Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger is in campaign mode after confirmation he's seeking a second term in October's elections.
He'll battle Councillor Sara Templeton for the top job, the only other contender so far.
In his first catch up of 2025, he discussed his motivations with John MacDonald, as well as thoughts on alcohol bylaws, changing speed limits, and the lack of GPs in the area.
He’s prepared to talk to the new Health Minister about Canterbury's GP shortage.
Victoria University research has found half of family doctors in the region have no room for new patients.
It's worse in south Canterbury, and 59% of GPs have closed their books.
Phil Mauger told MacDonald he'll talk with Simeon Brown about potential solutions.
He says there's more people in Christchurch than ever, meaning the load is greater on general practices.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
There'd be another big name, another big name of this year,
philm Major morning, Phil, haven't you year? Why are you laughing?
You're the top top dog and tell.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yeah, but here, here we are. We're at eleven. We're
only eleven. Sorry, we're one month and already how fast
twenty five is going to go? I'm going to go damn.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Sorry quick because you're going to be very, very busy.
Then let's talk about that. When did you make the
final decision to stand again for Mere Over Christmas?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I was away and I thought, get a bit of you,
get a bit of time to think. Can you actually
start relaxing and not waking up at three o'clock in
the morning, and you have time to take account of
what you've done, what you'd like to achieve, what ball
you've kicked off? But you want to see the end
of the game, so to speak. So it was, yeah,
it was done that.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So how did your family feel about it when you
told them?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Oh, well, they probably have an angling, especially Chrissy. She
is an absolutely fantastic support for me. If you haven't
she's my best asset so to speak.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, a mecracy at events in town and she's
right behind you one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Okay, you say you're standing again because you've got some
The words you used were unfinished business. What is this
unfinished business?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Oh? The lights of as I said, kicking the ball off.
I love this job. It's it's a great challenge. I've
got fantastic stuff around me and a very good relationship
with the CEE. But the unfinished business, so to speak,
is that moving the organics processing plant. I was one
that was sort of more pivotal to actually getting it
gone from where it is. So I want to see that.
(01:45):
Well you yeah, that it went out. Oh we're going
to fix it. It's going to cost twenty million. So
we went out and asked how much it's going to be,
and we have got a rough idea. It's going to
cost forty million.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I said.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
The only thing missing here is the land that's sitting on.
So let's look at putting it somewhere else. Because when
it was built there, as you know, the easterly wind
and Christy explodes it one mile now or one hundred
and one miles from now. So the poor people down
when you're going to cop it anyway. So it was
time to move it on.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So you claim, you're claiming that the resolution there wouldn't
have happened without you.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I am certainly instrumental in making it happen.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
When you were elected mayor back in twenty twenty two,
I'm amazing coming towards three years and you said that
your commitment to regain people's trust in the council and
to get things done had resonated with voters. They were
the words you used. How do you think you've lived
up to that.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
There's been a slight change in the percentage of people
that are happier. I know for sure the staff and
the staff survey of people working for council has changed
a lot, and people just generally people around the city
seem happier that you get a lot of people coming
in from out of town they go, wow, Cross, you're
just on the rise, And it certainly is, and there's
(02:58):
a lot of springing people step oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But that has nothing to do with who's mayor. I mean,
that's all to do with a lot of it to
do with the rebuild.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yes, but we've finally come out of that after thirteen years,
we've only got a couple more things that have got
to be finished. I'd just like to say one of
the other things that I feel I was pretty instrumental
and is getting the wastewater treatment plant unfortunately been caught
down as court far as you know, but where we're
going to get an insurance payout of X to rebuild
(03:28):
what we had.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, okay, I just want to focus on what you
said after being elected that your commitment to regain people's
trust in the council and to get things done had resonated, resonated.
I'm just curious to know how you think you have
lived up to that, specifically regaining people's trust in the Council.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I think I have. I think I've done very well
with that.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Even though it doesn't show that. Even though in the
most recent satisfaction survey only twenty one percent thought the
Council operates in an open and transparent way, which was
down one percent from the previous survey.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
One of the things that we've done is we've got
a far lot less stuff in public excluded, because you've
got to be transparent. You've got to throw it out
there and say, let the people let the people know.
We go out for a lot more consultation on things,
which which does cost a lot of money to do.
But you've got to get the people on site.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So what's the answer to the no. No, How can
you say that you restore trust when the numbers say
you haven't.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I'm more than happy that things are a lot better.
You wait till the next one comes out. It will
be better than that.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Which must be what a couple of months away.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I'm not sure it will be ears coming out soon.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
All right, Let's look at the speed limit changes and
the government telling councils, right, you're going to stop this
thirty k speed limit outside schools twenty four to seven.
What's your position on that?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Now I'm talking. Is not Phil running for me? I'm
now talking is feel is in the job here? Make
that clear. I think that the government they campaigned on that,
they've come out and said this is what we're doing
on some roads straight away. But there's a report coming
to us in the next two months for the little
(05:07):
ancillary ones. And I still believe it's in very important
round schools for we dots of kids. I've got some myself,
grandkids and to look after them because that's where they're
very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So it sounds up to me you think it would
be wrong to just have thirty k speed limit during
drop off and pickups.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
We've got to look at a way, got to look
at a way to do that not blanket around the
school all that time. There's got to be times in
the morning and times in the afternoon where it can
be done. May need flashing lights with the sign going on,
signs or whatever. We've got to look at a way
of doing that. We can't just put it back to
fifty in front of a school, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
But you're in favor of what the government's doing.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
These are on the open roads we've got. Oh, I
think it's Gloucester Street. There's a piece there that's now
down to forty k's out in Linwood and people are
getting ping left for right and center and it's a big,
long straight road and they're not happy. So it should
go back. Things like that should go back to fifty.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So the local alcohol policy is something that the council
might be looking at sooner rather than later. What's your
personal position when it comes to putting limits on when
retailers can sell alcohol?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I've got to be I've got to be very careful
not to look like I'm predetermined in anything.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What's your personal? We can't you can't predetermine because you're
one of sixteen.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yes, I know, I know, yeah, you end up getting shot.
What we had last earlier this week we had a
briefing on what could possibly happen. There are three and
it's coming back to us next week all the week
after to make a decision on whether we stop, kick
it down, the take it down the road for the
next council to do, which there's going to be so
much to do next year. Whoever the council is, do
(06:48):
the first lot of engagement and work on it, or
do the first lot of engagement, work on it now
and then stop and let the decision for the next council,
or just try and ram it through before this first election.
That's all great, that's great, but what's what's your personal?
I've talked to another mayor around the tower, around the
country and about the nine o'clock we've got to look
(07:12):
at the nine o'clock shutting of the supermarkets, off bottle stores,
off licenses that I've talked to one bottle shop owner
and I said to him, if would you lose any
sleep if your bottle store was going to close at
nine o'clock? You said none whatsoever?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Okay, So what does that do to determine how you
feel about it?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Well, we've got to listen to what everything comes. I'm
to be here because if you get into predetermination, you're
just you're dead in the water.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
This is going to be funs who are in the
election campaign, I'll tell you I can't predetermined, can't predetermine.
Let's talk about health. You will have heard this week
that about half of Cannabi's GP practices have fallen, not
taking on any new patients. Now, last year, when we
had medical staff and the public speaking out about things
at Christiage Hospital, you said you would contact the health minister.
(08:01):
I think you wrote a letter about it. What difference
do you think you could make in relation to the
situation with the GPS in Canterbury or christ to excess positively.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
As you know, I've got a real good relationship with
a new health minister, Simon Brown, so I'm more than happy.
I'll go out and happy on him. There's no problem.
I was up there last week talking to James Maga
and I'm going up there next week to talk to
Shane Jones about some stuff, and I'll certainly be talking
to Sime about it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
But you look at it.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I look at my GP practice where I go to
a number there's three doctors there. Two of them are
at retirement age, and of course they're not going to
take on more more customers if they're ready to quietly
step out of the door, because life goes on as well.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Know, So is this something that you I mean, you're
saying you're prepared to mention it to the Health Minister
to raise it. Are you concerned about it?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I'm concerned about it because if people people can't get
in to see a doctor, that that's not good. And
of course there's more people in christ Church now than
there has been, so I don't know if medical centers
have grown in size because of the extra people here.
So of course there's more load on the ones that
are here at the moment. So we've got to we've
got to look at that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
All right.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So you will write to the Health Minister and I'll
go and talk to You'll go and see the Health Minister.
We'll report back in a fortnite.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Get you good, on you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
We'll see you in a full and hant anyway, good
on your bad Christ's Minfield Major.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, Listen live
to news talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
There'd be another big name, another big name of this year,
philm Major morning, Phil, haven't you year? Why are you laughing?
You're the top top dog and tell.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yeah, but here, here we are. We're at eleven. We're
only eleven. Sorry, we're one month and already how fast
twenty five is going to go? I'm going to go damn.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Sorry quick because you're going to be very, very busy.
Then let's talk about that. When did you make the
final decision to stand again for Mere Over Christmas?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I was away and I thought, get a bit of you,
get a bit of time to think. Can you actually
start relaxing and not waking up at three o'clock in
the morning, and you have time to take account of
what you've done, what you'd like to achieve, what ball
you've kicked off? But you want to see the end
of the game, so to speak. So it was, yeah,
it was done that.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So how did your family feel about it when you
told them?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Oh, well, they probably have an angling, especially Chrissy. She
is an absolutely fantastic support for me. If you haven't
she's my best asset so to speak.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, a mecracy at events in town and she's
right behind you one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Okay, you say you're standing again because you've got some
The words you used were unfinished business. What is this
unfinished business?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Oh? The lights of as I said, kicking the ball off.
I love this job. It's it's a great challenge. I've
got fantastic stuff around me and a very good relationship
with the CEE. But the unfinished business, so to speak,
is that moving the organics processing plant. I was one
that was sort of more pivotal to actually getting it
gone from where it is. So I want to see that.
(01:45):
Well you yeah, that it went out. Oh we're going
to fix it. It's going to cost twenty million. So
we went out and asked how much it's going to be,
and we have got a rough idea. It's going to
cost forty million.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I said.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
The only thing missing here is the land that's sitting on.
So let's look at putting it somewhere else. Because when
it was built there, as you know, the easterly wind
and Christy explodes it one mile now or one hundred
and one miles from now. So the poor people down
when you're going to cop it anyway. So it was
time to move it on.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So you claim, you're claiming that the resolution there wouldn't
have happened without you.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I am certainly instrumental in making it happen.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
When you were elected mayor back in twenty twenty two,
I'm amazing coming towards three years and you said that
your commitment to regain people's trust in the council and
to get things done had resonated with voters. They were
the words you used. How do you think you've lived
up to that.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
There's been a slight change in the percentage of people
that are happier. I know for sure the staff and
the staff survey of people working for council has changed
a lot, and people just generally people around the city
seem happier that you get a lot of people coming
in from out of town they go, wow, Cross, you're
just on the rise, And it certainly is, and there's
(02:58):
a lot of springing people step oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But that has nothing to do with who's mayor. I mean,
that's all to do with a lot of it to
do with the rebuild.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yes, but we've finally come out of that after thirteen years,
we've only got a couple more things that have got
to be finished. I'd just like to say one of
the other things that I feel I was pretty instrumental
and is getting the wastewater treatment plant unfortunately been caught
down as court far as you know, but where we're
going to get an insurance payout of X to rebuild
(03:28):
what we had.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, okay, I just want to focus on what you
said after being elected that your commitment to regain people's
trust in the council and to get things done had resonated, resonated.
I'm just curious to know how you think you have
lived up to that, specifically regaining people's trust in the Council.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I think I have. I think I've done very well
with that.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Even though it doesn't show that. Even though in the
most recent satisfaction survey only twenty one percent thought the
Council operates in an open and transparent way, which was
down one percent from the previous survey.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
One of the things that we've done is we've got
a far lot less stuff in public excluded, because you've
got to be transparent. You've got to throw it out
there and say, let the people let the people know.
We go out for a lot more consultation on things,
which which does cost a lot of money to do.
But you've got to get the people on site.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So what's the answer to the no. No, How can
you say that you restore trust when the numbers say
you haven't.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I'm more than happy that things are a lot better.
You wait till the next one comes out. It will
be better than that.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Which must be what a couple of months away.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I'm not sure it will be ears coming out soon.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
All right, Let's look at the speed limit changes and
the government telling councils, right, you're going to stop this
thirty k speed limit outside schools twenty four to seven.
What's your position on that?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Now I'm talking. Is not Phil running for me? I'm
now talking is feel is in the job here? Make
that clear. I think that the government they campaigned on that,
they've come out and said this is what we're doing
on some roads straight away. But there's a report coming
to us in the next two months for the little
(05:07):
ancillary ones. And I still believe it's in very important
round schools for we dots of kids. I've got some myself,
grandkids and to look after them because that's where they're
very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So it sounds up to me you think it would
be wrong to just have thirty k speed limit during
drop off and pickups.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
We've got to look at a way, got to look
at a way to do that not blanket around the
school all that time. There's got to be times in
the morning and times in the afternoon where it can
be done. May need flashing lights with the sign going on,
signs or whatever. We've got to look at a way
of doing that. We can't just put it back to
fifty in front of a school, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
But you're in favor of what the government's doing.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
These are on the open roads we've got. Oh, I
think it's Gloucester Street. There's a piece there that's now
down to forty k's out in Linwood and people are
getting ping left for right and center and it's a big,
long straight road and they're not happy. So it should
go back. Things like that should go back to fifty.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
So the local alcohol policy is something that the council
might be looking at sooner rather than later. What's your
personal position when it comes to putting limits on when
retailers can sell alcohol?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I've got to be I've got to be very careful
not to look like I'm predetermined in anything.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What's your personal? We can't you can't predetermine because you're
one of sixteen.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yes, I know, I know, yeah, you end up getting shot.
What we had last earlier this week we had a
briefing on what could possibly happen. There are three and
it's coming back to us next week all the week
after to make a decision on whether we stop, kick
it down, the take it down the road for the
next council to do, which there's going to be so
much to do next year. Whoever the council is, do
(06:48):
the first lot of engagement and work on it, or
do the first lot of engagement, work on it now
and then stop and let the decision for the next council,
or just try and ram it through before this first election.
That's all great, that's great, but what's what's your personal?
I've talked to another mayor around the tower, around the
country and about the nine o'clock we've got to look
(07:12):
at the nine o'clock shutting of the supermarkets, off bottle stores,
off licenses that I've talked to one bottle shop owner
and I said to him, if would you lose any
sleep if your bottle store was going to close at
nine o'clock? You said none whatsoever?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Okay, So what does that do to determine how you
feel about it?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Well, we've got to listen to what everything comes. I'm
to be here because if you get into predetermination, you're
just you're dead in the water.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
This is going to be funs who are in the
election campaign, I'll tell you I can't predetermined, can't predetermine.
Let's talk about health. You will have heard this week
that about half of Cannabi's GP practices have fallen, not
taking on any new patients. Now, last year, when we
had medical staff and the public speaking out about things
at Christiage Hospital, you said you would contact the health minister.
(08:01):
I think you wrote a letter about it. What difference
do you think you could make in relation to the
situation with the GPS in Canterbury or christ to excess positively.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
As you know, I've got a real good relationship with
a new health minister, Simon Brown, so I'm more than happy.
I'll go out and happy on him. There's no problem.
I was up there last week talking to James Maga
and I'm going up there next week to talk to
Shane Jones about some stuff, and I'll certainly be talking
to Sime about it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
But you look at it.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I look at my GP practice where I go to
a number there's three doctors there. Two of them are
at retirement age, and of course they're not going to
take on more more customers if they're ready to quietly
step out of the door, because life goes on as well.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Know, So is this something that you I mean, you're
saying you're prepared to mention it to the Health Minister
to raise it. Are you concerned about it?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I'm concerned about it because if people people can't get
in to see a doctor, that that's not good. And
of course there's more people in christ Church now than
there has been, so I don't know if medical centers
have grown in size because of the extra people here.
So of course there's more load on the ones that
are here at the moment. So we've got to we've
got to look at that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
All right.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So you will write to the Health Minister and I'll
go and talk to You'll go and see the Health Minister.
We'll report back in a fortnite.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Get you good, on you.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
We'll see you in a full and hant anyway, good
on your bad Christ's Minfield Major.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, Listen live
to news talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.