Whaleoil on a favourite theme of ours

A vigorous, voracious press would keep our country honest, unfortunately they are all as corrupt as Len Brown
by Cameron Slater on October 23, 2013
Our media have and continue to act in an utterly shameful manner. Now chasing off after some irrelevant titbit that some National MP said something. It is pathetic… our media like to claim they are the ones who hold the powerful to account, instead they are gutless, shameful apologists. They should be embarrassed. Len Brown is playing the victim now and his Albert Street branch of the mayoral office is running interference beautifully on his behalf. He has declared that there needs to be regulation of what people can say about politicians private lives…and there is not a squeak out of the media about that… instead they are running around looking for a conspiracy when the only conspiracy that exists is their conspiracy to talk about anything but Len Brown’s shenanigans. We need a powerful media, that as Boris Johnson says should be vigorous and voracious in order to keep the country honest… instead we have a bunch of gutless lapdogs doing the biding of ratbags, criminals and the corrupt.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC in-house catering, pruned like CCC?

An interesting article. I’ve been away from DCC for too long to know whether the free lunches, after meeting drinks etc are still standard for Councillors after meetings. It was normal two councils ago, but you might know whether that is still the case or whether Paul Orders has got it under control. –Source

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 15:30 23/10/2013
No free lunch for councillors
By Glenn Conway
There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially at the Christchurch City Council from now on. Mayor-elect Lianne Dalziel has ordered her new-look council to bring their own lunches to work or buy from a local business rather than rely on the in-house catering service. The move is part of her deliberate shift in culture from a council that feels entitled to a council that is there to work for the community.

Today was a case in point – the new mayor brought some homemade chicken salad to work.

If councillors wanted to have a drink after a busy day, they could do that – “but it’s not going to be on the ratepayer”. Catering cost the council more than $45,000 in the past financial year, but Dalziel wants to keep councillors aware of the fact they are there to work for the ratepayers, not to be fed by them. Dalziel said it was a part of her push for a culture change throughout the organisation. On days of long meetings, some catering may be provided but, as a general rule, “I’ve told them it’s BYO [bring your own]”, she said.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr