Christchurch's incumbent mayor believes debt is the Council's biggest challenge.

Phil Mauger says if re-elected he's committed to tackling the Garden's City's growing debt by selling off assets like the Lichfield Street carpark.

Mauger told John MacDonald the current debt level is $2.5 billion, and he wants it under control.

He says 25 cents of every rate dollar goes into debt servicing, and he wants that money spent on more things to benefit the city.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I support the NZ Drug Foundation’s push to decriminalise drug use and drug possession.

The key point here is “use” and “possession”. It’s not saying let the dealers and manufacturers away with it, it’s saying we need to take a much more compassionate approach and treat drug users as people in need of help, instead of treating them as criminals.

I’m picking your response will probably be determined by your exposure to drugs or experience with drugs.

By that I mean whether your life has been affected in any way.

I reckon that if someone close to me got hooked on meth, for example, then I’d definitely be wanting the law to take a more compassionate view.

Because I know that I wouldn’t see them as criminals, I’d see them as someone needing help.

Whereas if my life was impacted negatively in any way by a meth head —for example, if someone high on meth had attacked me in the street or broken into my home— then I might not be quite so compassionate.

But if I listen to what the Drug Foundation has to say, then maybe a more compassionate approach would mean less drug addicts attacking people in the street and less drug addicts committing crimes to get money for their drugs.

Because here’s what it says about that in its report:

It says we should decriminalise personal possession and use of drugs —including drug utensils— because evidence from overseas shows that a system where people get help —and aren’t treated as criminals— even when they continue using their drug of choice... it says there is evidence that it works.

In Switzerland for example, where it has what’s called “heroin-assisted treatments”, less people have died from overdoses and there is less drug-related crime.

Another example the foundation gives in its report is Canada, where there are signs that its “safer supply programmes” are reducing the number of drug overdoses and helping drug users lead more stable lives.

So why wouldn’t you give it a go?

But it wants it done in parallel with a whole lot of money being poured into health and harm reduction services.

Which, no matter what your views on our drug laws are, is a no-brainer.

You’ll remember how, late last year, it was revealed that cocaine use in New Zealand is at an all-time high and methamphetamine consumption has doubled. And with people using more cocaine and meth, they’re at much greater risk of things like psychosis and heart issues.

So, either way, there’s going to be some sort of financial burden on the health system at some point, isn’t there?

So why not turn things on their head?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it good enough that the victim of a nasty assault in Christchurch has had to hound the police for four weeks to find out what’s going on with their investigation?

This is someone who lost several teeth in the assault which happened in broad daylight inside The Palms shopping mall.

Is it good enough?

He and his family don’t think so, saying today that it’s left them feeling like they’re the bad guys, when all they’ve wanted is to know what’s going on.

I’ll come back to his story. And another one.

But is it good enough? I don’t think it is.

But even though Canterbury Police have ditched their restructuring plans which would have had less cops based in areas like Amberley and Culverden and more cops based in growth areas like Rangiora and Rolleston, I don’t see things changing anytime soon.

The police obviously didn’t bank on Federated Farmers getting fired up and organising public meetings, which led to 1,000 submissions against the proposals, which have now been ditched.

But while Federated Farmers and people in places like Amberley and Culverden will be happy, it doesn’t solve the problem for everyone else in Canterbury.

The problem being: there’s not enough cops.

Which brings me back to the guy who was punched in the chops in broad daylight by a woman at The Palms four weeks ago.

Matt Sherwood is his name. He’s a baker —he runs his own business— and he was at the mall selling his products when a woman he didn’t know put her groceries down on his table.

He said “g’day” to her and she muttered something. But then went and opened a can of drink that started to fizz everywhere. All over Matt’s stall. And, within seconds, she was yelling “f*** you man” and she hit him in the face.

He lost six teeth and has been to the dentist multiple times, which has cost him thousands of dollars.

But the bit that has left him really frustrated is the way he’s had to hound the police for information.

He’s saying today: “Every single sort of point we get to, it’s just like it’s forced. I feel like I’ve done something wrong all the time. I would have liked some sort of timeline, and just to keep up with stuff and (have them) contact me and tell me the time frame.”

The exact same story for someone else we’ve heard about. This person was assaulted in a public place, called the police the next day, and had to chase them for two weeks to get an initial phone conversation.

After that, they had no further contact and after following up repeatedly, was eventually told by a police officer that they were “needy and desperate”.

They felt that, as the victim, the onus was on them to chase the police, instead of the police coming to them. Which has left them feeling that their experience was minimised and that they weren’t a priority.

This is nowhere near good enough, in my book.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has had a gutsful. And I don’t blame him.

I’d be the same if I had protesters outside my place and especially if I had a window smashed, which is what happened at his Auckland home last night.

And I reckon the time has well and truly come for us to decide where it is appropriate for people to protest, and where it isn’t.

Outside people’s homes is a no-no for me, because families don’t deserve to be targeted by protesters.

But what about other locations?

Remember during Covid how livid we were with all the anti-vaxxers protesting outside schools?

So does that mean schools should be no-go zones for protest action? I would say yes. Because protest action outside schools impacts the kids and they don’t deserve that. The same way protesting outside people’s homes impacts their families, and they don’t deserve that.

These protesters at Winston’s place have been turning up after he announced that the Government isn’t ready to recognise a Palestinian state.

The window was smashed just after 5:30 last night, with a guy handing himself in to police a few hours later.

There’s no formal confirmation that he was connected to the pro-Palestine crew, but as Winston said to a reporter last night: “Either 1 and 1 make 4 or 1 and 1 make 2. It’s up to you.”

But we know it’s connected.

Which is why I support the Government’s plan to ban protesting outside people’s houses, but I also want it to go further than that.

Tell that to law expert Graeme Edgeler though, who thinks the draft law —in its current form— would be difficult for the police to enforce in places like Queen Street, in Auckland, where people do live, but it’s also, for all intents and purposes, a public space.

And Graeme Edgeler says if this ban on protesting outside people’s homes happens, there are going to be times when the police won’t actually know what to do.

But here's the bottom line for me: however strong you might feel about something, it’s not on targeting people in a way that also affects their families.

And what often happens when you get a groundswell of protest action is you get the people who are genuine and not out to cause any real trouble, but they can very easily lose control and get all sorts of muppets joining in. Just for fun.

Which is why I think people’s homes and schools should be out of bounds for protest action.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch mayoralty hopeful Sara Templeton says her Green values wouldn't define her leadership of the city.

The three-term city councillor and former Green Party member has been challenged on her alignment and the fact Green mayors like Tory Whanau and Aaron Hawkins have been in office just one term.

Templeton told John MacDonald the focus should be on Christchurch, which needs someone with strong environmental credentials, governance skills, and passion for community.

She says they tend to be framed as “Green values”, but she has a strong track record in those areas, and people will be voting based on that track record and her vision for the future.

Templeton is putting everything on the line in her bid.

The third-term councillor is running against incumbent Phil Mauger and isn't seeking re-election in Heathcote as back-up.

Templeton told MacDonald it's been a privilege to serve in Heathcote but she believes she can serve the city better as Mayor.

She says standing for both roles would signal a lack of confidence in winning the mayoralty, so it’s all or nothing.

The former Green Party member says she has no interest in national politics and will find another way to serve the city if she misses out.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much has happened this week, so National’s Hamish Campbell and Labour’s Tracey McLellan joined John MacDonald to delve into the biggest issues.

They discussed whether the Government should underwrite power prices to reduce bills, the viability of Treasury’s solutions to the financial crunch, and the results of the Herald’s annual Mood of the Boardroom survey.

Plus, the ever-hot topic that is the state of Christchurch Hospital’s overwhelmed emergency department.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I got an email from the power company this week, telling me about my weekly electricity use and how much of that is used during my eight hours of free power on Saturdays and Sundays.

Despite doing all the washing and drying during the 16 free hours of power each week, it was only 20%.

No wonder the bills are so expensive. And that’s without teenagers chewing through the power like it used to be not that long ago.

So we probably shouldn’t be surprised by a new survey which says over 60% of people would be in favour of the Government underwriting the cost of new electricity generation, if it meant cheaper power bills.

This is a survey that was done by Curia for Octopus Energy and the Auckland Business Chamber. The results have been released as we are, apparently, just days away from some sort of significant government announcement about the energy sector.

But here’s the question: Is it the Government’s job to make energy prices cheaper?

I think we lost any right to expect the Government to deliver cheaper power prices when the market was reformed by Max Bradford all those years ago. When we got the set-up we’ve got now, which we were promised would mean cheaper power prices.

Because unless the Government buys back all the shares in all the power companies, then I don’t think it is the Government’s job to make energy prices cheaper.

What’s more, the idea of the Government underwriting new generation projects is a bit of a slippery slope. Because why should these companies get the Government being a backstop for them if things go pear-shaped? What about other sectors that have to go it alone without the taxpayer to fall back on?

Energy Minister Simon Watts isn’t saying much, but he’s describing it as something that will be “significant but surgical”.

My view is that the only way the Government could deliver cheaper electricity prices is by buying back all the shares in the big power companies. Resurrecting the old NZ Electricity Department (NZED).

But that’s never going to happen. Shane Jones has talked about it, but I think it’s very unlikely.

And that’s why I think we need to forget about this idea of the Government coming to our rescue.

We don’t expect the Government to make air fares cheaper. We’ve abandoned the idea of the Government making groceries cheaper.

So why should we expect it to make power prices cheaper?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s your message to the new Reserve Bank Governor?

Dr Anna Breman is moving from Sweden to take up the job and will begin her five-year term at the start of December.

I thought it was interesting to hear her say yesterday that one of the first things she plans to do is to travel around the country to meet and listen to people.

She says she wants to meet people in regular households and students, to hear what they’ve got to say.

What would you tell her? What do you think she needs to know?

Back in March, when Adrian Orr quit, my advice to whoever eventually took over was to be the complete opposite of him.

To make sure they stayed in their lane and kept themselves in check. Because when you’re the Reserve Bank governor, your job is to be part of creating a rock star economy – you’re not the rock star yourself.

What I heard yesterday gives me confidence that Dr Breman is going to do exactly that. Keep the ego under control, but more importantly, actually listen to what’s going on.

The fact that one of the first things she plans to do is go around the country and talk to people like you and me, I think that’s brilliant.

But it can’t just be a one-off. She needs to be in Christchurch and Auckland pretty much all the time, as well as Wellington and other parts of the country. Because Auckland and Christchurch are the two powerhouses of New Zealand’s economy.

If I had half an hour with Dr Breman, I’d tell her that she needs to get out of Wellington and talk to real people on a regular basis. To see what people are paying at the supermarket check-outs, to see what people are paying for power, and not just read about it in reports written by officials who can still afford to buy their coffees and lunches and nights out at the weekend.

I suppose what I’m saying is that Dr Breman needs to be a Reserve Bank Governor of the people. That might be a tall order but that’s what I’d say.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.