Politics Friday: Duncan Webb and Hamish Campbell talk truancy, students, RMA proposals

Today on Politics Friday John MacDonald was joined by National’s Hamish Campbell and Labour’s Duncan Webb to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week.  The Government will soon be issuing fines to parents of repeatedly absent students – will this work? Is it a new idea?  Campbell almost ma…

John MacDonald: Finger-wagging won't get more kids going to school

I can’t find an exact figure but from what I have seen online, I’m pretty confident in saying that there are hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid fines in New Zealand, and that figure is about to rise even further.   Because the Government is dreaming if it thinks people fined for not sending…

John MacDonald: All councils should learn from ECAN's open mind on rail

I hope Environment Canterbury isn’t bothering listening to Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey.   He’s not impressed that the regional council is going to spend money doing a business case for a rail passenger service between Rangiora, Christchurch, and Rolleston.   Matt Doocey says it’s nothing more than…

John MacDonald: Sometimes a ban isn't the answer

It would be very easy for me to say that the organisers of those ridiculous Run it Straight combat sport events have blood on their hands after the tragic death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite.   And I would be saying that if Ryan had been involved in an official event. The thing is, he wasn’t. …

James Meager: Minister for the South Island on his portfolio, budget for Canterbury, Hipkins' comments

James Meager is responding to Chris Hipkins’ comments about the Minister for the South Island role.  The Labour Leader called the position a “PR job”, saying there would be no need for Meager’s role if the Government was actually prioritising the South Island.  Hipkins says Meager's not doing any…

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on Winston Peters ruling out Labour, KiwiSaver changes, Minister for the South Island

Labour's yet to rule potential coalition partners in or out.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is refusing to work with Chris Hipkins next election, but has not entirely ruled Labour out.  On social media, Peters posted a Government of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori would be a "circ…

John MacDonald: Have we lost the retail crime battle?

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  That’s the message cops have been given about shoplifting.    And the powers-that-be can say as much as they like about their memo to staff about only bothering with shoplifting worth more than $500 not being worded as well as it could have been, but the message is…

John MacDonald: The community work sanction is an opportunity

The Government is describing the 20 hours unpaid community work that people on the Jobseeker benefit will be made to do from today if they don’t follow the rules, as a penalty. And there’ll be no shortage of people cheering on from the sidelines, who will also be seeing it as a penalty. I think i…

Politics Friday with Megan Woods and Matt Doocey: KiwiSaver, means testing, what the budget means for Canterbury

Today Megan Woods and Matt Doocey joined John MacDonald following the release of the budget. They discussed the key aspects of it including changes to KiwiSaver, will there be an announcement on the retirement as it sound like Matt is hinting towards? Should parents really support 18 and 19 year o…

John MacDonald: We're not going far enough with superannuation changes

Quite a well-known chief executive and finance guy told me once that, in business, you should always make use of other people’s money first. Which is exactly what the Government is doing with the KiwiSaver changes announced in yesterday’s budget. It wants more of our money going in from our wages…