Invitation irks ECan councillors

ACT could hardly have chosen a worse group to invite to a fund-raising breakfast hosted by leader Rodney Hide.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillors say it is rich they have been asked to a talk on the future of local government when Hide – the Minister of Local Government – is investigating the council's performance.

Canterbury's 10 mayors wrote to Hide last month, complaining about ECan.

Hide replied to Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker that his officials were looking at whether the issues were serious enough for a review authority to be appointed.

ECan deputy chairwoman Jo Kane was gobsmacked at the invitation to pay to hear Hide at a Christchurch hotel on November 4. "He couldn't pay me $45 to go. I think it's outrageous. I'm not giving $45 to the ACT Party, end of story."

Cr Eugenie Sage said it was clearly just a fundraiser.

"It is entirely inappropriate for him to be using his ministerial portfolio to raise funds for the ACT Party. Forty-five dollars would be more than just a breakfast, unless it was a very extravagant breakfast."

Cr Kerry Burke, a former Labour Cabinet minister and Speaker of the House, said he "wouldn't be inclined" to go to an ACT fundraiser.

Council chairman Alec Neill said he had accepted the invitation.

"I'm going because the future of local government is especially important to me at this time.

"I'm not an ACT supporter – nor do I consider the payment of $45 is a donation to ACT. So I'm looking forward to a very substantial breakfast."

Hide told The Press the regional councillors had been invited "out of respect".

His office would be reporting back on the mayors' complaints about ECan in the next couple of weeks, he said.

Breakfast organiser Toni Severin, a former ACT candidate for Christchurch Central and the party's fundraising co-ordinator for the top of the South Island, said she was unaware of the tension between ECan and the mayors, and Hide.

City, district and regional councillors had all been invited, as well as community groups. "We have got to cover our costs. We are not really trying to fund-raise. We don't have money."

Asked to clarify if ACT had no money, she said: "I'm not sure what head office does, but I know we don't have money."

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