Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Parliament's pressed pause to remember Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp after she died yesterday as a result of kidney disease – what will happen going forward? 

Doctors are unhappy with the Government’s new virtual GP service, are they right to be? 

And what ar...

I think it’s inevitable. So does the Inland Revenue Department. Because of our ageing population.   

Especially if people think we can have a whole lot more of us 65 and over —which is going to happen— and still provide the same level of assistance and support that is provided now.  

So IRD is making its case for more tax in wha...

Essentially, the Commission says we’re going to need less schools and more hospitals because of the ageing population.  

It also says we’re going to need more roads and better roads, and we’re going to have to do some serious thinkin...

A wavering ceasefire remains between Israel and Iran after scolding from the US President, although both claim breaches by the other. 

Donald Trump claims his country's strikes this week destroyed Iran's nuclear programme, but early US intelligence indicates it's only set it back by months. 

Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald d...

Because what do you hear people say time and time again when something terrible happens? These are people in the news who might be commenting about a stabbing or a shooting, or something like that. What is it we hear them say time and time again?  

“We never thought this sort of thing wo...

I’m wondering if Phil does actually think it’s a good idea, or whether he’s just saying it. 

Because I think it would create havoc for local councils having Wellington telling them how much they could increase rates ea...

Before yesterday, the prospect of it happening was a disaster-in-the making. And, now that it’s happened, it’s an absolute disaster. 

Not because of what might happen today, tomorrow or the next day. But, what will happen when the world least expects it.  

Not just in terms of what Iran itself will do. I’m talking...

But, in the last 24 hours, it’s gone next level.  

First up, we’ve got housing minister Chris Bishop, who announced yesterday that he’s going to be given special powers to ride roughshod over council plans if he doesn’t like them.

Essentially, if he thinks a council has a district plan that doesn’t s...

The Government is giving the Housing Minister the power to overrule local councils, and Phil Mauger has some strong opinions on the topic. 

Housing intensification is still on the docket, but he’s made it clear they’ll be pushing back against it all the way. 

And why are there so many leafblowers out and about? Is...

I’m not the only one who thinks it’s weird. A coroner who has looked into the drownings of a 10-year-old boy and his mother thinks it’s weird too, and is calling for change.  

And instead of local councils being responsible for setting lifejacket rules, she wants there to be a single rule for...

The fact this person had killed someone else previously, before taking the life of Faye Phillips last year, makes the circumstances behind the tragedy worse.  

On both occasions he was a mental health patient, which is why Ruth Money —w...

Generally, I’m all for it. But the civil liberties people have raised some very good points about them being misused. 

One example they’re giving is the potential for the cameras to be combined with facial recognition technology. Which I'm torn on, after finding out about facial recognition being used at th...

I’m with her on that one – while Trump is president, anyway.   

I’m also with Defence Minister Judith Collins who isn’t saying anything about Trump doing a review of the AUKUS military alliance with Australia and the UK, to make sure that it’s a fair deal for A...

On the topic of privacy versus safety, when it comes to mental illness, is keeping people safe a higher priority than keeping someone’s health private? 

And Tourism New Zealand’s new 100% Pure marketing campaign has been la...

Kāinga Ora has announced that, from next month, there will be woollen carpets in all new state homes. It’s also going to use wool if the carpet in existing homes needs replacing.  

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says Kāinga Ora has managed to get a deal that will mean the wool carpet won’t ...

I could start by ripping into the people who run Hillmorton Hospital, in Christchurch, for not doing more to try to prevent one of their patients murdering a woman at her home in Mt Pleasant – because I want to rip into them.  

I could start with the thought that ran through my head when more details emerged at Elliot ...