John MacDonald: Jetty restoration group's zero-interest pipedream

I don’t know if I’m going to make any friends in Governors Bay, especially with the people involved with the Governors Bay Jetty Restoration Trust.   Because I think their call that the city council stop charging them interest on a loan it gave them to get the project across the line is, at best, …

Politics Friday with National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Duncan Webb: Erica Stanford's insult in Parliament, gang patch ban, boot camps

John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb this morning for Politics Friday. They discussed whether the new gang patch law will make a difference to crime numbers, and why the Government is pushing on with the boot camp legislation while the trials are ongoing.…

John MacDonald: Here's how to really make life difficult for gangs

Today’s the day when one of the most ridiculous laws we’ve ever seen in this country starts being enforced by the police.   As of midnight last night, it is illegal for gang members to wear their patches out in public. Not only that - the Government also wants the cops to stop gang members hanging…

John MacDonald: Cowboy hats and feathers? Yes. Bad behaviour? No

I can’t accuse NZ First MP Shane Jones of being pale, male, and stale. But he is male, and he is stale with these comments of his about the way some MPs are dressing in Parliament. I do agree with him, though, that some of the rules in Parliament need toughening up.    This has all been stirred-up…

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Te Pati Māori's haka, the behaviour of MPs in Parliament

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he had no problem with Te Pati Māori's haka in the House last week, during the vote on ACT's Treaty Principle Bill. David Seymour, the National Party, and Shane Jones have written to Speaker Gerry Brownlee. They say the Speaker should oversee rule changes at Parli…

John MacDonald: Don't point the finger at David Seymour for Treaty Principles mess

An absolute circus is one way to describe David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill.   Or you could say that the thousands at Parliament today to protest against it is what democracy is all about.   Either way, if you want to point a finger at anyone for creating this shambles, don’t point it at Dav…

John MacDonald: No mention of money doesn't make today's apology hollow

When it comes to apologies there are generally two types: a sincere apology and a hollow apology. And survivors of abuse in state or religious care are saying that the Prime Minister’s apology today for that abuse is hollow, because the Government isn’t saying anything today about redress or compe…

John MacDonald: Should the taxpayer chip-in for your solar panels?

If you’ve got solar panels on the roof, you’ll be loving the blue skies.  And a solar energy advocate is saying today that those of us who don’t should be getting financial support from the Government.  Mike Casey says New Zealand is one of the few western countries that doesn’t provide subsidies…

John MacDonald: Health and Safety is off the rails

You'll have your own way of describing this crazy situation where we’ve got KiwiRail telling the Christchurch City Council that it has to close a 1.5 kilometre stretch of cycleway for two years, because the cycleway needs some safety improvements. KiwiRail reckons the Heathcote Express cycleway, w…

Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Rueben Davidson on the Christchurch cycleway , Treaty Principles Bill, Otago University medical school enrolments

Today on Politics Friday, John MacDonald was joined by National’s Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Reuben Davidson to dig into some of the biggest political stories of the week.  Christchurch City Council is pushing back against the closure of a cycleway at Heathcote, KiwiRail ordering upgrades due to…