A Labour MP says former National prime minister Jenny Shipley is to be put in charge of Canterbury's regional council but Environment Minister Nick Smith says such decisions haven't been made yet.
In February a review team recommended commissioners be appointed urgently to replace the Environment Canterbury (ECan) council and turn around what it considered woeful performance in terms of administering water management responsibilities and resource consent processes. The Government ordered the review last year.
Labour Party water spokesman Brendon Burns told Radio New Zealand that he understood Dame Jenny would be appointed commissioner to oversee the council.
He said she would be confirmed on Monday.
However, Dr Smith said that was incorrect.
"Certainly the Government is working through (the information)... Decisions have not yet been made."
Asked if there was an individual in mind, Dr Smith said no.
"We first of all have to decide the approach that we are going to take to the issues that have been raised in the review, but this Government is very focussed on improving the overall framework in which we are dealing with these critical issues. We are not satisfied that we are managing these things well. There needs to be a step change."
The review found the relationship between ECan and territorial authorities in the region was "not good" and it recommended setting up an entirely new authority to manage water issues.
Mr Burns previously said Canterbury water management would be better served by enforcing tougher, new environmental requirements than by passing responsibility to a new tier of unelected local government.
Comments and questions3
How dare the govt presume to remove our democratically elected councillors and threaten to deny us our regional local elections in October. It is simply not on but also it is also so unnecessary
The government does not need to step in to remove the council, they have a simple, cheap and easy solution available to them:
If Jenny Shipley and other like minded citizens wish to govern ECan - simply stand for the regional local authorities elections in a few months time. Then if the citizens of Canterbury are seized by their issues, programme and promises then they may be elected and have the democratic mandate to make any changes allowed under the law.
This would avoid all the tangled web of commissions, fragmenting of resource consents and putting back all the positive and inclusive progress on the Canterbury Water Strategy.
If however, the government opts for a Fiji-like coup on our council and removes our voice and our right to hold our regional govenors accountable through the ballot box just don't come to us for the money to run it all - there'll be no rates without representation.
PS: Canterabrians have long memories and may very well remember the part of National Canterbury MP's have played in this anti-democratic debarcle and they too may very well feel the heat in their own general election ballot box next year.
Better wait until there is a decision so we know exactly what is proposed because if your prediction is incorrect you look stupid, biased or both.
Perhaps our Dame would be better suited to "fixing" the leaky building disaster? After all she was there at the outset, has had one herself and chairs a company , Mainzeal[ no zeal?], with a rather average track-record in that domain.....
Her major qualification in this instance would seem to be she came from round-about there.
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