Do we need more MPs? The NZ Initiative thinks we do - saying today that, instead of 120, we should have 170.

It says the number of MPs in New Zealand is low compared to other countries with similar populations and we need 50 more to keep them accessible to voters.

Another thing it’s calling for is a four-year parliamentary term. That’s a no-brainer, as far as I’m concerned. But 50 more MPs? No thanks.

However, I do think some change is needed because of the size of some of our electorates.

Which is essentially why the NZ Initiative is advocating for more MPs.

But I think a much better option would be to have less list MPs and more electorate MPs.

Because, you think about the size of some electorates - the West Coast is a prime example - I’ve always thought it’s crazy that one electorate MP has to represent and cover such a huge area.

The Te Tai Tonga Maori seat is another one. One MP has to cover the whole South Island - as well as Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Wellington City and the Hutt Valley.

The reason the NZ Initiative is making this call today, is because it’s reviewed the last 30 years under the MMP voting system. And its two key points are the parliamentary term and the number of MPs.

Senior Fellow Nick Clark says the three-year term is too short for effective long-term policymaking. He says: "By the time a government finds its feet and starts implementing policy, it is already thinking about the next election. A four-year term would give governments time to develop coherent long-term policies."

No argument from me there.

He also says our parliament - with 120 MPs - is about 30 percent smaller than international benchmarks say it should be.

So he says get 50 more. He also thinks we need less cabinet ministers and reckons 15 would be enough.

But I reckon he’s going to be pushing it uphill to sell his idea of more politicians.

I’m not sold. Far from it.

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Labour had their Capital Gains Tax policy leaked earlier this week.

The tax would only apply to residential and commercial property sales, not any other taxable areas. A decision which has led some to question if this is really a Capital Gains Tax.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins had previously said that there would be no Capital Gains Tax under his leadership. However, he told John MacDonald that, 'after the election when we lost, I said, well, everything goes back on the table.'

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So another ham-fisted announcement from the Labour Party.

In fact, it wasn’t even an announcement. Because of a leak, it was forced this morning to confirm its plan to include a capital gains tax in its policies for next year’s election.

Which looks to me like a very watered-down, scaredy-cat version of a capital gains tax that won’t impress many.

Because, if they were serious, they’d apply it to everything. None of these exclusions. Which I’ll get to.

Another fly in the ointment - aside from all the exclusions and the leak - is what the money from the tax would be used on. Three free doctor’s visits a year for all of us.

Which I think would create more problems than it would be worth.

So, if Labour forms the next government, it will introduce a capital gains tax that, if it’s to be believed, would only apply to what seems like a very short list of things.

There’d be no capital gains on the sale of the family home and there’d be no capital gains on the sale of farms. But there would be a capital gains tax on the sale of rental properties and commercial properties.

So the farmers would be happy and the landlords - residential and commercial - would be brassed-off.

There would also be no capital gains tax on KiwiSaver, shares, business assets, inheritances, and personal items. Which, Labour says, would mean 90 percent of us not paying any tax on any property we own and all of us getting three free doctor’s visits a year.

That’s because the revenue from this new tax would be funnelled straight into the health system

But has Labour really thought it through? Because, as soon as you start telling people they can go to the doctor for free three times a year, what chance do you think they’ll actually be able to get an appointment with everyone doing the same?

What’s more, Labour says “one in six New Zealanders cannot afford to visit their doctor when they are sick.” So why aren’t they targetting those people?

Why would you give free doctor’s visits to the five-out-of-six who can afford to go to the doctor?

That’s why this tax proposal is Labour’s second-worst policy idea in the last few years, coming a very close second to the non-sensical, last-minute GST-off-fruit-and-vegetables idea it cooked up before the last election.

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Today on Politics Friday, National MP and former doctor Vanessa Weenink, and Labour's Tracey Lee McLellan join John MacDonald to delve into the biggest topics of the week.

They discuss the Government response to yesterday's wind storm, the mega-strike, the end of home economics and outdoor education in schools, political involvement in the Netball NZ debacle, and Labour's future funding policy.

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What happened to the emergency mobile alert system ahead of and during yesterday’s wind storm?

One explanation for the absence of text alerts from one government MP is that, with the power out in places, the cell towers weren’t working.

But the power wasn’t out in Christchurch city and there were still no alerts on my phone. What’s more, the power only went out once the wind hit - well after the Emergency Management Minister pre-emptively declared a state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon.

So, there are questions to be answered.

I also think that, from the outset, the state of emergency shouldn’t have been limited to Canterbury.

If you look around the South Island, there are areas that have been hit just as hard - if not worse - than some areas in Canterbury.

The Emergency Management Minister declared an emergency in Southland this morning. But it should have happened sooner.

Then there are the people who question the need for such a response.

I’m not sure if it was just the state of emergency that made things so quiet in town yesterday or whether it was the state of the emergency plus the mega-strike.

Odds on, it was the state of emergency. Which one Christchurch business owner isn’t happy about. They think it was overkill including Christchurch because the city wasn’t as badly-affected as other parts of the region and their takings were down 50 percent because of it.

It was like a tale of two Canterburys yesterday. We had trees coming down and that fire at Hanmer Springs. Whereas, in Christchurch, I think a lot of us were wondering when it was going to hit.

The wind picked up at times. But, overall, Christchurch got off pretty lightly.

Nevertheless, I disagree that the city shouldn’t have been included in the state of emergency.

Because who knew the wind was going to behave the way it did? With that wall of wind that was heading towards the city yesterday morning splitting into two and skirting around the city.

That’s why I’ll always support the “better safe than sorry” approach.

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Canterbury Civil Defence Controller James Thompson joined John MacDonald on Canterbury Mornings with the latest information we need to know ahead of today's expected damaging wind storm.

The region is under a red wind warning locally, along with parts of the Southern North Island.

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Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon joined John MacDonald to get the latest from their district on storm preparation and damage.

There are also reports that people set off fireworks in the area last night.

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The Minister for the South Island is ducking for cover. I probably would be too, if I was him.

Because he knows it’s going to be very difficult to defend the pitiful share the South Island is getting from the Government’s latest $1.2billion funding round for new roads and roading upgrades.

The south island has been virtually shut out, with just 6 percent of the money going to projects here.

The Hope Bypass, near Nelson, is the only one south of Cook Strait. With no mention of making State Highway 1 north and south of Christchurch four lanes, which regional leaders say is needed.

Leann Watson from Business Canterbury is saying that, considering the South Island’s contribution to New Zealand’s economy, it doesn’t sound fair. And she’s spot on.

In fact, I think she’s being generous. It’s a rip-off.

Tell that to Transport Minister Chris Bishop, though, who says the Government can’t do everything at once and needs to prioritise roading projects.

But there’s at least one road in the South Island that needs to be given much higher priority - which everyone seems to have been banging-on about for ages. State Highway 1 between Christchurch and Ashburton is an absolute shocker.

It’s a stretch that South Island Minister James Meagher will know only too well.

How many times do you reckon he’s driven on that road since becoming an MP and since becoming the minister who's supposed to be in Wellington advocating for us?

The guy who seems to have gone to ground and who hasn’t been available to respond to media inquiries about this South Island road funding debacle.

No wonder he hasn’t been available. Because it is indefensible.

At least the transport minister is fronting. Not only saying that the Government can’t do everything at once but also saying that the roads that have got funding - 94 percent of them in the North Island - are getting the green light because they are what he calls “top priority corridors”.

He says they're top priority because they will boost freight movement, increase safety and lead to economic growth.

But let’s just test that.

Would a 4-lane highway between Christchurch and Ashburton already boost freight movement? Of course, it would.

What about safety? Would a 4-lane highway be safer, compared to the 2-lane goat track we’ve got at the moment? That’s a no-brainer.

And what about economic growth? Would a 4-lane highway between Christchurch and Ashburton do good things for the economy? Do I even need to answer that one?

The Government’s argument for 94 percent of this new road funding going to the North Island doesn’t stack up.

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Note: Minister Meager did issue a statement - however it was not initially reported. See below the Minister's full statement:

“I’m very pleased with yesterday’s confirmation of a near $1.2 billion for the next stage of our Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme.

“The Hope Bypass project is significant for the South Island. SH6 is a vital connection for our people and goods to get around, and this bypass will help boost economic growth in Nelson Tasman. It will also bring wider economic benefits for the region; through the jobs the project will create.

“It’s important to note yesterday’s update is just one part of the Government’s ongoing infrastructure work programme.

“Developments continue on the Belfast to Pegasus and Woodend Bypass (a RoNS), with a FTAA application being worked through currently.

“The South Island is also well-represented with six projects in the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS) work programme, with the Queenstown upgrade package and five Canterbury RoRs:

• SH76 Brougham Street Upgrades
• S75 Halswell Road Improvements
• SH1 Rolleston Access Improvements
• The second Ashburton Bridge

“We’ve also committed to important South Island roading infrastructure outside of the RoNs and RoRs programmes, like a replacement bridge for Christchurch’s Pages Road, which I announced $38.5 million of Government funding for in August.”

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