Articles by John MacDonald
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Opinion
John MacDonald: What's so bad about ex-MPs being on local councils?
Thursday, 17 April 2025, 1:26pmI’m starting to wonder who isn’t running for mayor in Wellington. Former Labour leader Andrew Little is the latest one...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Let's not go all misery guts over these crime stats
Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 1:23pmHow are you feeling about the world, now that we know the Government’s goal of having 20,000 less violent crimes by 2029...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: New sex ed curriculum is a great start
Tuesday, 15 April 2025, 12:36pmI’m liking the sound of Education Minister Erica Stanford’s approach to sex education. But it won’t be plain sailing, and...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Was the Treaty Principles debate worth it?
Friday, 11 April 2025, 12:44pmThe Treaty Principles Bill is history. Done and dusted. But ACT leader David Seymour, who came up with the bill in the first...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Trump's economic vandalism is staggering
Thursday, 10 April 2025, 12:44pmI saw a brilliant cartoon the other day which had America’s founding fathers sitting around a table writing up the country’s...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Do politicians' religious beliefs matter to you?
Wednesday, 9 April 2025, 1:06pmIf the MP for Ilam, Hamish Campbell, thinks he’s going to get away with not saying anything more about his involvement with...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: $12 billion on defence? I'm good with that
Tuesday, 8 April 2025, 1:16pmIt would be great if we didn’t have to spend $12 billion on our defence force. But we do, and I’m good with it. To be...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: I'm not going anti-America over the tariffs
Friday, 4 April 2025, 1:35pmAustralia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reckons people in Australia are going to feel dumped-on by the United States...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Greater housing density is the future Christchurch
Thursday, 3 April 2025, 1:10pmWe were all standing up and cheering the Christchurch City Council three years ago, when it flipped the bird at the Government...
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Opinion
John MacDonald: Here's how to get big events to NZ
Wednesday, 2 April 2025, 1:15pmThe Prime Minister has lived up to his talk of being a great negotiator, saying “thanks but no thanks” to Team New Zealand....
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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...
