We can’t blame the water – Christchurch is reputed to have the purest supply of any city in the country.
But something’s rotten in the city. ECan turned into ECan’t and matters got so bad the government stepped in and replaced the regional council with commissioners.
Now the city council is exhibiting signs of major dysfunction.
Councillor Tim Carter has called for a commissioner to replace chief executive Tony Marryatt and Councillor Sue Wells wants the government to sack the whole council and appoint a commissioner.
The idea of a unitary authority combining the regional council commisioners, CERRA and the city council has its appeal. The city is facing an extraordinary situation and the ordinary democratic system is showing the strain. But the government isn’t considering that:
The Government will not “interfere” in the troubled Christchurch City Council, says Local Government Minister Nick Smith.
Smith, who visited Christchurch today, said the Government had no plans to appoint commissioners to run the council, despite calls to do so from two councillors.
Problems at the council were “not entirely surprising”, given the scale of the challenge facing the council, but needed to be dealt with without government intervention, he said.
If central government isn’t going to interfere the local one must get its act together.
Polling before the 2010 local body elections indicated that Jim Anderton would win his challenge against mayor Bob Parker which was far from a vote of confidence in the latter.
But the September earthquake turned the tide and Parker was re-elected.
There were rumbles of dis-satisfaction about the chief executive but he was re-appointed in a decision supported by a majority of councillors.
Whether either of these decisions was in the best interests of the city is irrelevant. That’s what democracy delivered.
If councillors aren’t happy with what’s happening they have to persuade a majority of their colleagues to agree with them to get change or accept they’re in the minority and either shut up or resign.
Christchurch people have had more than enough trouble from nature they don’t need more from their council. The people and their city need unity and action any councillors who can’t deliver both should not be in that role.
Homepaddock 