Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald
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.
Episodes
I could be wrong. But I reckon most of us wouldn’t have done what Transpower wanted us to do to try and avoid power cuts.
I could be wrong. You may have dutifully done what Transpower wanted you to do. Which was to use as little power as possible by not charging your phone and not having heaters and lights on in rooms you’re not using between 7am a...
John MacDonald was joined by Labour’s Megan Wood and National’s Matt Doocey to break down this week in Politics Friday.
This morning’s situation with the power grid sparked a lot of chatter, are we really in a third world state as David Seymour claims?
Megan Woods revealed that support for the families impacted by the mosque attack will be cut this afternoon, is this really the time?
David Seymour is a muppet. I bet that’s what the Prime Minister was thinking yesterday when reporters were asking him if he agreed with Seymour’s view that sushi is “woke”.
The ACT leader and the Associate Education Minister made the claim about sushi after he’d announced that the Government is revamping the school lunches programme by getting back to the basics, like sandwiches and fruit, and saving about $100...
How about this? I found myself agreeing this morning with someone who has been described as a racist dinosaur. To a point.
This lefty wokester, that some people seem to think I am, actually agrees with this Kings Council lawyer who disagrees with tikanga Māori being compulsory for students doing a law degree at university from next year.
I agree with someone who has been described as (quote) “a r...
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins joined John MacDonald for their regular catchup on Canterbury Mornings.
The compulsory inclusion of tikanga Māori in law studies has ignited debate. Does Hipkins feel it has a place in our legal system? Should its study be compulsory?
He was quick to make an assessment of the Government’s plan for a 'mega-prison' out at Waikeria and voice his views on Mark Mitchell bei...
Don’t go thinking that I’m soft on crime or pro-criminal or anything like that. But I think this idea the Government’s got of having a mega prison as part of its investment in the Corrections Service, I think it’s an idea that sucks.
What it’s doing is it’s reviving a plan to build a mega-prison in Waikato with an 810-bed extension of Waikeria Prison. Which means, all up, there will be 1,865 beds.
It’s time to get nervous. Very nervous.
I’m talking here about the Government’s big water announcement. It’s starting with Auckland but, right around the country, changes are on the way.
Auckland is first cab off the rank because it already has an outfit separate from Auckland Council’s other operations running drinking water supply. That’s Watercare.
But, once it gets the laws it ...
The Come Together tribute series continues in Christchurch this week, with a group of superstar Kiwi musicians performing The Joshua Tree.
Milan Borich, lead singer of the band Pluto, joined John MacDonald on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings to talk about the show, his favourite U2 song of all time, and the intimidation of paying tribute to a band like U2 and those 'hero notes'....
Today on Politics Friday John MacDonald was joined by National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb.
They discussed the recent behaviour from MPs, will complaints be laid?
Education is getting a facelift, is it time for a combined plan for a long-term approach to education in New Zealand to prevent our young people becoming guinea pigs?
AUKUS: should New Zealand be seeking ...
One of the cliches people often use when they’re talking about politicians and the way they behave in Parliament is that they behave like “a bunch of kids”.
I’ve been hearing people say that forever. And, of course, what they’re talking about is the way politicians sometimes lose their rag when they’re debating things in the House.
But Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter went next level last night, ...
Back again for his regular interview, Christchurch’s Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio on Canterbury Mornings.
They dug into the funding issues plaguing Christchurch including updates on the Arts Centre and Cathedral and got the mayor’s thoughts on the Waimakariri and Selwyn Councils’ refusal to contribute to the new stadium.
Plus, are the new East Christchurch liaison staff goin...
Remember it wasn’t that long ago that, if you saw someone doing some dodgy driving, you’d wonder whether they got their licence in a WeetBix box.
I haven’t heard anyone use that line for a while.
But what it meant, of course, was that someone’s driving was so bad it looked as if they didn’t have to do anything to get behind the wheel, to get their licence.
Just like a rugby card or...
It feels to me like big brother is being put in his place. And I think it’s brilliant.
Well, maybe not completely in his place. But we’re getting there, with this announcement by the Government that it’s going to make it easier for us to get loans and mortgages by giving banks and finance companies more flexibility to decide how they assess whether someone can afford a loan or not.
And it...
You know how you hear people talk about “the million dollar question”? Today, it’s a $13 million dollar question that needs answering.
It’s all to do with the streets around the new stadium in the centre of Christchurch: Te Kaha. You might remember, a while back, how the council came up with this idea of spending $34 million getting the streets ready for the stadium opening in 2026.
And how it wanted to do daft things like widen ...
Today on Politics Friday National’s Matt Doocey and Labour’s Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald to dive into this week’s biggest political stories.
Christchurch City Council will soon be making decisions surrounding the funding of the new stadium: should the $13 million price tag be paid by ratepayers? Or should the project be put on hold until NZTA can come up with the funding?
The Reserve Ba...
Savage and rushed. That’s how the Public Service Association is describing the Government’s crackdown on public sector spending, after another 1,000 job cuts were announced yesterday alone. Taking the total so far to more than 3,000.
I’m going to add “flying blind” to that description. Because I think these cuts are starting to look like cuts for the sake of cuts.
And I think everyone involved —...
Funding issues have struck Christchurch, with the Cathedral, the Arts Centre, the A&P Show, and Orana Park all facing financial strife.
Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald to dig into the issues, touching as well on the issue of begging on the streets of Christchurch and the timeline of the Council’s new CEO.
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Every time something terrible or tragic happens you hear people trot out a line which, I think, is totally meaningless.
Maybe I’ve just become too cynical in my old age. But it was trotted out again on TV last night by a reporter talking about the appalling knife attacks at the mall in Sydney at the weekend.
He was talking about an investigation that’s being launched to look into what happened in...
It seems to me that the rough sleepers are back on Colombo Street, outside Ballantynes.
I went past this morning on the way in and there were a few of them there in the doorway. They were there last week, too. After what seems like ages.
But, it doesn’t seem to be the central city where homeless people are causing the most problems at the moment. Or, more correctly, it doesn’t seem to be the cent...
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