The leader of the Opposition says he finds the West Coast Christian community Gloriavale abhorrent. 

A new documentary series exploring the origins and controversies surrounding the secretive commune has begun airing on TVNZ. 

Some members have fled in recent years and several are taking Gloriavale to the Employment Court over claims of mistreatment. 

Labour's Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald his government set up an oversight group to keep an eye on Gloriavale. 

He says he understands the current government has disbanded the group, which is needed now more than ever, in light of what we've seen on TV over the past few days.

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The leader of the Opposition says he finds the West Coast Christian community Gloriavale abhorrent.  
A new documentary series exploring the origins and controversies surrounding the secretive commune has begun airing on TVNZ.  
Some members have fled in recent years and several are taking Gloriavale to the Employment Court over claims of mistreatment.  
Labour's Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald his government set up an oversight group to keep an eye on Gloriavale.  
He says he understands the current government has disbanded the group, which is needed now more than ever, in light of what we've seen on TV over the past few days. 
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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 understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector. Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

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.

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on the Chinese cyberattacks and Gloriavale

I could be wrong. But I reckon most of us wouldn’t have done what Transpower wanted us to do to try and avoid power cuts.

I could be wrong. You may have dutifully done what Transpower wanted you to do. Which was to use as little power as possible by not charging your phone and not having heaters and lights on in rooms you’re not using between 7am and 9am today.

But I reckon most people would’ve either forgotten, or just thought everybody else would be doing it so they wouldn’t need to. And why’s that, do you think?

Well, it’s because New Zealand is not what ACT leader David Seymour says we’re becoming with things like this warning about power cuts.

He’s saying that it’s all “third world stuff”. But, I think that’s overboard. Because, if we were Third World, we would have heard that warning from Transpower last night and every one of us would’ve done exactly what they wanted us to do.

Because, if we were Third World, power cuts would be a regular thing. So, as per, I think David Seymour is exaggerating, a little. 

As it turned out, there weren’t any power cuts. But, listening to the head of Transpower on Newstalk ZB, we were cutting things a bit fine.

I won’t get into megawatt this and megawatt that - for two reasons. One: I’d be running the risk of sounding like I’m pretending to know what I’m talking about. When I don’t. So I’ll put it out there right now - I am not an electricity expert.

The other reason I won’t start throwing around megawatts is because I think your eyes would glaze over faster than mine. When all we need to worry about, is that this early in the year they’re talking about power cuts and telling us not to put our phones on charge.   

And, even though I think David Seymour’s talk about us being Third World is nonsense, don’t think for a minute that I think this is good enough. It’s not.

Because here we are just over a week into May and already we’re being told that to save power to prevent blackouts. 

When I heard the head of Transpower saying that this weather is unseasonably cold, I questioned that a little bit. But, I’ve looked up some of the stats, and it is a bit older than usual. Nevertheless, I don’t think that’s enough of an excuse.

Because the real excuse for what’s happened, is that we have continually turned a blind eye when it comes to investing and maintaining our electricity infrastructure.

Back in February, Transpower announced a plan to spend $400 million to strengthen the nationwide electricity system. Or the grid, as it’s known.

They also want to spend another $100 million upgrading the Cook Strait Cable.

Don't get too excited. Because, even though they announced it in February, they’re now doing the whole consultation thing with people in the energy sector. So that’ll take yonks. 

And, I don't know about you, but I reckon that spending $400 million strengthening the national grid and $100 million upgrading the Cook Strait Cable sounds like chicken feed.

Especially, when you consider how electricity usage is expected to go through the roof over the next few years. 

Transpower reckons that by 2050, electricity demand or usage will have increased by 70 percent, compared to what it is now. Which is why I think Transpower is just tinkering at the edges with this $500 million it wants to spend on the grid and the cable upgrade.

We are going to have to spend truckloads more than that if we are going to remotely cope with a 70 percent increase in demand for electricity.

But we won’t, of course. Going by how we’ve done things up until now. Which is to under-invest and hope for the best.

To under-invest and then, when things look like they might go pear-shaped, to go into panic mode and to tell us not to charge our phones and to turn the heaters and lights off.

So even though I disagree with David Seymour’s view that the threat of power cuts this morning is Third World, what I will say is that it’s third rate. And we must do better. Otherwise, we will start to look a bit Third World on it.

I could be wrong. But I reckon most of us wouldn’t have done what Transpower wanted us to do to try and avoid power cuts. 
I could be wrong. You may have dutifully done what Transpower wanted you to do. Which was to use as little power as possible by not charging your phone and not having heaters and lights on in rooms you’re not using between 7am and 9am today. 
But I reckon most people would’ve either forgotten, or just thought everybody else would be doing it so they wouldn’t need to. And why’s that, do you think? 
Well, it’s because New Zealand is not what ACT leader David Seymour says we’re becoming with things like this warning about power cuts. 
He’s saying that it’s all “third world stuff”. But, I think that’s overboard. Because, if we were Third World, we would have heard that warning from Transpower last night and every one of us would’ve done exactly what they wanted us to do. 
Because, if we were Third World, power cuts would be a regular thing. So, as per, I think David Seymour is exaggerating, a little.  
As it turned out, there weren’t any power cuts. But, listening to the head of Transpower on Newstalk ZB, we were cutting things a bit fine. 
I won’t get into megawatt this and megawatt that - for two reasons. One: I’d be running the risk of sounding like I’m pretending to know what I’m talking about. When I don’t. So I’ll put it out there right now - I am not an electricity expert. 
The other reason I won’t start throwing around megawatts is because I think your eyes would glaze over faster than mine. When all we need to worry about, is that this early in the year they’re talking about power cuts and telling us not to put our phones on charge.    
And, even though I think David Seymour’s talk about us being Third World is nonsense, don’t think for a minute that I think this is good enough. It’s not. 
Because here we are just over a week into May and already we’re being told that to save power to prevent blackouts.  
When I heard the head of Transpower saying that this weather is unseasonably cold, I questioned that a little bit. But, I’ve looked up some of the stats, and it is a bit older than usual. Nevertheless, I don’t think that’s enough of an excuse. 
Because the real excuse for what’s happened, is that we have continually turned a blind eye when it comes to investing and maintaining our electricity infrastructure. 
Back in February, Transpower announced a plan to spend $400 million to strengthen the nationwide electricity system. Or the grid, as it’s known. 
They also want to spend another $100 million upgrading the Cook Strait Cable. 
Don't get too excited. Because, even though they announced it in February, they’re now doing the whole consultation thing with people in the energy sector. So that’ll take yonks.  
And, I don't know about you, but I reckon that spending $400 million strengthening the national grid and $100 million upgrading the Cook Strait Cable sounds like chicken feed. 
Especially, when you consider how electricity usage is expected to go through the roof over the next few years.  
Transpower reckons that by 2050, electricity demand or usage will have increased by 70 percent, compared to what it is now. Which is why I think Transpower is just tinkering at the edges with this $500 million it wants to spend on the grid and the cable upgrade. 
We are going to have to spend truckloads more than that if we are going to remotely cope with a 70 percent increase in demand for electricity. 
But we won’t, of course. Going by how we’ve done things up until now. Which is to under-invest and hope for the best. 
To under-invest and then, when things look like they might go pear-shaped, to go into panic mode and to tell us not to charge our phones and to turn the heaters and lights off. 
So even though I disagree with David Seymour’s view that the threat of power cuts this morning is Third World, what I will say is that it’s third rate. And we must do better. Otherwise, we will start to look a bit Third World on it.

John MacDonald: Our power supply isn't Third World but it is third rate

John MacDonald was joined by Labour’s Megan Wood and National’s Matt Doocey to break down this week in Politics Friday.

This morning’s situation with the power grid sparked a lot of chatter, are we really in a third world state as David Seymour claims? 

Megan Woods revealed that support for the families impacted by the mosque attack will be cut this afternoon, is this really the time?

LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald was joined by Labour’s Megan Wood and National’s Matt Doocey to break down this week in Politics Friday. 
This morning’s situation with the power grid sparked a lot of chatter, are we really in a third world state as David Seymour claims?  
Megan Woods revealed that support for the families impacted by the mosque attack will be cut this afternoon, is this really the time? 
LISTEN ABOVE

Politics Friday: National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Megan Wood on the power struggles and cutting support for families impacted by the mosque attack

David Seymour is a muppet. I bet that’s what the Prime Minister was thinking yesterday when reporters were asking him if he agreed with Seymour’s view that sushi is “woke”.

The ACT leader and the Associate Education Minister made the claim about sushi after he’d announced that the Government is revamping the school lunches programme by getting back to the basics, like sandwiches and fruit, and saving about $100 million in the process.

So out with the butter chicken and the hot meals, and in with the sandwiches and a piece of fruit, and I think the Government is making a big mistake. And I’ll tell you why.

I think it’s making a big mistake because I’m listening to what the people who really know a thing or two about this are saying. The people at the coalface. The principals and the teachers. 

I saw one principal on the news last night saying it might have been useful if David Seymour had spoken to them first about what was and wasn’t working before making these changes.

Another —Lianne Webb, Principal of Aorere College in Papatoetoe— says, for some students the lunch is their only meal of the day.

Which kind of stops me in my tracks because I’m as old school and I tend to think that if I grew up eating luncheon roll sandwiches for lunch when I was at school, why can’t other kids?

But then, on the other hand, if these lunches are the only meals some kids are getting then a sandwich and an apple at lunchtime isn’t going to cut it, is it? 

And I think what this all comes down to, is whether it is the job of the Government to feed kids full-stop, or just provide them with something to eat at lunchtime when they’re at school - or pre-school as well. Because that’s another change the Government is making. They’re also including some early childhood centres in the programme.

So, is it a school lunch programme? Or is it a ‘make sure these kids at least get something to eat’ programme? And, in my mind, even though I’m old school and even though a hot meal might seem over the top to most of us, I think we have to listen to what the schools are saying and accept that this is more than just feeding kids at lunchtime.    

As for the woke sushi thing, that all started with a social media post by the ACT Party which said the Government will be doing more with less money to feed kids fruit and sandwiches, not "woke food like quinoa and sushi.” 

And Seymour repeated it when he was talking to journalists at Parliament.

And, of course, what happened next was they all chased down the Prime Minister to see if he agreed with Seymour that sushi is woke.

Christopher Luxon tried to fob them off, but it was obvious that he thought Seymour had been a muppet. Eventually, though, he gave in and told the reporters that he doesn’t think sushi and quinoa are woke. 

But what David Seymour is missing, when he says that the school lunch programme will be delivering the type of lunch that 75% of kids get from home, is that they’re the ones who go home after school and do have an after-school snack and do have an evening meal.

The other kids don't, necessarily. And I think that’s it’s appalling the Government is turning its back on these kids - just to save a lousy $107 million.

David Seymour is a muppet. I bet that’s what the Prime Minister was thinking yesterday when reporters were asking him if he agreed with Seymour’s view that sushi is “woke”. 
The ACT leader and the Associate Education Minister made the claim about sushi after he’d announced that the Government is revamping the school lunches programme by getting back to the basics, like sandwiches and fruit, and saving about $100 million in the process. 
So out with the butter chicken and the hot meals, and in with the sandwiches and a piece of fruit, and I think the Government is making a big mistake. And I’ll tell you why. 
I think it’s making a big mistake because I’m listening to what the people who really know a thing or two about this are saying. The people at the coalface. The principals and the teachers.  
I saw one principal on the news last night saying it might have been useful if David Seymour had spoken to them first about what was and wasn’t working before making these changes. 
Another —Lianne Webb, Principal of Aorere College in Papatoetoe— says, for some students the lunch is their only meal of the day. 
Which kind of stops me in my tracks because I’m as old school and I tend to think that if I grew up eating luncheon roll sandwiches for lunch when I was at school, why can’t other kids? 
But then, on the other hand, if these lunches are the only meals some kids are getting then a sandwich and an apple at lunchtime isn’t going to cut it, is it?  
And I think what this all comes down to, is whether it is the job of the Government to feed kids full-stop, or just provide them with something to eat at lunchtime when they’re at school - or pre-school as well. Because that’s another change the Government is making. They’re also including some early childhood centres in the programme. 
So, is it a school lunch programme? Or is it a ‘make sure these kids at least get something to eat’ programme? And, in my mind, even though I’m old school and even though a hot meal might seem over the top to most of us, I think we have to listen to what the schools are saying and accept that this is more than just feeding kids at lunchtime.     
As for the woke sushi thing, that all started with a social media post by the ACT Party which said the Government will be doing more with less money to feed kids fruit and sandwiches, not "woke food like quinoa and sushi.”  
And Seymour repeated it when he was talking to journalists at Parliament. 
And, of course, what happened next was they all chased down the Prime Minister to see if he agreed with Seymour that sushi is woke. 
Christopher Luxon tried to fob them off, but it was obvious that he thought Seymour had been a muppet. Eventually, though, he gave in and told the reporters that he doesn’t think sushi and quinoa are woke.  
But what David Seymour is missing, when he says that the school lunch programme will be delivering the type of lunch that 75% of kids get from home, is that they’re the ones who go home after school and do have an after-school snack and do have an evening meal. 
The other kids don't, necessarily. And I think that’s it’s appalling the Government is turning its back on these kids - just to save a lousy $107 million.

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on the Chinese cyberattacks and Gloriavale

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