A report into the viability of Christchurch hosting the Commonwealth Games took 14 hours to write, after it was requested in January.

The report, commissioned by Mayor Phil Mauger, from Council and Christchurch NZ recommended Christchurch avoid holding a standalone event.

Newstalk ZB has revealed it cost just over $1000 for staff time.

Mauger told John MacDonald the report was a big job for Christchurch NZ, which didn't need rushing.

He says the city wasn't trying to host the Games sometime in the next year, so they just fitted it when they could.

Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio for their regular catchup, giving his thoughts on the Games’ report, high rises in the CBD, and his request the Government does more to address the pokie machine harm in Christchurch.

LISTEN ABOVE

A report into the viability of Christchurch hosting the Commonwealth Games took 14 hours to write, after it was requested in January. 
The report, commissioned by Mayor Phil Mauger, from Council and Christchurch NZ recommended Christchurch avoid holding a standalone event. 
Newstalk ZB has revealed it cost just over $1000 for staff time. 
Mauger told John MacDonald the report was a big job for Christchurch NZ, which didn't need rushing. 
He says the city wasn't trying to host the Games sometime in the next year, so they just fitted it when they could. 
Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio for their regular catchup, giving his thoughts on the Games’ report, high rises in the CBD, and his request the Government does more to address the pokie machine harm in Christchurch. 
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

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor on the Commonwealth Games report, high rises in the CBD, and pokie machine harm

The Commerce Commission says the big supermarket operators are still creaming it.

They’re not making the changes the Commission wanted them to make. Their profits are still too high and the Commission is talking tough, saying it would like to be able to fine them up to $10 million if they keep ripping people off and ignoring what the Commission wants.

But I don’t think that $10 million fines would make the least bit of difference. Because we’re talking here about a sector worth $25 billion, do you really think they’re going to worry about the risk of a $10 million fine?

Of course they’re not. They’d just be like the garden shops that open up shop on public holidays. It’s against the rules. They know they might be fined, but they run the risk, anyway because they make way more than enough to cover any potential fine and then some.  

And the supermarket companies are the same. They haven’t worried about the Commerce Commision up until now —which has been demanding all sorts of changes on behalf of us consumers— and they won’t be any more worried about the Commerce Commission today than they were before it came out with its latest assessment of the supermarket sector.

These companies know they have it over us. What’s more, can you imagine how long it would take to actually prove a case of price-gouging or whatever against these outfits? 

And while that was all going on, they’d just keep hiking up the prices and “ripping us off” - as the Commission put it yesterday.

Actually, it was the Commerce Commission’s grocery commissioner, Pierre van Heerden, who said that. It’s him doing the tough talking. Which is about time because, until now, he’s been all ‘measured tones’ on it. But yesterday, he put his serious face on. And good on him.

But it’s going to take a lot more than him putting on his serious face for the supermarket operators to pay any attention.

On paper anyway, it is an absolute rort that the prices we pay at the supermarket have been going up at a faster rate than increases in what the supermarkets pay their suppliers. That’s the nub of what the Commerce Commission is saying.

Which makes a complete joke of the lines supermarkets like to use about “passing on the savings to you”.

As far as the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner are concerned, the supermarkets haven’t been doing that at all. They’ve been screwing their suppliers —getting their prices down— but they certainly haven’t been passing them on.

Where I’m torn in all this is that I know supermarkets are businesses. They have to make profits to survive. They’re not charities.

Even though they provide some of the essentials of life, they’re not charities. They exist to make money and they’re doing that.

For a long time now, owning a local supermarket has been seen as a licence to make money. It’s not easy. And I know with the likes of Foodstuffs, at least, you can’t just walk in and take over a supermarket. Even if you’ve got the money to buy one, you have to do your time working in a supermarket - getting a real understanding of how they work.

Nevertheless, people have made good livings out of it. But it’s only in recent years that us customers have looked up and thought, hold on a minute, when it seems that we go through the checkout and it gets more expensive every time.

So yes, a supermarket is a business which needs to be profitable. And yes, I’m torn when it comes to punishing businesses for being successful. For being profitable.

But when a business does that in an underhanded way - that’s where I draw the line. And, like the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner, I think supermarkets have been underhanded, especially when you consider the fact that the prices we pay at the check-out have been going up at a faster rate than increases in what the supermarkets pay their suppliers.

That’s underhanded, and good on the grocery commissioner for calling them out.

But I don’t think the supermarket companies will care and I certainly don’t think the threat of $10 million fines will make any difference, either.

The Commerce Commission says the big supermarket operators are still creaming it. 
They’re not making the changes the Commission wanted them to make. Their profits are still too high and the Commission is talking tough, saying it would like to be able to fine them up to $10 million if they keep ripping people off and ignoring what the Commission wants. 
But I don’t think that $10 million fines would make the least bit of difference. Because we’re talking here about a sector worth $25 billion, do you really think they’re going to worry about the risk of a $10 million fine? 
Of course they’re not. They’d just be like the garden shops that open up shop on public holidays. It’s against the rules. They know they might be fined, but they run the risk, anyway because they make way more than enough to cover any potential fine and then some.   
And the supermarket companies are the same. They haven’t worried about the Commerce Commision up until now —which has been demanding all sorts of changes on behalf of us consumers— and they won’t be any more worried about the Commerce Commission today than they were before it came out with its latest assessment of the supermarket sector. 
These companies know they have it over us. What’s more, can you imagine how long it would take to actually prove a case of price-gouging or whatever against these outfits?  
And while that was all going on, they’d just keep hiking up the prices and “ripping us off” - as the Commission put it yesterday. 
Actually, it was the Commerce Commission’s grocery commissioner, Pierre van Heerden, who said that. It’s him doing the tough talking. Which is about time because, until now, he’s been all ‘measured tones’ on it. But yesterday, he put his serious face on. And good on him. 
But it’s going to take a lot more than him putting on his serious face for the supermarket operators to pay any attention. 
On paper anyway, it is an absolute rort that the prices we pay at the supermarket have been going up at a faster rate than increases in what the supermarkets pay their suppliers. That’s the nub of what the Commerce Commission is saying. 
Which makes a complete joke of the lines supermarkets like to use about “passing on the savings to you”. 
As far as the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner are concerned, the supermarkets haven’t been doing that at all. They’ve been screwing their suppliers —getting their prices down— but they certainly haven’t been passing them on. 
Where I’m torn in all this is that I know supermarkets are businesses. They have to make profits to survive. They’re not charities. 
Even though they provide some of the essentials of life, they’re not charities. They exist to make money and they’re doing that. 
For a long time now, owning a local supermarket has been seen as a licence to make money. It’s not easy. And I know with the likes of Foodstuffs, at least, you can’t just walk in and take over a supermarket. Even if you’ve got the money to buy one, you have to do your time working in a supermarket - getting a real understanding of how they work. 
Nevertheless, people have made good livings out of it. But it’s only in recent years that us customers have looked up and thought, hold on a minute, when it seems that we go through the checkout and it gets more expensive every time. 
So yes, a supermarket is a business which needs to be profitable. And yes, I’m torn when it comes to punishing businesses for being successful. For being profitable. 
But when a business does that in an underhanded way - that’s where I draw the line. And, like the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner, I think supermarkets have been underhanded, especially when you consider the fact that the prices we pay at the check-out have been going up at a faster rate than increases in what the supermarkets pay their suppliers. 
That’s underhanded, and good on the grocery commissioner for calling them out. 
But I don’t think the supermarket companies will care and I certainly don’t think the threat of $10 million fines will make any difference, either.

John MacDonald: $10M fines will sort out the supermarkets. As if

Monty Python star Eric Idle is making his way to Christchurch in his one man musical.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live! is a nostalgic reflection on his love comedy, music, life, and what he calls “Mock and Roll”, a blend of comedy and music.

He joined John MacDonald live from Los Angeles to discuss the show that will be hitting the city on the 28th of October at the Isaac Theatre Royal.

LISTEN ABOVE

Monty Python star Eric Idle is making his way to Christchurch in his one man musical. 
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live! is a nostalgic reflection on his love comedy, music, life, and what he calls “Mock and Roll”, a blend of comedy and music. 
He joined John MacDonald live from Los Angeles to discuss the show that will be hitting the city on the 28th of October at the Isaac Theatre Royal. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Eric Idle: Comedian on his upcoming show in Christchurch 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live!'

It is time for Christchurch to get real.

To get real and accept that we will never host the Commonwealth Games. Never host them on our own, and not even bother trying to be part of any national bid to host them in the future.

I’ve never shared Mayor Phil Mauger’s dream of getting the Games here again. His idea is based purely and simply on his rose-tinted memories of the ‘74 games here in Christchurch.

But that was a different time, and I imagine he’s not enjoying reading this new report that has just been delivered by the city council’s tourism and economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ.

To sum it up, the report says: We don’t know what it would cost to host the Games in Christchurch —but it would be a truckload. And there are other events we should be trying to get here instead— which would be cheaper and have much more of an economic impact.

All this has ever been, is a pipedream of mayor Phil Mauger's. And good on ChristchurchNZ for coming to the conclusion that it has: that we need to move on. 

The reason, by the way, that I think we need to ditch the Games outright —as in hosting them ourselves and hosting them with other cities around the country— is because I think the Commonwealth Games will be history sooner rather than later.

And I’m more than prepared to listen to the experts, which is what I’m hoping the council will do.

It’s also what I need to do if ChristchurchNZ tells me that this idea I’ve got of getting Oasis over here to be the first band to perform at the new stadium when it opens in 2026 is a dud.

For me, I probably just want to re-live my 20s. And Phil Mauger wants to re-live the time when he was a kid and watched the QE2 stadium being built across the road from his place, and his youthful memories of that golden age in Christchurch’s history.

But we all have to move on.

We also have to remember that Christchurch was left with a lot of debt after the ‘74 games, which wasn’t cleared until the Government chipped in with some money ahead of the 1990 Games in Auckland. Because that would’ve been a bad look if it hadn’t.

So ‘74 wasn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Just like the Commonwealth Games aren’t what some people still crack them up to be. 

Especially when we now know that there are other events that could cost way less and deliver more bang for buck.

An example ChristchurchNZ talks about in its report is the opportunity for Christchurch to host the International Masters Games in 2030. They say this is a ‘live’ opportunity for us to host an international multi-sport, multi-day event - which could pump nearly $12 million into the local economy over a 10-day period.

This is the stuff we need to focus on getting here. Not other nonsense, like the Commonwealth Games.

It is time for Christchurch to get real. 
To get real and accept that we will never host the Commonwealth Games. Never host them on our own, and not even bother trying to be part of any national bid to host them in the future. 
I’ve never shared Mayor Phil Mauger’s dream of getting the Games here again. His idea is based purely and simply on his rose-tinted memories of the ‘74 games here in Christchurch. 
But that was a different time, and I imagine he’s not enjoying reading this new report that has just been delivered by the city council’s tourism and economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ. 
To sum it up, the report says: We don’t know what it would cost to host the Games in Christchurch —but it would be a truckload. And there are other events we should be trying to get here instead— which would be cheaper and have much more of an economic impact. 
All this has ever been, is a pipedream of mayor Phil Mauger's. And good on ChristchurchNZ for coming to the conclusion that it has: that we need to move on.  
The reason, by the way, that I think we need to ditch the Games outright —as in hosting them ourselves and hosting them with other cities around the country— is because I think the Commonwealth Games will be history sooner rather than later. 
And I’m more than prepared to listen to the experts, which is what I’m hoping the council will do. 
It’s also what I need to do if ChristchurchNZ tells me that this idea I’ve got of getting Oasis over here to be the first band to perform at the new stadium when it opens in 2026 is a dud. 
For me, I probably just want to re-live my 20s. And Phil Mauger wants to re-live the time when he was a kid and watched the QE2 stadium being built across the road from his place, and his youthful memories of that golden age in Christchurch’s history. 
But we all have to move on. 
We also have to remember that Christchurch was left with a lot of debt after the ‘74 games, which wasn’t cleared until the Government chipped in with some money ahead of the 1990 Games in Auckland. Because that would’ve been a bad look if it hadn’t. 
So ‘74 wasn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Just like the Commonwealth Games aren’t what some people still crack them up to be.  
Especially when we now know that there are other events that could cost way less and deliver more bang for buck. 
An example ChristchurchNZ talks about in its report is the opportunity for Christchurch to host the International Masters Games in 2030. They say this is a ‘live’ opportunity for us to host an international multi-sport, multi-day event - which could pump nearly $12 million into the local economy over a 10-day period. 
This is the stuff we need to focus on getting here. Not other nonsense, like the Commonwealth Games.

Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayor on the Commonwealth Games report, high rises in the CBD, and pokie machine harm

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