Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Labour's Sarah Pallett and National's Matt Doocey joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday. They discussed the situation with Te Kaha, the new Christchurch Stadium, and John asked them both how they felt about the budget blow out and where the money should come from to get the project underway finally.  A Bill has been voted on in the house around Ngāi Tahu representation with Environment Canterb...

Something quite extraordinary happened yesterday. With 10 Christchurch City councillors writing to the head of Environment Canterbury regional council, asking her to get the mayors of Christchurch, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Ashburton and Hurunui into a room to talk about putting money on the table for the new Christchurch stadium, Te Kaha. By the way: are we still calling it the ‘new’ stadium - or is i...

Do you think Police Minister Poto Williams is the root cause of rising gang tensions and escalating crime? And do you think she needs to be replaced ASAP?  I’m asking because National Party leader Christopher Luxon has made the big statement that she isn’t up to the job of Police Minister and needs to be given something else to do.  And, get this, he thinks she’s the problem when it comes to the c...

Freshwater ecologist Mike Joy has been forthright in his opinion about the nitrate levels in Canterbury waters, stating that herd sizes and unsuitable farm land is a major cause of our high nitrate levels in our water.  He's proposing that our herd sizes need to be diminished 12-fold to be able to combat the levels, even suggesting a government buy back of land to reverse the effects in Canterbury...

The Christchurch City Council is a walking disaster. Or, more to the point, it is a sleepwalking disaster. And just like Boris Johnson, I think it needs to be tested with a confidence vote. But, unlike Boris Johnson - who won his confidence vote - I don’t see the city council being quite so lucky. The thing is, with an outfit like the Christchurch City Council, where do you begin? The people at th...

John MacDonald spoke firstly about the stadium woes in Christchurch and asked Labour's Megan Woods and National's Gerry Brownlee what they thought of the situation. Woods said that no more government money would be available for the project.  They also discussed China's reaction to the comments raised during the Prime Minister's visit to the White House and the comments made by Ardern and Biden. ...

I’m seeing all the reports about Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee celebrations and I’m feeling very disconnected from it all. I feel like someone who’s turned up at a party a few hours after it’s started and not feeling the vibe like everyone else because they’ve already got a few drinks inside them. There have been all the reports about people lining the Mall in London, which leads up to Buckingham Pala...

So, the Christchurch City Council is asking us what it should do about the new stadium, Te Kaha, now we know that the cost has blown out to nearly $700 million.   So far, it’s spent about $40 million on the project. As of yesterday, it’s looking like it’ll cost $150 million more than expected.  And because it’s looking at spending a truckload more money, it’s required by legislation to consult the...

Following today's verdict in the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp case, Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings spoke to General Manager of Operations at Aviva, Gwenda Kendrew, regarding domestic abuse. Aviva was formerly Women's Refuge, but changed their name in recent years to reflect the need for support for both men and women suffering from domestic abuse, which can come in the form of physical violence, e...

You know how at Christmas time we all run around like headless chooks in a panic buying stuff and organising things. We do it every year even though we’ve known for 12 months that Christmas is a thing and it happens every year.  I’ve never heard someone at Westfield Mall, for example, screaming that no one told them this was about to happen.   “I had no idea about this. Why didn’t you tell me?” I’...

A school-based health education researcher says new sexuality curriculum will allow conversations about healthy relationships from a young age. The Government has this year provided resources for teaching new relationships and sexuality education - which includes consent, digital safety and healthy relationships. It's split into a volume each for years 1-to-8 - and for years 9-to-13. Canterbury Un...

I think I’m going to be the only person in New Zealand today who’s going to say ‘stop beating up on the supermarkets’. The Government has released details of what it’s going to do to try and help us pay less for our food and groceries at Pak ‘n’ Save, Countdown, New World, Four Square, Fresh Choice and Super Value. The whole lot of them. It comes after the Commerce Commission looked into how the s...

With China working its way around our Pacific Island neighbours, and three islands already signing deals, Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings spoke to Professor Anne-Marie Brady from the University of Canterbury about what it means for us.   Professor Brady did not hold back on her thoughts, stating that peace in the Pacific was about to end and we should be very wary of any moves that China is making...

Today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings, John MacDonald spoke to Mayor Lianne Dalziel about today's news that Christchurch may have chlorinated water for years to come, and asked the Mayor if she felt we could have it removed sooner.  They also discussed the ongoing saga with Bromley, and John pressed the Mayor on information that was circulating regarding the cause of the fire and potential insu...

I was stunned when I saw someone who keeps a close eye on China saying that New Zealand needs to think about upping our defence spending to protect us from the superpower.   It’s 2022 and we’re being told that we need to get serious about what we’re seeing from China in the Pacific at the moment and up the defences here at home with drones and anti-ship missiles.  The person who made these comment...

I’m going to do a bit of a Sesame Street and say that today’s comment is being brought to you by the letter C and the number 96. C for Christchurch. C for City. C for Council. C also stands for contempt. Because that is what those 'lucky enough' to qualify for the Christchurch City Council’s support payments for people putting up with the smell from the burnt-out wastewater plant in Bromley will b...

John MacDonald was joined by Labour's Poto Williams and National's Gerry Brownlee. Williams was questioned about the response to the recent ram raids around the country, including those in Christchurch recently and asked what will come of it.  Also discussed was China and their movements into the Pacific, and if our Foreign Minister is taking enough action. The Bromley compensation of $200 for res...

Whenever I see something like that awful school shooting in the United States yesterday, I always think back to March 15 in Christchurch. And, every time, it still staggers me that it actually happened here.  It wasn’t the first time in New Zealand, of course. We’ve had Aramoana and there was also Stanley Graham killing eight people on the West Coast in 1941 – and that’s just a few.   But we have...

The Christchurch City Council has a real dilemma on its hands.  It decided once-and-for-all last month to move its composting plant out of the suburb, of Bromley. This is the plant where our food scraps, grass clippings, hedge clippings, all of the green bin stuff – that’s where it goes (if you live in Christchurch). And, as we know, it smells to high heaven and the people living in the area have...

The leader of the National Party has come out against lowering the voting age to 16. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi's announced a review of the electoral law that will include discussing the voting age. The independent panel will also assess other election rules - with changes planned before next year's election. Christopher Luxon told John MacDonald on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings he's looking f...

Sometimes I think we do too many trials in this country and we just need to get stuck in more and get on with stuff.  The latest example is the trial Waka Kotahi is running in Auckland, where it’s using safety cameras to find out how much of a problem there is with drivers using mobile phones while they drive. It also wants to get an idea of how many of us aren’t wearing seatbelts.  It’s a six-mon...

Imagine this: you’re really keen to move to another country. Not just visit – you want to go and live there. In fact, you’re so keen – you’ll do anything to make it happen.  So, you think to yourself, “mmmm, what would pretty much guarantee me getting in and being allowed to stay?”  So, you ask around and you go online and you find out that if you’re married to someone who comes from the country y...

Labour has turned its back on its people and the days of the Chardonnay Socialists are well and truly back. When I say “its” people, I’m talking about the people I’ve always thought could rely the most on the Labour Party to be on their side. Those on benefits, superannuitants, the sick, and those who might’ve been called working class back in the day but are probably better known these days as lo...

John MacDonald spoke to Labour's Megan Woods and National's Gerry Brownlee in the aftermath of yesterday's budget announcement. MacDonald questioned the value of spending $327 million on the RNZ and TVNZ merger, when there are so many sick New Zealanders pleading for more money to be allocated for life-saving and life-increasing medications to be funded. Also covered were other key points of the B...

As with every Budget Day, everyone hopes the Finance Minister is going to throw something their way.  And every Budget Day there are the so-called winners and the so-called losers. But the one constant – every Budget Day – is the Government (whether it’s Labour, National or whoever) doing the proverbial high-fives and looking very pleased with itself because its delivered 'exactly what the country...