Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

An electrification advocate says the rising price and falling supply of gas may not be a bad thing in the long-term. 

PwC research —commissioned by Gas Industry Co— has found New Zealand's gas market will need to shrink sharply as domestic supply declines.  

It warns this could mean business closures, job losses, and higher energy costs. 

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey told Ryan Bridge it's going to be a tough tran...

New Zealand is still a long way off from car-less days, AA fuel spokesman Terry Collins predicts. 

Government ministers yesterday were receiving advice on emergency fuel measures that could be taken if fuel stocks got too low as a knock-on effect of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. 

But Collins told Ryan Bridge Early Edition the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act, which allows for carless days and other options like fu...

We're learning a few hard truths this week and the old saying rings true - you don't know what you've got 'til its gone.

Parties on the left and the right all crying out for more oil. Turns out, it's actually still quite important.

A decent supply of it at a stable price.

And we're a long way off from that strait opening and running at full capacity again.

Trump's talking victory. Winston told me this week the war will be over...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 13th of March 2025, the Government could consider car-less days to help with fuel security, AA Fuel Spokesperson, Terry Collins shares his thoughts. 

Homegrown Festival is back, but this time in Hamilton, Homegrown Festival Founder Andrew Tuck shares his thoughts. 

According to a new report the Maui gas field could run dry by 2027, Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike C...

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga is a contender to be named as one of Dave Rennie’s assistant coaches, possibly on defence. 

The Moana Pasifika mentor would replace Tamati Ellison. 

Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby, Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge it’s not really a surprise.  

He says he’s got a strong connection to Rennie, having played under him for Wellington and the NPC going back 25 years. 

LISTEN ABOVE ...

Labour's new education spokesperson says giving non-unionised educators pay increases will divide teachers further.

Boards can now make individual employment offers to non-NZEI primary teachers after the union rejected three recent deals.

Ginny Andersen told Ryan Bridge it undermines existing bargaining and teachers would get more under the collective if it kept being negotiated.

She says this is a short-cut that gives them less mo...

The impact of the Heinz Wattie's restructure won't be felt by growers straight away. 

The company plans to shut three manufacturing facilitates in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and packing operations in Hastings. 

It's because of a planned move away from selling frozen vegetables, Gregg's Coffee, and several dips, which means 350 jobs are on the line. 

Process Vegetables New Zealand Chair David Hadfield t...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Labour's new education spokesperson Ginny Anderson shares her thoughts on non-union teachers offered a pay rise from the Public Service Commission. 

Watties is looking to axe production of its frozen vegetables, Chair of Process Vegetables NZ David Hadfield explains how it will impact growers. 

All Blacks legend Tana Umaga has reportedly been picked by Dave Renn...

I can't see what the problem is with teachers getting a pay rise.

If that sounds weird, it's because it's the union complaining. 

The union that's always saying teachers are undervalued and underpaid doesn't want the pay rise. They're actually going to take legal action to try and stop it happening. 

It's upside down day today folks. 

The primary teachers' union is dragging out their collective bargaining (9 months a...

The Government's under pressure to act to ensure airlines can continue operating. 

Air New Zealand's raised fares due to rising jet fuel costs, increasing domestic fares by $10, short-haul fares by $20, and long-haul fares by $90. 

Air Chathams has also raised its standard fare by $20. 

Chief Executive Duane Emeny told Ryan Bridge the Government could be playing a role in helping the industry out. 

He says they ...

A lawyer who represented opponents of vaccine mandates says the real test of the Covid inquiry is whether the country learns from its mistakes. 

The second phase of the inquiry has found New Zealand's overall response was effective. 

But it's found some mandates lasted too long, and the Government didn’t always communicate well with Kiwis. 

Lawyer Matthew Hague told Ryan Bridge people don’t expect perfection if anoth...

Movement in housing affordability could spell good news for first home buyers. 

Cotality NZ's Housing Affordability report for Quarter 4 2025 shows the national value-to-income ratio fell to 7.2. 

This is the lowest level since a brief period in 2019 and before that 2016

The Property Investors Federation's Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge it is still higher than the long-term national average of 6.8. 

He says the decrease ...

You've got to feel a bit for the Air New Zealand boss. 

If ever there was a poisoned chalice, he's drinking from it. He's glugging it back. Drowning in it.

They've suspended their guidance after the gas price went nuts. Doubled on Iran. That's after announcing a loss of $60 million for the half year.

And now they're hiking prices up to $90 on international fares and, reportedly, looking at cutting some routes. 

On top of ...

New research highlights a need to send more public health procedures to the private system. 

Westpac's latest healthcare report shows New Zealand currently spends about 10% of GDP on healthcare, split between 7% on public care and just 3% on private. 

It argues the private sector is nimbler, with extra capacity that can help cut wait times and improve outcomes. 

Private Surgical Hospitals Association Chief Executive ...

“Enormous” swings in the price of oil are making it very difficult to gauge the severity of the shock to markets from the Iran war, ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner says.

Oil hit $120 per barrel yesterday but dropped back below $100 after the G7 nations signalled they could release strategic oil reserves.

Zollner told Ryan Bridge she agreed with Finance Minister Nicola Willis' assertion that the duration of the shock was just as ...

Little is known about Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but he’s likely to continue his father’s “hardline, hostile attitude” toward the US, Israel and the West more generally, one expert says.

Andrew England, the Financial Times’ Middle East editor, told Newstalk ZB’s Ryan Bridge that hostility would be compounded because Khamenei's father, mother, wife and sister have all been killed.

Khamenei has not given any statemen...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025, ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner shares her thoughts on how the New Zealand economy will react to the war in Iran. 

A new Westpac report says we need to send more public health procedures to the private system, NZ Private Surgical Hospitals Association CEO Chris Roberts shares his thoughts.

Iran has appointed a new supreme leader, Financial Times Middle East edito...

The war in Iran is not a shocking event in the sense that we knew it was coming.

Trump has been not so much hinting, but sounding a fog horn for months. As we’ve been covering on this show, he’s been amassing military assets in the region since the end of January. 

So not surprising. What has surprised is Iran hitting their neighbours, the Gulf states, so hard, including oil fields and refineries. This has surprised markets. H...