Canterbury Mornings

People’s Choice members on the Linwood-Central-Heathcote community Board have been forced to back down from trying to remove popular Chair, Alexandra Davids.It follows intense criticism from a growing list of Christchurch figures including former mayor Garry Moore, who condemned the group’s actions as “disgraceful.”Alexandra Davids told Chris Lynch she just wants to get on and do what our community needs.Listen above.

Judith Collins is querying a supermarket's plans for diversity, saying it could be illegal.Countdown has made a commitment to make 20 percent of its top level management Maori or Pasifika in the next five years.The major grocery chain has 183 stores and four distribution centres across the country, headed by 700 senior managers and 21-thousand staff.National leader Judith Collins told Chris Lynch it's a dangerous stance.She says, in her experience as a lawyer, once you go down that track there are all sorts of problems.LISTEN ABOVE 

A Christchurch employment lawyer believes Countdown's pledge to have more Maori and Pasifika leaders - might breach the law.The supermarket chain is committed to achieving 20 per cent of its senior leadership roles filled by Maori and Pasifika by 2025.Canterbury Chambers lawyer Tim McKenzie told Chris Lynch the law says an employer discriminates if they refuse to offer the same work to other employees with the same qualifications and experience -  regardless of race.“That could result in personal grievances from non-Maori and Pasifika who aren't getting the same opportunities.”LISTEN ABOVE

A call to open our borders to international students to help jumpstart the economy.Foreign students remain locked out of New Zealand due to Covid-linked travel restrictions.Aspire2 International chief executive Clare Bradley told Chris Lynch paying students could boost cashflow in the education sector.She says the money students pay to study and stay in the country helps to keep teachers and administrators in a stable job while supporting the economy.LISTEN ABOVE

Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce General Manager Michaela Blacklock joined Chris Lynch to discuss how skill shortages due to border closures are affecting Canterbury businesses.Listen above. 

Former Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore has joined a growing list of high profile Christchurch residents condemning People’s Choice.  Members of the Labour aligned group want to roll Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board Chair Alexandra Davids.Yesterday Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel praised Davids as hard-working and community-minded.Today Garry Moore echoed those comments, but went one step further describing the actions of People’s Choice as “disgraceful stuff.”He said “People’s Choice are abusing an incoming member for political reasons and it’s wrong. “It follows the recent by-election, which resulted in People’s Choice candidate Sunita Gautam being elected to the board with 958 votes.Moore told Chris Lynch former Chair Sally Buck knew she was dying and she stood down for her deputy (Davids) and that was her wish.“From my perspective that is the way it should stay.”“I think Alex is a very good community person and I don’t approve of these games in politics.”“It’s about numbers and being tribal. It’s

Christchurch's Mayor says the public will decide if council has its priorities right on addressing the city's water woes.420 kilometres worth of leaky aging pipes are expected to fail.An estimated 11.6 billion litres of water was lost through leaks last year.Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel told Chris Lynch the earthquakes put pressure on asbestos and cement pipes laid in the 1950s and 1980s..She says when drinking standards changed council put its resources towards that.Lianne Dalziel says the public can make their feelings known on the issue through the Long Term Plan process.Listen above.

Two milestones down and another to go for Christchurch's new youth hub.Resource consent is nearly approved for Te Hurihanga Ō Rangatahi on top of a $10 million kick-start coming from the Government.Chairwoman Dame Sue Bagshaw told Chris Lynch it's a major hurdle overcome, but they're not quite there yet.She says they will know on November 30 whether neighbours will appeal the consent.Bagshaw says the hub will become a communal place of growth, support and wellbeing for 10-25-year-olds.Listen above.

People’s Choice elected members are being accused of putting politics ahead of the needs of the Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board. Elected members of the Labour affiliated group wrote to Christchurch City Council Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale on Friday wanting to remove current board chair Alexandra Davids. Christchurch City Councillor Aaron Keown told Chris Lynch this is completely immoral.Listen above.

Christchurch's Mayor is one of those breathing a sigh of relief after the US election results.Joe Biden will become the 46th President of the United States although Donald Trump is still refusing to concede defeat.Lianne Dalziel told Chris Lynch as the votes started to come in on Wednesday she resigned herself to a Trump victory.But she says it was extraordinary to see the call for unity and coming from the President and Vice President-elect.Listen above.

Every Friday Chris Lynch is joined by Mike Yardley wrap the week that was.Listen above.

Nurses want to be involved in a brutally honest and transparent look at Covid 19 hotels.The nurse's union is calling for a review after two health care workers caught the virus fromRussian and Ukrainian mariners in managed isolation at the Sudima Airport Hotel. Union Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku told Chris Lynch this is a system failure and they shouldn't be exposed to any virus risks at isolation facilities.Kerri Nuku says nurses are concerned they might take it back home and infect family and friends.Listen above.

Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce CEO Leeann Watson joined Chris Lynch to discuss the current economic outlook for Canterbury.Listen above.

Frustrated with the lack of progress cleaning up South Island lakes and rivers Ngāi Tahu is taking action. The South Island iwi has gone to the High Court at Christchurch to seek recognition of its sovereignty over freshwater.Ngāi Tūāhuriri Upoko Dr Te Maire Tau told Chris Lynch this isn't a claim of ownership but recognition of the tribe's role in water legislation.He says there has been a lack of political will and a she'll be right attitude which has gone on for too long.Te Maire Tau says it has to be involved in regulating rivers and lakes for pollution and water take.Listen above. 

A euthanasia activist says the new bill is a victory for both himself and those who fear their final days.The End of Life Choice Act looks set to take effect next year with 65.1 per cent of voters in favour of assisted dying. Cancer sufferer Stu Armstrong has long argued people should have the option to chose a death that reflects their life and beliefs.Armstrong told Chris Lynch while he was campaigning, the horror stories only snowballed.He says it's important these people have a fair and dignified death on their own terms - not one dictated by the hospital system, or other people.Listen above.

Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel says people didn’t get to hear all the views on legalising recreational cannabis.Dalziel, who voted yes, told Chris Lynch this is because unlike the End-of-Life Bill, the Cannabis bill hadn’t gone through the same select committee process.She says there now needs to be public debate about how the justice system responds to cannabis use and suggests the issue could be looked at again at a future election.Listen above.

There is concern for thousands of people in Christchurch who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19.The chief executive of economic development and tourism agency, Christchurch NZ, Joanna Norris, told Chris Lynch there has been a 43 per cent increase in people in the city on the jobseeker allowance."We've got really strong performance in terms of the resilience of our economy, but we also know there has been a large number of people adversely impacted by Covid-19," she said.Norris said that represented about 7000 people who had lost their jobs this year. "It's that group we are particularly worried about."She said the organisation was developing a recovery plan for the city, which she hoped will help support businesses to create new jobs."I think it's a matter of identifying where the jobs are right now," she said."We know we need new health workers...we know we are going to need more software developers...we are going to need more people with high-value software engineering skills and so we need to make sure w

Pollsters have changed their approach to the US election, hoping to paint a more accurate picture.The US presidential election is next week, with current polling putting Republican candidate Donald Trump about 10 per cent behind Democrat Joe Biden.In 2016, the polls largely got it wrong, predicting Trump would lose to Hillary Clinton.Listen to the audio above as Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen joins Chris Lynch to talk about the polls, along with previewing next week’s US election.

A Christchurch mother whose daughter wasn't embalmed properly says the funeral industry needs a shake-up.A Health Ministry review follows a string of mistakes with grieving families complaining about bodies even being wrongly cremated.Michelle Bishop told Chris Lynch the body of her daughter Sharnae started changing colour within two hours of her return and they were told to use make-up.She says the problems are because anybody can start up a funeral home and they don't need to be registered.Bishop says there are good and bad funeral homes - but their experience was terrible. LISTEN ABOVE

The Chair of Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited denies a budget blowout in restoring the iconic building.The estimated cost was $104 million.But concept designs unveiled today have new add ons, and a new $154 million price tag.Justin Murray told Chris Lynch this is the first time informed estimate prepared.Listen above.