Christchurch residents rise up
Dissent spilled onto the streets of Christchurch today with about 3000 people calling for the city council chief executive to resign and new elections to be held.
A policeman told NBR that he estimated the crowd at between 2700 and 3200.
Speakers who roused the crowd included community leaders Peter Lynch, Mike Coleman, and others.
The protest was the culmination of years of dissatisfaction with the chief executive, Tony Marryatt, Mayor Bob Parker and the clique of six councillors who support them.
The list of gripes even pre-dates the 2008 manipulation of the purchase of $18 million worth of properties formerly owned by bankrupt Dave Henderson (the purchase was split into five separate council agenda items to avoid triggering the threshold for public consultation).
Public anger reached its height at Christmas when Mr Marryatt was given a $68,000 pay rise taking his annual remuneration to $530,000, staggering in comparison to most chief executives and well ahead of the Prime Minister.
Papers released this week show he was awarded the money even though his performance rating was declining.
Mayor Parker and Mr Marryatt made another non-tendered unilateral decision last week by appointing a public relations consultant with close links to the council, Felicity Price, to conduct an $80,000 communications audit. Most other councillors were kept in the dark until the announcement.
Mr Marryatt has a reputation for refusing to respond to media. So far he has given no indication he will resign in spite of the public anger and collapse of trust.
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Comments and questions38
The quiet revolution is underway.
Looking forward to EQC and CERA incompetents being tarred & feathered also.
Fletchers will need to answer some questions also as the taxpayer money runs out.
To add insult to injury it was announced this morning that the mayor is off next week on a 15 day, rate payer funded, junket at the cost of $90,000. This at a time the council is in turmoil, the administration in crisis and a government observer has been appointed!
Well – the local body politicians must have got all their lofty ideas from what was a very powerful Labour Party back in 2008 when Comrade Helen had all the balls. Why is there still not much stink surrounding the fact that the Labour Party stole almost a million dollars of tax payers money to spend on their 2008 election campaign… and then when caught out, firstly they pleaded ignorance of the rules/laws – that they had made themselves – then to avoid prosecuting themselves, they retrospectively changed the law so as to avoid the embarrassment that would have caused a sitting government to charge itself for theft and corruption.
Where is Penny Bright’s voice our crusader against imbedded corruption on this issue? Is she still being occupied by the authorities?
Will the Governor General order an enquiry about this theft & corruption?
Have the Labour Party paid back any of this almost million dollars? If not, why not? And if not – how is still possible they can steal from the tax payer then with those stolen funds attempt to run for government again? Money laundering of the highest order!
This was a deliberate and blatant theft. Theft as a servant, corruption of government, attempting to pervert an election – by a sitting government no less – and NZ tax payers foot the bill, whilst lesser minions attempt to follow Labour’s example – no wonder Christchurch residents are fed up!
The beginning of the end
Not that I'm a supporter of the current regime but if you read the article properly, you would find that the cost of the entire trip is $90,000 and the mayoral couple's share is being met by the airport company, not the rate payers. The trip was also planned some considerable time ago.
The airport company is two thirds owned by Christchurch City Council ratepayers
Disagree, Bob PARKER is a GREAT Mayor...
and pls watch this video;-
http://www.3news.co.nz/Mayor-drops-in-on-parents/tabid/309/articleID/200592/Default.aspx
Perhaps you should come a bit closer and see his work at ground level. Its not good.
The residents of CHCH will be apprecitive that you donated to their cause but a video about parker visiting hisn parents a couple of weeks after the february earthjquake won't get your argument that he is a great mayor across the line
Firstly even before the earthquakes he was custard as the Mayor with impending elections. He was polling around 20% to Jim Anderton's 70% with a few orther candidates in the mix. For Jim Anderton to be leading by such a great majority, parker must have been doing a lot of things wrong andx he was - many mentioned again in the last few days like buying back an $18M portfolio of low grade properties from a property developer in serious trouble.
Bob Parker has looked sfter his public profile very well - due to his television presenter background - but don't tell me or anyone who lives or has lived in CHCH in recent years that he is a great mayor
IF Bob Parker was honourable and transparent he would offer to go to the polls and let the people decide.
But he won't will he - because he knows what the result will be - a walkover to any candidate other than him. He would be highly embarrassed by an election result and he knows it
So on he will go promoting himself to the rest of NZ on national TV. Unfortunately the rest of NZ don't live in CHCH and can't vote for him.
It appears the power manipulation goes higher than Christchurch, unfortunately: see http://www.DavidVersus.org
In contradiction to ICCPR treaty signed by NZ govt, Kiwis are not guaranteed right to fair hearings because -
1. Judges are not required to give reasons and
2. The media and public do not have access to court documents.
re 15 day trip - he probably needs some "stress leave" because so many of you chaps don't care for him
Regardless of when it was planned and who's paying for Parker’s trip. perception is everything. You have to wonder what planet these bureaucrats are on most of the time. I hope this business with the CHCC is a catalyst to restructure Councils across NZ and get some sanity back into just how they spend ratepayers hard earned money. Reverting back to the title Town Clerk and capping salaries at around $150,000, would be a good place to start.
Parker is running away - every public figure knows you stay and face the music. This $90,000 trip for Parker and his wife is only going to further incense ratepayers. I doubt Parker will have a position to return to because he doesn't deserve it. He promised before the election he would make sure "Council would be Open, Transparent and accountable". Things are worse than ever.
Bob Parker is just a mealy-mouth show pony, who's too expensive to keep by the ratepayers of Christchurch. Taking a $90K ratepayer-funded junket for him and his wife, is the final straw.
PM Key needs to ignore the bad advice he is getting from Brownlee and Smith.
If a fresh mid term election is not called - the Christchurch public will turn on Mr Key and his Government. All the gains National made in Christchurch at the last General Election, will then vaporize.
Key needs to undertstand that.
Jim ANDERTON did not win over Bob PARKER, because most progressive members were let down and frustrated that he did not lead them until the end. He only thought of himself as the invincible LONE RANGER.
Bob, on the other hand, had put the Canterbarians first, before his own parents during the DISASTER....only Catabarians have the rights to judge for themselves, whereas the rest of KIWIS can only support you all, through thick and thin.
Assuming that Mr KEY had been badly advised before the last election, I doubt National would have won....get REAL, guys.
Every Kiwi, including Jarrod, should have a stress-free holidays...and this is good advice from any doctor. Get off Bob PARKER's back and surely, he will come back fresh and serve Canterbarians better then.
For examples....?
Good man....
'Stress-free trips" are part of the benfits, every Kiwi Mayor enjoy....nothing new about it!
Proofs?
Bob Parker promised as a new mayor he would not repeat his previous practices of closed door meetings, secret deals, dodgy maneuvers to circumvent regulations,last minute surprises to fellow councilors and ratepayers. Because he has failed to deliver on any of these Christchurch citizens are rightly angry and the problem will not go away until Bob and his council either resign or are re elected, if that happens shortly less harm will occur than if the PM prevaricates until the councils term is up but by then National will have been damaged and will likely occupy the opposition benches next parliament and Christchurch will be collateral damage which may take decades to repair politically.Listen to the people Bob & John.
How about knowingly taking taxpayer money he wasnt entitled too? Got all the info and proof I needed under an OIA request.
What is not good?
Why Parker and Marryatt must go!
In my opinion, Mayor Bob Parker and his CEO - Tony Marryatt should have been bringing the city together. But instead we have a city torn apart.
Parker and Marryatt now find themselves at the head of an organisation that the Prime Minister himself has described as dysfunctional.
While he is correct, I believe that we have a city that can rise again and hold its place nationally and globally and I have every confidence that the people have the will to achieve this.
Mr Brownlee my say that the sacking of Marryatt is a - "dumb solution" arising from "woolly thinking". However for the city at this critical time to recover and recover strongly, the people need to have absolute confidence and trust in the leadership of their city.
Under the current Mayor and CEO - we do not.
Please Mr Key - support the growing call for you to allow Christchurch to have a fresh election. For the sake of our recovery - we cannot afford to wait until 2013.
Councillors only given 24 hrs notice before Parker Asia trip announced to media
Why were councillors kept in the dark about Parker & his wife’s trip to Asia when according to a Press report # - Airport chief executive Jim Boult said the airport had invited Parker and his wife to take part in the 15-day tour last year, after planning started in mid-2011?
And why have Councillors been told not to comment to the media about the trip and specifically when they were first advised about it by the Mayor?
According to the Press report, Parker & his wife’s presence will help the airport to "get in some doors that they would otherwise find difficult to get through".
So if Parkers role is so critically important to the success of the trip, why the secrecy and why did he not consider it appropriate to inform both his fellow councillors and the public last year last year when he accepted the invitation to go?
Councillors only given 24 hrs notice before Parker Asia trip announced to media
Why were councillors kept in the dark about Parker & his wife’s trip to Asia when according to a Press report # - Airport chief executive Jim Boult said the airport had invited Parker and his wife to take part in the 15-day tour last year, after planning started in mid-2011?
And why have Councillors been told not to comment to the media about the trip and specifically when they were first advised about it by the Mayor?
According to the Press report, Parker & his wife’s presence will help the airport to "get in some doors that they would otherwise find difficult to get through".
So if Parkers role is so critically important to the success of the trip, why the secrecy and why did he not consider it appropriate to inform both his fellow councillors and the public last year last year when he accepted the invitation to go?
Because of the gross incompetence of the Christchurch Council, the recovery is an absolute shambles.
the consent rate in ChCh througjh 2011 (excl relocatables) was 2 / 1000 population - Selwyn 10 / 1000 and Waimak 12 / 1000
Christchurch is being hollowed out. Ghost City in the making.
The Christchurch Council is detested by business. There is not one commercial brain in the loser outfit.
It really is very sad - and its well past time PM Key woke up to it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6358268/Marryatt-unsuitable-for-city-recovery-says-MP
No place for Marryatt – he must go #29 11 min ago
There is no argument that Tony Marryatt is unsuitable for city but we certainly do not need him redeployed on "business as usual" – he must go now.
Marryatt now finds himself at the head of an organisation that the Prime Minister himself has described as dysfunctional.
Council papers released under the Official Information Act and include two in-house reviews of Mr Marryatt's performance confirmed that his performance continued to slide since at least 2009. Despite this, Cr Ngaire Button stated that Marryatt’s appraisal was “amazing” and Mayor Bob Parker said Marryatt “was the best CEO he has worked with”.
However at least Cr Tim Carter has been on the case of Marryatt’s ‘sliding performance’ and had the guts to take a stand calling for Marryatt to be sacked. And for his efforts, the best that Gerry Brownlee could offer was a silly statement suggesting “sacking of Marryatt was a - "dumb solution" arising from "woolly thinking". Clearly Gerry’s advisors hadn’t bothered to study Marryatt’s appraisal.
In my opinion, for the city at this critical time to recover and recover strongly, the people need to have absolute confidence and trust in the CEO and the sooner Marryatt goes the better.
Parker has learnt nothing he just loves being the big man. Off to Asia for 15 days when the Govt have given his Council weeks, not months, to stop being such a big embarrassment to the Govt. Lets hope while he is away Key has the balls to sack the whole damn lot of them!
In response to The Doctor | Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - 4:02pm
A very selective snapshot - Disagree; Bob PARKER is a GREAT Mayor...
and pls watch this video;-
This report looked like a nice collaboration between Bob Parkers son, TV3 reporter Dan Parker and Parkers own PR Spin Drs Felicity Price & Erin Jamieson.
But don’t trust me – you be the judge and view this more recent Close UP report:
Christchurch Council CEO faces public uproar (11:55)
Added: 8:26PM Thursday January 26, 2012
Source: Close Up
Tony Marryott is facing calls for his head after a $68,000 pay rise.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/pay-row-pressure-builds-council-boss-4703258/video
Hi Gill, I’m not sure if you are aware but there’s been a lot of controversy about Felicity Price being commissioned to undertake a Christchurch City Council $80,000 PR audit.
Firstly, Mayor Bob Parker and Council CEO Tony Marryatt called Price in for the sole purpose of responding to all the bad Press the Council was getting over the CEO's $68,000 pay increase.
Parker’s fellow councillors were only advised of the audit 30 minutes prior to the Christchurch City Council communications unit issuing a media statement about the audit.
Parker and Marryatt failed to use the normal competitive tender process for commissioning the audit; they just gave it to Price the work because according to them it was urgent and couldn’t wait.
But the most damning news came on Monday when Marryatt advised elected members that while Price had been engaged at a cost of $80,000, Marryatt had yet to confirm an audit terms of reference for the contract.
Talk about easy money!
I hear that the PM is not happy with Brownlee and Smith's handing of this whole Marryatt matter and that if the protest movement gets any bigger he will sack the whole damn lot.
As for Gerry Brownlee response to those calling for Marryattt to be sacked where he said– it is a "dumb solution" arising from "woolly thinking". Either Gerry‘s getting poor advice from his advisors or they are giving him good advice which he is ignoring.
The Cantabrians Unite website is now up and running. Please feel free to visit the site and register your support.
http://www.cantabriansunite.co.nz/Home/
kind regards,
Peter Lynch
And who do you think id the majro shareholder in Christchurch Airport? - the council - our rates money!
This survey is disgraceful it is not needed, not wanted and is in effect an abuse of public funds. Initially I thought that Felicity Price had been naive and was somehow tricked into the project, but I have now learned quite the opposite, she is as thick as thieves with Parker and Marryatt and knows exactly what is required as an outcome. She is as bad as the rest of them. and has shot herself in the foot completely because her credibility has gone down the drain as well.
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