Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

  1. 1 HR AGO

    Cath O'Brien: Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director on the state of Air New Zealand

    Rising international tourism numbers are helping airlines weather the storm of rising jet fuel prices. Air New Zealand's revealed its looking at staff redundancies and even more flight reductions due to the surging cost of jet fuel. It's now forecasting a full-year pre-tax loss of between 340 and 390 million dollars. Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge the rising jet fuel costs are being partly offset by higher international visitor numbers. She says that incredibly strong and resilient demand for travel is putting airlines in a good place to continue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min
  2. Full Show Podcast: 15 May 2026

    2 HR AGO

    Full Show Podcast: 15 May 2026

    On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 15th of May 2026, the bilateral talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have been underway in Beijing, Anna Field, Asia-Pacific Expert and Former Washington Post Asia-Pacific Editor shares the latest.  New Zealand’s gas reserves are now at their lowest level in twenty years, since records began Energy Minister Simeon Brown tells Ryan what we can do to keep the lights on.  Cath O'Brien, Board of Airline Representatives of New Zealand Executive Director shares her thoughts on the airline’s expected loss of up to $400 million dollars this year.  Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on Starmer's leadership.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  3. 2 HR AGO

    Ryan Bridge: We need more positivity

    It's Friday huddle, pep talk time.  New Zealand, we're going to need our number-8 wire, positive, can-do, problem solver attitude now more than ever. Air New Zealand's in the doldrums, Trump's at war in the Middle East, oil's chocked up, Xi's talking about Taiwan, again.  And for some perspective, if Taiwan kicks off, which some in the intelligence community reckon could happen as early as next year, then things will change pretty quickly.  The world could be held to ransom over semi-conductors, not oil.  Global GDP could drop 5%, that's Covid-era/GFC level stuff.  For us, some sort of quarantine or blockade would be very bad.  China's our number one trading partner. 20-25% of our exports and we're an export nation.  If they do what everyone expects they will do then there'd be Western sanctions. What happens to our goods when there's sanctions?  The tap gets turned off. Or we turn a blind eye. And that's not likely.  When I lived in Beijing, Taiwan was a constant topic of conversation, along with Hong Kong, because they're very important to the Chinese.  Not just for historical reasons, but strategic.  Their entire eastern seaboard is key to their economic success. It's within spitting distance of Beijing (political centre), Shanghai (commercial centre) and manufacturing and heavy industry port cities. Across the Pacific? America.  So, any buffer's a good buffer.  This is not to say we should freak out, but that we should be prepared and stay positive.  Greg Foran had Covid at Air New Zealand. Nikhil Ravishankar's got a jet fuel crisis. The next guy will have something else. The hits won't stop coming. The world is smaller and dependent on each other via global trade. That means a cough in Taiwan means a cold in Southland, New Zealand. The best we can do is diversify, back ourselves and stay positive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2 min

  4. 20 HR AGO

    Chris Bullen: Health Coalition Aotearoa Spokesperson on the Talbot Mills survey into tobacco and nicotine regulation

    Most New Zealanders think the tobacco industry is influencing government policy.  A Talbot Mills survey —commissioned by public health group Health Coalition Aotearoa— has found more than two thirds of respondents think the industry is influencing policy.  55% of respondents support reintroducing low-nicotine cigarettes.  Health Coalition Aotearoa Spokesperson Chris Bullen told Ryan Bridge that while all industries want policies oriented towards them, the tobacco industry has a long history, all around the world, of behaving in particularly bad ways.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  5. 20 HR AGO

    Eric Crampton: NZ Initiative Senior Economist on Luxon's pre-Budget speech about immigration

    An economist says New Zealand is different from Europe and our views on immigration aren't the same.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has used a pre-Budget speech in Auckland to promise a "careful" immigration policy that prioritises social cohesion over profit.  He says failed immigration policies in Europe and North America have stoked a politics of division.   Eric Crampton —the Chief Economist at the New Zealand Initiative business think tank— told Ryan Bridge 2023 MBIE data suggests most New Zealanders view immigration more positively than Europeans.  He says Europe is in a very different situation with really "messed up" labour markets.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    5 min

  6. 1 DAY AGO

    Malcom Nance: Foreign Policy Analyst and Former US Navy Senior Chief on Trump's meeting with President Xi Jinping

    There's a belief China has the upper hand in the highly anticipated talks with the United States.  Trump's in Beijing, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the Iran war, trade, and US arms sales to Taiwan. Foreign Policy Analyst and Former US Navy Senior Chief Malcom Nance told Ryan Bridge the United States is behind the eight ball with China having the opportunity to eat America's economic lunch.  He says China is the adult in the room as Trump shows he can't maintain a policy platform that would allow the States to take leverage in the Iran war.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min
  7. Full Show Podcast: 14 May 2026

    1 DAY AGO

    Full Show Podcast: 14 May 2026

    On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 14th of May 2026, Trump’s touched down in Beijing ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping, US Intelligence, Foreign Policy Analyst & Former United States Navy Senior Chief shares his thoughts on how the meeting's going to go.  A new survey has found, more than two thirds of Kiwis believe our smoking laws are influenced by big tobacco, Health Coalition Aotearoa Smoking Expert Advisory Group Co-Chair tells Ryan, why.  The budget operating allowance has been cut from $2.4 to $2.1 billion, Chief Economist at the New Zealand Initiative Dr Eric Crampton shares his thoughts.  Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on Trump’s trip to Beijing and Trump's futuristic "Golden Dome" missile defence system will cost about $1.2 trillion (US) to develop.  Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.           LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  8. 1 DAY AGO

    Ryan Bridge: Wellington's endless spending on pen-pushers and reviews

    You can't escape bureaucrats in Wellington; it's an occupational hazard. Despite the bad press they get, they're not all useless. But it depends on how you use them, and how often.  Take the Golden Mile disaster in Wellington, as just one example.  The council agrees to a project it can't afford. Expensive. Crazy. Ratepayers revolt. The cost blows out from $160m to $220m. The blowout is $60m - or 30 disco toilets in Wellington dollars.  A new Mayor comes in. A review is ordered.  Then enter the reviewers: a nine-person panel, supposedly independent.  The review is costing $400k, which is at least one bike rack for cyclists in Wellington dollars.  Then yesterday there's a meeting. They basically say this thing is still somehow affordable for Wellington, despite the fact the city can't afford a 50c mix at the dairy at present.  Enter the Mayor. The Mayor is asking some questions about mission creep. He's not so subtly suggesting that political judgements are being made by these reviewers. Leave that to the politicians, he says. They want their big project, and they don't care which poor old Wellington ratepayers funds it.  This is not entirely the fault of the boffins doing the reviewing. Because, as I understand it, the review was set up not to actually make major changes, just tweaks.  Which begs the question: why was a review ever needed at all? And why'd it cost $400k? You either don't want to spend $60m, in which case, don't.  Or you do, in which case, do.  Why the endless spending on pen-pushers and reviews? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2 min
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A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

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