John MacDonald: Does Chch council know how desperate the NRL is?

I think there’s a real risk that the city council is drunk on the Kool Aid with its ongoing involvement in this bid for a second NRL rugby league team, based in Christchurch. Because, if it’s such a good idea, shouldn’t the people campaigning for a team front-up with the money to see if it’s even …

John MacDonald: A red zone home base for the homeless?

How would you feel about an area of Christchurch’s Red Zone being made permanently available for homeless people? There’d be positives and negatives, for sure. And yes, it would probably put some people off going into the area. But, when you weigh everything up, would it really be such a bad idea…

John MacDonald: MMP is best, even with the yahoos and numpties

Politically-speaking, the current MMP coalition government is the most successful one we’ve ever had. Because, unlike coalitions of the past, the minor parties - ACT and NZ First - have managed to maintain their presence and identity. In the past, the minor parties have been swallowed up by the b…

Politics Friday: Tracey McLellan and Matt Doocey on MMP referendum, Labour's Small Business Policy, Amalgamation

National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from the Prime Minsters seemingly off-the-cuff call from an MMP referendum if re-elected, Labours small business policy, and what they thin…

John MacDonald: Drop the sniping and buy a plane for the PM

Do we need a dedicated plane for the Prime Minister? I’m starting to think that we do. Before now, though, I’ve been of the opinion that we’re New Zealand for goodness sake, we’re not the United States, so why should we blow money on a plane? But, after listening to Sir John Key talking to Heathe…

Dan Gordon on Amalgamation, Pegasus fast track, and airport housing

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says his council has shown leadership by asking the community for their preferred amalgamation option before their unanimous decision to amalgamate with Hurunui District Council. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Gordon says he is grateful that Christchurch City Council…

John MacDonald: Time for the Govt to bang heads over council reforms

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that our local councils have made such a hash job of coming up with amalgamation ideas. These are the ideas the Government has asked for, giving them until this Sunday to send them through. They’ve had three months to do it. Which I think isn’t actually long enough…

Chris Hipkins on not working with NZ First, Luxon's apology and latest Roy Morgan poll

Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins says while Winston Peters performs well in some aspects of his Foreign Affairs portfolio, he would not keep him in the role if Labour were elected.  "There's parts of the job he does quite well, you've seen him up to the Pacific, he does quite a good job of schmoozi…

John MacDonald: Here's why Christopher Luxon had to apologise

There are two types of people in the world. There are the ones who think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shouldn’t be apologising for what he said to business owners at a meeting in Rotorua the other day. And there are the ones who think he should. And I’m one of them. Because what he said was …

John MacDonald: Need a carrot to have kids? Don't have them

How is it that a political party which attracts its fair share of people who think there are women having babies just to get on the benefit, now thinks we should pay people to have more kids? It makes no sense to me. Its great we’re talking about the birth rate problem in this country. But this i…