Council Watch has requested the investigation of Local Government Minister Nick Smith’s appointment of a Crown Observer to Christchurch City Council.
The lobby group says the appointment is unconstitutional, “unlawful or at the very least a blatant interference in the governance of a city”.
The move by Mr Smith was announced after a meeting he had with Christchurch City councillors and the chief executive Tony Marryatt last week.
The crisis at city hall deepened last week with further unilateral decisions by Mayor Bob Parker and Mr Marryatt, to appoint public relations consultant, Felicity Price, to conduct an $80,000 communications audit. Ms Price has had strong personal links to council personnel and related businesses, cultural quangos and council consultants.
Again, most councillors learned about it when it was announced to media.
The flames of renewed anger against chief executive Mr Marryatt were fanned before Christmas when he was given a $68,000 pay rise taking his annual remuneration to $530,000.
The tempo of the crisis increased in recent weeks when one of the dissident councillors, Tim Carter, called for commissioners to be appointed. He described a council manipulated by the chief executive and mayor who consistently excluded half the councillors from information and decision making.
Following the furore, Mr Marryatt indicated this week that he might forego the pay rise. But he was subsequently reported as saying he would forego only half of it and see how councillors behaved.
Council papers made available this week show that Mr Marryatt’s performance rankings have actually declined over the past couple of years, in spite of Mr Parker’s assertions that the chief executive’s work had been remarkable.
The decision by Mr Parker’s councillor supporters to grant the pay rise was motivated to shore up the Parker-Marryatt power base.
But it spectacularly backfired as evidenced by the extraordinary outpourings of anger in newspapers, talk shows and blogs, catapulting some community leaders who have gained profile since the earthquakes onto centre stage
A demonstration is planned for Wednesday outside the civic offices.
Comments and questions
Nick Smith has underperformed on this issue
Considering he was the one who appointed the Commissioners to Environment Canterbury for far less reason than is evident at teh CHCH City Council, this latest involvement in CHCH politics makes him look like a wet fish - ( not a very pretty fish either ).
The only solution that respects domocracy is for fresh elections. As all of CHCH knows Jim Anderton would have caned Parker in the last elections if it wasn't for the earthquakes - he had about 75% of the vote in surveys at the time.
Good on Tim Carter for bringing this to a head - it gives me faith that not all old families down there are in it for their own personal fortune.
How seriously stupid. Do you know how the Carter family made its fortune? Tim's grandfather, Maurice, as a councillor, using his influence and position to do residential subdivision in the 50's, 60's and 70's.
All of Christchurch also knows what a disaster it would have been to have an old socialist like Jim Anderton running the city today.
What is happening in Christchurch is what akways happens when you give people power. If the CCC was about streets, sewer and water only, as it should be, would we have these issues?
How seriously stupid and naieve are you.
Jim Anderton would have been Mayor chosen by well over half of the residents - FACT
Your comments about Maurice Carter are slanderous unproven comments. For your information the houses that Maurice Carter built were very well built and have withstood the earthquakes down there very well. His houses still to this day demand a premium when onsold.
I think that you are confused with the families associated with the first four ships - who think they own the city and control it. they are the ones that hopefully recent events will finally allow CHCH to function properly in an open and transparent manner - the city has been held back by them for years and is the reason many educated Canterbury born people never return to the city which has held back city growth. the lifestyle alone is not a big enough attraction to return after big city or overseas experience.
Far more concerning good people is what the architects and engineers have got planned for CHCH, based on the NZ Herald feature over the long weekend.
Eeek. Take out the greenery (always a promise; usually never fulfilled) and you have bland, some-old and probably equally dodgy facades. Hamilton, yes, Hamilton, will overtake them aesthetically.
Surely Lockwood and the steel-framers, adding timber facades, which are the only proven structures I'd ever want to be in, based on their performance, could make for a unique and safe, modern, sustainable city.Steel-framing will comfortably cope with 10-storeys these days....and no one should be exceeding that.
It also addresses the reality that we don't have builders any more; we have Auckland wood-workers and the odd carpenter left.
Long after the mayor, Dr 'Dick' Smith and the rest have vanished, that's what you and we will have to live with!
That's worth more than a demo over a friend's PR approval.
iPredict had Anderton on 90% likely to win re-election. Then the earthquake hit. And after Parker's first fluoro-vested press conference, Parker jumped up to 70%. Meanwhile, with the internet mostly down at my place in Christchurch, I couldn't trade to clear my Anderton position.
I would have thought that the CEO splitting invoices so CCC approval was not required for major spends above his authority level, as has been alledged, was something the SFO should be investigating. Early CCC elections are the only way forward.
The reason many people get on councils is that they either cant do any thing else or they are there to feather there own nest, most of them could not run a tap. Bob Parker an ex TV speaker, ask your self.
Sure, you're right, but the real problem is we give these entities so much authority and power and involvement in our lives.
It doesn't matter if it is Bob Parker or Tim Carter, why exactly do we need them? What can they do for us they we cant do for ourselves?
The quakes have put a lot of power in the hands of these people however this power is contingent on their position. This dispute is raising the axe to their positions. I hope for each involved that will find the quiet place to realise this and somehow roll out a more tenable position.
The reality is that the people of Chch can't solve the problems of the earthquakes without the support of the rest of NZ, and the CCC needs to recognise this. It has to work with CERA and has to cut its cloth to meet its needs. The recent outcry from those in the Red Zone, who sold their properties to the rest of NZ (the taxpayers) and yet still expect to be consulted on the demolition of those properies that the rest of us paid for, and now own, shows how out of touch the Peoples Republic of Christchurch really is. So bring on Comrade Anderton, and Comrade Dialziell. What are you going to do without our taxpayer support? Sell your beloved port, airport and electricity lines company to rebuild your city???
Christchurch City councillors and the chief executive Tony Marryat, being a resident of Hamilton, will only have limited time attending to any possible emergency in Christchurch, with 10,000 earthquakes so far. He is not costing the taxpayers monies, but valuable TIME as well...Surely, there must be some Canterbarian, capable of fulfining this position, if not better. Wake up CHRISTCHURCH!
Correction,
Christchurch City councillors and the chief executive Tony Marryat, being a resident of Hamilton, will only have limited time attending to any possible emergency in Christchurch, with 10,000 earthquakes so far. He is not only costing the taxpayers monies, but valuable TIME as well...Surely, there must be some Canterbarian, capable of fulfilling this position, if not better. Wake up CHRISTCHURCH!
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