Today on Canterbury Mornings John MacDonald was joined by Labour Leader Chris Hipkins for their regular chat.

Why does he feel the Māori Wards Bill is an embarrassment? Will National's Tax Cuts prove Labour wrong in the future?  And what does he make of the Green Party stating their ambition to be the major opposition party?

LISTEN ABOVE

Today on Canterbury Mornings John MacDonald was joined by Labour Leader Chris Hipkins for their regular chat. 
Why does he feel the Māori Wards Bill is an embarrassment? Will National's Tax Cuts prove Labour wrong in the future?  And what does he make of the Green Party stating their ambition to be the major opposition party? 
LISTEN ABOVE

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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 Māori Wards Bill, tax cuts, Green Party's aim to be opposition

How do you think I’m feeling about the Government's Māori wards bill passing its third reading in Parliament? 

Which means any local councils which established Māori wards without asking residents first will have to hold a referendum if they want to keep them. The same for any other councils that might want to in the future, as well. 

How do you think I’m feeling about that? I’m not feeling how Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is feeling. He’s saying today that it’s “a great day for democracy”.

I don’t think that at all. I think he’s over-cooking that one, big time. 

I don’t feel the same way about it as Labour leader Chris Hipkins, either, who is saying that it’s “embarrassing”.

But I am despairing, because this is a piece of legislation dealing with something that hurts no one. Having a Māori ward causes no harm to anyone.

Now I know that some people think having a separate ward for Māori voters does cause some sort of harm. And normally they claim that it causes racial division.

And, if they want to think that, then I can’t stop them. But I would ask anyone who thinks that: what harm does it do to you, personally? Does it make your life any worse? Does the idea of Māori wards make you less likely to get ahead in life?

Does a Māori ward somewhere make the groceries, or the power, or registering the car more expensive? Does it make you more likely to get crook with a serious illness? 

The answer to all of those questions is “no”. But, somehow, some people think Māori wards are a threat to democracy. Which is nonsense. 

Because how can a constituency of people electing someone to be their representative on a council somewhere possibly be undemocratic? It’s not.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is talking nonsense saying that forcing councils to have referendums before they can keep their Māori wards is a great day for democracy.

It’s not about democracy, at all. In the Minister’s own words on radio this morning, it’s about being anti-woke. Whatever that is.

It’s ideology and nothing else. Because Māori wards make no one’s life any worse - and getting rid of them won’t make anyone’s life any better.

And they will fade out because we know who the people are who bother voting in local body elections - because these referendums are going to be done at the same time as local body elections.

We know already, don’t we, what the results of these referendums are going to be because —generally— the people who can be bothered voting in their local council elections tend to sing from the same anti-woke songsheet as Simeon Brown.

What’s more, if the Government is going to sell its Māori ward legislation as a win for democracy, and if councils are now going to have to ask ratepayers for permission before they can keep or set-up a Māori ward, then they should also have to ask for public permission to do anything else they want to do, as well.

Now that would be democracy. But that’s not happening. Which is why it’s complete nonsense for the Government to claim that its crackdown on councils setting up Māori wards without asking for public approval first is a win for democracy.

How do you think I’m feeling about the Government's Māori wards bill passing its third reading in Parliament?  
Which means any local councils which established Māori wards without asking residents first will have to hold a referendum if they want to keep them. The same for any other councils that might want to in the future, as well.  
How do you think I’m feeling about that? I’m not feeling how Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is feeling. He’s saying today that it’s “a great day for democracy”. 
I don’t think that at all. I think he’s over-cooking that one, big time.  
I don’t feel the same way about it as Labour leader Chris Hipkins, either, who is saying that it’s “embarrassing”. 
But I am despairing, because this is a piece of legislation dealing with something that hurts no one. Having a Māori ward causes no harm to anyone. 
Now I know that some people think having a separate ward for Māori voters does cause some sort of harm. And normally they claim that it causes racial division. 
And, if they want to think that, then I can’t stop them. But I would ask anyone who thinks that: what harm does it do to you, personally? Does it make your life any worse? Does the idea of Māori wards make you less likely to get ahead in life? 
Does a Māori ward somewhere make the groceries, or the power, or registering the car more expensive? Does it make you more likely to get crook with a serious illness?  
The answer to all of those questions is “no”. But, somehow, some people think Māori wards are a threat to democracy. Which is nonsense.  
Because how can a constituency of people electing someone to be their representative on a council somewhere possibly be undemocratic? It’s not. 
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is talking nonsense saying that forcing councils to have referendums before they can keep their Māori wards is a great day for democracy. 
It’s not about democracy, at all. In the Minister’s own words on radio this morning, it’s about being anti-woke. Whatever that is. 
It’s ideology and nothing else. Because Māori wards make no one’s life any worse - and getting rid of them won’t make anyone’s life any better. 
And they will fade out because we know who the people are who bother voting in local body elections - because these referendums are going to be done at the same time as local body elections. 
We know already, don’t we, what the results of these referendums are going to be because —generally— the people who can be bothered voting in their local council elections tend to sing from the same anti-woke songsheet as Simeon Brown. 
What’s more, if the Government is going to sell its Māori ward legislation as a win for democracy, and if councils are now going to have to ask ratepayers for permission before they can keep or set-up a Māori ward, then they should also have to ask for public permission to do anything else they want to do, as well. 
Now that would be democracy. But that’s not happening. Which is why it’s complete nonsense for the Government to claim that its crackdown on councils setting up Māori wards without asking for public approval first is a win for democracy.

John MacDonald: No Minister, this is not a win for democracy

Would you rather the police could only search a place for illegal firearms if they believed there were illegal guns there, or would you rather they could search a place for illegal firearms if they suspected illegal firearms were there? 

There’s quite a difference. If you believe something, you’ve generally seen or heard information that gives you reason to believe.

But if you suspect something, it’s one of those things where you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you reckon there’s something going on. 

And that’s where things are potentially coming unstuck a little bit for the Government’s crackdown on gangs and illegal firearms.

Because Parliament’s Justice Select Committee has come to the conclusion that some changes the Government wants to make in relation to firearms prohibition orders would give the police too much power to search without search warrants.

And my response to that, is “so what?” Because, if we’re going to get serious about getting weapons out of the wrong hands, why wouldn’t we give the police more powers?

The particular piece of legislation that the justice select committee has been considering is the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill.

Prohibition Orders are handed-out by the courts, and they’re supposed to stop people from having a firearms licence, stop them from using a firearm, and stop them from associating with anyone who has a firearm.

And they’re given out to people who the courts believe are high-risk and shouldn’t have anything to do with firearms.  

Another change the Government wants to make is to apply the law to more people. At the moment, the bar is pretty high, but the Government wants to see people convicted of lower-level offences also given Firearms Prohibition Orders. 

Apparently, this could see three-and-a-half times more people banned from having a firearms licence, banned from using firearms and banned from having anything to do with people who have firearms.    

But people like gang members, generally, don’t give two hoots about things like prohibition orders. Which is why the Government also wants the Police to be able to turn up somewhere without a search warrant - even if they don’t have reason to believe there are illegal firearms there.

The Government wants the cops to be able to act on a hunch and go in somewhere without going through the malarkey of getting a search warrant and I’m all for that.

It seems the select committee, which has gone through the proposed changes, is concerned about innocent people getting caught-up in police stings.

They reckon it’s not good enough to search on the basis of suspecting someone might have an illegal weapon. They say the police should only search if they believe it.

Which is all fine and dandy when you’re sitting in Parliament at your select committee meeting, having morning tea breaks and lunch breaks and looking at the proposed changes from a position of relative comfort.

These politicians might think slightly differently if they or someone they know was at the wrong end of a gun barrel.

Because so what if a few innocent people get taken-in for questioning now and then? Surely we should be more concerned about the safety of these innocent people. Not any inconvenience that might be caused if they have to spend a couple of hours down at the cop shop and are then allowed to go.

Would you rather the police could only search a place for illegal firearms if they believed there were illegal guns there, or would you rather they could search a place for illegal firearms if they suspected illegal firearms were there?  
There’s quite a difference. If you believe something, you’ve generally seen or heard information that gives you reason to believe. 
But if you suspect something, it’s one of those things where you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you reckon there’s something going on.  
And that’s where things are potentially coming unstuck a little bit for the Government’s crackdown on gangs and illegal firearms. 
Because Parliament’s Justice Select Committee has come to the conclusion that some changes the Government wants to make in relation to firearms prohibition orders would give the police too much power to search without search warrants. 
And my response to that, is “so what?” Because, if we’re going to get serious about getting weapons out of the wrong hands, why wouldn’t we give the police more powers? 
The particular piece of legislation that the justice select committee has been considering is the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill. 
Prohibition Orders are handed-out by the courts, and they’re supposed to stop people from having a firearms licence, stop them from using a firearm, and stop them from associating with anyone who has a firearm. 
And they’re given out to people who the courts believe are high-risk and shouldn’t have anything to do with firearms.   
Another change the Government wants to make is to apply the law to more people. At the moment, the bar is pretty high, but the Government wants to see people convicted of lower-level offences also given Firearms Prohibition Orders.  
Apparently, this could see three-and-a-half times more people banned from having a firearms licence, banned from using firearms and banned from having anything to do with people who have firearms.     
But people like gang members, generally, don’t give two hoots about things like prohibition orders. Which is why the Government also wants the Police to be able to turn up somewhere without a search warrant - even if they don’t have reason to believe there are illegal firearms there. 
The Government wants the cops to be able to act on a hunch and go in somewhere without going through the malarkey of getting a search warrant and I’m all for that. 
It seems the select committee, which has gone through the proposed changes, is concerned about innocent people getting caught-up in police stings. 
They reckon it’s not good enough to search on the basis of suspecting someone might have an illegal weapon. They say the police should only search if they believe it. 
Which is all fine and dandy when you’re sitting in Parliament at your select committee meeting, having morning tea breaks and lunch breaks and looking at the proposed changes from a position of relative comfort. 
These politicians might think slightly differently if they or someone they know was at the wrong end of a gun barrel. 
Because so what if a few innocent people get taken-in for questioning now and then? Surely we should be more concerned about the safety of these innocent people. Not any inconvenience that might be caused if they have to spend a couple of hours down at the cop shop and are then allowed to go.

John MacDonald: Are we serious about gun control or not?

John MacDonald was joined by National’s Matt Doocey and Labour’s Reuben Davidson for Politics Friday. 

They discussed whether the Government should intervene on the replanting regulations for pine trees on the Port Hills after the multiple intense blazes.

It’s been an emotional week in Parliament with the release of the Abuse in Care Report, so what needs to happen now? And, can we really get our response to mental health and addiction services back on track?

LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald was joined by National’s Matt Doocey and Labour’s Reuben Davidson for Politics Friday.  
They discussed whether the Government should intervene on the replanting regulations for pine trees on the Port Hills after the multiple intense blazes. 
It’s been an emotional week in Parliament with the release of the Abuse in Care Report, so what needs to happen now? And, can we really get our response to mental health and addiction services back on track? 
LISTEN ABOVE

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on the Māori Wards Bill, tax cuts, Green Party's aim to be opposition

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