BUGGER! LET THEM EAT CAKE!

Gerry Brownlee says he's 'fed up' with residents of the eastern suburbs of Christchurch 'carping and moaning'.  And, according to Brownlee, when they are not 'carping and moaning' they 'buggerise around on Facebook'.

Over the past two years residents of the quake-wrecked suburbs of Christchurch have been forced to endure many  hardships and indignities. People are still  living in quake-damaged houses. People are still  living in overcrowded conditions. People  are still  living in garages and caravans. People are being  exploited by bloodsucking landlords and forced to  pay extortionate rents that they cannot afford  On top of all this people are fighting what has become a war of attrition with  Cera,  EQC and various insurance companies.  People are in financial trouble and worried about the future.  The negative  impact of all this on people's health and well-being has been  enormous.

But Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry  Brownlee is having none of it: 'I'm a TC3 myself and I'm sick of these people  carping and moaning.' 

He  forgot to mention that  his very nice and expansive home was repaired many months ago.

Lord Brownlee   was reacting to  a survey of 689 TC3 residents  that slammed the performance of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, insurers, the Christchurch City Council and the Earthquake Commission.  TC3 residents are people whose homes  are on land that has  moderate to significant land damage.

What is so hypocritical is that Brownlee and his government have deliberately targeted their resources in the direction of big  business and the rebuilding of the central city. The  proles in the working class suburbs of eastern Christchurch have been left to carry the economic burden while capital reconfigures and rebuilds the central city in its own image.

While the Key government  has systematically intervened in the rebuild of the central business district  (and sidelined  local government in the process ) the Eastside has been exposed to the wolves of the 'free market'.

This is the same Gerry Brownlee who has  consistently refused to admit there is a housing crisis in the Eastside and  refused to do anything about the extortionate rents being charged.  He has fatuously claimed that 'the market' will determine what is a 'fair rate'.

But according to Lord Brownlee the embattled and angry citizens  are simply  moaning for no good reason  and 'buggerise around on Facebook all the time'.

Not surprisingly TC3 residents have demanded an apology from Brownlee.

None has been forthcoming.

Oh, and if you want to 'buggerise around on Facebook' then check out this page.