Articles by John MacDonald
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Opinion
John MacDonald: What spending should the Government prioritise?
Thursday, 14 May 2026, 7:26amWhere do you think government spending should be prioritised? According to new survey findings, a third of us reckon health...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Why ask us what we think and then go and do this?
Wednesday, 13 May 2026, 7:21amWhy do councils bother with public consultation when, it seems, they don’t even listen to what people have to say? I’m asking...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Expecting too much from the Bank of Mum and Dad
Tuesday, 12 May 2026, 7:03amWhen I was a first-home buyer, I can honestly say that I never expected any parental assistance with the finances. Now, granted,...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Poll of Polls no comfort for National
Monday, 11 May 2026, 7:24amLabour leader Chris Hipkins won’t be loving the news out today that the coalition government is on its way to a second term,...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Out with the old stadium, or not?
Friday, 8 May 2026, 7:13amI have my reservations about the Government’s new fast-track laws, because it encourages that whole “do something for the...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Is Airbnb spoiling our central city?
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 12:30pmQuite rightly, people living in the central city in Christchurch have had a gutsful of the number of places being rented...
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Audio
"We've got to get on with it" Mauger defends co-governance around red zone decisions
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 8:34amChristchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has defended the co‑governance model of the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Committee,...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Christchurch's only amalgamation option
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 7:21amI heard Barry Soper say yesterday that, despite all the hard talk, the Government’s so-called fast-tracking of local government...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Don't ignore the Singapore PM's fuel warning
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 7:21amIf you woke up this morning hoping things had somehow sorted themselves out in the Strait of Hormuz, sorry to disappoint. It’s...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: The bit about ACT's immigration policy I don't buy
Monday, 4 May 2026, 7:14amACT Leader David Seymour seems to be going all Winston Peters on it, with his party’s new immigration policy. There’s stuff...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Hipkins needs to deliver on pension talk
Friday, 1 May 2026, 7:26amIs it a flip flop? Is it a sign of things to come? Or is it just something Labour leader Chris Hipkins said off the top of...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: How can the PM trust this guy?
Thursday, 30 April 2026, 7:06amWinston Peters has gone too far this time. Last week, Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis were telling us not to trust him. They‘ll...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: I'm with Winston on the trains
Wednesday, 29 April 2026, 7:20amThere’s that saying that you should never waste a good crisis. And, according to Winston Peters, the trucking companies...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: A super start for our super stadium
Tuesday, 28 April 2026, 6:48amAnyone who didn’t feel excited for and proud of Christchurch over the long weekend might need to check if they’ve still got...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Why the new stadium means so much to us
Thursday, 23 April 2026, 8:11amMake no mistake, today is a massive day for Christchurch. Normally, you’d say the official opening - when the ‘hoi-polloi’...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: National's "nothing to see here" doesn't cut it
Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 7:16amA dog’s breakfast. That’s the only way I can describe the National Party’s handling of the speculation over Christopher Luxon’s...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Shane's butter chicken is giving me indigestion
Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 7:20amI can’t think of one negative impact people moving here from overseas have had on my life. Not one. I can tell you plenty...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: The Greens' solar plan doesn't stack up
Monday, 20 April 2026, 7:53amThe Green Party wants us to electrify everything, saying the current fuel crisis is a good reason to produce as much of our...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Luxon's leadership is more than just a party matter
Friday, 17 April 2026, 7:08amAfter hearing Chris Bishop on Newstalk ZB this morning, there are two things about the National Party and its leader that...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Don't swallow the arguments against this water upgrade
Thursday, 16 April 2026, 7:19amI’ve never had a problem with the chlorine that’s been in Christchurch's water. Which is why I'm not at all upset at the...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: No one wants to pay more tax, but...
Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 7:20amDo we need more taxes? There are two ways we can look at it. Does The Government need more tax revenue? Yes, I think it...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Luxon needs to do some elbowing for fuel supplies too
Monday, 13 April 2026, 7:23amAfter what happened at the weekend, I think Christopher Luxon needs to take a leaf out of Anthony Albanese's book, jump on...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Is this the answer to the Cathedral question?
Friday, 10 April 2026, 7:09amFinally, someone has come up with an idea for the Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch that makes a load of sense. It doesn’t...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: What's the chance of this ceasefire lasting?
Wednesday, 8 April 2026, 7:06amAnyone who thinks the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is going to last the full two weeks is dreaming. How...
