Brownlee wrong for Christchuch

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, March 28th, 2011 - 19 comments
Categories: disaster, Gerry Brownlee, national - Tags: ,

Gerry Brownlee is well past his use by date. He made an utter mess of trying to sell mining to the country — that of course was a good thing. But he’s also in the process of making a mess of the rebuilding of Christchurch — and that will be a disaster.

In the latest Brownlee fiasco…

Gerry Brownlee’s Canterbury earthquake recovery authority has struck difficulties even before it is officially launched – the man tipped to lead it has reportedly turning down the job because of issues with Mr Brownlee’s involvement.

The Government is expected to tomorrow announce the structure of the quake recovery authority which will co-ordinate rebuilding efforts in the shattered city.

Last week, it was reported that senior civil servant and former Army officer Martyn Dunne was to be appointed as temporary head of the body.

But without citing sources, broadcaster Paul Holmes yesterday said Mr Dunne had declined the job after deciding he was unable to work with the quake recovery minister. …

If Mr Dunne had been in the frame to lead the authority but had decided against taking the job, “that is a real worry for Canterbury”, said Mr Cosgrove.

Mr Dunne came with “a very formidable pedigree and career as a soldier”.

“If it is the case as reported by Mr Holmes that he can’t work with Mr Brownlee that is a worry, you have to ask why?

“I’m assuming the major general would also have been heavily briefed as to the Government’s quake recovery authority and one would assume that he baulked at that and thinks it’s not appropriate.

“Well, who’s the big loser in all of that? The people of Canterbury.”

A Labour Party press release covers Brownlee’s ever changing excuses on this matter. But the fact appears to be that the person Brownlee tapped to head the new earthquake recovery authority can’t face the prospect of working with him.

If that doesn’t finally alert the Nats to the fact that Brownlee is the wrong Minister for Christchurch, then what will?

19 comments on “Brownlee wrong for Christchuch ”

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  1. tc 1
    28 March 2011 at 4:56 pm

    Says heaps about the shallow pool of ‘talent’ this gov’t has in its ranks……and this is a senior experienced minister who at one stage was to be deputy PM if Brash won in 2005.

    Reminds me of a business with a culture that values bullies and ends up with them and those not able be get a role elsewhere like Blinglish/Smith/Tolley/bennett etc etc

    • pollywog 1.1
      28 March 2011 at 5:15 pm

      Like his namesake Jabba, i imagine Gerry the Hut’s idea of diplomatic relations is to lounge around a couch while minions serve him and his guests the fat of the land as all and sundry bow and scrape for his approval…

      …no wonder Dunne told him where to get off

    • ghostwhowalksnz 1.2
      28 March 2011 at 7:02 pm

      Experienced senior minister ??? .
      Brownlee has never served as a minister before the current Key Government. So ‘experience’ is just 2 years

  2. Lanthanide 2
    28 March 2011 at 5:39 pm

    Pity. Martyn should have taken the job and embarrassed Gerry by being openly at odds at him all the way, and pushing for substantive changes.

  3. Bright Red 3
    28 March 2011 at 5:54 pm

    and workers who have lost their jobs are going to get their special payments slashed. Meanwhile, Key keeps his $1000 a week.

    • Oscar 3.1
      28 March 2011 at 6:51 pm

      Yeah, just $50 a week on top of the benefit.

      Thats even less than what the re-start package offered.
      Never mind the fact that there’re no jobs, people are living in broken homes, winter is coming, EQC are a complete mess (but getting better), the bills and mortgages still need to be paid, many homes now have two unemployed parents instead of just one.

      So, if you’re good with your hands, its time to enrol in a building course. Methinks that builders are about to get very expensive, very quickly.

  4. ianmac 4
    28 March 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Last week during the business mens protest a group was waiting just outside the fenced enclosure which sprang up outside the Art Centre. Gerry arrived and one of the men stepped up to Gerry and asked for a word. Gerry looked down his nose and said No and he had a meeting to go to and started to push past. At that point the cameras stopped rolling. We don’t want signs of a dismissive Minister do we.

  5. marco 5
    28 March 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Has anyone asked why the person the government appointed to the secretariat after the Sep 4 was replaced mid-stream?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4638770/New-Chch-director-for-quake-recovery-group

  6. eco city, eco nation 6
    28 March 2011 at 9:36 pm

    Why not rebuild the garden city as an eco city, and make it the green manufacturing hub for the nation.

    http://www.lincolnenvirotown.org.nz Lincoln Uni has some of the skills to make Christchurch world leading, and conceps are going in fast and think for a great city, that could be world leading in many areas: http://www.elevatedgardencity.com
    Imagine a garden city where we took the Manhattan rooftop garden to whole new level. Instead of the roofs being wasted space it would be possible to make the space useful and linked with walk/cycle ways.
    Why the gardencity greenspace would be a good idea:
    The roof space could be used for:

    * Parks
    * Cafes/Bars
    * Shop fronts
    * Office entrances
    * Playgrounds
    * Court yards
    * Sports areas
    * Iconic wooden bridge designs
    * Slopes from other public spaces could go up the elevated gardens
    * Not all space has to be public could be office BBQareas etc
    * Taller buildings that look out over the gardens
    * Bird sanctuary – (no rats or cats)
    * Native forest – Riccarton park (maybe turn Latimer square into this?)
    * Bike hire scheme
    * Lots of other creative things

    Brownlee has no creativity and no skill in addressing a great many issues. The public needs to decide what it wants its city to be like, Christchurch and NZ youth deserve a bight future… A Southern eco city is just what NZ needs, following in the footsteps of the Auckland and Wellington Mayor’s plans for low carbon development and rail investment.

  7. RobertM 7
    29 March 2011 at 12:27 am

    Listening to Bob Parkers reaction to the prospective appointment of Martyn D, I got the decided impression that it was desperately unacceptable. A brilliant capable Major General might have acted far too sensibly and decisively and stepped on the toes of far to many Christchurch politico’s sects and left wing interests.

    • bbfloyd 7.1
      29 March 2011 at 3:14 pm

      i’m sorry bob. that made no sense at all. are you calling bob parker a left winger? hang on a minute. i’ll just pop outside to check that i’m still on planet earth….. yep, it’s still there, just like before.

  8. Jim Nald 8
    29 March 2011 at 12:49 am

    Aaw, come on. I hope National keeps Brownlee to persuade me to vote for National.

  9. Peter Rabbit 9
    29 March 2011 at 8:58 am

    In the Canterbury region at least, November’s election is going to be very much about this Governments handling of the Earthquake.

    Based on the Governments current performance if Labour cannot win all the seats in the effected areas then the party is in serious trouble.

    • Lanthanide 9.1
      29 March 2011 at 12:15 pm

      It would be rather an indictment on National and Gerry Brownlee if they do take his seat, too.

      • Peter Rabbit 9.1.1
        29 March 2011 at 12:31 pm

        National is a disgrace and their Earthquake Reconstructions efforts to date are worse, which is why if Labour cannot take the seats for the effected earthquake areas at minimum instead of being an indictment on National and Bronwlee it is going to be an indictment on Labour and the current state of affairs within the party.

  10. tc 10
    29 March 2011 at 11:38 am

    Yes exactly ghost as experienced as you can get with Sideshow john and his dealing room

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