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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

5:09

John MacDonald: We need compulsory voting

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/13

If you voted in this year’s local body elections, congratulations. You can consider yourself a member of a very exclusive club. Because, this year, voter turnout around the country was the lowest it’s been in 36 years. Which is pitiful. So pitiful that I don’t even think my idea of having just one main voting day - like we have for central government elections - would make much of a difference. In fact, I think there’s only one way to fix it. Something which has already been tried somewhere else

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13:19

Jon Toogood: Shihad frontman joins John MacDonald...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/13

Shihad frontman Jon Toogood joined John MacDonald ahead of the Christchurch Full Metal Orchestra concert. He talked about performing with Phil Rudd of ACDC, his passion for heavy music and the joy it brings the crowds, and how his health has become a priority in his later years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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10:58

Phil Mauger: Re-elected Mayor of Christchurch...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/12

Phil Mauger has been re-elected as Mayor of Christchurch. He joined us on the show following his win, and discussed the key issues he wants to focus on. Where will cut debt? Who will be his deputy? And does he think Wayne Brown is correct that Auckland is our only international city? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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36:18

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayoral candidate on rates,...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/09

Christchurch's incumbent mayor believes debt is the Council's biggest challenge. Phil Mauger says if re-elected he's committed to tackling the Garden's City's growing debt by selling off assets like the Lichfield Street carpark. Mauger told John MacDonald the current debt level is $2.5 billion, and he wants it under control. He says 25 cents of every rate dollar goes into debt servicing, and he wants that money spent on more things to benefit the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for

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5:09

John MacDonald: Isn't the Drug Foundation stating the...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/09

I support the NZ Drug Foundation’s push to decriminalise drug use and drug possession. The key point here is “use” and “possession”. It’s not saying let the dealers and manufacturers away with it, it’s saying we need to take a much more compassionate approach and treat drug users as people in need of help, instead of treating them as criminals. I’m picking your response will probably be determined by your exposure to drugs or experience with drugs. By that I mean whether your life has been

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4:52

John MacDonald: Keeping victims of crime in the dark...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/08

Is it good enough that the victim of a nasty assault in Christchurch has had to hound the police for four weeks to find out what’s going on with their investigation? This is someone who lost several teeth in the assault which happened in broad daylight inside The Palms shopping mall. Is it good enough? He and his family don’t think so, saying today that it’s left them feeling like they’re the bad guys, when all they’ve wanted is to know what’s going on. I’ll come back to his story. And another

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4:19

John MacDonald: No protests outside homes? Yes, but...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/06

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has had a gutsful. And I don’t blame him. I’d be the same if I had protesters outside my place and especially if I had a window smashed, which is what happened at his Auckland home last night. And I reckon the time has well and truly come for us to decide where it is appropriate for people to protest, and where it isn’t. Outside people’s homes is a no-no for me, because families don’t deserve to be targeted by protesters. But what about other locations

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34:43

Sara Templeton: Christchurch Mayoral Candidate talks...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/10/06

Christchurch mayoralty hopeful Sara Templeton says her Green values wouldn't define her leadership of the city. The three-term city councillor and former Green Party member has been challenged on her alignment and the fact Green mayors like Tory Whanau and Aaron Hawkins have been in office just one term. Templeton told John MacDonald the focus should be on Christchurch, which needs someone with strong environmental credentials, governance skills, and passion for community. She says they tend to be

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19:01

Politics Friday with Hamish Campbell and Tracey...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/26

Much has happened this week, so National’s Hamish Campbell and Labour’s Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald to delve into the biggest issues. They discussed whether the Government should underwrite power prices to reduce bills, the viability of Treasury’s solutions to the financial crunch, and the results of the Herald’s annual Mood of the Boardroom survey. Plus, the ever-hot topic that is the state of Christchurch Hospital’s overwhelmed emergency department. LISTEN ABOVESee

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4:52

John MacDonald: Is it the Govt’s job to make energy...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/26

I got an email from the power company this week, telling me about my weekly electricity use and how much of that is used during my eight hours of free power on Saturdays and Sundays. Despite doing all the washing and drying during the 16 free hours of power each week, it was only 20%. No wonder the bills are so expensive. And that’s without teenagers chewing through the power like it used to be not that long ago. So we probably shouldn’t be surprised by a new survey which says over 60% of people

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4:38

John MacDonald: What's your advice to the new Reserve...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/25

What’s your message to the new Reserve Bank Governor? Dr Anna Breman is moving from Sweden to take up the job and will begin her five-year term at the start of December. I thought it was interesting to hear her say yesterday that one of the first things she plans to do is to travel around the country to meet and listen to people. She says she wants to meet people in regular households and students, to hear what they’ve got to say. What would you tell her? What do you think she needs to know?

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5:39

John MacDonald: Christopher Luxon's people don't even...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/24

You know how the Prime Minister does a very good job of batting away poll results and saying that his focus is fixing up the joint after the last lot and that he’ll wait until election day to be judged? I don’t think he will find it quite as easy to do that with these results out today from the NZ Herald’s annual Mood of the Boardroom survey. The annual survey of about 150 business leaders – 125 of them being CEOs of major New Zealand companies. People like Port of Auckland boss Roger Gray, the head

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6:08

John MacDonald: Is the ED in our second-largest city...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/23

Is it good enough? When you hear a doctor at Christchurch Hospital say that patients are dying in the waiting room and car park because the place is so overloaded, is it good enough? I’ve been talking to someone who was there at the weekend and saw first-hand how overloaded it actually is, which I’ll tell you about shortly. But is it good enough that we have Dr Dominic Fleischer saying that patients are dying in the waiting room and car park because the place is so overloaded? It’s not good enough

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4:25

John MacDonald: Residential parking permits - yay or...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/22

Would you be happy to pay $110-a-year for a residential parking permit, so you could get a park outside your place whenever you wanted? Some Christchurch City Council candidates think you would. Especially, if you live in the central city or in a suburb close to town where on-street parking can be a real problem. The council is already looking into it. That’s how we have an idea how much it would cost. Around $110-a-year. These candidates are saying today that it’s time to give residents priority

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5:27

John MacDonald: Still confident in and patient with...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/19

My confidence is shot and my patience is wearing thin. That’s my answer to the question I’ve got for you. Which is: How would you rate your level of confidence in and patience with the Government? After yesterday’s GDP result, the knives are well-and-truly out. We’ve got former Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas saying Nicola Willis isn’t up to the job and should resign. Add to that a new poll result which says that 55% of us think the country is on the wrong track and 45% of us think the current

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4:30

John MacDonald: Nitrate emergency? Do me a favour

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/18

I wonder if the person who called me a tofu-eating, sandal-wearing, treehugger yesterday will have a bit of a re-think when they see what I’ve got to say about Environment Canterbury declaring a nitrate emergency. I’m with Federated Farmers, which is saying it’s nothing more than a political stunt. But it’s not just that, it’s a very naive political stunt. Because show me one of these so-called “emergency” declarations that have done any good. What about the Christchurch City Council’s climate

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7:19

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Takuta Ferris, poll...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/16

Another warning from Labour for its potential coalition partner Te Pāti Māori. MP Takuta Ferris has twice attacked ethnic Labour party volunteers who sign-waved in the Tamaki Makaurau by-election, claiming they were taking a Māori seat away from Māori. Party president John Tamihere echoed Ferris' comments yesterday, despite the party previously apologising. Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald the party needs to respond – the ball's in their court, and how they respond matters. He’s also criticising

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4:19

John MacDonald: Don't let the fun police spoil the...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/16

Get a grip. That’s my advice today to the people complaining about the music festival planned for the area near Bottle Lake Forest, in Christchurch, over the new year period. Because I think the organisers are treating you very well and going above and beyond. The Rolling Meadows festival is normally held at Waipara, north of the city, but the organisers hope to have it in Christchurch for the first time this year. And because it’s near people’s homes, there have been complaints and there’s even a

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4:39

John MacDonald: E-scooters need to be classified as...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/15

If the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn’t convince you that tighter laws are needed, I don’t know what will. And if the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn’t convince you that NZTA made a big mistake deciding not to make e-scooters subject to the road rules - again, I don’t know what will. The figure relates to injuries all over New Zealand. But it appears that us lot in Canterbury have

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20:29

Politics Friday with Matt Doocey and Reuben Davidson:...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald ·

2025/09/12

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by Labour’s Reuben Davidson and National’s Matt Doocey to delve into the biggest topics of the week. On today’s agenda: the manhunt for Tom Phillips and his children has come to an end, but the coverage has only just begun. There’s a fresh plan to restore the Christ Church Cathedral, and the Government has announced some new offences for shoplifting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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