Nationals Vanessa Weenink and Labours Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. 

They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from the Governments response to the strikes in Iran, a U-16 social media ban being backed by a Parliamentary select committee, and if Christchurch ratepayers should be footing a 10-million-dollar bill to reopen the Dux de Lux building.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

Nationals Vanessa Weenink and Labours Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week.&nbsp;
They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from the Governments response to the strikes in Iran, a U-16 social media ban being backed by a Parliamentary select committee, and if Christchurch ratepayers should be footing a 10-million-dollar bill to reopen the Dux de Lux building. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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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 with Vanessa Weenink and Tracey McLellan: Iran, Social Media bans, and Dux de Lux

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e43dca36-c38f-4b87-865a-b40401691bcb/transcript

You know what the Government should do with this recommendation from a parliamentary select committee to ban under-16s from using social media? Ignore it.

With the Government thinking about copying Australia’s ban, a select committee has looked into it and it’s come back with a whole lot of recommendations relating to the online world - including a recommendation that we go ahead with a ban.

The committee says: “Harm to young New Zealanders from online platforms is severe and requires urgent responses.”

The key word there is “harm” and, as the ACT Party is saying today, banning under-16s from social media won’t fix that.

The Greens are opposed to the idea too - with both parties saying it could just lead to kids using what they’re calling “fringe websites”, instead.

So the harm will still be there and the kids will keep finding it, whether-or-not there’s a social media ban.

As to why I’m against this idea. Number One: the horse has already bolted. Number Two: the horse is going to keep on bolting. Because that’s what happens in the online world and the technology world.

If politicians think banning kids under-16 from Tik Tok and Insta and YouTube is the answer, they’re dreaming.

What’s more, if we’re totally honest with ourselves, a social media ban would just let parents off the hook.

Those parents at the supermarket, pushing their kids around in the trolley, and the kids all staring at screens - should the government be coming to their rescue because they either can’t be bothered or are too weak to say no?

Of course not.

Experts from Queensland University think banning under-16s from social media is a pipedream.

They say there is insufficient evidence to show social media is responsible for the increase in youth mental health problems. They say some marginalised young people actually benefit from social media. Example: I remember hearing someone who works with young members of the rainbow community saying that social media can be really valuable for the kids he works with.

These researchers in Australia also say there is a lack of clarity as to what social media actually is.

Nevertheless, a bunch of politicians who are already way behind the 8 ball on this think a social media ban for under-16s is the way to go.

LISTEN ABOVE

You know what the Government should do with this recommendation from a parliamentary select committee to ban under-16s from using social media? Ignore it.
With the Government thinking about copying Australia’s ban, a select committee has looked into it and it’s come back with a whole lot of recommendations relating to the online world - including a recommendation that we go ahead with a ban.
The committee says: “Harm to young New Zealanders from online platforms is severe and requires urgent responses.”
The key word there is “harm” and, as the ACT Party is saying today, banning under-16s from social media won’t fix that.
The Greens are opposed to the idea too - with both parties saying it could just lead to kids using what they’re calling “fringe websites”, instead.
So the harm will still be there and the kids will keep finding it, whether-or-not there’s a social media ban.
As to why I’m against this idea. Number One: the horse has already bolted. Number Two: the horse is going to keep on bolting. Because that’s what happens in the online world and the technology world.
If politicians think banning kids under-16 from Tik Tok and Insta and YouTube is the answer, they’re dreaming.
What’s more, if we’re totally honest with ourselves, a social media ban would just let parents off the hook.
Those parents at the supermarket, pushing their kids around in the trolley, and the kids all staring at screens - should the government be coming to their rescue because they either can’t be bothered or are too weak to say no?
Of course not.
Experts from Queensland University think banning under-16s from social media is a pipedream.
They say there is insufficient evidence to show social media is responsible for the increase in youth mental health problems. They say some marginalised young people actually benefit from social media. Example: I remember hearing someone who works with young members of the rainbow community saying that social media can be really valuable for the kids he works with.
These researchers in Australia also say there is a lack of clarity as to what social media actually is.
Nevertheless, a bunch of politicians who are already way behind the 8 ball on this think a social media ban for under-16s is the way to go.
LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald: Social media ban gets no likes from me

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/216b96ac-ef67-454d-9448-b4040187b541/transcript

Are we still living in the same country that told America what to do with its nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ships?

Are we still living in the same country that declared itself a nuclear-free zone? Which had Washington throwing its toys and telling us that it wouldn’t be sharing intelligence with us if its ships weren’t welcome.

But that didn’t put us off and the no nukes policy has been in place ever since.

That was back in 1984. Fast-forward to 2026 and it is a completely different story.

Which is why we’ve got former foreign affairs minister Phil Goff saying today that Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are scared of US president Donald Trump. He says the Government’s response to US and Israel attacking Iran has been “weak and uncertain”. Which it has.

Not only that. Phil Goff is also saying today that New Zealand no longer has the courage to speak freely on international matters.

He says the Government knows full well that Donald Trump’s claim he was just responding to an imminent threat from Iran is nonsense. Fake news.

Phil Goff says the Government also knows full well that the attacks on Iran are illegal. But it’s too scared to say so because it’s worried about what reaction it might get from, as Goff puts it, a president who is “volatile, unpredictable and vindictive”.

He’s not getting any argument on the volatile and unpredictable bit from former defence minister Wayne Mapp, who says that’s exactly why the Government should be careful what it says.

Because Trump is contrary and you never know what he’s going to do.

Wayne Mapp says: “You do something that really upsets President Trump, you’re likely to be slapped with a 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent tariff.”

And he says the way the Government is handling things protects New Zealand’s interests.

I disagree. Because, if we want to be an independent, confident country, we have to take a stand on things - just like we did back in the 1980s with the nuclear thing.

Christopher Luxon’s background as a CEO is his undoing in situations like this.

Because chief executives are terrified of chaos. They like to have all their ducks lined-up before they make a decision or before they take a position on something.

They are the people who run everything past HR and the legal team because uncertainty is no friend of your chief executive.

So, of course, Christopher Luxon is going to say wishy-washy things like New Zealand “acknowledges” the attacks on Iran. Of course, he’s going to say it’s up to the US and Israel to determine whether the attacks are legal or not, because they’re the ones with all the information in front of them.

Anyone expecting anything different is dreaming. And, because of that, Phil Goff is right.

We are running scared and we have lost the courage to speak freely on international matters. Courage we used to have in spades.

LISTEN ABOVE

Are we still living in the same country that told America what to do with its nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ships?
Are we still living in the same country that declared itself a nuclear-free zone? Which had Washington throwing its toys and telling us that it wouldn’t be sharing intelligence with us if its ships weren’t welcome.
But that didn’t put us off and the no nukes policy has been in place ever since.
That was back in 1984. Fast-forward to 2026 and it is a completely different story.
Which is why we’ve got former foreign affairs minister Phil Goff saying today that Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are scared of US president Donald Trump. He says the Government’s response to US and Israel attacking Iran has been “weak and uncertain”. Which it has.
Not only that. Phil Goff is also saying today that New Zealand no longer has the courage to speak freely on international matters.
He says the Government knows full well that Donald Trump’s claim he was just responding to an imminent threat from Iran is nonsense. Fake news.
Phil Goff says the Government also knows full well that the attacks on Iran are illegal. But it’s too scared to say so because it’s worried about what reaction it might get from, as Goff puts it, a president who is “volatile, unpredictable and vindictive”.
He’s not getting any argument on the volatile and unpredictable bit from former defence minister Wayne Mapp, who says that’s exactly why the Government should be careful what it says.
Because Trump is contrary and you never know what he’s going to do.
Wayne Mapp says: “You do something that really upsets President Trump, you’re likely to be slapped with a 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent tariff.”
And he says the way the Government is handling things protects New Zealand’s interests.
I disagree. Because, if we want to be an independent, confident country, we have to take a stand on things - just like we did back in the 1980s with the nuclear thing.
Christopher Luxon’s background as a CEO is his undoing in situations like this.
Because chief executives are terrified of chaos. They like to have all their ducks lined-up before they make a decision or before they take a position on something.
They are the people who run everything past HR and the legal team because uncertainty is no friend of your chief executive.
So, of course, Christopher Luxon is going to say wishy-washy things like New Zealand “acknowledges” the attacks on Iran. Of course, he’s going to say it’s up to the US and Israel to determine whether the attacks are legal or not, because they’re the ones with all the information in front of them.
Anyone expecting anything different is dreaming. And, because of that, Phil Goff is right.
We are running scared and we have lost the courage to speak freely on international matters. Courage we used to have in spades.
LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald: What happened to our 1980s foreign policy mojo?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0634b5e2-beac-45cf-9a1f-b402018567c1/transcript

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins believes that the strikes on Iran from the US and Israel were illegal, and the Government needs to be clearer on its position.

Speaking to John MacDonald, The Leader of the Opposition said he thinks a regime change is required in Iran, but legal avenues should've been considered.

"It needs to be in adherence with international law, which this is not."

If you're talking about a regime change, you need to have a plan to affect that"

On the news that the Governments bootcamps for young offenders are restarting, Hipkins says he does not support them.

"The first one was an abject failure, all of the evidence suggests they don't work."

LISTEN ABOVE

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins believes that the strikes on Iran from the US and Israel were illegal, and the Government needs to be clearer on its position.
Speaking to John MacDonald, The Leader of the Opposition said he thinks a regime change is required in Iran, but legal avenues should've been considered.
"It needs to be in adherence with international law, which this is not."
If you're talking about a regime change, you need to have a plan to affect that"
On the news that the Governments bootcamps for young offenders are restarting, Hipkins says he does not support them.
"The first one was an abject failure, all of the evidence suggests they don't work."
LISTEN ABOVE

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Iran strikes, GP costs, and bootcamps restarting

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8863d323-92fd-491e-87fc-b4020182ece4/transcript

Politics Friday with Vanessa Weenink and Tracey McLellan: Iran, Social Media bans, and Dux de Lux

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