Why are Barry Corbett and Sue Wells seemingly permanent appointments to the board of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd?

Being a director of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd seems to have become permanent positions for Spreydon ward  councillors Sue Wells and Barry Corbett. They've been raking in the directors fees since 2005.

It can't be said they bring any special talents to the board.

In July Barry Corbett got rated a 'D' for his council performance  by The Press.  The newspaper commented:

A councillor since 1998, Corbett brings life to the adage that experience does not always mean quality. He contributes little of note during discussions, other than thanking council staff for their efforts. Some have remarked, not unfairly, that few would notice if he was not there.

But there goes 'Bazza', getting paid another $38,000  for all the 'work' he does for Christchurch City Holdings Ltd. This, incidentally, is the same councillor who thought some of Christchurch's poorest and most vulnerable people  should have their rents put  up by   a massive 24 percent - which was later ruled illegal by the High Court.

Sue Wells took her snout out of the trough to also vote for the rent increase.

When Councillor Len Livingstone (backed by Yani Johanson and Jimmy Chen)  attempted to  prevent councillors getting directors' fees last October, Corbett  - not surprisingly - spoke against Livingstone's amendment. In fact it was probably Corbett's biggest contribution to council debate in recent times.

Corbett was critical of Livingstone: "If he had served on the board of any of these organisations, he would recognise all the extra work that goes on."

But according to a former director of CCHL, Gail Sheriff, the work takes no more than five to ten hours a month.

So someone is making things up. My money is on Corbett - who finds time in his 'busy schedule' to voice radio commercials and make the occasional appearance on Radio New Zealand National's weekday afternoon show  'The Panel' .

Its apparent that Corbett and  Wells continue on the board of the CCHL  largely as a reward  for their continued loyalty to Sideshow Bob.

2 comments:

  1. Yup ! ...what can I say , you're right , he's a self important puffed up waste of oxygen ...oxygen that a bacteria somewhere could be making better use of .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Speaking of parasites, I have obtained a copy of Aaron Keown's declaration of donations received and expenses from the 2010 city council elections (under the Official Info Act) if you would like to have a copy of it I can send it to you. Donations received were $5500 from "City Vision" which if you search the register of incorporated
    societies at http://www.societies.govt.nz/cms/customer-support/learn-about-our-online-services
    /banner_template/SOCAGENT
    reveals this is Incorporated Society: 1964352 - CHRISTCHURCH CITY VISION INCORPORATED, which has not filed a financial return for the year ended 31 March 2010, nor 2011 and has since been removed from the register. Incorporated societies are required to file these returns with the Registrar each year, so this raises some questions about his $5500 received for the October 2010 election. Where is the
    paper trail I wonder?
    I wrote the following letter to the Press, but they didn't have the balls to publish it:
    So councillor Aaron Keown thinks the council's rating system
    should be made "fairer" (Press 24 Nov) by increasing the
    rates payable by the owners of lower valued properties. He
    believes those in less affluent suburbs have less ownership,
    responsibility and say in the city than those in areas where
    the rates are higher. Perhaps the voters of Shirley/Papanui
    feel cheated since he was elected (ridiculous statements
    about making cycle helmets voluntary, etc). I hope the
    voters of Shirley/Papanui ward remember this in October 2013
    when they have the opportunity to dump him. By Keown's own
    twisted logic, in his capacity as a district health board
    representative (when he can be bothered turning up to
    meetings that is), does this mean that he really believes
    those people using more health services should be paying a
    fairer share of the costs of it, including the $26000 per
    annum that he is reportedly paid by the CDHB. Councillor
    Barry Corbett is now advocating a "citizen's tax", in other
    words a poll tax along the lines of that proposed by
    Margaret Thatcher in the UK in the early 1990s. He needs to
    be reminded of her spectacular fall from grace.

    ReplyDelete

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