Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong joined John MacDonald to discuss her party's chances of entering Parliament and potentially holding the balance of power after the election. They also discussed Opportunity’s flagship policies, potential coalition negotiations as Christopher Luxon continues to rule her party out, and what the party can offer Christchurch voters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

This week's Politics Friday Election Special focused on the Wigram electorate. The candidates, Labour's Dominik Yanzick and National's Tracy Summerfield made their pitch to become the next local MP. They discussed their backgrounds before entering politics and outlined how they would tackle the key issues facing the newly redrawn Wigram electorate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

There are two types of people in the world. There are the ones who would run a mile if someone was breaking into their house. And there are the ones who would stick around and take them on. My house, my castle. All of that. They’re the ones NZ First is trying to appeal to with its promise to look into strengthening self-defence laws. So people can defend themselves and their property without fear...

Christopher Luxon’s ongoing refusal to work with The Opportunity Party is looking sillier by the day. Maybe it’s reached peak-silliness with this new poll out today, which shows that Luxon’s own supporters think he’s doing the wrong thing. As well as nearly 50 percent of business leaders who took part in the NZ Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom survey. The Freshwater Strategy poll found that 57 perce...

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick joined John MacDonald to chat about the current campaign. They discussed the party's view on gangs, their incoming fiscal plan, and why the party believe they can turn the Christchurch Central electorate green. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says he is sceptical of modelling which claims councils could face billions of dollars in funding shortfalls if they proceed with the Government's proposed 4% rates cap from 2027. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Mauger said his council is constantly looking at cheaper ways of competing projects. "We're not having any reductions in the levels of service." The modelli...

After last night’s final major party leaders debate, a mate of mine texted saying it had been like watching two minnows play a dull match at a World Cup event. He said one might be better than the other, but you wouldn’t pay money to see it. Which is kind of how I felt about it too. Nevertheless, like it or not, one of them is going to be our next Prime Minister. As there is with all these debates...

Does Labour really think Facebook and all the other social media platforms are going to be paying any attention to its threat to crack down on them? Yesterday, the party’s social media spokesperson Reuben Davidson warned “they will pay the price” if they don’t make the kinds of changes Labour will demand if it forms the next Government. Which, essentially, is letting people decide whether they wan...

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t been appalled by the cases here in New Zealand where a child has been killed and the people who know full well what has happened have kept their mouths shut. They’re able to do that because of the right to remain silent, which National has announced it wants to get rid of in cases where a child under the age of 12 has been killed. I’m one of those pe...

Ahead of his Christchurch Town Hall show, Live Aid co-founder and former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure sat down with John MacDonald to look back on more than 50 years in the music industry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone who’s ever been the victim of a home invasion needs to avoid seeing the latest election campaign ad from the Taxpayers’ Union. It’s the latest in a series of attack ads from this outfit. Alongside all the other negative advertising out there from some of the actual political parties. But this one takes it to the next level. What they’ve done, is they’ve used AI to create a video which shows...

This week's Politics Friday Election Special focused on the Banks Peninsula electorate. The candidates, Vanessa Weenink from National, and Tracey McLellan from Labour, made their pitch about why they want to become the next local MP. They discussed the tight 2023 election result, which was decided by just 396 votes, and the key issues facing the electorate, including coastal erosion, un-swimmable...

Let me say from the get-go that I despise gang culture and everything it stands for and represents. I despise gangs for the misery they inflict on people with their drug dealing and the way they treat the people desperate for the poison they peddle. I despise gangs for the other heinous crimes they are associated with. Their appalling “initiation” processes. All of that. I have zero time for it. L...

Qiulae Wong’s night couldn’t have gone better last night. Just before the Opportunity leader joined the other leaders for the minor parties TV debate, a new poll came out putting her party well and truly in the position of kingmaker. According to the 1News-Verian poll, Opportunity is sitting on 8 percent - which equates to 10 MPs in Parliament. And, not just that, the parties on the left and the r...

I thought the tax cuts we got after the last election were a complete waste of time. And I suspect that, by now, most people feel the same. Which is why I am in no way excited about this talk from National about possibly further cuts. At some stage. When the party released its fiscal plan for the election yesterday, finance spokesperson Nicola Willis opened the door a little bit. Hinting at furthe...

Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill joined John MacDonald to take listeners questions about the issues that local police are facing in the community. Superintendent Hill discussed the recent homicides in Christchurch, youth offending, police response times, public concerns about unsolved crimes, and the move-on powers coming into force later this month. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...

If a 16-year-old doesn’t want to be at school anymore, is it worth forcing them to stay until they’ve completed Year 11? At the moment, they can leave as soon as they turn 16. But National says, if it’s re-elected, it will make it compulsory for students to stay until the end of Year 11. Irrespective of when they turn 16. Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says 16-year-olds shouldn’t be quittin...

Anyone over the age of 50 should be very wary of this plan National has to reduce benefit payments for people on the Jobseeker benefit longer than two years. I’ll tell you why. But first, here’s what it wants to do to save taxpayers $572 million over four years. A single person receiving the Jobseeker benefit would get $48 less per week after more than two years. A couple both receiving it who don...

This week's Politics Friday Election Special focused on the Waimakariri electorate. The candidates, Matt Doocey from National, and Dan Rosewarne from Labour, made their pitch about why they want to become the next local MP. They discussed their backgrounds before getting into politics, and what issues face the electorate including the Woodend bypass and the Pegasus Golf Course, as they made their...

Let kids be kids. That’s what I thought when I read about a very successful young guy with 12 university degrees, who thinks we need to be pushing Kiwi kids harder from a younger age. Jamie Beaton is co-founder of Crimson Education, which helps Kiwi students get into the top universities around the world. Sir John Key is Crimson’s chairman. It’s done very well, with a capital value of $1 billion....

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says the Council’s feasibility study into a South Island NRL team must remain under wraps due to commercial sensitivity. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Mauger said the numbers cannot be released until the NRL reveals its decision, but insisted ratepayer money is being spent responsibly. "We can't go out there and start spraying around all the information that we've...

I’ll tell you who I think came out the winner from last night’s TVNZ leaders' debate. It was the first of four TVNZ debates and the only one involving just National’s Christopher Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins. So it was the big chance, for each to them, to convince those of us watching why they should be leading the country after November’s election. But all I saw was the leaders of two dinosau...

If you believe National’s promise to put $800 million in next year’s Budget for the Woodend Bypass project, you’ll believe anything. All up, 11 kilometres of road, north of Christchurch. With four kilometres of the existing highway widened and the rest being the new four-lane bypass diverting traffic away from Woodend township. National has announced that, if it’s re-elected, there will be $800 mi...

I want to like the ACT Party’s KiwiSaver policy, but I can’t. I’ll tell you why shortly. But, what it wants to do, is to stop charging us tax on our KiwiSaver earnings. It also wants to do away with the government contribution for people whose employers pay into their KiwiSaver scheme. Which, after a change by the current government, is $260-a-year maximum. It was $520 or thereabouts. So, it’s hal...

How do you feel about 16 and 17-year-olds voting? I’m all for it. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is, too. Although, I’d go further than what he’s talking about. He’s announced that, if Labour forms the next government, it will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local body elections. But, if you’re going to do that, why not let them vote in general elections too? Make It 16, the group that’s been ca...