On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 2nd of October, week one of the campaign down, political commentator Brigitte Morten provides analysis. 

Labour's campaigning on getting rid of "hidden fees", Auckland University Professor in Department of Commercial Law, Alex Sims explains how much control a government can have over businesses's. 

National's promising passport free travel across the Tasman, CEO Destination Queenstown & Lake Wanaka tourism tells Ryan how much of a difference this would make. 

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on hundreds of prisoners across England and Wales are being released early today under a new scheme designed to free up prison space and the governor of the Bank of England has warned Artificial intelligence could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.          

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday the 2nd of October, week one of the campaign down, political commentator Brigitte Morten provides analysis.&nbsp;
Labour's campaigning on getting rid of "hidden fees", Auckland University Professor in Department of Commercial Law, Alex Sims explains how much control a government can have over businesses's.&nbsp;
National's promising passport free travel across the Tasman, CEO Destination Queenstown &amp; Lake Wanaka tourism tells Ryan how much of a difference this would make.&nbsp;
Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on hundreds of prisoners across England and Wales are being released early today under a new scheme designed to free up prison space and the governor of the Bank of England has warned Artificial intelligence could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them.
Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

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.

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.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Full Show Podcast: 02 October 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5818504a-af7e-44f8-91c9-b4d6011a4b25/transcript

A commercial law expert's hesitant over whether Labour's proposed fee and subscription laws - would actually do their job. 

The Party's promising to protect consumers from hidden costs by requiring all mandatory fees be included in the upfront price. 

It would also see subscriptions as easy to cancel as it is to sign up. 

But Auckland University Professor Alex Sims told Ryan Bridge she's unsure whether it would work in practice. 

Sims says we have lots of strong consumer laws that get ignored and questions the point of adding more when current ones aren't enforced. 

A commercial law expert's hesitant over whether Labour's proposed fee and subscription laws - would actually do their job.&nbsp;
The Party's promising to protect consumers from hidden costs by requiring all mandatory fees be included in the upfront price.&nbsp;
It would also see subscriptions as easy to cancel as it is to sign up.&nbsp;
But Auckland University Professor Alex Sims told Ryan Bridge she's unsure whether it would work in practice.&nbsp;
Sims says we have lots of strong consumer laws that get ignored and questions the point of adding more when current ones aren't enforced.&nbsp;

Alex Sims: Auckland University Professor on whether Labour's fees policy will make a difference

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/51aecc18-9cb0-44f2-a47d-b4d601298c52/transcript

Trump's getting desperate to fix gas prices ahead of the Midterms and that usually when he's trying to do something for America, there will be losers and that could well be the rest of us. 

We spoke a few weeks ago about the fact he was looking into a ban on diesel exports. Industry didn't like it. 

They thought it wouldn't bring prices down. They lobbied the White House and said the idea could actually push prices up. 

Well, Trump's now had advice on it. 

He's also shoulder tapped some allies to let them know what might be about to happen. 

The Brits are worried enough to hold meetings with the Europeans. 

Unlike New Zealand, the UK still refines fuel. But it doesn't refine enough diesel to meet its domestic demand. 

So, it imports it. In the past three months, about a quarter of diesel imports came from the U.S. 

Much more comes from third parties who in-turn source it from America. 

If supply gets cut, we'd be screwed on price. We, along with Asia and the Aussies, could see shortages. 

Even a partial ban or cap could push prices way higher than the $3.18 average at the pump right now. 

That'll have a big impact on prices, transport and farms. 

So, here's hoping for our sake, America doesn't come first.

Just another reminder of the potential economic hits that could be around the corner, and the need for a strong balance sheet in Wellington. 

Trump's getting desperate to fix gas prices ahead of the Midterms and that usually when he's trying to do something for America, there will be losers and that could well be the rest of us.&nbsp;
We spoke a few weeks ago about the fact he was looking into a ban on diesel exports. Industry didn't like it.&nbsp;
They thought it wouldn't bring prices down. They lobbied the White House and said the idea could actually push prices up.&nbsp;
Well, Trump's now had advice on it.&nbsp;
He's also shoulder tapped some allies to let them know what might be about to happen.&nbsp;
The Brits are worried enough to hold meetings with the Europeans.&nbsp;
Unlike New Zealand, the UK still refines fuel. But it doesn't refine enough diesel to meet its domestic demand.&nbsp;
So, it imports it. In the past three months, about a quarter of diesel imports came from the U.S.&nbsp;
Much more comes from third parties who in-turn source it from America.&nbsp;
If supply gets cut, we'd be screwed on price. We, along with Asia and the Aussies, could see shortages.&nbsp;
Even a partial ban or cap could push prices way higher than the $3.18 average at the pump right now.&nbsp;
That'll have a big impact on prices, transport and farms.&nbsp;
So, here's hoping for our sake, America doesn't come first.
Just another reminder of the potential economic hits that could be around the corner, and the need for a strong balance sheet in Wellington.&nbsp;

Ryan Bridge: We need to keep an eye on Diesel

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e9c1b114-406c-4964-b9dc-b4d6011983c8/transcript

A warning our Emergency Departments are in a state of crisis. 

A report from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine finds admissions rose 21% over the past decade, far exceeding the 13% population growth. 

It says more money has to go into building capacity and numbers of doctors working in EDs. 

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge the report shows that while on the surface funding has increased, but when you look at the complexity of care needed, increased admissions and population growth, it's not keeping pace with the real level of need. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

A warning our Emergency Departments are in a state of crisis.&nbsp;
A report from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine finds admissions rose 21% over the past decade, far exceeding the 13% population growth.&nbsp;
It says more money has to go into building capacity and numbers of doctors working in EDs.&nbsp;
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge the report shows that while on the surface funding has increased, but when you look at the complexity of care needed, increased admissions and population growth, it's not keeping pace with the real level of need.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Sarah Dalton: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director on the report showing emergency departments are in crisis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/be457d9f-8a36-44ec-802f-b4d501811e33/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 02 October 2026

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