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. 16h ago

    Oliver Mander: Shareholders Association CEO on Contact Energy's annual profit, potential data centre

    Contact Energy's putting serious thought into data centres after reporting record earnings.   The gentailer's made $423 million annual profit – up nearly 28%.  It's now in talks with Australian firm CDC Data Centres for a 250 megawatt data centre in Taranaki.  Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander told Mike Hosking that the companies looking at data centres are investing heavily in growth, and Contact is no exception.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 16h ago

    Nick Bewley: Newstalk ZB Canterbury Sports Commentator on Christchurch City Council's efforts to get a NRL team

    Christchurch City Council’s push for an NRL league team has moved beyond talk.  The council is working with the governing body on details for a potential 20th club.  New documents show eight key areas are being worked through, including governance, funding, infrastructure, high-performance facilities and building a fanbase.  A call on whether to make a formal bid remains undecided.  Newstalk ZB Canterbury Sports Commentator Nick Bewley told Ryan Bridge there’s encouraging signs for people in the South who want a NRL team, but there’s certainly a lot to do.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 21h ago

    Michael Ford: Manawatu Mayor on local government reforms, council amalgamation

    A group of North Island councils is working on an alternative proposal to the Government's amalgamation programme.   City and district councils were given until Sunday to pitch plans to create larger combined unitary councils.  Manawatu, Whanganui, Ruapehu, Rangitikei, and Tararua councils have signed a memorandum of understanding to work on an alternative model.   Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford told Ryan Bridge they're looking at a federation model.   That would keep individual mayors for each council but would see a higher body to manage regional issues.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. 21h ago

    Ryan Bridge: Luxon's leadership is in question, yet again

    Here we go again.  For the second time this year, there's a story in the media about National MPs doing the numbers on Luxon. At least one of them is talking to Thomas Coughlan at the Herald. Now, one or two chatting to the media doesn't equal a coup.  But the political calculation is that Luxon is a drag on the party’s polling. Changing horses midstream would not hurt their chances of forming a government, and might provide momentum and a boost to their share of the right voting bloc, and perhaps even some soft centre. They’ll be tempted by the Jacinda transition which saw a poll bump. A circuit-breaker. They’ll be wary of the Judith transition, and many Labour ones before that, which proved fatal. But this is a completely unique situation as this is a party in government. Whoever leads it, leads New Zealand. Luxon’s plea for more party votes is falling on deaf ears and despite expensive advertising campaigns and glossy videos of the PM explaining their fiscal strategy, his comments on the campaign, which is underway in earnest, are drowning out the pre-recorded material. The last week they’ve been in clean-up mode. They can’t afford to spend another three months traipsing round the country with a dustpan and broom.  That would require either better discipline from the current leader or change to a new one.  Which has always been the fly in the ointment for National. There is no Jacinda waiting in the wings.  Bishop and Willis are well-versed debaters who'd perform well on the campaign.  However, Kiwis like reluctant heroes and Bishop looks, rightly or wrongly, anything but.  Willis' near perfect performance handling the initial fuel shock proves her worth but she may be too tied to the cost-of-living woes that have hurt Luxon.  Erica Stanford is the candidate you'd pick if you really wanted to play ball. She's denied wanting it enough, which is key, and is a star performer able to connect with people in a way others have proven incapable.  At this point, this is all just talk. But timing is everything in politics and the fact MPs are briefing journalists twelve weeks out from early voting is destabilising in itself.  Are you better to nip it in the bud or stay the course and hope for brighter days? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. 21h ago

    Full Show Podcast: 11 August 2026

    On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 11th of August 2026, Not every council is happy about the attempted forced amalgamation by central government, Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford shares his thoughts. It seems the Christchurch Council is backing Sir Graham Lowe's NRL Southern Orca's bid, Newstalk ZB Canterbury Sports Commentator Nick Bewley tells Ryan how likely it is team will come together. Contact Energy's reported a record net profit of $423 million, Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander shares his thoughts on if power prices will come down.  Plus Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on calls for Anthony Albanese to apologise over claims he’s insulted the Japanese Prime Minister and south Australia announces a royal commission into artificial intelligence.  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.

    Full Show Podcast: 11 August 2026

  6. 1d ago

    Mark Quin: Ambulance Association National Secretary says people are frustrated by longer wait times for ambulences

    St John's triggered a major incident response, after two consecutive weeks of record-high demand for ambulances.  Saturday was the worst, with 2,500 call outs.  The service says some wait times are longer than usual for those not in critical condition.  Ambulance Association National Secretary Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that delays are probably making people more frustrated.  He says while not appropriate, he imagines people are voicing their opinions.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 1d ago

    Geof Nightingale: independent tax expert on National's budget responsibility rules

    National's push for tighter control of the books is being welcomed - but questions are being raised over what's actually new. Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis yesterday unveiled National's fiscal strategy - promising a surplus by 2028/29 and Government spending below 30 percent of GDP.  But independent tax expert Geof Nightingale told Ryan Bridge National has made these same commitments before. He says the three 'budget responsibility' rules are already in the fiscal strategy report, which the Government has to release for each budget. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. 1d ago

    Ryan Bridge: Tony Randle is the sort of brain needed around the council table

    Tony Randle was the exactly the type of person, the sort of brain, you want sitting round a council table.  Especially given the types who now seem to occupy many of the seats. It's very sad to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family and those who knew him well.  For those who didn't, Tony was a councillor in Wellington. He sat on the Northern ward.  He was the guy you'd call when you wanted to know the facts of a case.  When you wanted to know the numbers.  Tony was the guy who found a wee mistake in the council's modelling when they were lowering speed limits.  Not a single councillor, or a council officer, staff member, or council-paid boffin picked up on the mistake.  But Tony did. It was out by a quarter of a billion bucks.  He consistently complained that the council wasn't fully funding Wellington water's project, meaning the pipes weren't getting fixed. He was analytical and not particularly partisan.  Too often you hear of local and national politicians getting into office who probably shouldn't be there. They've no particular skills or background that justify it.  They're elected by a margin of a few hundred, or even a few dozen votes, by a public that doesn't really pay attention to the details.  As a result, you get politicians who also don't pay attention to the details.  But Tony Randle did and that's what made him special.  Voters deserve more analytical thinkers in local government who are across the facts and the numbers, rather than ticking a box on their way to Parliament or the UN, where you get the sense a lot of them wish they could be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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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