Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays. It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking. If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio. With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also ...
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John MacDonald: The sting in Covid's tail for our politicians
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Do you think the last government spoiled things for everyone? There’s a question! Let me clarify that a little bit. Do you think the last government spoiled things for every politician from here on in, with the way it handled the COVID-19 pandemic? Because if we believe the COVID report which came out yesterday, then Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson…
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Politics Friday: National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Tracey McLellan talk the Covid Inquiry, Capital Gains Taxes, and the texts from Mike King
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Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by National’s Matt Doocey and Labour’s Tracey McLellan to wrap this week’s political stories. They discussed Phase 1 of the Covid Inquiry and Kiwis’ shaken trust in the government, whether Labour will commit to a capital gains tax as they head into their party conference this weekend, and Matt Doo…
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John MacDonald: How I feel now about the vaccine mandates
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‘If you think I’m a Jacinda Ardern puppet, you’re going to get a huge surprise’. Who’s saying that, do you think? It’s Professor Tony Blakely – the epidemiologist and public health expert who has chaired the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And I’m feeling the same way he’s feeling…
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John MacDonald: Hotpool sell-off idea leaves me cold
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If there’s one city council facility in Christchurch that never seems to have a bad word said about it, it’s the He Puna Taimoana hot pools at New Brighton. I would actually say that the pools are one of Christchurch’s great post-earthquake success stories. What’s more, they don’t run at a loss. How often can you say that about anything run by a lo…
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John MacDonald: Will they, won't they? Labour's capital gains tax decision
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I reckon former Labour Party leader David Cunliffe might have just done the best sell job on a capital gains tax that any politician in New Zealand —or anyone for that matter— has ever managed to do. It might have something to do with the fact that taxes —of any sort— get people rather fired up, and a lot of people are anti-capital gains tax. In my…
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John MacDonald: The haka is more than just pre-match entertainment
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Anyone who thinks we can still stick to that pipedream of sport and politics not mixing probably got a hernia or had kittens yesterday morning before and after the All Blacks match against Italy. The game itself wasn’t too flash. I think the general consensus is that it was lacklustre. Or the All Blacks were, anyway. So people not too excited about…
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John MacDonald: Jetty restoration group's zero-interest pipedream
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I don’t know if I’m going to make any friends in Governors Bay, especially with the people involved with the Governors Bay Jetty Restoration Trust. Because I think their call that the city council stop charging them interest on a loan it gave them to get the project across the line is, at best, unrealistic. They are dreaming. I remember the first t…
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Politics Friday with National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Duncan Webb: Erica Stanford's insult in Parliament, gang patch ban, boot camps
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John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb this morning for Politics Friday. They discussed whether the new gang patch law will make a difference to crime numbers, and why the Government is pushing on with the boot camp legislation while the trials are ongoing. They also discussed behaviour in Parliament, parti…
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John MacDonald: Here's how to really make life difficult for gangs
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Today’s the day when one of the most ridiculous laws we’ve ever seen in this country starts being enforced by the police. As of midnight last night, it is illegal for gang members to wear their patches out in public. Not only that - the Government also wants the cops to stop gang members hanging-out together in public. As far as I’m concerned, this…
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John MacDonald: Cowboy hats and feathers? Yes. Bad behaviour? No
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I can’t accuse NZ First MP Shane Jones of being pale, male, and stale. But he is male, and he is stale with these comments of his about the way some MPs are dressing in Parliament. I do agree with him, though, that some of the rules in Parliament need toughening up. This has all been stirred-up after the MPs did their haka in Parliament last week. …
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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Te Pati Māori's haka, the behaviour of MPs in Parliament
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Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he had no problem with Te Pati Māori's haka in the House last week, during the vote on ACT's Treaty Principle Bill. David Seymour, the National Party, and Shane Jones have written to Speaker Gerry Brownlee. They say the Speaker should oversee rule changes at Parliament in light of the disruption. Hipkins told John M…
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John MacDonald: Don't point the finger at David Seymour for Treaty Principles mess
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An absolute circus is one way to describe David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Or you could say that the thousands at Parliament today to protest against it is what democracy is all about. Either way, if you want to point a finger at anyone for creating this shambles, don’t point it at David Seymour. Point it at Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.…
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John MacDonald: No mention of money doesn't make today's apology hollow
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When it comes to apologies there are generally two types: a sincere apology and a hollow apology. And survivors of abuse in state or religious care are saying that the Prime Minister’s apology today for that abuse is hollow, because the Government isn’t saying anything today about redress or compensation. The Government’s position is that it needs …
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John MacDonald: Should the taxpayer chip-in for your solar panels?
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If you’ve got solar panels on the roof, you’ll be loving the blue skies. And a solar energy advocate is saying today that those of us who don’t should be getting financial support from the Government. Mike Casey says New Zealand is one of the few western countries that doesn’t provide subsidies for solar energy. He says, in Australia, people can ge…
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John MacDonald: Health and Safety is off the rails
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You'll have your own way of describing this crazy situation where we’ve got KiwiRail telling the Christchurch City Council that it has to close a 1.5 kilometre stretch of cycleway for two years, because the cycleway needs some safety improvements. KiwiRail reckons the Heathcote Express cycleway, which is near a railway crossing, is so dangerous tha…
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Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Rueben Davidson on the Christchurch cycleway , Treaty Principles Bill, Otago University medical school enrolments
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Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Reuben Davidson to dig into some of the biggest political stories of the week. Christchurch City Council is pushing back against the closure of a cycleway at Heathcote, KiwiRail ordering upgrades due to a one in one-thousand-year risk. Is this really acce…
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John MacDonald: I'm not buying into the Trump hysteria
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I think I’m going to trust my gut instinct more often. Because yesterday, I didn’t like the idea of it, but my gut was telling me that Donald Trump was going to win the presidential election. And because I’m going to listen to my gut instinct more often, today I’m going to tell you that —even if we don't like it— we need to calm the farm a bit with…
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Miriam Margolyes: Award winning actress talks her career, reading, the Isaac Theatre Royal Variety Gala, and being in Christchurch
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The legendary Miriam Margolyes is back in Christchurch, joining John MacDonald in studio for a chat. She’s one of a few famous names taking part in the Isaac Theatre Royal Variety Gala show next week, popping into the city early to don a habit and play a nun in ‘Holy Days’. Margolyes discussed all that was on her mind, her career, the importance of…
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John MacDonald: What my gut instinct is telling me about the US presidency
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Historic. Knife edge. Too close to call. That’s what they’re all saying about today’s presidential election in the States. What you never see though, splashed across the screens on CNN and Sky News and BBC, is “gut instinct”. My gut tells me that it’s going to be Donald Trump. And, this is the great thing about gut instinct, it doesn't really matte…
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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on the US Election, Treaty Principles Bill, AI use in schools
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Labour is lamenting the Treaty Principles Bill even seeing the light of day. David Seymour's controversial bill will be introduced in Parliament tomorrow. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins says if implemented it would throw away years of legal precedent. He told John MacDonald that National allowing the bill to get this far is irresponsible. Hipkins says…
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John MacDonald: Boot camps must not add to our abuse shame
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The plan to give “use of force” powers to the people running the Government’s new boot camps for young criminals is getting a bit of attention today. Or military academies as the Prime Minister was calling them this morning. The Children’s Minister has got this idea that, if you’re involved in running a boot camp, you should have the same powers as…
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John MacDonald: Don't panic about the police mental health call-out changes
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From today, the police don’t intend to respond to every mental health callout. But I don’t think we’re going to see any major difference. I’ll tell you why shortly,. And it’s based on an experience I had on Friday night. So if you’re worried about the police saying “not our department” if you call up, as of today, about someone having a mental heal…
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John MacDonald: We need to ditch this obsession with uni degrees
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I didn’t go to university and there’s a bit of a dad joke that I trot out about that now and again. I say that I’m a student of life, in no rush to graduate. So maybe I’m coming at this with a biased view of the world, but I agree with this academic at the University of Canterbury who is saying today that universities have just become factories tha…
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Richard O'Brien: Kiwi Writer and Actor on the Theatre Royal Variety Gala, The Kingdom of Bling, and his career
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A beloved Kiwi writer and actor will be featuring in the upcoming Theatre Royal Variety Gala. Richard O’Brien, the mind behind The Rocky Horror Picture Show, will be taking the stage as they celebrate a decade since the theatre reopening after the Christchurch quakes. Richard joined John MacDonald for a chat about the Gala, his new production, and …
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Politics Friday with Vanessa Weenink and Tracey McLellan: User-pays approach to health, single-patient rooms in hospitals, US Election
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Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Tracey McLellan for a chat about the latest political happenings. The agenda today had a bit of a health skew, as they discussed whether it might be time for a user-pays approach to health and if single-patient hospital rooms are the way of the future. An…
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John MacDonald: Mike King was right. But he was wrong too
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It’s Gumboot Friday tomorrow and the guy behind it, Mike King, seems to have put his foot in it. Although, I’m a little bit torn on this one. So what’s happened is we’ve got this charity fashion show being held in Dunedin to raise money for suicide prevention and mental health awareness. And, like most events, the organisers wanted to serve alcohol…
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John MacDonald: What's so wrong with slower traffic outside schools?
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If I say to you “30 kph speed limit area”, chances are you can think of one. I can think of one straight away - on the southern end of Colombo Street in Christchurch. You’re cruising along at 50 kph and then —bang— it drops down to 30. No schools on that stretch of Colombo. There’s a school on one of the side streets, but it goes down to 30 —and it…
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John MacDonald: Hi-de-hi campers! Christchurch's campervan clanger
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When I heard that a campervan park is going to be up and running in central Christchurch, near Latimer Square —possibly in time for this summer— my first thought was that I’m glad I haven’t spent more than $500,000 buying an apartment around there. Not even the developer’s reassurances that campervan people aren’t “yahoo types” made me feel any mor…
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John MacDonald: How do you feel about parenting lessons in school?
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“There for the grace of God goes I.” We generally say it when something bad and we know that it could just as easily happen to us, and anyone who is a parent should say that whenever they hear nightmare stories about kids being abused by their parents or caregivers. I say that not just as a by-stander looking on. I say that as someone with three ki…
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Politics Friday: National's Hamish Campbell and Labour's Reuben Davidson on Oranga Tamariki, fireworks, and performance pay for the public sector
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John MacDonald was joined by National’s Hamish Campbell and Labour’s Reuben Davidson for Politics Friday. On the agenda today was yet another case of Oranga Tamariki failing to act on information pertaining to child welfare – is it time to start parenting courses to help with the stress of raising children? A petition has launched, looking at banni…
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John MacDonald: Performance pay's no bonus for the public sector
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I feel really uncomfortable about the idea of public sector bosses getting performance pay. Not that the Government is going to care too much about that, because it’s confirmed that, from the middle of next year, that’s what’s going to be happening. It’s unclear to me at this stage whether it’s going to mean the heads of all our government departme…
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John MacDonald: Here's how we could keep local councils on track
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After saying just the other week that I don’t agree with central Government taking over local councils when things go pear-shaped, I’ve changed my tune. Slightly. And I’ve got an idea to run past you. First, though, can you imagine what it must feel like being a mayor and getting the phone call from the Beehive saying ‘you’re doing a pretty cruddy …
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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Andrew Bayly's comments, the Crown Observer in Wellington, and David Seymour's school lunch plan
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Labour Leader Chris Hipkins joined John MacDonald for their regular catchup. On today’s agenda: Andrew Bayly is in hot water for his “offensive comments” during a Ministerial visit – what are his party’s thoughts on the situation? Is it time to have central government reporting on local councils to mitigate the chances of what’s happening in Wellin…
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John MacDonald: Does the government really think this is going to work?
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Sometimes you just have to resort to cliches, because there are times when there’s just no other way to say it. Or no better way to say it. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over-and-over and expecting different results. That’s how I feel about the Government strengthening its Three Strikes law to make it easier to keep repeat offe…
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John MacDonald: Here's how to get more people voting in local body elections
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You can call me a nerd, if you want to. But I reckon there is nothing like the performance of walking down to your local polling booth on voting day and casting your vote. The way we do every three years when we’re electing a Government. In the general election. There’s no confusion. It’s well-publicised. You can do early voting, if you want to or …
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John MacDonald: Forget the naysayers and build the cycleway
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What’s the thing you hear people say time-and-time again about the way we seemed to just get on with the job of building infrastructure back in, say, the 1970s? What’s the most common thing you hear people say about that? They say “our forebears had the foresight”. And that’s what I hope Christchurch city councillors have when they decide whether o…
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Politics Friday with Duncan Webb and Matt Doocey: Smithfield meat-works closure, ACC deficit, Council oversight
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A blow to South Canterbury as Timaru's Smithfield meat-works is confirmed to be closing. The entire nearly 140-year-old site will close by December's end. Alliance Group's told staff they'll be offered re-deployment at its other processing plants, where possible. Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey told John MacDonald that he's gutted. He says it'll impact …
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John MacDonald: ACC is in desperate need of treatment
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Here’s my perception of ACC: some people get ACC pay-outs at the drop of a hat and others have to fight, for what can be years. And it’s the fighting bit that seems to be biting ACC on the backside, with the news that it’s gone from having a $900 million surplus last year to a $7.2 billion deficit this year. It’s saying one of the reasons for that …
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Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor on promises to ratepayers, if he plans to run for re-election
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Christchurch's mayor is keeping mum about seeking re-election. First time mayor Phil Mauger took the reins in 2022 after narrowly beating former health boss David Meates. City Councillor Sara Templeton has announced her bid for mayor a year out from local body elections. Mauger wouldn’t confirm to John MacDonald whether he's decided to run. He says…
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John MacDonald: Has the Supreme Court got too big for its boots?
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The highest court in the land is too big for its boots. That’s what the guy who runs the New Zealand Initiative think tank is saying today. Roger Partridge is his name - he’s also a lawyer and King’s Counsel. And he says the Supreme Court needs to be reined-in because he thinks it’s trying to re-write the laws made by Parliament. One of the example…
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John MacDonald: Less eyebrow raising, more glad-eye for foreign investors
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I think we need to get over ourselves here in New Zealand when it comes to foreign investment. And it looks like we’re going to have to get over ourselves - whether we want to or not - with the Government’s plan to make it easier for foreign investors to buy New Zealand companies and properties. The way I’d describe it is that, at the moment, the G…
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John MacDonald: I'm not anti international drivers, but...
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There are a lot of weird things in the world, but one of the weirdest would have to be the international drivers licence. You know, you’re licensed to drive in one country, but a little bit of paper lets you drive in any country. It doesn’t matter that you know next to nothing about the road rules or the driving conditions. But tell that to the Gov…
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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on the Health NZ financial deficit and the crackdown on dodgy builders
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Labour leader Chris Hipkins claims the Government's failure to compensate for the nurses’ pay rise has driven Health New Zealand's budget blowout. The agency's finances jumped from an expected half-a-billion dollar surplus to a $1.4 billion deficit in April. It's now expected to blow out to $1.76 billion. Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald that ther…
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John MacDonald: Let's not keep running down our defence force
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I think we need to see the New Zealand Navy ship sinking as a wake-up call. Not the sinking itself, but what it’s going to mean for our Navy and our wider defence force. The fact that we’re probably going to lose a truckload of money because of the ship being under-insured isn’t an issue for me and I wasn’t overly surprised when Finance Minister Ni…
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John MacDonald: New legislation is more ram-raid than fast-track
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The Government's fast track legislation is shaping up to be a real cluster. Especially, in Greater Christchurch. I think some of the projects it wants to get going here sooner rather than later are making its new legislation more ram-raid than fast track. So it's released details of 149 projects that will be included in the Bill which, it says, is …
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Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Tracey McLellan discuss NZ Health's deficit, building locations, retirement age
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Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Tracey McLellan to discuss the biggest political stories of the week. On today's agenda was Health NZ’s nearly $1 billion deficit – how does the Government get them out of this hole? Are private-public partnerships the answer? Is it time to stop people bu…
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John MacDonald: Chief exec's pay cut is a statement of intent
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I don’t know whether Mary Richardson is a martyr or a mug. But, I tell you what, the acting chief executive at Christchurch City Council has shown outstanding leadership, not just outstanding leadership - she’s also shown outstanding political nous with this $100,000 pay cut. She demanded it because of the financial pressures the council and ratepa…
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John MacDonald: The anti-food truck argument doesn't make sense to me
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I think the hospitality outfits trying to shut down the Arts Centre’s plans to have more food trucks on-site need to pull their heads in. Annabelle Turley from the Central City Business Association has made the bold demand that the council pull its funding from the Arts Centre if the food truck thing goes ahead. This all goes back to the city counc…
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Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor discusses the Arts Centre's food truck proposal, a new City Council CEO, if Mayors should have direct reporting staff
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Christchurch's Mayor isn't swayed either way on a clash between city hospitality and food trucks. The Arts Centre Trust is applying for up to 33 food trucks to operate on the site. The Central Business Association says that's unfair, given businesses subsidise the centre and commercial rates are higher than residential. Mayor Phil Mauger told John …
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John MacDonald: Why are we building in dumb places?
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Stop building houses in dumb places. That’s the message the Insurance Council is giving the Government. That bit about “dumb places” isn’t me paraphrasing, by the way. They’re not my words. They’re the exact words the Insurance Council is using after the Government confirmed that changes to the Resource Management Act are one of the 43 things in it…
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