Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

It would be very easy for me to say that the organisers of those ridiculous Run it Straight combat sport events have blood on their hands after the tragic death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite.   And I would be saying that if Ryan had been involved in an official event. The thing is, he wasn’t.   That’s not stopping other people from piling in though. There are experts saying today tha...

James Meager is responding to Chris Hipkins’ comments about the Minister for the South Island role.  The Labour Leader called the position a “PR job”, saying there would be no need for Meager’s role if the Government was actually prioritising the South Island.  Hipkins says Meager's not doing anything because he has no budget or decision-making ability, and this is just a way of telling...

Labour's yet to rule potential coalition partners in or out.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is refusing to work with Chris Hipkins next election, but has not entirely ruled Labour out.  On social media, Peters posted a Government of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori would be a "circus" and a "radical woke show".  Hipkins told John MacDonald that they actually ruled out...

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  That’s the message cops have been given about shoplifting.    And the powers-that-be can say as much as they like about their memo to staff about only bothering with shoplifting worth more than $500 not being worded as well as it could have been, but the message is very clear. You steal stuff worth less than $500 and you’re going to get off scot-free....

The Government is describing the 20 hours unpaid community work that people on the Jobseeker benefit will be made to do from today if they don’t follow the rules, as a penalty. And there’ll be no shortage of people cheering on from the sidelines, who will also be seeing it as a penalty. I think it’s great too. But not for the obvious reasons. The Opposition doesn’t like it, saying it will mean peo...

Today Megan Woods and Matt Doocey joined John MacDonald following the release of the budget. They discussed the key aspects of it including changes to KiwiSaver, will there be an announcement on the retirement as it sound like Matt is hinting towards? Should parents really support 18 and 19 year olds if they aren't working? And what is in the budget for Canterbury? LISTEN ABOVE.  See omnystud...

Quite a well-known chief executive and finance guy told me once that, in business, you should always make use of other people’s money first. Which is exactly what the Government is doing with the KiwiSaver changes announced in yesterday’s budget. It wants more of our money going in from our wages and salaries and less of its money going in through government contributions. Although, that’s our mon...

There’s a danger that when the new stadium opens in Christchurch next year, we'll have no idea exactly what speed we should be going when we drive around the area.   At the moment, the council wants it to be 30kph on Madras Street, Tuam Street, Lichfield Street, Duke Street, Hereford Street and St Asaph Street.   But now it’s being told by the Government that it can’t do that, and I thin...

There's consultation on speed limits around Christchurch's Te Kaha stadium - once again. New Government rules are forcing the City Council to ask for public feedback for a second time.  A 30 kilometre-an-hour limit was approved for multiple surrounding streets but can no longer be implemented because of the changes.   Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury mornings although this feels like ov...

Let’s call it and say that workers going to and from Christchurch Hospital at night-time deserve better.  This is after what’s being described as a “very violent” assault on a staff member heading home after work last weekend. It’s understood the woman had been on a shift at the birthing centre, on Antigua Street.  What we know at this point is that security around the hospital’s birthin...

In an ideal world, I would love us to have more trains.    In an ideal world, I think it would be great if all our big cities had rail passenger services.   Not just Auckland and Wellington that Transport Minister Chris Bishop was talking about when he announced this morning that there’s $600 million in this week’s Budget going into rail.   I won’t go all scratched record on it...

Here’s a story someone told me this morning about what happened within the last six-or-so weeks, when a Christchurch woman took her teenage daughter to the after-hours surgery. I’m telling you this because the Government has announced that there’s going to be increased funding in Thursday’s budget for after-hours medical care. Which is great. I’m not going to bag the Government for that. And the f...

"I've seen some bad times in this house, but this is one of the lowest I've ever seen. When you go to that sort of standard of language, nothing's beneath you after that, is it?"   That was Winston Peters yesterday after his coalition colleague, Brooke van Velden, used the c-word in parliament.   And I’m with him 100%.   He said he was disgusted that the word was said in Parliament,...

“It’s like making a silk purse out of a pig’s ear.”    That’s a quote from the boss at Transporting New Zealand, which represents the transport sector, talking about Brougham Street in Christchurch.   Because it’s been revealed by NZTA that the $150 million revamp of Brougham Street, one of Christchurch’s busiest streets, will include T2 transit lanes – which the truckies are brasse...

Construction is booming in Canterbury – but what is the market doing?  Construction Analyst Mike Blackburn joined John MacDonald to delve into the current situation in the region, the areas that are seeing major work, and if they’re seeing an over-supply of multi-unit dwellings.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well done to the Government for making all the right noises about dealing with truancy.   It’s going to spend $140 million over the next four years with one aim: getting more kids to turn up at school regularly.   It’s looking good. But I’m wanting to see some more creative approaches than what’s been talked about up until now, and I've got some ideas.   Most of the $140 million ($1...

The Opposition Leader's welcoming Government investment into school attendance.  $140 million from this year's Budget will go towards a new system and better data monitoring.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins wanted truancy officers reintroduced two years ago when he was PM.  Hipkins told John MacDonald it's clear disbanding the previous truancy service in 2012 was the wrong decision.&nb...

This poll out today saying nearly half of us are more concerned about power prices than we were a year ago, is nonsense.  Because I reckon we’re all concerned about it, not just nearly half of us.  If you’re not concerned about your power bill, then I’ll have what you’re having thanks.  Only 8% of people who took part in this survey by Curia said they were less concerned. I’ll have...

There are two things certain in this world. There will always be cars and there will always be idiots. That’s why this move by the Government to make it easier to seize and destroy cars won’t get rid of the boy racer problem. But it’s better than nothing and good on the Government for doing it. At the moment, the police can only seize or destroy a boy or girl racer’s car if they offend three times...

I don’t often quote Albert Einstein, but I’m going to today.   “Those who believe that politics and religion do not mix, understand neither.”  And if the new pope didn’t understand that before today, he will now. Because Cardinal Robert Prevost —who will be known as Leo XIV— has only just been elected and already he’s being lobbied by politicians around the world. He’s the first pope to...

John MacDonald was joined this morning by Megan Woods and Vanessa Weenink, to delve into some of the biggest issues of the week.  It’s been a big week for Weenink, who holds the electorate seat for Banks Peninsula – she gave an update on the State of Emergency in the area, and her thoughts on the response.  Pay equity was the big topic of the week – it's been revealed National Party memb...

I’ve always been a fan of MMP. And I still am, but there’s one thing about it that I do struggle with – the list MPs.   I know it took some of us a while to totally understand why we have list MPs. I understand – but I don’t necessarily like it.   Which is why I thought retiring Labour MP David Parker raised some good points about MMP in his valedictory speech in Parliament.   He re...

Banks Peninsula's State of Emergency remains in effect, with warning of more severe weather on its way for much of the country.  The emergency was declared a week ago during record rain and flooding.  Orange warnings have now been issued for more heavy rain for several parts of both islands, heading from south to north over the next two days.  Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Can...

Next time I hear one of our government politicians banging on about New Zealand being the first country in the world to give women the vote, it will sound very hollow.   Because while that might be something to crow about, what the Government’s doing in relation to equal pay for women, isn’t.    You’ve got to, at the very least, give Brooke van Velden credit for taking one for the t...

It was very clever of the Government announcing that it was going to pump $12 billion into defence before saying anything about where the money’s coming from.  A lot of us got all excited about the defence money because, even if you’re a pacifist, you would have to agree that our defence force has been running on the smell of an oily rag for a very long time. That’s just a fact.  And we...