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 has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector. Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.
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 acceptable?
Is New Zealand capable of having an open and calm conversation a...
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 all the hyperbole being thrown around.
Because even thoug...
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 reading books, and how much it means to be back in the garden city. &nbs...
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 matter whether you’re wrong or right - it’s just how you feel about something.
And I’ve go...
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 Labour wouldn't introduce anything it wasn't interested ...
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 the police and you should be allowed to use force.
The Prime Minister, though, doesn...
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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 that pump out people with degrees. And he wants them to become elite institutions...
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 his journey since the creation of his iconic show.
LISTEN ABOVE&nb...
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.
And, who do they think will be the President of the United States this time...
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 as part of the hospitality offering for guests.
The police, thou...
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’s permanent— and then it’s back up to 50 by the time you get up to Thorrington Schoo...
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 more excited about it.
In fact, I think it’s the last place we want to see something lik...
“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 kids —all grown up now— but someone who has raised three kids and I know j...
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 banning the private sale and use of fireworks. Has their time in the publics...
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 departments are going to have some of their salaries earmarked in a category wh...
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 job so we’re sending someone in to sort you out’?
It happened in Christchurch a...
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 Wellington? And, has David Seymour hit the bullseye with his new school lunch p...
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 offenders in prison for longer.
Which means that instead of 3 Strikes kicking-in after so...
Yo...
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