Shipley rules out role as commissioner

Dame Jenny Shipley has put an end to weeks of speculation she is to become an Environment Canterbury (ECan) commissioner.

The former National prime minister said yesterday she would not take up "any role associated with the recent review of ECan".

However, she would not comment on whether she had been asked to be a commissioner.

"I'm not going to speculate on those things. It would not be appropriate for me to do so," she said.

Labour Christchurch Central MP Brendon Burns said late last week several sources led him to understand Shipley was at "the top of the list".

ECan chairman Alec Neill said he had tried not to take too much notice of the rumours about possible commissioners.

"There has been a lot of speculation. However, an attempt by a little-known Labour backbench MP [Burns] to gain notoriety seems to have fallen flat on its face."

Shipley said it was time to put a stop to the speculation.

She could not consider any job that might conflict with her role as chairwoman of state-owned power generator and retailer, Genesis Energy. She was already involved in Canterbury water issues, particularly given the Government's proposal for Genesis to take over Meridian Energy's Tekapo A and B power stations.

That would also involve working with irrigators in Canterbury, she said in a statement.

She had read "with interest" the ECan review by her former deputy prime minister Wyatt Creech and was pleased at the progress of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

The report recommends sacking elected ECan councillors and replacing them with commissioners.

"Whatever decision the Government takes as a result of the review, I hope that rapid progress can be made.

"It is my hope that at some stage in the future in my role as chair of Genesis, I might find myself working in Canterbury on some new water storage projects which may have electricity generation potential but also have the potential to satisfy environmentalists, irrigators, regulators, in-stream users and out-of-stream users."

Burns said Shipley ruling herself out was "appropriate and welcome".

As recently as Friday, Environment Minister Nick Smith was refusing to rule out Shipley as a potential commissioner.

"Therein lies the real conflict. Rapid new allocation is the Prime Minister's stated agenda," Burns said.

"While everyone associated with the Government, including Dame Jenny, talks about satisfying environmental concerns, no-one will say how this will be achieved when they want new water allocated from next year.

"I'd still rather see those councillors elected and accountable to our community managing Canterbury water than a Government appointee answering to the Cabinet, be it Dame Jenny or anyone else," Burns said.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said Shipley's comments were "a positive development".

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