Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Whatever happened to this country’s ability to think big on the energy front?   And why is it that we’re not doing the same with solar energy and why are our politicians relying on households to do the heavy lifting? I mention thinking big intentionally. Because that’s what we did back in the 1970s and 1980s, especially with the big hydro power schemes. These days, though, instead of thinking...

I think the animal welfare people are clutching at straws with this last-minute legal action they’re taking to try and stop this weekend’s feral cat hunt. You’ll know the event. It’s all part of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition. Which raises funds for Rotherham School. It hit the headlines a few years back when people got all excited that wild cats were going to be included. As they should...

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins is open to working with the Government on a bill banning social media for under-16s. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins said any social media ban should go through the select committee process, and New Zealand should take lessons from Australia's recently introduced restrictions. "We've got to do more to keep our kids safe online, but the Aussie experience has sho...

Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has come out firing today, saying that China’s nuclear-capable missile test yesterday was smack bang inside the South Pacific nuclear-free zone. Just hours after giving the New Zealand Government a heads-up, China launched a long-range ballistic missile from a submarine into the area. It’s not saying where it was launched from, nor where it landed. I get where Wa...

I enjoyed the temporary seating set-up at One NZ Stadium on Saturday night so much, that I want to give it a name. I’ll admit that, after being told by stadium boss Caroline Harvie-Teare that those of us in the temporary area would only have access to the internal hospitality and toilet facilities until 6pm, I had my doubts. But I have to say, the experience was brilliant. We were perched right on...

All Blacks legend-turned-All Blacks Tour Guide Ian Jones joined Canterbury Mornings ahead of the first test against the French in Chirstchurch. Jones now wears many hats, one of them is being the General Manager for the All Blacks Experience in Auckland - taking tourists and rugby tragics alike through the motions of what an All Black or Black Fern experiences before a test match. He also touched...

All Blacks legend Richard Loe has always worked on paddocks, albeit pasture on the farm or the rugby field. He joined John MacDonald ahead of the first All Blacks test in Christchurch, what his thoughts are on a "weaker" French side, and they also touched on "Loey's" work on promoting health and safety on the farm. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Inkster company owns a large portfolio of local pubs, bars and restaurants across Christchurch, and they are soon set to have another pub right across the road from One New Zealand Stadium, affectionally called "The Lancaster". Nick Inkster joined Canterbury Mornings to talk about his journey from moving out of home and straight into buying his own property with his brother, his time working i...

The temporary seats are up at One New Zealand Stadium ahead of the first All Blacks test, and Venues Otautahi CEO Caroline Harvie-Teare joined Canterbury Mornings to hear about the excitement brewing for tomorrow night.  She was asked about the fee that Christchurch paid to lock in the test under the roof, and why those on the temporary stands can only use the stadium bathrooms until 6pm on t...

What were the people at Wolfbrook Property Group thinking when they decided to fill the holes at the Pegasus Golf Course with concrete? As if they haven’t put enough noses out of joint with their plan to build houses on the site. They’ve now gone and rubbed those noses in the dirt with this carry-on, which one resident is describing today as childish. And I completely agree. Yes, I get it that thi...

Jeff Wilson played at the highest level for New Zealand for both the All Blacks and the Blackcaps, and these days he follows rugby all around the world as a Sky Sport commentator.  "Goldie" took some time to chat with Canterbury Mornings ahead of the All Blacks first test of the year, and first match in Christchurch for over four years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Sam Darry may play for the Auckland Blues, but he grew up in Christchurch. He’s been named in the starting line-up for tomorrow night's test against France and joined Canterbury Mornings ahead of the first test under the roof at One NZ Stadium. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Treasury released a whole lot of documents showing the advice it gave the Government during the early days of the fuel crisis. One of the key things was a recommendation not to cut fuel taxes or road user charges, because it didn’t think it was needed. The Government went with the advice. But, you might also remember, that the Government went a step further than that and said that the f...

Chef and co-owner of Christchurch's popular fine-dining restaurant INATI Simon Levy joined Canterbury Mornings after his restaurant won a Michelin star on Tuesday evening. He told John MacDonald about his beginnings as a young chef under Gordon Ramsay, and what he reckons won over the judges when they anonymously visited his central city restaurant. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Can we all just accept now that David Seymour’s school lunch programme is a dog’s breakfast? With this report out from the Auditor-General saying only 50 percent of the lunches are up-to-scratch on the nutrition front and about 20,000 meals a day aren’t being eaten. The Associate Education Minister has hit back of course, using his usual tricks of discrediting the report and going on about how muc...

I think the people at the NZ Initiative thinktank need to have an away day in Christchurch Then they would understand why I’m poo-pooing this claim they’re making today that having multiple local councils in close proximity to each other is a good thing. Because if there’s one thing that proves how wrong they are, it would be the disjointed situation we have with housing developments in Christchur...

I’ve never been on a sickness benefit. But I imagine that, for anyone who is, the government telling you what you can and can‘t spend your benefit money on, and spying on you to make sure you toe the line would be pretty degrading. Tell that to the ACT Party, though.   Not only that. In this policy announced yesterday, instead of your own GP signing you off for the sickness benefit, you'd nee...

I don’t know what to make of the fact that thousands of people have put their name to this petition calling for the Christchurch City Council’s rates increase to be paused and put to a referendum. I don’t know what to make of it for a couple of reasons. First of all, I’m not a petition guy. Because I don’t think they achieve much. It’s very easy to stick your name on something. But does it achieve...

Newstalk ZB's voice of football Jason Pine joined Canterbury Mornings live from Vancouver ahead of New Zealand's game against Belgium. The All Whites must win against The Red Devils tomorrow afternoon to secure any change of proceeding to the round-of-32.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week.  They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from Nationals solar panel policy, what can be done to make rural roads safer, and if the fast-track process is appropriate for the Pegasus Golf Course. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of having a National Rugby League team based in Christchurch sounds brilliant. Last weekend, when the Warriors were here, the place was teaming with people. Four-thousand of them from out of town. Including a couple of National Rugby League honchos from across the ditch who, no doubt, were eyeing up One NZ Stadium and thinking they’d like a bit of the action here. Which has the Christchur...

Labour has no plans to change the retirement age. No plan to start means testing the NZ Super pension. Nothing.  Basically, Labour’s plan is for us all to keep sailing into our sunset years with our fingers crossed and the she‘ll be right attitude we’ve clung to for years. And, somehow, we’ll find the money to keep paying to NZ Super pension to anyone and everyone.  I think it;s dreaming...

Chris Hipkins says he's not worried by his party's showing in Tuesday night's 1News poll, showing his party down 5 points at 30 percent.  Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, the Leader of the Opposition said polls bounce around, but he's confident in the trends he sees in Labour's internal polling, showing them sitting in the "high thirties".  "I never get particularly obsessed about one in...

There were truckloads of people in Christchurch at the weekend for the Warriors game at One NZ Stadium. How many? 6,000. That’s how many out-of-towners were here during the weekend just gone. And they reckon the economic benefits for the city will be somewhere in the area of $4.7 million. That’s on top of the $13 million that came into the city during the big Super Rugby Super Round weekend back i...

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon joined John in the studio for their regular catchup. They discussed the council’s response to the Government’s push for council amalgamation, her district’s efforts to slow drivers down and create safer roads in growing residential areas, and her views on Selwyn residents having to pay full price to tour the new One New Zealand Stadium. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...