All Blacks legend-turned-All Blacks Tour Guide Ian Jones joined Canterbury Mornings ahead of the first test against the French in Chirstchurch.

Jones now wears many hats, one of them is being the General Manager for the All Blacks Experience in Auckland - taking tourists and rugby tragics alike through the motions of what an All Black or Black Fern experiences before a test match.

He also touched on the improvements in awareness of mental wellbeing in the game, with his perspective of how things were back in the day compared to now.

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All Blacks legend Richard Loe has always worked on paddocks, albeit pasture on the farm or the rugby field.

He joined John MacDonald ahead of the first All Blacks test in Christchurch, what his thoughts are on a "weaker" French side, and they also touched on "Loey's" work on promoting health and safety on the farm.

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The Inkster company owns a large portfolio of local pubs, bars and restaurants across Christchurch, and they are soon set to have another pub right across the road from One New Zealand Stadium, affectionally called "The Lancaster".

Nick Inkster joined Canterbury Mornings to talk about his journey from moving out of home and straight into buying his own property with his brother, his time working in Western Australia, and how he got to his high position on the local hospitality scene.

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The temporary seats are up at One New Zealand Stadium ahead of the first All Blacks test, and Venues Otautahi CEO Caroline Harvie-Teare joined Canterbury Mornings to hear about the excitement brewing for tomorrow night.

She was asked about the fee that Christchurch paid to lock in the test under the roof, and why those on the temporary stands can only use the stadium bathrooms until 6pm on the night.

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What were the people at Wolfbrook Property Group thinking when they decided to fill the holes at the Pegasus Golf Course with concrete?

As if they haven’t put enough noses out of joint with their plan to build houses on the site. They’ve now gone and rubbed those noses in the dirt with this carry-on, which one resident is describing today as childish.

And I completely agree.

Yes, I get it that this land is now theirs. I get it that it’s not a public facility. In fact, as the company itself is pointing out, it’s never been a public facility.

And yes, therefore, the public does not - technically - have any right to use it. But what a stupid thing to do.

I don’t have a problem with the company buying the land and wanting to develop it. The golf club at Pegasus went under, Wolfbrook bought the land and it’s theirs. I’m good with all that.

I’m not comfortable, though, with the company using the Government’s fast-track legislation to try and get things happening sooner rather than later.

Fast-tracking it would be bad for something so controversial. Because people need to feel they’ve, at least, had their say and I don’t think that would happen if it was fast-tracked.

And, even though I don’t have a problem with Wolfbrook wanting to turn the golf course into housing, I think they need to calm the farm and pull their heads in.

Because filling the golf course holes with concrete isn’t going to get anyone on their side.

As one Pegasus resident is saying today: "It's sort of pettiness. If they want to protect their brand and if they want to have a good name with their investors, I would have thought they'd be encouraging us to play and perhaps look after the golf course in the meantime until this is sorted out legally."

Couldn’t agree more.

Because it’s not as if the developers want or need to protect the golf course.

As soon as they get it approved, they’ll be moving in with the diggers and trucks and ripping the whole thing up.

So they’re not trying to maintain some sort of pristine facility.

And so what if the people at Pegasus want to use it in the meantime? The company is saying today that, as the owners of the land, they’re the ones paying for its upkeep.

Which, as I say, I get.

But this is not any old piece of land. It’s a piece of land that the people who live at Pegasus believe - wrongly, I think - should stay as it is forever.

The company was buying enough of a fight in the first place. It’s now ramped that up with this behaviour which, quite rightly, is being described as childish.

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Jeff Wilson played at the highest level for New Zealand for both the All Blacks and the Blackcaps, and these days he follows rugby all around the world as a Sky Sport commentator.

"Goldie" took some time to chat with Canterbury Mornings ahead of the All Blacks first test of the year, and first match in Christchurch for over four years.

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Sam Darry may play for the Auckland Blues, but he grew up in Christchurch.

He’s been named in the starting line-up for tomorrow night's test against France and joined Canterbury Mornings ahead of the first test under the roof at One NZ Stadium.

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Yesterday, Treasury released a whole lot of documents showing the advice it gave the Government during the early days of the fuel crisis.

One of the key things was a recommendation not to cut fuel taxes or road user charges, because it didn’t think it was needed.

The Government went with the advice. But, you might also remember, that the Government went a step further than that and said that the fuel tax increase - due to kick in at the start of next year - was unlikely.

Which I thought was a bad move. And I still do.

In the reports I’ve seen about yesterday’s document dump, there’s nothing about any Treasury advice on next year’s increase.

But there’s two reasons for that: 1. This advice was to help the Government deal with things in-the-moment. And 2. When Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop poured cold water on the fuel tax increase, that was just politics.

Because, as you’ll remember, there were all sorts of people crying out for help.

The Government went ahead with the support for low-to-middle income earners. But that was it.

And it knew it wouldn’t be a good look if it said no to everyone else wanting help and, in the same breath, said it was also going ahead with next year’s fuel tax increase.

But that was a bad move by the Government. My view on that hasn’t changed. And that’s why I think the Government needs to bite the bullet and press on with the fuel tax increase early next year. As planned.

There’ll be plenty of people who will say that they couldn’t afford fuel taxes increasing.

But I don’t think the country can afford not to increase them. And I’m not the only one.

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour thinks the same.

He says the Government shouldn’t do anything to limit its revenue from fuel taxes because of the long-term consequences for the Government’s finances.

And what he’s talking about there, is limiting or restricting the amount of money the Government gets in to pay for road maintenance and construction.

It also helps pay for things like public transport.

The Finance Minister even acknowledged this negative impact when she said a few months back that the fuel tax increase was unlikely to go ahead.

So, in its heart of hearts, the Government knows that increasing fuel taxes is a no-brainer. Which it is.

The Government knows it. We know it. So there’s only one thing for it to do.

It needs to stop being so antsy and it needs to commit to putting the fuel taxes up, as planned, early next year.

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