Again good moves from Mayor Celia
November 13th, 2010 at 12:00 pm by David FarrarThe Dom Post reports:
The plum Wellington City Council appointment to the Wellington International Airport board has gone to deputy mayor Ian McKinnon – but not before a colleague suggested he was unqualified for the job.
The role, worth at least $37,500 a year, was previously held by former mayor Kerry Prendergast.
Councillor appointments to council-controlled organisations, committees, boards and portfolios were voted on yesterday at a meeting of the full council.
Mr McKinnon said councillors appointed to eight CCOs, as well as Wellington Airport, were there on merit.
But councillor Helene Ritchie said she would be best suited for the airport role as she is a former chairwoman of both the city’s airport authority and the airport company’s interim board.
“I don’t understand what knowledge and experience he has other than flying in an aeroplane.”
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, who showed great backroom diplomacy in getting almost unanimous support for scores of councillor appointments, backed Mr McKinnon.
“It’s not totally based on the knowledge of the subject matter. It’s also knowledge about governance, finance and relationships.”
Good to see near-unanimous agreement on the roles.If the only dissent is from someone saying they wanted that role instead (rather than someone else saying that person should get that role), then you’ve done a good job.
Tags: Celia Wade-Brown, Wellington City Council
November 13th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
A similar reaction from a jilted councillor in Dunedin: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/136153/butcher-hits-out-mayor
Vote:There could be some interesting meetings ahead down there.
November 13th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Hear hear, Ian will be a superb appointment.
Vote:November 13th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
“Governance finance and relationships” good god Celia Wade-Brown has a brain. She will go far, I am impressed. Helene Ritchie is beyond stupid if she thinks she knows anything about governance finance and relationships.
Vote:November 13th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Any chap who used to head the old Alma Mater is a jolly good chap I say!
Vote:November 13th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
“Hurrah for Scots of noble name from north across the sea.” Etc.etc.
Vote:November 13th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Does Helene sound a tad bitter to anybody else?
Just stunned that she could utter those words and mean it. There is no assessment of her role in those two forums. Besides a chairperson is a facilitator. The skills of managing meetings and external relations are easily garnered and ever so transferable, between
organisations.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 7:54 am
When Kerry Prendergast had the directorship she abused both it and the Airport Constitution (bigger than both shareholders together) to move the Ngauranga Gorge to Airport corridor plan. Justice Clifford unconscionably has allowed this information to pass untested saying that if she did not vote as she should not have voted on the Manners Mall revocation her vote would have been one less, still making the revocation vote done by majority. This is a disgraceful decision in New Zealand – nothing greater than dishonour to be proud of. The decision mocks the member’s pecuniary interests and companies’ legislation. However, albeit I am exhausted I am still to appeal on this point.
The reason for Mc Kinnon getting the role is singularly because he is the Deputy Mayor and this is as close as Infratil could get after the controversy I have raised around the now Mayor’s corrupt activity prior to the election (dropping walking and cycling from its demand management on the proposal) campaigning for the impossibly expensive and physically unlikely light rail improvements. The Manners Mall decision had to have the Mayor’s confidence to get through and this also required Wade Brown from the Green and Labour camps.
Infratil directly manipulated the New Zealand government at their last annual meeting by withholding a huge injection of capital into transport unless both local and central governments did their bidding. Such national fiscal control and public office coercion is demonstrably unethical but alive, protected and well in New Zealand, not just through parliament but in the judiciary. It is time for a very serious change.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
The sweet and delicate Celia will become the boy & girl racers saviour if she could set aside an area for racing.
Vote: