Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

I watched a fair bit of TV when I was growing up. And, probably in my teenage years, one of the shows that was on the box quite a bit was called Night Court. You remember that show? It was American, of course, as pretty much everything on TV in New Zealand back then was. The original series ran from 1984 ‘til 1992. But I think it might just have been revived. But the series I’m thinking of and the...

It is going to be a stinking hot few days in Canterbury, which is perfect timing for the long weekend. I see the Metservice is warning that temperatures are going to be higher than normal for our neck of the woods, which may or may not be perfect timing for the long weekend - depending on what you’re going to be getting up to. But when things get hot, chances are we all use a bit more water. If yo...

MPs Duncan Webb and Gerry Brownlee joined John MacDonald on Canterbury Mornings to discuss the murder of Juliana Herrera and whether the public should be notified when violent offenders move into their neighbour hood. Also on the agenda was recession fears, the Cabinet reshuffle and measurement of elective surgeries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have found it so sickening reading and hearing the reports on the sentencing of the psychopath who sexually assaulted and murdered Juliana Herrera in her Christchurch home last January. I’m not using the term “psychopath” loosely, either. Because, as it's being reported today, he was described in one of the reports prepared for the sentencing judge as having “anti-social and psychopathic persona...

If you can, put yourself in the hooves of a cattle beast. In fact, put yourself in the hooves of two types of cattle beast. The first type is the kind we’re all generally familiar with. The one we see in paddocks up and down the country. The one that gets to eat as much grass as it wants day-in, day out. The one that certainly gets rained on and snowed on, in certain parts of the country anyway. B...

This time last year, I remember the then relatively-new National Party leader Christopher Luxon saying to me: “Give me a chance to prove myself, John. I’ve only been in the job five minutes”. Or words to that effect. Twelve months on and with a lot of water under the bridge, including the resignation of a Prime Minister, it appears that Christopher Luxon still has work to do to prove himself to vo...

I was starting to think that I might be having second thoughts about the Government’s Three Waters reforms even before the disaster that hit Auckland on Friday night. It was last week when I was looking at the map online showing which bays in Lyttelton Harbour are considered safe for swimming, on the basis of water quality. If you’ve looked at it recently, you’ll know that it’s dominated by the re...

There’s a surgeon in Christchurch who owns a prime piece of real estate in the central city, right across the road from the five-star George Hotel. The section is worth about $4 million and the surgeon and his partner had planned to build on it at some point but they changed their minds. And so the section is vacant. Well, vacant in terms of a permanent structure but not completely vacant - becaus...

John MacDonald kicked off Politics Friday for 2023 with Poto Williams and Gerry Brownlee live in the studio. Discussed was the situation in Christchurch city with homeless people now camping with permission in a $4 million section, the new Prime Minister's appointment and Williams' emotional reaction to Jacinda Ardern's resignation. Will cost of living be a big focus for the Government as they rev...

John MacDonald was joined by Kiwi singer/songwriter Don McGlashan discuss his music career, early inspirations and performing music to live audiences post Covid.  Famous for his role in The Mutton Birds, Don will be performing with Blam Blam Blam at Selwyn Sounds this March.  LISTEN ABOVE     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The artist who created the White Chair memorial for the 185 victims of the Christchurch earthquake has suggested that the new stadium might incorporate white seats amongst the red in the new stadium.  This follows news that the current plot of the chair memorial is now for sale. Peter Majendie joined John MacDonald to discuss why he feels it would be a fitting tribute.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

I thought Christopher Luxon looked like a fish out of water yesterday at Rātana, where hundreds of people and politicians from across the political divide go every January. It’s the home of the Rātana Church and the annual gathering is considered to be the start of the political year. When I say politicians from across the political divide go there, there was one exception yesterday. The ACT party...

Today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings John was joined for the first time in 2023 by National Party Leader, Christopher Luxon. John asked about his speech yesterday at Ratana, and his statements on co-governance. Why is National against it? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the chance, do you think, of New Zealand taking a long-term view and coming up with a 50-year plan for roads? I’d say it’d be something close to diddly squat, going by the level of commitment and foresight that seems to be going into roading at the moment. Not that it’s stopped the outfit representing trucking firms, the National Road Carriers Association, from dreaming the dream and coming...

This time last week I reckon even die-hard Labour supporters would have been starting to accept that Labour was looking like being dog tucker in the election later this year. I don’t know how many times I had to remind myself that the party was only in its second term of government because, for quite a while now, it’s looked like a government nearing the end of its third term. Worn out and overly...

John MacDonald was joined by some of our regular callers to the show, in studio. They discussed the year that has been and what means the most to them. Listen to Don, Rich, Alby, Anne Marie and Cushla as they farewell 2022. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's another report today of people being assaulted and having their property stolen after an incident at Christchurch's bus interchange. Two young women have been struggling to sleep at night after being brutally assaulted by five young people when they were waiting for a bus. The assault happened at a bus stop near Christchurch Hospital - but it followed an earlier incident at the bus interch...

Kiwi musician Greg Johnson is now based in LA, but is making his way back to New Zealand to perform at Selwyn Sounds next March, and he joined John MacDonald today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings.  They discussed Greg's various musical genres, his passion for music and why he's looking forward to coming back to the South Island.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, the Christchurch City Council agreed to give its chief executive a $16,000 pay rise. This time last year, she got a $18,000 pay rise. And why? Because Dawn Baxendale is an asset to the council. That’s what mayor Phil Mauger says. Let me quote him: “She is an asset to the council and we know everyone has had a tough year so we want to acknowledge her hard work.” Do me a favour, Phil. I’l...

Do you remember when Parliament packed up shop this time last year and Jacinda Ardern thanked all of us for how we’d dealt with the whole COVID thing? She wished us a wonderful break, and went on to say “you bloody deserve it”. Yesterday, she took the language up a notch - calling ACT leader David Seymour “an arrogant prick”. She said it after she’d been grilled by Seymour. She was taking her seat...

All I want for Christmas is a new Local Government Minister. Because, as far as I’m concerned, Nanaia Mahuta has blown it. And I don’t think I can believe a word she says anymore. I suspect some of her government colleagues might be starting to feel the same. It’s all to do with revelations that she continued to consider entrenching part of the Three Waters legislation, despite Cabinet ruling it o...

I can remember a time when it had to be a really stinking hot day for the seal on the roads to melt. And those really stinking hot days were pretty much few and far between, which meant melting roads were few and far between too. These days, though, it’s a completely different story isn’t it? The latest example in a long line of examples of roads falling apart came at the weekend when motorists in...

So there’ll be no entrenchment, but the Government’s Three Waters reforms are still a dog’s breakfast. Three Waters being stormwater, wastewater and drinking water which, at the moment, local councils are responsible for. But the Government thinks they aren’t up to the job and wants to set-up four new water authorities to take over. And yesterday, Labour MPs had the numbers in Parliament to get th...

Can you imagine how it must feel to be the parents who were told by the High Court that decisions regarding their son’s life-saving heart surgery are now out of their hands? This is the wee boy who needs urgent surgery because he has a condition where one of the valves in his heart isn’t working properly, which means pressure and blood could back up and put pressure on his heart. These parents wil...

If you’re a Christchurch ratepayer, how do you fancy the idea of your rates going up by 70 percent over the next nine years? That’s what the city council is grappling with and it’s just been advised that it should think about selling off some of its assets - because a 70 percent increase just isn’t sustainable. That’s in a report that’s been done for the Council by an outfit called Northington Par...