Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Tami Neilson is bringing her Rock’n’Roll Revue, featuring the original mod, Dinah Lee, and star-studded girl group The Up Doos, to Christchurch.   The tour represents a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to see the original and the latest Mod Girls and will visit the Isaac Theatre Royal in October.   She spoke to John about the tour, and her special collaboration with Country music legend, Willie Nel...

How do you feel about you and I paying the legal bills for the Mama Hooch rapists, while their victims have had to pay for their own counselling?   Because it's been revealed today by the NZ Herald that the Jaz brothers have had nearly $900,000 in legal aid so far. And that bill is just going to increase, now they’re appealing their convictions and their sentences.   So you and I are going to coug...

Welcome to the People's Republic of Pushovers.   Because, as much as I think I want to, I just can’t bring myself to support this idea of an amnesty for overstayers who have been here more than 10 years.   It’s a policy that Labour’s announced, saying it’s all about New Zealand making good for the dawn raids back in the day when cops would turn up first thing in the morning, drag people out of the...

So the clocks went forward one hour yesterday morning.   And then, today, National leader Christopher Luxon winds them back again. In fact, he’s wound the clocks back to 2017. Which is the last time we had Winston Peters deciding the outcome of an election.    And today, it looks like there’s potential for that to happen all over again this time around. Because Luxon says that, if he has to after...

Winston Peters joined Canterbury Mornings this morning following National's announcement that they will consider working with NZ First should they need to form a government. John asked Winston if he received a phone call from Chris Luxon, and how he felt about working with National. They also covered co-governance, the campaign for NZ First, and why Winston still feels so passionately about runnin...

National’s tax fantasy is dead. Now, if you’re one of the people who seem to go completely ape whenever I mention the National Party and who accuse me every time of being anti-National, calm the farm for a minute. Because what I said is a quote. I’m not saying it. It’s a quote. It’s a quote from the headline on political commentator Matthew Hooton’s weekly column, which is published every Friday m...

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by Labour's Duncan Webb and National's Gerry Brownlee. They discussed tax policies, Labour's changed stance on the prison population, and just who is to blame for the shocking state of Oranga Tamariki? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by Labour's Duncan Webb and National's Gerry Brownlee. They discussed tax policies, Labour's changed stance on the prison population, and just who is to blame for the shocking state of Oranga Tamariki? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dinah Lee, the original Mod, joined John MacDonald on Canterbury Mornings.    She became a household name in the 60s with her hit songs ‘Do The Blue Beat’, ‘Don’t You Know Yockomo’ and ‘Reet Petite,’ and a fashion trendsetter in the 60s and 70s.   She's part of ‘Tami Neilson’s Rock’n’Roll Revue’, also featuring star-studded girl group ‘The Up Doos.’   The tour represents a once-in-a-life-time oppo...

I don’t know how some lawyers manage to sleep at night. Especially ones who say an innocent guy who was viciously attacked by about a dozen Black Power gang members wasn’t as vulnerable as the court had made out. Especially ones who are trying right now to get these monsters out of prison and sitting at home with an ankle bracelet on. What this is all about, is something that happened in September...

Last night’s leaders’ debate on TV was a brilliant advertisement for the minor parties.   In fact, I reckon Labour and National could make some money out of it because, as far as I’m concerned, I thought it provided 90 minutes of reasons not to go with the traditional red and blue parties.  So what I reckon Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon should be doing today, is writing out some invoices and...

Today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings John MacDonald was joined by ACT Leader, David Seymour. John asked him if he felt voters could now look to the smaller parties after last night's Leaders Debate. They also talked about why his party is against co-governance, and how his policies on law and order will bring crime under control in New Zealand.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

If you’re in the market for a new car, maybe you should think about getting a horse and cart instead. Because the Christchurch City Council wants to lower speed limits big time. Down to 30 kilometres per hour in a lot of areas. Even down to 10 kph - just like they’re planning for that stretch of Gloucester Street where they’re going to blow a truckload of money on that 10-week trial. The council w...

An absolute tragedy over the weekend, with an 18-year-old dying yesterday morning after the car she was in crashed into the side of a house in Rangiora. They’d been at an illegal street racing event and when the police turned-up just before a-quarter-to-five, the driver took off and ended up crashing. They started following but gave up after a while because of the way the car was being driven and...

National’s tax plan debacle is looking more and more like an episode of Grand Designs. A wide-eyed optimistic couple with a big dream. They reckon they’ve done the numbers and can definitely make it work. But, as time goes on, some people start raising their eyebrows and asking a few questions and the shiny happy people start getting all defensive on it. But then, as we all know, most times we fin...

John MacDonald was joined in studio by Labour's Megan Woods and National's Matt Doocey for Politics Friday.   As the election campaign ramps into the final month, they discussed National's Tax Policy numbers, the economic state of New Zealand, and what will happen to Three Waters.   LISTEN NOW   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT leader David Seymour wasn’t eating pies on TV last night like the other party leaders. But he was spitting tacks about dangerous criminals not being locked-up in prison. He was out promoting his party’s law and order policy and, if I was to sum up the message he was trying to get across, it would be this: “More people should be in prison”. Now I don’t necessarily agree that there should be mor...

It was a beautiful sunny morning. But, even though it looked warm, it was still pretty chilly. And when Chris Hipkins looked out the window at his Christchurch hotel this morning he would’ve thought the same. That it looked like a beautiful spring day. But, as soon as he walked outside, he would’ve realised that it wasn’t and there was still a chill in the air. Except for him, it wouldn't have bee...

Chris Hipkins joined John MacDonald live in studio to discuss poll results, crime, and economic management. Plus, Labour’s strengths, weaknesses, and what Hipkins has left in the tank.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For an outfit that doesn’t like red tape, the National Party seems to be having some sort of brain explosion.   Because it doesn't just want EV owners to pay road user charges - which I don’t think anyone would disagree with - it also wants to go the whole hog and get rid of fuel taxes completely and make everyone pay road user charges.   So, at the moment, if you drive a petrol vehicle, you pay y...

Here’s what Chris Hipkins should have said when he made the big announcement yesterday that, if Labour gets to form the next government, it will deliver 300 extra police officers and they’ll have a look at legislation to crack-down on gang convoys. What he should have said, is: “If you vote for us, we will finally give you what you assumed we were going to give you, until you realised at the last...

While both teams are expected to make it out of their pool with relative ease, the All Blacks could not have asked for a bigger challenge than to face the French first up.     Former All Black and Crusaders prop, Wyatt Crockett, was part of the victorious 2015 All Blacks World Cup team and played a remarkable 202 Super Rugby matches for the Crusaders. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to sp...

If you’re not cringing over the latest decision by the Christchurch City Council, you should be. Because yesterday, councillors sat around the table to decide whether they should spend $1.4 million on a 10-week trial of changes to a little piece of Gloucester Street. These are changes to the stretch of Gloucester Street where the Isaac Theatre Royal is, to make the street “a more inviting space fo...

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John McDonald in studio today as part of his regular catch up on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings.   John asked about his feelings about the Gloucester Street trial, meaning over one million dollars will be spent, only for the trial to possibly fail and the street to return to its previous state.   And why has the Mayor not written to the Health Minister about...

National Party Leader Christopher Luxon is in Christchurch as part of the campaign and joined John MacDonald live in studio. They discussed the social investment fund, how will that help the likes of the homeless on Colombo Street. Is National's Tax Policy as transparent as it should be? And what will he do about the health system should he be elected into Government? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...