Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

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...

The first Politics Friday Election Special focused on Christchurch Central. The candidates, Dale Stephens from National, and George Hampton from Labour, made their pitch about why they want to become the next Christchurch Central MP. They discussed what can be done with the Airbnb's in the CBD, the cost of living, homelessness in the city, and how to revive Cathedral Square. LISTEN ABOVE See omnys...

When you vote in November’s election, are you going to be voting for a party or are you going to be voting for a coalition? According to Harry Mowbray, father of the Mowbray billionaires, you should be voting for the coalition you want running the place. As he puts it on the website he’s set up, there’s an opportunity in this year’s election to change the make-up of Parliament and have a centre-ri...

Legendary broadcaster and writer Phil Gifford has passed away at the age of 79. A veteran broadcaster and sports journalist with his career spanning over fifty years, Gifford worked across print, radio and television. Phil was also a host on Newstalk ZB, more recently on the afternoons show alongside Simon Barnett between 2019 and 2021. They reunited after hosting local Christchurch breakfast show...

I’m no fan of the current Government. In fact, I’m no fan of any of the political parties at the moment. That said, you’ve got to give the current lot credit for what we saw in yesterday’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU). Is it enough for them to get another term? I’ll tell you what I think shortly. But the overarching result is that the government’s finances are better than expect...

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has admitted he hasn't yet read the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) in full, but he is confident the funding for his party's policies is there. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins says Labour will take time to crunch the numbers before coming out with their fiscal plan, which will be out by the end of next week. "You've got to give us a little bit o...

I’m all for pay equity for women, but. Which I’ll get to. First, though. At a public meeting in Christchurch last night, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was asked what the most important thing a Labour-led government would do for girls and women. He said reversing last year’s pay equity changes. And that he would do it within his government’s first 100 days in office. He said: "I think probably the mo...

How shocking is it that a woman died on a stretch of State Highway 1, in South Canterbury, that NZTA had known was dangerous but hadn’t done anything about it? I’ll run you through the details. But I hope NZTA is listening to the coroner who is saying today that a median barrier is needed where the crash happened. I also hope NZTA wakes up to the fact that median barriers are desperately needed on...

Can you believe how quick Christchurch City councillors are to throw around the cash? Agreeing yesterday to give $1.2 million to Orana Wildlife Park, just 10 days after the park came out crying poor. Saying it was on track to run out of cash by the end of March and needs to find $4.1 million to keep paying the bills. They said at the time that they'd be trying to raise some of the money themselves...

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger is backing the councils 1.2-million-dollar boost for the city's struggling Orana Wildlife Park, but won't deny whether money will be dished out in the future.  Speaking on Canterbury Mornings, Mauger said the council would wait to see how successful Orana Park's fundraising efforts are before considering any further support. "They haven't even started fundraisin...

I don't know whether the Christchurch City Council anticipated this kind of thing, but there is proof today that it got it wrong with its decision to limit new homes being built under Christchurch Airport’s flight path. And I think it needs to reverse its decision. It was only last year when the council made it and, already, it’s backfiring. Because we’re finding out today that development company...