Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The Airports Association is defending itself after airlines blame their charges,  for spikes in airfares. 

An international airport group says New Zealand’s domestic airfares have shot up more quickly than any other country by 63-percent in six years. 

But Air New Zealand says its fares are only up 35-percent.

Association chief executive, Billie Moore told Ryan Bridge the biggest driver is air capacity reduction, so ...

Kainga Ora's large-scale ownership of state houses may not be the most effective way to provide housing help to Kiwis.

A report by The New Zealand Initiative lists several reasons why government ownership can be problematic and wasteful.

Its cost structure appears to be approaching double the usual private landlord benchmark, based on indicative calculations.

NZ Initiative Senior Fellow Dr Bryce Wilkinson told Ryan Bridge the Gover...

This idea that our trading partners will somehow punish us for lacking ambition in climate change doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Yes, there are some provisions in some agreements, but they’re vaguely worded enough to get around.

If the UK or the EU or even the Aussies really wanted to punish us, they could.

But the question is whether they would, nor could.

And why would they? We’re a fraction of global emissions so what difference w...

Support for a crackdown on dress codes and behaviour in Parliament.  

Speaker Gerry Brownlee's cracking down on rules in the House following what he sees as multiple disruptive incidents.  

The latest saw Te Pati Māori MP Oriini Kaipara's maiden speech go well over time.  

He will look at attendance records, dress standards, and leave provisions.  

Political commentator Liam Hehir told Ryan Bridge dressing for p...

Improved relationships between teachers and students are being credited as just as important as the Government's curriculum changes. 

New Education Review Office research shows teachers are seeing more engaged students in maths and English, and three-quarters of parents say their child is making progress.  

Principal of Rotorua's Kaitao Intermediate, Phil Palfrey told Ryan Bridge it's also that more people are realising t...

Cafes are continuing to see their profits squeezed.

Sales in the hospitality sector have increased 1.4% in the past year according to just-released figures from the Restaurant Association.

But sales for cafes and restaurants only rose 0.3%.

Coffee Club Director Brad Jacobs told Ryan Bridge they're having to absorb rising costs to remain competitive.

He says the minimum wage has gone up much faster than the price of coffee over the ...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 15th of October 2025, The speaker's set out plans to crack down on standards after Oriini Kaipara's maiden speech, political commentator, Liam Hehir shares his thoughts. 

The hospitality sector's hit record sales of $15.9 billion, Franchise NZ Chairperson and Coffee Club co-owner Brad Jacobs tells Ryan revenue doesn't always mean profit. 

A report by the Ed...

There’s a warning for Hipkins as he plots higher taxes for Kiwi businesses, investors, and savers - it comes from across the ditch.

Albanese’s been having problems getting his super tax plan across the line, despite having a majority in Parliament.

The Opposition to it has come not just from the usual suspects, but also former PM and Labor stalwart Paul Keating - even the Unions cried boohoo.

So he’s had to U-turn on unrealised gai...

A peace summit is now underway in Egypt following the release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages. 

The summit was attended by US President Donald Trump, who said that ‘the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace.’ 

Former Chief of Staff for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign Matt Terrill told Ryan Bridge that there is still a lot of work to do before peace can finally be declared. 

‘You have a great ...

A growing range of international visitor markets means New Zealand's on track to beat pre-Covid tourism numbers. 

Overseas arrivals reached 92% of pre-pandemic numbers in August.

That's up from 87% in July.

Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge increased airline capacity from the Americas, Singapore, Hong Kong markets means we're seeing more than just Aussies. 

She hopes this is...

I've got some numbers for this morning.

QV House Price Index for September quarter: guess what? Going backwards. Auckland leading the fall. 

Homes are worth an average of 1.1% less. Auckland's 2.5% less. 

And how does that make you feel, really? 

Most homeowners won't care because they're not trying to sell. But for those who are, it's depressing. 

Now first home buyers are cranking - a quarter of new mortgages ...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 14th of October 2025, Donald Trump has arrived in Egypt for a peace summit, Matt Terrill, former Chief of staff for Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, tells Ryan what Trump will need to do next to keep the peace deal successful. 

Australia is helping push us towards out first pre-covid tourism summer, Cath O'Brien the Board of Airline Representatives Execut...

Roughly 70% of Kiwis did not vote in the recent local elections. 

It's shaping up to be the worst voter turnout in 36 years, with only 23% of Aucklanders voting in the local elections. 

Senior fellow at the New Zealand Initiative Nick Clark told Ryan Bridge that making local elections in larger cities even more local would encourage more people to vote. 

"It might be a bit of an out there solution to make councils mo...

Beef and Lamb's declaring methane target cuts, great news for New Zealand. 

The Government's reducing targets to 14 to 24-percent below 2017 levels. 

That's between 24 to 47-percent lower than previous targets. 

Beef & Lamb Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge the Government's right to say a number of farmers would have been put out of business without this change. 

She says the new targets are in line with wh...

New Zealanders have voted against steep rates rises in the local elections.

Auckland's Wayne Brown and Christchurch's Phil Mauger have both been re-elected over the weekend, with a commitment to keep rates rises lower.

Wellington's Andrew Little and Hamilton's Tim Macindoe have indicated they'll rein in their cities' steep rates rises.

In Dunedin - Sophie Barker has won the mayoralty over incumbent Jules Radich. 

Newstalk ZB's...

If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its rates cap idea, it got one over the weekend.

Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors.

Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he’s a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure.

Voters aren’t stupid and should never be taken for granted.

Property investors are celebrating new methamphetamine contamination laws coming in next year.  

Properties with meth residue exceeding 15 micrograms per 100-square centimetres will be considered contaminated, requiring treatment. 

Landlords and tenants will be able to quickly end tenancies with excessive levels. 

Property Investors Federation Advocacy Manager Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge the new standards will reduce ...