Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

I don’t know what to make of the fact that thousands of people have put their name to this petition calling for the Christchurch City Council’s rates increase to be paused and put to a referendum.

I don’t know what to make of it for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I’m not a petition guy. Because I don’t think they achieve much.

It’s very easy to stick your name on something. But does it achiev...

The idea of having a National Rugby League team based in Christchurch sounds brilliant.

Last weekend, when the Warriors were here, the place was teaming with people. Four-thousand of them from out of town.

Including a couple of National Rugby League honchos from across the ditch who, no doubt, were eyeing up One NZ Stadium and thinking they’d like a bit of the action here.

Which has the Christchurch City Council all excited. ...

Labour has no plans to change the retirement age. No plan to start means testing the NZ Super pension. Nothing. 

Basically, Labour’s plan is for us all to keep sailing into our sunset years with our fingers crossed and the she‘ll be right attitude we’ve clung to for years. And, somehow, we’ll find the money to keep paying to NZ Super pension to anyone and everyone. 

I think it;s dreaming. Which is ...

Chris Hipkins says he's not worried by his party's showing in Tuesday night's 1News poll, showing his party down 5 points at 30 percent. 

Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, the Leader of the Opposition said polls bounce around, but he's confident in the trends he sees in Labour's internal polling, showing them sitting in the "high thirties". 

"I never get particularly obsessed about one individual poll, but you do look at t...

There were truckloads of people in Christchurch at the weekend for the Warriors game at One NZ Stadium.

How many? 6,000.

That’s how many out-of-towners were here during the weekend just gone. And they reckon the economic benefits for the city will be somewhere in the area of $4.7 million.

That’s on top of the $13 million that came into the city during the big Super Rugby Super Round weekend back in April.

Now, if you&rs...

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon joined John in the studio for their regular catchup.

They discussed the council’s response to the Government’s push for council amalgamation, her district’s efforts to slow drivers down and create safer roads in growing residential areas, and her views on Selwyn residents having to pay full price to tour the new One New Zealand Stadium.

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There’s one thing I like about the National Party’s KiwiSaver announcement. And there’s one thing I don’t like.
Let’s start with the good bit. Making it compulsory for everyone to have a KiwiSaver account.

It’s amazed me how we say in one breath how critical it is for Kiwis to be saving for their retirement and then, in the second breath, tell people they only have to do it if they want.

Which...

Nurse Maude has opened their new state-of-the-art hospice in Merivale this week, with its $16m price tag which has been fully funded entirely from the community.

Board Chair Jane Cartwright joined Canterbury Mornings after the ribbon was cut and their patients had moved in. She discussed why hospice care is so important not just for those who are nearing the end of their life, but for their loved ones as well.

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How much does the number of people on the dole actually impact your life?

If you’re like me, it has no impact.

I’m asking because Treasury is putting more flies in the government’s ointment this week, telling it that its goal of having 50,000 less people on the dole in four years’ time than there were when it came into office isn’t going to happen.

In fact - according to Treasury - instead of having 50...

If the device that tells you how many steps you’ve taken could also measure your faith in government departments, what would it be showing after this $33 million debacle at Immigration NZ?

Despite the amount of money involved and the number of years it’s taken to come to light, I’m not in the least bit surprised by this.

But Immigration Minister Erica Standford is “furious”. Not only that, she’s ...

"A slap in the face to all Iranian people."

That’s what an Iranian woman living in New Zealand is saying about this peace deal between the United States and Iran.

And I can understand why she feels that way. Because she’s saying it’s another case of meet the old boss, same as the old boss.

Which raises the question: is this actually a peace deal or is it a out of jail card for Donald Trump?

Trump will claim it&rsq...

CEO of One New Zealand and self-confessed Rugby League tragic Jason Paris joined Canterbury Mornings ahead of a massive weekend of Warriors action in Christchurch.

Paris discussed One NZ's longstanding sponsorship of the Warriors, as well as the telco's partnership with Te Kaha, whether his loyalty to the “Wahs” would be tested if the South Island were to secure its own NRL team.

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Don’t you think it’s a bit rich of Nicola Willis to be criticising Labour when, last election, she did exactly what she’s accusing Labour of doing? Keeping us in the dark.

Every politician is guilty on this front. Which is why I’m right behind the idea being floated by economist Cameron Bagrie today. He’s saying that we need to set-up an independent outfit that would help us decide whether what politic...

How weird is this? We don’t let people like bus drivers, taxi drivers and truckies drive with alcohol in their systems, but we let everyone else on the road do it.

Apart from people under-20. But everyone else, all good.

Now I know the difference between your average motorist and professional drivers - especially the likes of bus drivers and taxi drivers - is that they’re responsible for the safety of passengers.

But, j...

National's Hamish Campbell and Labour's Reuben Davidson joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. 

They covered some of the biggest topics from the week, including Labour's public transport policy, the governments LNG levy backdown, and if the correct process was taken to select Labours latest candidate and current police Superintendent, Rakesh Naidoo. 

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