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.
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 .
ReplyDeleteSpeaking 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
ReplyDeletesocieties 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.