The Star: August 03, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday August 3 2017 23
Viewpoint
Tough few days but we must look ahead
IT’S BEEN a tough but
invigorating few days for Labour.
We saw immense courage from
Andrew Little in his decision to
stand down as leader. Andrew
put the good of the party before
himself and made the assessment
that Jacinda Ardern was better
placed to lead us into September’s
election.
Andrew worked as hard as
is humanly possible for a Labour
victory and stepped down
because he put the interests of
working people and the party
first. Jacinda and Kelvin Davis, as
deputy, have stepped up and both
have had an immediate and positive
effect.
They say a week is a long
time in politics. Well we have
seven-and-a-half of those weeks
until the election. In this time we
have so much to do, but we have
policies, candidates and funds in
hand to run an excellent campaign.
Jacinda and Kelvin are a powerful
leadership team who have the
ability to connect with people on
a personal level.
We know that we have to run
the campaign of our lives. We
intend to do just that.
As a party, we have huge
aspirations for New Zealand. A
place where everyone has a roof
over their head and meaningful
work, where education is free
and good ideas flourish, where
children live surrounded by
creativity not poverty, and
where we build a reputation as
world leaders on environmental
issues.
The good news for us here in
Canterbury is that Jacinda and
Kelvin understand, just as Andrew
did, that Christchurch has
to be a continued focus for any
Government.
The job is not complete in our
recovery and we need to remove
the roadblocks allowing us to
flourish.
Mental health, getting our
houses fixed, and making sure
there are permanent schools for
our children will be front and
centre for a Labour government.
We will be looking to future
and building a city that builds a
rail public transport system ready
for the 21st-century.
•Megan Woods is Labour’s
Canterbury spokeswoman
We said:
Lianne Dalziel
An end to unfair treatment?
THIS WEEK’S decision of the NZ
Court of Appeal in favour of the
‘Quake Outcasts’ hopefully brings
to an end the unfair treatment
applied to people who were ‘red
zoned’ and were uninsured on
February 22, 2011.
Two years ago the Supreme
Court ruled the decision to treat
these people differently from
everyone else in the ‘red zone’ was
unlawful.
The Government thought
it could retrospectively do a
recovery plan that continued to
discriminate against people who
weren’t insured, in spite of the fact
that insurance had nothing to do
with the zoning of their land. The
Government said it was a ‘moral
hazard’ to pay out people who
were uninsured.
The city council made a strong
submission on the draft recovery
plan for equal treatment – it was
an area-wide decision and needed
an area-wide solution.
In our submission, we compared
two uninsured properties
– one in the ‘green zone’ and the
other in the ‘red zone’.
The home in the ‘green zone’
could of course be repaired and
many were – without insurance.
Habitat for Humanity made no
judgements about why families
were uninsured – they just needed
help.
The then governor-general,
who was the patron for Habitat
for Humanity, said at the time:
“Some of [the people Habitat for
Humanity are helping] are at their
wits’ end.
For them, there seems to be
no way for their problems to be
resolved, and then to have these
strangers turn up at the doorstep
full of compassion and wanting to
help them, it’s fantastic and moving,
and for most of them it does
get emotional.”
The Government’s decision left
these homeowners in a position
where even the charitable sector
couldn’t step in to help. The Court
of Appeal repeated the Supreme
Court’s findings by highlighting
that a number of the Quake
Outcasts group could not be
described as making a “conscious
choice” not to insure their properties.
Here’s one example – a couple
who had overlooked changing
insurance cover into their name
because of stress from a cancer diagnosis
and caring for dependent
family members.
This couple was uninsured at
the time of the September 4, 2010,
earthquake and their insurance
company had refused cover even
though they had had insurance
with the company since 1972.
Let us hope that this is the end
of the matter and that the Government
steps up with a further
offer that truly helps people move
on.
•If you want to ask Ms
Dalziel a question, email
mayor@ccc.govt.nz. Put
Reader’s Question in the
subject line.
Trying to sell your vehicle
on the side of the road
could soon be illegal as
part of a new city council
bylaw
John Stone – Hasn’t the
council got anything better
to do? Private sales of vehicles
on the side of the road doesn’t
hurt anyone. If its really creates
“hazards and distractions”
then the council would need to
ban sales of cherries, firewood,
flowers and fruit from the side of
the road too. While they are at
it, they can also ban billboards,
hoardings and posters during
council elections. They are
particularly dangerous.
Scotty Wilson – If I want to
advertise my car for sale I will,
it’s a free country.
Jessica M Saunders – I
think it’s good for busy streets.
I hate it when a guy parks cars
for sale on Hills Rd. There is
already limited street parking
and it’s difficult to see around
the parked cars.
Joy Scarlett – About time,
Riccarton Rd is becoming a joke
. . . why hasn’t the city council
stopped it before now?
Paul Meikle – Typical
council stupidity and a chance
to raise revenue.
Steven Blomfield – It’s
getting truly pathetic, the city
council has far too much power.
I’ll sell my car where and how I
want.
Conrad Fitz-Gerald –
Good to see the council’s got the
big problems sorted.
Scotty Wilson – It seriously
has nothing better to, does it?
We said:
An 8.4m replica of Christ
Church Cathedral’s steeple
will be rolled around the
city to show people how
the real thing could be
rebuilt like an Amish ‘barn
raising’
You said:
Lee Nicholls – The Amish
would of got stuck in and finish
the job like four years ago for
a fraction of the cost. We have
to go through the process of
consultants and other pen
pushers sucking up heaps of
cash first.
Lynn Mortlock – As a
Cantabarian, I think it has merit
but I doubt the Canadian would.
Leonie Underdown – I just
wish they would get it sorted. I
cried when I saw it last year and
nothing has been done since.
Pauline Barker – Yes they’re
amazing, done in a day.
We said:
A woman who said
she would give $1.5m
for potential life saving
CHANGES: Vehicles parking
on busy streets to sell their
vehicles could be banned as
part of a city council bylaw
change.
treatment to teen Maddie
Collins is adamant she will
honour her pledge
You said:
Andrew Lamont – Sounds
like the typical New Zealander.
All full of good intentions until
they have to actually do what
they say they’ll do.
Michelle Hardy – Sounds
like she’s been conned into the
same email I got. This women
is probably paying money to
get the inheritance released. I
myself decided to not go ahead
with wanting $42 million so I
deleted the email. I feel sorry
for Maddie and her family.
Unfortunately, this lady really
believes she is getting that
money.
Grada Dixon – Wonder
if she’s waiting for that large
sum of money from Nigeria
lol. Seriously though, hope this
young lady gets the treatment.
Jo Grant-Lindsay – What
blood group do you need to be
to be able to even offer a chance
to help.