John MacDonald: Food prices are one thing we can't blame on politicians

There’s no doubt the Government has failed us on food prices.  But then, it was always going to. In fact, any politician who says they’re going to bring food prices down is dreaming.  This election year, if you hear any of them saying they’re going to get on top of the costs of living and you’ll …

Chris Hipkins on his Ex-wife's Social Media posts, Rising food and fuel prices

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins doesn't want people to read too much into him considering his political future as ripples spread from personal allegations made by his ex-wife.  Jade Paul posted claims on a private Facebook page on Sunday that are now deleted, none of Paul's allegations related to unla…

John MacDonald: Are my views on EVs changing at all?

Maybe my head is in the sand, but all this excitement about fuel prices isn’t making me any more inclined to buy an electric vehicle.  Tell that to the people who are getting all excited and buying them. In big numbers too, it seems.  So we’ve got the government warning that petrol prices could h…

John MacDonald: The COVID toilet paper rush was OTT and so is this

I’ve got a story which has Covid-19 toilet paper mania written all over it.  I was blown away talking to someone in Christchurch at the weekend who said they’d been out and bought a whole lot of extra food because of the fuel situation with everything going on in the Middle East.  This is not som…

John MacDonald: The only way to stop the tanks running dry

Aside from trying to make sure we don’t run out of fuel because of what’s going on in the middle east, the other challenge the Government has on its hands is that we’re not the country we were six years.  Six years ago, when COVID first hit, we were much more compliant. Way more than we are now.  …

Politics Friday: Hamish Campbell and Tracey McLellan on the Covid inquiry, Christ Church Cathedral, and Car-less days

National's Hamish Campbell and Labour's Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week.  They covered some of the biggest topics from the week, including the release of the second phase of the Covid Inquiry, if more public money is required for the Christ Church Cathedral, and…

John MacDonald: Buying NZ made has never been so important

Three hundred and fifty jobs at Heinz Wattie's are on the line and we’ve only got ourselves to blame.  I’m including myself here.  Because all of us have pretty much fallen into the trap of thinking cheapest is best.  And, more often than not, if we think cheapest is best then we end up buying s…

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor on his Wastewater plan, Cathedral Square Revitalisation, and Dux de Lux funding

There is another plan in the works to revive Cathedral Square with the Council asking for the public's ideas later this year The Christchurch City Council has announced they have a budget of $28.5 million set aside to put a revitalisation plan in action. Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury Mornings…

John MacDonald: Covid report has something for everyone

I don’t think there’ll be too many complaints about the report from phase two of the COVID inquiry. Because, for $14 million, we’ve all got something out of it. That’s $14 million for this phase. Phase one cost us about $17 million.   If you’re anti-vax or vaccine-weary, you’ve got the bit in the…

John MacDonald: Now is not the time to cut fuel taxes

The rubber is hitting the road for us here in New Zealand with fuel prices on the up because of the situation in the Middle East.  The Taxpayers’ Union hasn’t been slow in coming forward, saying the government should be cutting its fuel taxes. Temporarily, anyway.  It says households shouldn’t be…