Christchurch residents rise up
3000 Christchurch residents vent anger at town clerk (aka chief execuitve) Tony Marryatt and Mayor Bob Parker.
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.
Chris Hutching
Wed, 01 Feb 2012
Wed, 01 Feb 2012
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Christchurch residents rise up
18683