4 August 2000

CR PIPER PREFERS PERSONAL ABUSE TO DOING HER JOB

United New Zealand leader and Ohariu Belmont MP, Hon Peter Dunne, says criticism by Cr Sue Piper of his releasing a list of 207 Wellington earthquake risks shows she is more interested in personal attacks than serving Wellington.

He says that rather than stoop to personal abuse Cr Piper should deal with a few facts.

“I released the list because I was concerned that this major public safety issue is not being taken seriously enough – on 6 July, for example, the Evening Post reported Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean saying:
‘it would be impractical for the city to have more stringent strengthening standards.’”

“The following day Cr Piper’s colleague Cr Prendergast told the Dominion that:
‘making some of the city’s older buildings meet modern strengthening requirements would force their owners to consider demolition’ and that ‘it was likely the Council would oppose a code being drafted that might impose unrealistic requirements on heritage buildings.’”

“The evidence is incontrovertible – Cr Piper’s Council is soft on earthquake protection in the country’s highest risk earthquake region,” Mr Dunne says.

He says Cr Piper’s call that he raise the matter of tougher standards with central Government is out of date.

“I did that on 5 July, immediately after New Zealand Insurance announced it would not be insuring 100 Wellington earthquake risk buildings, and I am far from satisfied that central government seems about as interested in promoting tougher earthquake standards as do Cr Piper and her colleagues.”

“The bullet they all must bite is that this is a serious issue, which they are failing to address properly at present.”

“Their smug complacency and their lack of concern for public safety is just sickening.”

“Instead of slinging gratuitous insults at me for pressuring them to meet their public responsibilities, Cr Piper and her colleagues should get on with job they were elected to, or else stand aside,” Mr Dunne says.

ENDS

New Zealand’s Liberal Party

MEDIA STATEMENT
HON PETER DUNNE, MP
LEADER UNITED NEW ZEALAND
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 1.
Ph(04)471 9410 or (025) 469 808. Fax (04)499 7266.
e-mail: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz. Internet Address: http://www.united.org.nz

New Zealand’s Liberal Party

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