Mornings with John Mackenzie

John MacKenzie chats with Dr. Graeme Lauridson from Tropical Veterinary Services, to better explain the recent footage taken of a cassowary swimming in the ocean near Mission Beach. The footage was shared by the Department of Environment and Science and has surprised many who were unaware the giant bird could swim. Dr. Lauridson also commented on the infamous "Cassowary Land Bridge" being construc...

John MacKenzie chats with Councillor Martin Bella, Mackay Regional Council and former Rugby League Legend, following his comments about criminals being the "predators" with residents being their "prey", in light of the Sarina Fire Station allegedly having fire trucks stolen during the midst of raging bushfires.

Talkback caller, Dean from Cairns North, shares his experience with Macca following an incident with upsetting itinerant behaviour and how numb people are to such tragedies.

John MacKenzie chats with Keith Keith Hamburger AM, Former Director-General of Queensland's Corrective Services, about his perspectives on youth crime and justice following prominent anti-crime rallies in Townsville and Brisbane.

John MacKenzie chats with Dan McCarthy, Captain of Big Fish Downunder Charter Boat, about the threat posed by crocodiles as they encroach on human territory. The comments were made following a man's boat being rammed by a crocodile in the Burdekin area, south of Cairns. The Department of Environment and Science has issued a warning to boaties and a spokesperson has confirmed that the croc will be...

 John MacKenzie chats with Ken Harley, Chairman of the Redcliffe Highway Proposal, about the costs of maintaining the Kuranda range compared with a new route to access the Tablelands. Ken also laughed at the State Government's bureaucratic blowout of $ 30 million on a cassowary bridge that observers feel will barely be used.

John MacKenzie chats with Cynthia Cole, Real Estate & Palm Cove Local, about her drive to protect the Palm Cove ideal by opposing a high-rise development that flirted with local guidelines. A six-story tower is proposed for Ceder Road at Palm Cove, but after local objections, the Cairns Regional Council will reject the application unless strict conditions are met. "We don't want to become a hi...

John MacKenzie chats with Robbie Katter, State Member for Traeger and Queensland Leader of Katter's Australian Party, about Palaszczuk's intimation that her government will support the KAP plan for remote detention facilities to help lower youth crime trends. Many are suggesting that the Queensland Labor Party will appease minor parties in an effort to increase their chances of forming a minority...

John MacKenzie chats with Julie Sager, Ultra Trail Runner, about her world-first achievement of completing the triple crown series of races within a one-year period, covering around 320km of distance. The Triple Crown Series is a set of 3 races across both Australia and the United States and includes elevated runs. Julie Sager, 52, is a Cairns local whose other achievements include climbing Walsh'...

John MacKenzie chats with Dr. Paul Williams, Associate Professor in Politics and Journalism at Griffith University, about a bombshell opinion poll that presents a profound plunge in Palaszczuk's popularity as preferred Premier. Dr. Williams said that if an election were held this Saturday, Palaszczuk would fall and the LNP would yield 9-13 seats, but would still be short of majority government and...

John MacKenzie chats with Mayor Angela Toppin AM, Mareeba Shire, about a nine-point action plan to address juvenile crime penned by the Local Government Association of Queensland during their 127th annual conference. The LGAQ is calling for differentiating approaches to meet the dynamic complexities of each locality, explaining that implementation of Brisbane-based policy may not be effective in C...

John Mackenzie chats with Shane Knuth, KAP State Member for Hill, about a potentially flawed speed camera that has clocked a disproportionate number of drivers on Malanda-Atherton Road in the Tablelands. The now infamous camera issued around 200 motorists with fines for exceeding the 60km/hr speed limit. However, suspicions were raised when many observed the exact same reading was recorded: precis...

John MacKenzie chats with the CEO of Experience Co. John O'Sullivan about his appointment to the role of Chairman at Tropical Tourism North Queensland, better known as TTNQ. As the former boss of Tourism Australia, John O'Sullivan has the necessary experience to tackle the complex role while the region still struggles with the return of visitors, especially international, following the Covid-19 pa...

John MacKenzie gets an update from Dr Glenn Kolomeitz, Military Lawyer & Defence Academic, who is on the ground in Ukraine.  Dr. Kolomeitz focused on the recent raid on Crimea and spoke emphatically about scenes he witnessed there.

John MacKenzie chats with Robbie Katter, State Member for Traeger and Queensland Leader of Katter's Australian Party, about the announced 2025 closure of Glencore's copper mining operation in Mount Isa. 1200 jobs are at risk and the economic detriments to the town are being forecast. Approximately 17% of Mount Isa's population of around 21,000 are involved in copper mining. Glencore has committed...

John MacKenzie chats with Mayor Clare Stewart of Noosa Council about building height limitations implemented to preserve the natural beauty of iconic coastal locations. The push to preserve our beaches has come at a local government meeting where concerns are being raised in relation to Palaszczuk's infrastructure plan to construct 900,000 new homes within the next 24 years. The new dwelling would...

John MacKenzie chats with Dr. Tonia Marquardt, ), Public Health Medical Officer at Tropical Public Health Services Cairns, about the flying fox breeding season beginning and the associated risk of infection. The breeding season sees more fallen juveniles which increases the chance of human exposure. Bats have a complex immune system with the ability to host a range of diseases, with the threat of...

John MacKenzie chats with Dr. Paul Williams, Associate Professor in Politics and Journalism at Griffith University, about the Voice to Parliament referendum results and what this could mean moving forward. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, Australians went to the polls to decide whether to change the constitution to include an Indigenous advisory body in parliament. The No campaign has won a victory...

John MacKenzie chats with Dave Sharma, Former Ambassador of Australia to Israel and former federal member for the seat of Wentworth, about the war declared in the Levant following an attack by Hamas against the state of Israel. With events rapidly unfolding, a focus was placed on an interview between United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr...

John MacKenzie chats with Lawrence Mason, Daintree Business Identity, about the Douglas Shire Council's hope of negotiating a private operator to run the Daintree River Ferry crossing. The vessel will soon require replacing and many are using the opportunity to call for a bigger barge or a better alternative.  The proposal of a small bridge has been met with controversy by many residents who enjoy...

John MacKenzie chats with Senator Matthew Canavan about the Israel-Islamic conflict following a strategic attack by Hamas on the Jewish state. Senator Canavan also responded to a local news story where a limousine was allegedly stolen by two youths who sped down the highway clocking in at 180 km/hr!

John MacKenzie chats with Geoffrey Thomas, Editor in Chief at AirlineRatings.com , for updates on the Qatar and Qantas airlines controversy following a Senate committee's review of the matter. The Senate committee has stated that there is much evidence that Qantas 'exercised considerable influence' over the government during its decision. The federal government recently came under fire for denying...