Sunday 12th September 2010

I first want to pay tribute to the thousands of professionals who make up our community services – Police, Firemen and women, Civil Defence workers, volunteers and particularly the people of Canterbury for their courage, resilience, concern for each other and sheer determination to survive and get through to rebuild their city after this disaster. We all have our stories to tell and for years to come, we will. But we have lived through a miracle – a 7.1 earthquake hitting a major city and No Deaths.

My original decision to stand for the mayoralty of Christchurch was made on the basis of the three year record of The Mayor and Council and the deep unease of large numbers of Christchurch citizens about that record.

Because I had committed myself to serve the people of my electorate for a full three year term, and had no intention at the time of standing for the mayoralty, I believed I should stay on as a MP until Parliament rose for the 2011 election, which could involve anywhere between 4-8 months (effectively) being both Mayor and MP for Wigram, depending on whether or not there would be an early election.

I did not want to leave my electorate, which I have served for close to 27 years without an MP or and electorate office for any extended period of time. I owed my constituents the same loyalty they have given to me.

The events of the last 9 days have, of course, changed that equation dramatically and created a new and challenging physical, social, economic and psychological environment.

While there was already significant work in the Inner City in particular, and a lot of council procedures, processes and admin to restructure, the magnitude of the rebuilding task in Christchurch and Canterbury, not only in the scale but also in the quality of rehabilitation and rebuilding required in order to secure the unique character and cultural heritage of Christchurch, is now, after the earthquake, quite profound.

It is perfectly reasonable for people to now question whether the earthquake has altered the balance of the challenge facing the city and my ability to manage the positions of both Mayor and MP, even if only for a short time – and the answer is that it clearly does.

Christchurch and the whole Canterbury region will need leadership which is focused on the enormous task ahead of us, and is capable in terms of experience, knowledge and availability ‘at the coal face’ over the coming years. I am making it clear today that I am ready to give exactly that kind of leadership and that therefore I am announcing that if I am privileged to be elected as Mayor of this great city, I will resign from Parliament as the MP for Wigram on the day I am sworn in as Mayor.

Bob Parker has shown exemplary commitment to his tasks as Mayor during this crisis and I have only praise for his efforts as a communicator of clear messages which have been helpful and effective. In all that he has done he has had my full support throughout.

But the future is another matter. I have experience of leadership in crisis situations nationally, regionally and locally – in all kinds of natural and human induced crises. I was, after all, Acting PM at the time of the terrorist attacks in New York nine years ago and I know how to deal with both the immediate needs of people and the challenges which follow.

Not since the Napier Earthquake in February 1931 (when there were 535 after shocks!) and 258 deaths, many of them school children who were killed at school because of the time – 10.47am – of the Quake – has a major city in NZ been devastated on this scale.

I believe I have the experience, knowledge, understanding of the workings of government, government departments and agencies, the private sector business and development industries as well as community organizations – all of whom need to be coordinated to solve the problems we face.

It has occurred to me, that if anything, my whole life experience has prepared me well to serve my city and my country on just such an occasion as this and for the challenges it brings.

As a first step in the re-launch of my campaign, I will be holding a city-wide community meeting at the Woolston Workingmen’s club, 43 Hargood Street, Woolston, on Tuesday September commencing at 7.00pm for all those who wish to hear from an earthquake engineer, representatives of architects, engineers and heritage professions as well as community leaders, as to what has happened to Christchurch and how best we can go about rebuilding it. The people’s views will also be heard, help given to those in need and an inclusive path mapped out as to how we can all now be part of the solution as we plan to make Christchurch even better, stronger and more prosperous for its next 100 years.

ENDS

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