Not credible for mayor to say he didn’t know

It’s not credible for the mayor to say ‘‘I didn’t know’’. Everybody knew that Marryatt and Parker were joined at the hip. If Parker didn’t know, he should have.

There is also a bit of the pot calling the kettle black here. There have been far too many instances when Parker has shared information with only his favoured ones around the council table and left other councillors in the dark. ALAN SIMSON Addington

Sort it out

Having in Australia watched Bob Parker on TV, fronting the inter- national media with aplomb in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes, I amnow somewhat disillusioned, having been back in Christchurch for a few months.

The shambles that seem to pervade the Christchurch City Council must be sorted out once and for all, especially for the sake of all those ratepayers who have been living in virtual Third World conditions for well over two years.

It is utterly disgraceful that an imported chief executive is not only paid more than the prime minister, but is able to return to his home town of Hamilton at weekends.

What real empathy would an import have for the devastating day-to-day issues of thousands of ratepayers of this city?

How on earth can this have been allowed to happen? Good on Gerry Brownlee for finally bringing this shameful catalogue of ineptitude to a head. The citizens of this great city deserve far better than what they have been served since February 2011. ROGER MATHIESON

Fendalton

Gardening’s too good

Tony Marryatt is being paid while on enforced leave. Instead of being sent home to do his garden, he should be reassigned to street cleaning or assisting the city’s homeless clean up graffiti. The ratepayers should at least get some return for his exorbitant salary. NICK ROUT Linwood

It’s complicated

If applicants for building consents wonder why their applications take so long and cost so much to process, they need to understand that International Accreditation New Zealand expects every box on a check sheet to be filled.

Extreme conclusions are now being made that, because the processor of a building consent application has failed to put an OK or N/A in a box on a check sheet, buildings can fall down.

If people feel this is negligent of the processor, they need to understand the processing check sheet for the average building consent has evolved from a two-page prompt sheet in pre-accreditation days to the 20-plus pages of today. A WINKELMAN

Papanui

So she’s the one!

Tony, Bob, it was the tea lady! BRUCE IMRIE

Redcliffs