Ryan Bridge: Emotion has overcome facts on conservation

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Jun 25, 2026 · 2m · transcript

Most kiwis have an environmental bent to them that most of the rest of the western world just doesn't have. At least, not to the same extent.

Most people, left and right, use the outdoors here. We have quite a close relationship to it.

Matt Watson and his million fishers put Sane Jone's supposedly industry-friendly fishing clauses in the bin.

Now the same has happened with Potaka and his Conservation clauses.

In both cases, emotion overcame facts.

I spoke to Potaka the day before he U-turned, and he made some pretty clear promises. No parks, no bushland, no Great Walks, no protected species…