Christchurch City Councillors earn some $83,000. What do they do to justify such high salaries? Who knows - because they are not accountable to anyone, especially the people who voted them into office in the first place.

Take Councillor Gail Sheriff.

Clearly not enjoying the cold Christchurch winter she was granted a ten week leave of absence from her council job. That's right. Two and a half months. Nearly a quarter of a year.

And where is Ms Sheriff? She's enjoying the warm weather in Bali, drinking Pina Coladas and getting paid for it. Sheriff, who voted to increase council rents by twenty-four percent, is apparently flying off to other holiday spots after she leaves Bali.

At last weeks council meeting Councillor Chrissie Williams moved that reasons for leave for more than four weeks had to be stated in the leave application.

The motion was defeated 8-4.

One of Sideshow Bob's allies, the not-very-hard-working Susan Wells , voted against the motion.

Apparently unable to understand that councillors are, in theory at least, accountable to the voters, Wells fatuously claimed that leave issues were 'private'.

She went on to say 'that I don't want everyone to know what is happening in my personal life in particular'.

Of course Ms Wells, despite being on a big salary, has found time in the past to do in-house commercials for a supermarket chain and for The Warehouse. Oh, she has also done some fill-in work for TV1's Good Morning show.

She also famous told the media last year if people in her ward wanted to talk to her they could do so in the supermarket or while she was gardening!

And what about Sideshow Bob? Well, Ms Sheriff is one of Sideshow's supporters so - surprise, surprise, he says he's 'comfortable' with Sheriff's long absence.

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