Today on Politics Friday John MacDonald was joined by National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb. 

They discussed the recent behaviour from MPs, will complaints be laid? 

Education is getting a facelift, is it time for a combined plan for a long-term approach to education in New Zealand to prevent our young people becoming guinea pigs?

AUKUS: should New Zealand be seeking to join it or steering clear?

LISTEN ABOVE  

Today on Politics Friday John MacDonald was joined by National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb.  
They discussed the recent behaviour from MPs, will complaints be laid?  
Education is getting a facelift, is it time for a combined plan for a long-term approach to education in New Zealand to prevent our young people becoming guinea pigs? 
AUKUS: should New Zealand be seeking to join it or steering clear? 
LISTEN ABOVE

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. 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

Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb discuss MP behaviour, education, and AUKUS

If you talk to anyone who has been a manager and you ask them what’s the best thing about being a manager and what’s the worst, the answer will be the same for both. The people. 

I know, because I’ve been a manager before, and I know exactly how brilliant it can be when things are going great with your people. But, when they’re not, it can be a nightmare. 

And a new report out today from the Human Rights Commission and KPMG shows just how much of a nightmare it can be when those problems are caused by bullies. They’ve actually put a price tag on it.

Which has prompted someone who says they were bullied out of a job —and who is something of an anti-bullying campaigner— to say today that they think bullying is part of New Zealand’s culture.

And I agree. We like to think we’re a bunch of good sorts, but if you start to think about it for even just a minute or two, you start to realise that we are deluded on that front. And that bullying happens everywhere.

Now it’s no coincidence that this report has come out today, because it’s Pink Shirt Day which is one of those annual awareness things. 

But, when it comes down to it, do you think everyone turning up to work and school in pink shirts and maybe having a morning tea together is going to change anything? Good on you if you are getting involved in all of this today, but I think it almost trivialises bullying.

Because there will be no shortage of people today who are being bullied —in workplaces, for example— who will see people in the office running around in pink shirts and they will just know that, come Monday, it will all be back to normal. And the bullies will be back to normal transmission, and nothing will have changed. 

So, this report by the Human Rights Commission and KPMG says bullying in the workplace collectively costs employers $1.5 billion every year.

They’ve worked it out by measuring things like people taking more time off work because of bullying, people not performing at their best because of what’s going on, higher staff turnover, and the time it takes to deal with complaints about bullying. 

Anti-bullying campaigner James Hilford says he was bullied out of a job and says it's rife everywhere. 

When I first heard what he was saying, I thought ‘oh here we go’. But then I thought about it, and he’s right.

When we’re out driving, we’re bullies. Parents, at times, bully their kids. The All Blacks, we bully them endlessly. Social media. Whatsapp groups. I’d go as far as saying that we even bully ourselves. That’s how ingrained it is. 

You’ve got your passive aggressive types, they’re bullies. Then you’ve got the people who don’t even try to hide their bullying behaviour.  

I remember working somewhere once —and I wasn’t the manager— and they had a thing up on the wall recording how much money everyone was bringing into the business. That was bullying. 

They probably thought it was about driving performance. But it wasn’t. It was bullying. It was shaming the people who weren’t bringing-in as much revenue as some of the others.

This isn’t to say, by the way, that things haven’t changed. Things have changed in terms of bullying, at least, being talked about, which is a start. But I reckon that might be as good as it gets.

And we can have Pink Shirt Days until we’re blue in the face. But with bullying so ingrained in pretty much everything we do —so ingrained in our culture— I think we’re stuck with it.

If you talk to anyone who has been a manager and you ask them what’s the best thing about being a manager and what’s the worst, the answer will be the same for both. The people.  
I know, because I’ve been a manager before, and I know exactly how brilliant it can be when things are going great with your people. But, when they’re not, it can be a nightmare.  
And a new report out today from the Human Rights Commission and KPMG shows just how much of a nightmare it can be when those problems are caused by bullies. They’ve actually put a price tag on it. 
Which has prompted someone who says they were bullied out of a job —and who is something of an anti-bullying campaigner— to say today that they think bullying is part of New Zealand’s culture. 
And I agree. We like to think we’re a bunch of good sorts, but if you start to think about it for even just a minute or two, you start to realise that we are deluded on that front. And that bullying happens everywhere. 
Now it’s no coincidence that this report has come out today, because it’s Pink Shirt Day which is one of those annual awareness things.  
But, when it comes down to it, do you think everyone turning up to work and school in pink shirts and maybe having a morning tea together is going to change anything? Good on you if you are getting involved in all of this today, but I think it almost trivialises bullying. 
Because there will be no shortage of people today who are being bullied —in workplaces, for example— who will see people in the office running around in pink shirts and they will just know that, come Monday, it will all be back to normal. And the bullies will be back to normal transmission, and nothing will have changed.  
So, this report by the Human Rights Commission and KPMG says bullying in the workplace collectively costs employers $1.5 billion every year. 
They’ve worked it out by measuring things like people taking more time off work because of bullying, people not performing at their best because of what’s going on, higher staff turnover, and the time it takes to deal with complaints about bullying.  
Anti-bullying campaigner James Hilford says he was bullied out of a job and says it's rife everywhere.  
When I first heard what he was saying, I thought ‘oh here we go’. But then I thought about it, and he’s right. 
When we’re out driving, we’re bullies. Parents, at times, bully their kids. The All Blacks, we bully them endlessly. Social media. Whatsapp groups. I’d go as far as saying that we even bully ourselves. That’s how ingrained it is.  
You’ve got your passive aggressive types, they’re bullies. Then you’ve got the people who don’t even try to hide their bullying behaviour.   
I remember working somewhere once —and I wasn’t the manager— and they had a thing up on the wall recording how much money everyone was bringing into the business. That was bullying.  
They probably thought it was about driving performance. But it wasn’t. It was bullying. It was shaming the people who weren’t bringing-in as much revenue as some of the others. 
This isn’t to say, by the way, that things haven’t changed. Things have changed in terms of bullying, at least, being talked about, which is a start. But I reckon that might be as good as it gets. 
And we can have Pink Shirt Days until we’re blue in the face. But with bullying so ingrained in pretty much everything we do —so ingrained in our culture— I think we’re stuck with it.

John MacDonald: Come Monday, the bullies will be back on the job

John MacDonald was joined by National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb this week for Politics Friday.

They discussed the bullying culture in New Zealand, is it rife in workplaces? And does it come from the top, given the environment in Parliament? 

Will the Government's charter schools really be the answer to our education issues? 

Is the South Island being ignored when it comes to roading infrastructure?

LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald was joined by National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb this week for Politics Friday. 
They discussed the bullying culture in New Zealand, is it rife in workplaces? And does it come from the top, given the environment in Parliament?  
Will the Government's charter schools really be the answer to our education issues?  
Is the South Island being ignored when it comes to roading infrastructure? 
LISTEN ABOVE

Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb discuss bullying, charter schools, and roading infrastructure

Things are really packing a sad at Christchurch City Holdings Limited - the commercial outfit that looks after the city’s assets such as the airport, Orion electricity, and the port company. 

There are others as well, but the big ones are a 75% stake in Christchurch Airport, 89% of the Orion electricity distribution company, and 100% ownership of the Lyttelton Port Company.

Four directors —including the chairperson— quit suddenly yesterday, saying the relationship between CCHL and the council has broken down because the politicians are sticking their noses into things they know nothing about.

And those resignations were effective immediately. So, the organisation that is responsible for $6 billion of public assets in Christchurch has no chairperson and only half the number of people that normally sit around the board table.

There are four left. Two independent directors and two city councillors who represent the council. 

So, a real hissy fit, if you want to call it that. But I’m not surprised, and I don’t blame these people for quitting, especially when you consider why CCHL exists.

It was set-up in 1993, so more than 30 years ago. And the reason it came about in the first place was to create what CCHL itself describes as “an independent non-political buffer between the Council and the companies it owns”.

As it says on its website, it ensures that a commercial approach is taken to managing the Council’s companies.

So, what that essentially means is Christchurch City Holdings exists to make sure that there is no political interference in the running of the council’s commercial operations, and that the companies are left to do whatever they think needs to be done to make a profit and return a dividend to the council.

But those good intentions appear to have become just weasel words, especially when you consider what Abby Foote —who, as of yesterday, is the former chair of the board— says in her resignation letter. Which I'll get to. 

But just so you know what’s behind the four board resignations, you might remember how late last year CCHL wanted to take a long-term view and look into ways it could reduce some of the debt it’s carrying. Which some interpreted as code for selling-off some of the assets to pay down some debt. 

I see Abbie Foote, in her letter to the mayor, pushes back a bit on that. But I think that’s definitely what we should be doing, whether they were thinking that or not. We need to sell some of these assets because it’s crazy how much debt CCHL is carrying. It’s a truckload of debt. $2.3 billion.

So CCHL wanted to clear some of that debt. But a majority of city councillors felt differently and decided just before Christmas that, instead of paying off debt —instead of even thinking about selling any of these assets— it told CCHL to forget about that and just deliver higher dividends. Essentially, to make more money.   

And that is what led to what happened yesterday. With Abby Foote —speaking on behalf of herself and the other three directors who have quit— saying there has been a breakdown in the relationship between CCHL’s board —and its management— and the council. 

And here’s one of several stingers in the letter she wrote yesterday to the mayor. She says recent decisions by city councillors in terms of the direction CCHL should be heading have “caused us to lose confidence in Council’s ability to responsibly own core strategic infrastructure”.

Now I would like to think that this is something that can be fixed, but I don’t think it can. Not with this current council, anyway. The council, by the way, that voted yesterday in favour of looking further into spending ratepayer money buying or leasing the earthquake-damaged Dux de Lux pub, for goodness sake.

And the question I’ve got in my head is this. 

Knowing how politicians can’t keep their noses out of anything, even when most of them don’t have a business bone in their body, and even when there are structures in place like we have here with an independent outfit to prevent political interference in commercial decision-making, should local councils really be involved in running commercial entities? In particular, should the Christchurch council continue to be involved in running commercial entities?

And my answer to that is, no they shouldn’t.

And what I think we should be doing here is accepting what the now former head honcho at Christchurch City Holdings is saying, that the council is incapable of responsibly owning these kinds of assets, that it’s a hopeless business operator - and we should be getting rid of them. Because they are proving to be more trouble than they are worth.

What I think we should be doing is following the lead of Auckland, which is looking at selling its shares in Auckland Airport to create an investment fund. 

That makes much more sense than what we have at the moment, which is an outfit that exists to prevent political interference in commercial decision-making about billions of dollars of council commercial assets, being stymied by the thing it’s supposed to prevent - political interference.

Things are really packing a sad at Christchurch City Holdings Limited - the commercial outfit that looks after the city’s assets such as the airport, Orion electricity, and the port company.  
There are others as well, but the big ones are a 75% stake in Christchurch Airport, 89% of the Orion electricity distribution company, and 100% ownership of the Lyttelton Port Company. 
Four directors —including the chairperson— quit suddenly yesterday, saying the relationship between CCHL and the council has broken down because the politicians are sticking their noses into things they know nothing about. 
And those resignations were effective immediately. So, the organisation that is responsible for $6 billion of public assets in Christchurch has no chairperson and only half the number of people that normally sit around the board table. 
There are four left. Two independent directors and two city councillors who represent the council.  
So, a real hissy fit, if you want to call it that. But I’m not surprised, and I don’t blame these people for quitting, especially when you consider why CCHL exists. 
It was set-up in 1993, so more than 30 years ago. And the reason it came about in the first place was to create what CCHL itself describes as “an independent non-political buffer between the Council and the companies it owns”. 
As it says on its website, it ensures that a commercial approach is taken to managing the Council’s companies. 
So, what that essentially means is Christchurch City Holdings exists to make sure that there is no political interference in the running of the council’s commercial operations, and that the companies are left to do whatever they think needs to be done to make a profit and return a dividend to the council. 
But those good intentions appear to have become just weasel words, especially when you consider what Abby Foote —who, as of yesterday, is the former chair of the board— says in her resignation letter. Which I'll get to.  
But just so you know what’s behind the four board resignations, you might remember how late last year CCHL wanted to take a long-term view and look into ways it could reduce some of the debt it’s carrying. Which some interpreted as code for selling-off some of the assets to pay down some debt.  
I see Abbie Foote, in her letter to the mayor, pushes back a bit on that. But I think that’s definitely what we should be doing, whether they were thinking that or not. We need to sell some of these assets because it’s crazy how much debt CCHL is carrying. It’s a truckload of debt. $2.3 billion. 
So CCHL wanted to clear some of that debt. But a majority of city councillors felt differently and decided just before Christmas that, instead of paying off debt —instead of even thinking about selling any of these assets— it told CCHL to forget about that and just deliver higher dividends. Essentially, to make more money.    
And that is what led to what happened yesterday. With Abby Foote —speaking on behalf of herself and the other three directors who have quit— saying there has been a breakdown in the relationship between CCHL’s board —and its management— and the council.  
And here’s one of several stingers in the letter she wrote yesterday to the mayor. She says recent decisions by city councillors in terms of the direction CCHL should be heading have “caused us to lose confidence in Council’s ability to responsibly own core strategic infrastructure”. 
Now I would like to think that this is something that can be fixed, but I don’t think it can. Not with this current council, anyway. The council, by the way, that voted yesterday in favour of looking further into spending ratepayer money buying or leasing the earthquake-damaged Dux de Lux pub, for goodness sake. 
And the question I’ve got in my head is this.  
Knowing how politicians can’t keep their noses out of anything, even when most of them don’t have a business bone in their body, and even when there are structures in place like we have here with an independent outfit to prevent political interference in commercial decision-making, should local councils really be involved in running commercial entities? In particular, should the Christchurch council continue to be involved in running commercial entities? 
And my answer to that is, no they shouldn’t. 
And what I think we should be doing here is accepting what the now former head honcho at Christchurch City Holdings is saying, that the council is incapable of responsibly owning these kinds of assets, that it’s a hopeless business operator - and we should be getting rid of them. Because they are proving to be more trouble than they are worth. 
What I think we should be doing is following the lead of Auckland, which is looking at selling its shares in Auckland Airport to create an investment fund.  
That makes much more sense than what we have at the moment, which is an outfit that exists to prevent political interference in commercial decision-making about billions of dollars of council commercial assets, being stymied by the thing it’s supposed to prevent - political interference.

Politics Friday: National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour’s Duncan Webb discuss MP behaviour, education, and AUKUS

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