Articles by John MacDonald
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Duty of care? Do me a favour, Christian
Friday, 28 March 2025, 1:09pmSome people think a 90-day trial for new workers is tough, but what about a two-day trial? Which is what’s happened with...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Roadside drug testing? Great. Will the police cope? Mmmm
Thursday, 27 March 2025, 12:52pmI’m sure you’ll tell me if you think I’m stuck in the past, but I reckon that with the police now being expected to do roadside...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: One stadium, one ticket price
Wednesday, 26 March 2025, 12:43pmEven though I live in Christchurch and pay rates in Christchurch, you’re not going to hear me saying that I should pay less...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Meth use doubles and here's what needs to happen
Tuesday, 25 March 2025, 1:08pmI’ve never used meth. And I hope I never do. I say “hope” because I think that’s as certain as you can be about a drug...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Are we really that scared of saying what we think?
Monday, 24 March 2025, 12:52pmAt the same time as Winston Peters is declaring war on wokeism, we’ve got a Christchurch community board member saying we...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: How to honour Chch Cathedral's past without being stuck in it
Friday, 21 March 2025, 1:20pmHere's an idea that I’m quite excited about. It’s quite raw – it only occurred to me at about 5:30 this morning. But I...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: An apprenticeship is anything but second-best
Wednesday, 19 March 2025, 1:25pmI always have and always will be a huge fan of on-the-job training. Which is why I think it’s brilliant that we’ve got an...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: What's so bad about political parties having a go at council elections?
Tuesday, 18 March 2025, 12:57pmDavid Seymour says the ACT Party wants to put up candidates in this year’s local body elections because “it’s time for a...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Briscoes boss has buyer's remorse and I can see why
Thursday, 13 March 2025, 1:50pmWhen the Prime Minister is doing all the shake and howdy at the investment summit in Auckland, I bet he’ll be feeling like...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Government contract changes make sense to me
Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 1:11pmPatriotism or profit. Essentially, that’s what these changes the Government is making to the way it hires companies to...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Road rage is getting worse - here's what needs to happen
Tuesday, 11 March 2025, 1:02pmRoad rage is getting worse according to survey results out today, and I think it’s time we made road rage a specific criminal...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Taking away the Environment Court is a bad idea
Monday, 10 March 2025, 1:14pmI don’t like this idea of dangling bigger carrots in front of people who own land that the government or your local council...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Winston had no option
Friday, 7 March 2025, 12:51pmWinston Peters had no option when it came to sacking Phil Goff from his job as High Commissioner in London, but that doesn’t...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Orr's job was to re-build the rock star economy - not be the rock star
Thursday, 6 March 2025, 12:36pmI'm neither happy or unhappy that Adrian Orr is no longer Reserve Bank Governor, but I do have a piece of advice for whoever...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: The PM just doesn't get it, does he?
Wednesday, 5 March 2025, 12:45pmI’m still getting over the Prime Minister saying if people don't like the food provided by the school lunch programme, they...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Weasel words aren't the way to respond to Destiny's hate speech
Tuesday, 4 March 2025, 12:54pmI am so glad that I’m not a member of the local rainbow community. Because if I was, I would be despairing at the weasel...
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Audio
John MacDonald: Zelensky will be back at the White House
Monday, 3 March 2025, 12:27pmWhat we saw at the White House at the weekend was nothing short of vile. But we shouldn’t be surprised. Watching it, I was...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Four-year terms for councils? No thanks
Friday, 28 February 2025, 12:43pmWhen the Government announced yesterday that it wants to have a binding referendum on a four-year parliamentary term here...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Chch council should be red-faced over red zone decision
Thursday, 27 February 2025, 12:55pmDon’t you get it? I’m not saying this to you – I’m saying it to the Christchurch City Council, which thinks there is no...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: I'm 50/50 when it comes to citizen's arrests
Wednesday, 26 February 2025, 12:49pmI’m 50/50 on this idea the Government’s got of letting people do citizens arrests. For security guards? Yes. For every...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: In 2025 you don't touch people at work
Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 12:35pmWho would want to be Andrew Bayly today? The disgraced, now former minister, resigned because he touched a staff member...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Spend up large on defence, we have no choice
Monday, 24 February 2025, 1:06pmSpend up large. That’s my message to the Government. Go large, spend up big and drag our military into the 21st century. That’s...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: This is a terrible thing to say, but it's true
Friday, 21 February 2025, 12:29pmDo you know why the Government has failed to meet all of its child poverty targets? The overarching reason I’m talking...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: When are the banks going to lift their game?
Thursday, 20 February 2025, 12:25pmAdrian Orr. Champion of the people. Well, that might be going a bit too far. But the Reserve Bank Governor was speaking...
