Bay Harbour: November 01, 2017

Wednesday November 1 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 9
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Fire rages, homes at risk
She identifies housing as something
that’s “a lot worse” now
than in 1999.
“But remember, we’d had a
period of state house sell-offs
coming in to office in 99. And
Auckland . . . had sold off all their
council housing properties. So
there was huge pressure for social
housing then, (but) it’s substantially
worse now.”
“I also think, especially here in
Christchurch, mental health is
in a much worse state. We’d had
quite a period of stability, probably
from when Jenny Shipley
took over from Jim Bolger (in
1997).
“Shipley and Helen Clark
were on the same page in terms
of mental health and were
both pretty determined to depoliticise
it. It was often called the
‘Cinderella’ of the health system
– always the last thing to get done
– so I think in 1999 mental health
was in better shape, though the
health system overall wasn’t. But
now, the health system is really
under resourced and for me,
mental health is the really big
issue.”
Also not new is the way women
politicians get treated. She
reckons they still get judged differently
to men.
“The New Zealand Herald
headline that had Jacinda putting
a ‘curse’ on the All Blacks
– would you have done that
to Bill English? Maybe, but I
don’t think so. She’s a woman
and she’s young. That shouldn’t
make a difference, we should be
really proud of that but it’s seen
as a negative thing by quite a few
people.”
Having said that, “any woman
that goes into public office helps
the next generation do it. Fran
Wilde and Annette King are
two of the women that really
encouraged me to get involved
in politics and they still do,
they’re still two of my closest
friends. Margaret Wilson, Helen
Clark.”
“When I first went into Parliament
I wouldn’t have been called
a political operator, it was more
‘where’s the bathroom, where’s
my office’ . . . but I’ve always
been interested in how decisions
are made and how to influence
things, what really makes a difference.
“I’ve learned a lot about the
political process and how best
to influence change. I had five
years as president of the party
so before I went into Parliament
I thought I knew how the place
ran, but I didn’t have a clue.
You don’t know until you get in
there.”
“What keeps me there? I can
get things done, I can change
things for the better. That’s what
keeps me there.”
So does Ruth Dyson ever forget
that she’s an MP?
“At this time of the political
cycle, no . . . we’ve just been
away for the long weekend and –
I should have worn a balaclava. I
had people coming up to me
in a restaurant on Stewart
Island saying ‘what’s going to
happen?’”
PROUD:
Ms Dyson
at home
in the
garden
with her
husband
Martin
Ward.
PHOTO:
MARTIN
HUNTER
FAST FACTS:
•Cabinet minister for
eight years under Helen
Clark, with portfolios including
ACC, Senior Citizens,
Associate Health,
Disability and Social
Development.
•Elected the 28th Labour
Party president at 31,
succeeded in 1993 by
Maryan Street.
•In her maiden speech
to Parliament in 1994,
she spoke of living in an
abusive relationship.
•In 2015, she was referred
to Parliament’s
privileges committee for
calling speaker of the
house David Carter “incompetent,”
“sexist” and
“biased” on twitter.
•She introduced and
passed the law that
made NZ Sign Language
an official language
alongside English and Te
Reo.
HALLELUJAH: Sue Stewart gives the pavement repairs the
thumbs up.
Problem pavers
finally fixed
• By Sarla Donovan
HOW LONG does it take to fix
a bumpy footpath?
Turns out, quite some time.
But here’s the abbreviated
version: In May this year, Sue
Stewart (right) tripped
on uneven pavers
along the Akaroa
waterfront, grazing
her face.
Not one to take such
things lying down, she
decided to go out with
some spray paint and
mark the area to help
prevent others from
falling and injuring themselves.
That’s when Banks Peninsula
city councillor and Deputy
Mayor Andrew Turner got
involved. He visited the site and
assured Ms Stewart the city
council was taking the matter
“very seriously”.
The problem pavers would be
fixed by the end of June, he told
Ms Stewart.
Fast forward three months to
September and the pavers were
removed, but still not replaced.
Cones and barriers
surrounded the area.
Cr Turner said it wasn’t a
simple matter of just replacing
the pavers. Apparently,
specialist contractors were
needed to replace the pavers
with a gravel, resin-based
material, which would provide
a safe surface around the trees
and keep them healthy.
But poor weather and rain
meant the contractor
had a backlog. Then last
month, Ms Stewart again
contacted Bay Harbour
News.
“The barriers are
still here,” she said.
“Nothing’s happened for
months.”
On October 25, Bay
Harbour News asked Cr
Turner when the repairs would
be finished?
On October 27, almost five
months to the day since the saga
started, Cr Turner responded: “I
have been advised that the final
part of the work is being done,
and will be completed, today. I
have asked a further question
on the reason for the delay, and
can provide this information as
soon as I have an answer from
the staff responsible for the
project.”
Ms Stewart is understandably
pleased.
She’s contemplating writing a
poem about the whole affair.
Watch this space.
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