Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Episoder

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  Laurence Carey: Squid Group Founder on TikTok reportedly boosting local economies by $1.2 billion 27.07.2026 4min

  A digital marketing agency says more New Zealanders are turning to TikTok to decide where to eat and shop.  A new Infometrics report shows the app supported almost 10 thousand local jobs last year and helped boost the local economy by an estimated $1.2 billion.  It reveals more than 300 thousand New Zealand businesses are using the platform each month.  Squid Group founder Laurence Carey told Andrew Dickens it's becoming a useful research tool.  He says it's without a doubt the easiest way to find a restaurant to eat at or something to do.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Gillian Blythe: Water New Zealand CEO on the threat to drinking water sources revealed in report into the state of water infrastructure 27.07.2026 4min

  More evidence in black and white of the need for more investment in water infrastructure.   The Water Services Authority's third annual Network Environmental Performance Report finds there is an average 31 wastewater overflows a day.  It also finds some 15% of assessed drinking water and wastewater pipes are in poor condition.   Water New Zealand chief executive Gillian Blythe told Andrew Dickens there also needs to be stronger protections for drinking water sources.   She says it's looking to see if regulations are fit for purpose, or whether there needs to be urgent changes.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Wattie Watson: Professional Firefighters Union National Secretary on ACC cover for firefighters with work-related cancer 27.07.2026 3min

  A push for New Zealand to catch up with other countries on firefighter cancer cover. The Professional Firefighters Union is backing a Green Party Member's Bill to automatically provide firefighters with ACC cover for work-related cancer. Under current rules, firefighters must prove their cancer was caused by their job. Union National Secretary Wattie Watson told Andrew Dickins most of the time ACC and FENZ reject the cases and the union has to take legal action.  She says Australia, Canada, the United States and Norway all have similar laws, and there's no reason New Zealand firefighters shouldn't receive the same protection. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 28 July 2026 27.07.2026 34min

  On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 28th of July 2026, Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe shares her thoughts on the water services authority’s national report.  TikTok advertising is boosting New Zealand's GDP by $1.2 billion, Laurence Carey Squid Group Founder and Managing Director shares his thoughts. The Greens want firefighters to have automatic ACC cover when they get Cancer from inhaling carcinogens, NZPFU National Secretary Wattie Watson tells Andrew why this is important.  Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on an appeals court upholds a ruling that Pauline Hanson racially discriminated against another Senator and a man found guilty of trying to smuggle lizards.  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.
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  Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO supports National's paid parental leave policy 26.07.2026 3min

  Support for National's paid parental leave policy, from at least one business leader. The party's promising to extend paid parental leave from the current 26 weeks,  to 30 weeks by 2029 if re-elected, with further increases possible if finances allow. Parents would also have more flexibility to share, or take leave at the same time. Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Andrew Dickens that most small businesses would already be paying for some additional cover regardless. She says hiring someone for slightly longer, could make things easier, as it can be challenging finding someone for a short term role. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 27 July 2026 26.07.2026 34min

  Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 27 July. 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.
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  Tom Rutherford: Bay of Plenty MP on fresh slips at Mount Maunganui landslide site 26.07.2026 4min

  The Bay of Plenty MP says fresh slips at Mauao in Mt Maunganui put further strain on the community.  Adams Avenue remains closed after eight-thousand cubic metres of debris came down over the weekend.   Three have been three slips near the original landslide which claimed six lives in January.  MP Tom Rutherford says told Andrew Dickens the restored track to the summit - hasn't been impacted by these events.  He says the slips have been in the area of the original January landslide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Andrew Dickens: Food security should be an election priority 26.07.2026 2min

  As if the world hasn’t already got enough to worry about what with war, and fuel crisis and inflation, there comes another concern This weekend The Independent published a piece on UK Farmers warning that food shortages are just 10 days away for the UK and there are signs that suggest they’ve already arrived Farmers have sounded the alarm about a growing food crisis, and experts say that Britain’s food insecurity needs to be treated as a growing national emergency. Global conflict combined with climate change are affecting fragile supply chains These days Britain produces about 60 per cent of it’s food compared to 80 per cent in the 80s. the shortfall met by imports principally from the EU which has been affected by Brexit and the fuel crisis They’re particularly vulnerable when it comes to fruit and seasonal vegetables. Already there are shortages and they’re getting worse and the prices are climbing New Zealand on the other hand is considered to have one of the most secure food supplies in the world. Basically, we make more than we eat. We currently grow enough food to feed 40 million people Even in a major global crisis New Zealand would remain one of the best placed countries to feed it’s own population And while we might not export oil or mobile phones or plastic knick knacks the one thing every single person in the world needs is food. And in that we are resilient and food is a good product to making But as we enter an election once again our food manufacturers are going to be urged by the environmentalists to cut production to meet climate change targets when in fact the world will be begging us to make even more food The greenies are worried about the globe but the thing the globe needs most of all is food and water. And I wonder if New Zealand First might be better advised to put a billion into making our farms efficient and clean rather than in a survey on whether we have any mythical oil or gas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Brad Olsen: Infometrics Principal Economist on Stats NZ introducing monthly inflation reports in 2027 23.07.2026 2min

  Hopes more regular inflation reports will mean more accurate analysis for businesses.   From next July, Stats NZ will phase in monthly Consumer Price Index reporting, on top of the current quarterly reports.   Statistics Minister Scott Simpson says it'll keep businesses, households, and decision-makers, like the Reserve Bank, better-informed.   Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Ryan Bridge that we just have to be careful not to read too much into any one monthly change and start jumping at shadows.  He says we want to look for the signal rather than the noise, but this is a step in the right direction.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Andrew Bayly: Port Waikato MP on his member's bill aiming to crack down on unreported child abuse 23.07.2026 2min

  The architect of a member's bill aiming to crack down on unreported child abuse is confident it will receive widespread support.   The bill, which would make it mandatory for people to report known or suspected child abuse to police, has been drawn from the biscuit tin.    Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly says the current laws hinder the ability of police to effectively investigate child harm cases.   He told Ryan Bridge there are some issues around what exactly "suspected child abuse" means.   Bayly says the definition will be fine-tuned in the select committee phase, but notes similar legislation has passed in Australia.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 24 July 2026 23.07.2026 34min

  On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 24th of July 2026 , Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly tells Ryan why his members bill on toughening up child abuse reporting is important.  The 2026 Commonwealth Games are underway in Glasgow, Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Andrew Alderson has the latest.  From, July next year Stats NZ is going to report on inflation monthly instead of quarterly, Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Informetrics Brad Olsen tells Ryan how big of a difference this will make.  Plus, UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on oil prices hitting $100 a barrel over night and Andy Burnham's new Government and what he's announced so far.  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.
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  Andrew Alderson: Newstalk ZB Sports reader on the Commonwealth games kicking off in Glasgow 23.07.2026 3min

  New Zealand has kicked off its Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow.   Ahead of the opening ceremony, Shannon McIlroy beat Tonga's Liam Hill 2-nil at the men's singles on the indoor bowls rink.  And in the women's pairs, Katelyn Inch and Selina Goddard won a tie-break against Kenya after the match initially finished one end apiece.  Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Andrew Alderson joined Ryan Bridge to discuss the Games.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Ryan Bridge: Would we send our troops to fight the Houthis? 23.07.2026 1min

  It's possible our Defence Force could send personnel to the Middle East to help stop the Houthis.  They're the group in Yemen, backed by Iran, currently firing drones and cruise missiles at Saudi tankers.  They're the ones, along with the Revolutionary Guard in Iran, pushing up the price of oil this morning.  They're the ones blocking the B route for getting crude out of the Gulf.  They're the reason we'll probably pay more to fill up our cars and trucks in the coming weeks, if crude prices stay high.  Like most other Western countries, we haven't touched Trump's war and done anything about Hormuz.  But the Red Sea is different because we've been there before.  Two years ago, Judith Collins sent six NZDF personnel specifically to help the US-led coalition trying to stop attacks exactly like this.   Winston said at the time the attacks were illegal, against our values, and continue to affect New Zealand’s economy.  You'd have to say, given what we're witnessing this week, nothing's changed.  That deployment was scheduled to end at the beginning of 2025 after being extended.  In June Chris Penk extended a deployment to the Middle East by two years of up to 14 personnel for 'maritime security".  The question is whether we will now be sending more and doing more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Sebastian Leuzinger: AUT Professor and Plant Ecologist on the report on New Zealand's climate change efforts 23.07.2026 3min

  A plant ecologist says New Zealand would get a B on its climate change report card.   A Climate Change Commission report has found New Zealand needs to more than double its efforts in emissions reduction to meet our climate goals.   AUT Professor Sebastian Leuzinger says compared to the OECD, we're middle of the pack.   He told Ryan Bridge while we can make energy and transport changes, a big part of our emissions will be hard to change.   Leuzinger says there's not much we can do for agriculture, which is one of the backbones of our economy.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Nathan Limm: NZ Herald Netball Correspondent on the future of the ANZ Premiership after Netball NZ is unable to renew staff contracts 22.07.2026 2min

  The edifice of netball's ANZ Premiership has crumbled further.  Administration staff at the three Netball New Zealand-run franchises —the Stars, Magic, and Tactix— have been told their contracts will not be renewed.  Players at the affected clubs were left out of the communication chain.  NZ Herald’s Nathan Limm told Ryan Bridge that Netball NZ has remained tight-lipped on the subject.  He says it’s something they saw from the organisation’s previous leadership, and he’s unsure when they’re going to realise that saying nothing is not a good PR strategy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Andy England: Darfield High School Principal on the number of students passing NCEA numeracy exams 22.07.2026 3min

  The trajectory is thought to be heading in the right direction, despite lower NCEA numeracy pass rates.  Just over half of students passed the compulsory numeracy course in May – down more than five percentage points on last year.  Reading and writing pass rates saw little change.  Darfield High School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge people shouldn't read too much into the decline, because improvement is being felt across the country.   He says this is the first exam Year 10 students take, and they don't even need it in Year 11 or Year 12.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Ryan Bridge: Is our data safe with AI? 22.07.2026 1min

  The more you read about these AI hacks, the less you want to know about them.  Basically, the short story is that there was an AI bot out there that went full Terminator. It hacked into another system, another AI system, without being told to do so, acting entirely of its own volition.  It was reportedly an OpenAI model that did this. It escaped the environment where it was supposed to be, went online, and stole the login details for Hugging Face, which is the other platform, right?  The interesting thing is what Hugging Face, the victim in this case, did about it. They said that, normally, you would get another AI bot to attack the attacking AI bot, and they would have some kind of war. But they turned to a Chinese bot to do it.  Why?  Because the American bot had so many guardrails on it that it had essentially rendered itself useless. It wasn't good enough to defend their system, so they went with a Chinese one.  Fascinating.  So, you basically have robots at war with other robots with no real control over what they might do next. And we've seen that before. This is a clear-cut example of it, and it's not the first one.  OpenAI has said they've had issues before. Apparently, they've previously admitted that their models autonomously took unwanted actions for extended periods to achieve their goals, including looking for ways to act outside their sandbox.  Well, that doesn't sound very good for us, does it?  My question is this: if you have robots attacking robots, Chinese robots attacking American robots, and robots doing whatever they want, how safe is any of our information every time we log into a platform?  How safe is that information? And, therefore, what information are we actually willing to give to those platforms? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Mitch McCann: US Correspondent on the latest with the Middle East conflict 22.07.2026 2min

  The Middle East conflict rages on, with the US launching strikes on Iran for the 11th consecutive night. Meanwhile Tehran has warned Washington against targeting its nuclear facilities. A ceasefire agreed in April collapsed last week, with both sides battling over control of the Strait of Hormuz. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge Washington's biggest frustration is Iran continuing to try and control the Strait. He says Donald Trump has gone to Truth Social saying every time Iran targets a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the US will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant - including those in the capital city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Full Show Podcast: 23 July 2026 22.07.2026 34min

  On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 23rd of July 2026, there's more speculation over the future of the ANZ Premiership, NZ Herald Netball Correspondent Nathan Limm explains.  Barely half of students passed the NCEA numeracy exam this year, Darfield High School Principal Andy England shares his thoughts.  The Climate Change Commission says our rate of emissions reduction needs to more than double over the next few years, AUT Professor and Plant Ecologist Sebastian Leuzinger tells Ryan what the government needs to do.  Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on new threats from Trump to Tehran and Trump wanting FIFA president Gianni Infantino to be the next UN secretary-general.  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.
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  Mark Wilkshire: Co-Operative Bank CEO on inflation, signals fixed mortgage rate hikes coming ‘pretty soon’ 21.07.2026 2min

  Fixed mortgage rates could be heading up “pretty soon”, says a New Zealand bank boss as wholesale interest rates rise on the back of volatility in the Middle East. Speaking on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Co-operative Bank chief executive Mark Wilkshire said wholesale rates were up about 30 basis points (bps) in the past couple of weeks. “I think banks will have to start passing that on. “Even though the Official Cash Rate [OCR] was priced in, those wholesale markets have lifted. I expect this to be upward pressure on retail mortgage rates.” Wilkshire said fixed home loan rates could rise “in that region of 30 basis points”. “It’s going to have to happen pretty soon. “Wholesale markets have been very volatile on the back of these conflicts.” On the Co-operative Bank lifting its own fixed rates, Wilkshire said, “I think we’re going to have to go pretty soon”. “They’re not big changes but I think we’re going to have to see that pass through.” Lower wholesale interest rates had led to banks cutting some of their longer-term fixed rates last month, while shorter-term rates continued to rise on expectations of an OCR hike in July. That hike came, with the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) lifting the OCR earlier this month from 2.25% to 2.5%. Floating rates, which move in lock-step with the OCR, were quick to rise. However, fixed mortgage rates are heavily influenced by wholesale interest rates. Following the OCR hike, economists told the Herald the move was unlikely to trigger immediate fixed mortgage rate rises. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner said OCR changes take about 18 months to take effect. Instead, the OCR hike would “put a bit of a floor under short-end rates”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.