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PODCAST

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

news politics

All Episodes

13:33

Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the mood of...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/03/04

In the first of their regular catch ups, Business Canterbury’s Leeann Watson joined John MacDonald in studio to dig into what’s happening on the business front. They discussed how business owners are feeling, and what can be done to help them continue to gain confidence and grow in the region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:15

John MacDonald: Weasel words aren't the way to...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/03/04

I am so glad that I’m not a member of the local rainbow community. Because if I was, I would be despairing at the weasel words the Christchurch mayor and the city council are trotting out about the Destiny Church's despicable disruption of the pride month opening event in Christchurch on Saturday. And it just tells me that people are either scared of taking on the Destiny Church or they somehow think their hatred is okay. So what happened at the weekend is the annual “walk for support” for

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5:11

John MacDonald: Zelensky will be back at the White House

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/03/02

What we saw at the White House at the weekend was nothing short of vile. But we shouldn’t be surprised. Watching it, I was blown away. But I wasn’t surprised. And I reckon that, despite all the talk coming from European countries since Saturday, I reckon that Ukraine’s president will realise he has no option but to give Trump what he wants. But let’s go back to what happened in the Oval Office on Saturday. And it wasn’t just Donald Trump and JD Vance. There was that clown reporter who asked

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5:11

John MacDonald: Four-year terms for councils? No thanks

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/27

When the Government announced yesterday that it wants to have a binding referendum on a four-year parliamentary term here in New Zealand, I was all for it. I've been all for it for a while now. But I’m totally against the idea that we do the same with local councils. In fact, I’m so against it, that it could be enough to put me off voting in favour of a four-year parliamentary term. That’s how strongly I feel about it. Four-year local government terms is something the outfit representing most

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21:28

Politics Friday with Megan Woods and Matt Doocey:...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/27

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by Labour’s Megan Woods and National’s Matt Doocey to delve into some of the biggest topics of the week. Four-year parliamentary terms could be on the table – what are the benefits of an extra year? What would be the potential downfalls for councils? Would either of them make a citizen’s arrest? And is it true Labour cut the budget for the defence force? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5:44

John MacDonald: Chch council should be red-faced over...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/27

Don’t you get it? I’m not saying this to you – I’m saying it to the Christchurch City Council, which thinks there is no need to have locals on this new committee its setting up to oversee the red zone on the east side of Christchurch. This is the 600-hectare Ōtākaro/Avon River Corridor which has attracted all sorts of controversy since the government took it over after the earthquakes. Tens of thousands of people used to live in the area before 2011. Not anymore. There is a plan to do something

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8:36

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor talks roading plan,...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/26

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald live in studio for their regular catch up. Community members of Christchurch’s red zone are outraged over their exclusion from a governance group overseeing the future development of the area – why have they been left out? The age-old question of who has the right to a quiet night has reared its head once again. Inner city noise limits are being reviewed, but if the bars came first, should residents have to deal? And Mauger has come under fire for

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5:51

John MacDonald: I'm 50/50 when it comes to citizen's...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/25

I’m 50/50 on this idea the Government’s got of letting people do citizens arrests. For security guards? Yes. For every other member of the public? It’s a definite no for me. Let’s start with security guards and why I think these powers would be good for them. How long have we been saying that they need more teeth to do their job? Ages. And what we’ve meant by that, is the ability or the right to actually provide security as opposed to standing at the door and pretty much doing nothing when someone

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5:33

John MacDonald: In 2025 you don't touch people at work

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/24

Who would want to be Andrew Bayly today? The disgraced, now former minister, resigned because he touched a staff member during what he’s describing as an “animated discussion”. And now his political career is toast. As it should be, because in 2025, you just don’t touch people in the workplace. You don't touch people in the workplace when you’re happy with them, and you certainly don't touch people in the workplace when you’re angry with them. You just don’t do it. He’s staying on as the MP for

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4:43

John MacDonald: Spend up large on defence, we have no...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/24

Spend up large. That’s my message to the Government. Go large, spend up big and drag our military into the 21st century. That’s not me having a go at the military, by the way. Anyone reading this at Burnham Camp, for example, might feel like I’m having a go at them. But I’m not. But, what I am saying, is that we need to be spending more on defence - and I’m not saying that just because of what’s going on out in the Tasman, with those three warships from China. A situation that went next level on

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6:03

John MacDonald: This is a terrible thing to say, but...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/20

Do you know why the Government has failed to meet all of its child poverty targets? The overarching reason I’m talking about here. Because this is really complex and there are all sorts of reasons why kids end-up living in poverty and why politicians, generally, fail to fix the problem. So the main reason why nothing seems to be achieved in this area. Why do you think that is? It’s because of us. Those of us who aren’t living in poverty and aren’t one of those invisible people who feature in

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21:21

Politics Friday with Matt Doocey and Duncan Webb:...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/20

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by Matt Doocey and Duncan Webb to delve into some of the topics listeners are most interested in. They mark the anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake, which occurred 14 years ago tomorrow. Rangiora’s after-hours clinic is still not underway, but some certainty has been gained after the Waimakariri District Council has offered to bankroll the project. Child poverty statistics have not shifted – is this a problem governments can’t solve? And

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5:47

John MacDonald: When are the banks going to lift...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/19

Adrian Orr. Champion of the people. Well, that might be going a bit too far. But the Reserve Bank Governor was speaking my language when he says that dropping the Official Cash Rate, like he did yesterday, is just the start and that the banks have to do their bit too. And I couldn’t agree more. He was having a dig at their profit margins. But for me generally, I don't give two hoots how much profits the banks make. Because profitable business are a good thing. Even profitable foreign-owned

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5:51

John MacDonald: How would you rate your trust in the...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/18

I reckon most of us, when we fill out the census papers, assume that the information we’re providing won’t end up in the wrong hands. I know there are some people who don't feel like that. People who just don't want to give personal information to anyone - especially the government. Or the state. The Wizard of Christchurch was known over the years for refusing to take part in the census. And, in more recent years, we’ve had people who just can’t be bothered. They’re the ones who ended up getting

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9:39

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Destiny Church,...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/18

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins joined John MacDonald this morning to give his thoughts on some of the biggest stories of the week. The integrity of the public service is being called into question after Census data was allegedly misused – how will this impact trust in the future? Hipkins believes the GP shortage is the biggest factor impacting demand at Christchurch Hospital ED, so what would he do differently if he was Health Minister now? And he expands on his statement condemning the actions of

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5:32

John MacDonald: We're great at peacekeeping. But not...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/18

Already, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is looking ahead to whenever a ceasefire might happen in Ukraine and has said that, if or when it does, he’d be happy to send troops in to keep the peace. It was too early for PM Christopher Luxon to confirm the Government's interest in sending troops to Ukraine once there’s a ceasefire during his regular appearance on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. Christopher Luxon says he'd be open to it. But, despite the New Zealand military’s record of

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7:02

John MacDonald: Is that all the PM has to say about...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/16

When I saw Brian Tamaki on the news last night, he looked more pompous than ever. Pompous - not pious. Because he was the one who instructed his so-called followers to disrupt that drag artist’s kids show and protest at the Auckland Rainbow Parade at the weekend. From the pictures I’ve seen, both of those events looked pretty ugly. His idea. Under his instructions. And I’ve had a gutsful of this guy. And we need to be condemning him in the strongest way possible. Because, it seems that’s all we can

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5:17

John MacDonald: Here's why we're so bad at road repairs

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/14

I’m starting to wonder whether it was just a fluke that we managed to build things like the big hydro dams back in the day without them falling over. Without them falling apart. Cracking under the pressure. Because, when you consider achievements like that, it makes it laughable that we don’t seem to be capable anymore of really simple stuff like fixing roads. An example is Halswell Junction Road, in Christchurch. Three repairs in the past 12 months and now it needs to be done a fourth time. The

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22:28

Politics Friday: Matt Doocey and Tracey McLellan talk...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/14

Today on Politics Friday John MacDonald was joined in studio by National’s Matt Doocey and Labour’s Tracey McLellan. They discussed yesterday’s supermarket announcement: does the Government really believe another player will enter the scene, or is it all just talk? Why has some mental health funding been redistributed when New Zealand continues to suffer through a mental health crisis? A bit closer to home, the price for our police to hire helicopters is blowing out each year, will Christchurch ever

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8:29

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor on the rates...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/02/13

John MacDonald was joined by Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger for a chat about the biggest issues concerning residents. Christchurch City Councillors have adopted their Draft Annual Plan. It now proposes a 7.58% overall rates increase, down from the originally-drafted 8.93%. They achieved this not by cost cutting, as well as paying off less debt, resulting in next year’s rates increasing significantly. Is the Mayor doing the right thing, or is he just thinking of the next election? Does he support

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1,129 results

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