on repayments, with consumer arrears levels up 1.3%.  Key Mortgages' Jeremy Andrews told Andrew Dickens people...

Suddenly it’s tough to get a job.  Which is amazing, because just a few years ago we had jobs for everyone and then some.  Now we learn teenagers in search of their first job are struggling to land anything in the current employment market - some searching for as long as two years.  And you can see why.  In tough times you need experienced workers, and with so many experienced...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 4th of February 2025, our future involvement in the Paris Agreement's up in the air, with David Seymour hinting at ACT campaigning on leaving the accord after the 2026 Election.  Over the last six months, there's been a significant increase in search and rescue operations, compared to the year before. NZ Land Search and Rescu...

The country is desperate to go for growth. The question is: how? We got 3 points of view over the weekend - Friday it was the turn of Matthew Hooten. His piece was called New Zealand needs a strategic approach to building wealth like Singapore's Temasek. Temasek own and manage assets that are held directly by its government. They operate a major bank and insurance company, Singapore airlines,...

US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on goods coming from Canada, Mexico and China, sparking fears of a trade war. China is facing 10% on imports, while Canada and Mexico will see 25%.  Canada has already hit back with retaliatory 25% tariffs for the US.  Geopolitical Analyst Geoffrey Miller talks to Andrew Dickens about what these decisions will mean for the US and if New Zeala...

Phase two of the Covid-19 inquiry begins today, creating space for the public to submit feedback around key decisions the New Zealand government made during the pandemic. Whether it is vaccine mandates, lockdowns, extended lockdowns, rat tests, and tracing, anyone can have their say.  How will this phase differ from the first initiative?  Matthew Hague is a lawyer who defended a client w...

What happened over the weekend in sport? Newstalk ZB's Andrew Alderson joins the show to discuss the India v England T20 match, Auckland FC's 'impressive' win, Lydia Ko's struggle and the NFL heading to Australia.  LISTEN ABOVE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 3 February. 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.

There's confidence from the wool sector that Kainga Ora will learn the value of wool carpets.  The social housing agency's back-tracking on a previous ban after using synthetic carpets for more than a decade.  It will now allow wool carpet providers to tender for carpet and underlay contracts.  Campaign for Wool general manager Kara Biggs told Andrew Dickens there's an opportunity t...

New Zealand remains in the dark about Donald Trump's tariff plan, as new data shows the US has overtaken Australia as our second largest destination for exported goods.  Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Andrew Dickens blanket tariffs wouldn't have the same impact as targeted tariffs.  She says it would mean the cost will be passed on to the US consumer rather than havin...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 31 January. 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.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour has reversed an Oranga Tamariki decision to pull funding from the Barnardos helpline. It comes after Oranga Tamariki providers were given little notice their funding would end last year, a process the Auditor General is looking into. The Minister has told Oranga Tamariki to pause it's review of funding and extend existing contracts with providers until the end of t...

So the word of the week was privatisation. It became a debate because David Seymour said we should do it now in his state of the nation speech on Monday. So obviously the media asked the Prime Minister want  he thinks of the junior coalition partner’s thoughts. And Christopher Luxon vacillated, he gave the cautious political answer trying not to upset anyone. It's something we might look at,...

Auckland Council's sounding the alarm over a spike in rubbish-truck fires this month.  It says more and more risky batteries and battery-powered devices are being illegally dumped in bins.  In December alone, nearly 600 laptops and more than 300 12-volt batteries ended up in Auckland’s regional recycling facility.  Parul Sood, Auckland Council’s Deputy Director of Resilience and Inf...

Competition is being touted as a possible answer to banks' climate informed decisions.   NZ First Minister Shane Jones has spoken out against several banks' attempts to reduce lending and services to fossil fuel businesses - decisions he says are driven by "unelected climate apostles".   Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre told Andrew Dickens that if new legislation c...

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast for Thursday the 30th of January. The government is lowering speed limits across the country. Viastrada's Glenn Koorey says it makes sense in some places, but does go against the evidence that roads with lower speeds are safer. Shane Jones has fired off at banks for their attempts to reduce lending and services to fossil fuel business and...

The Government has announced the reversal of speed limit reductions on a large number of New Zealand roads, including many in the northern regions of the country. The move will result in speed limits being increased on 38 sections of key routes, including parts of State Highway 1 in Northland, SH16 near Auckland and SH3 in Hamilton. Also on the list are changes to SH2 between Featherston and Maste...