On Tuesday night, to mark the anniversary of September 11's terror strikes, I watched the award- winning and profoundly stirring movie Flight 93. I happened to notice on the DVD cover, that like the other 9/11 blockbuster film, World Trade Center, neither movie was released until 2006.

Hollywood decided to allow five years of pain to pass before sizing up 9/11 as subject matter for the entertainment dollar.

It's unfortunate that New Zealand on Air hasn't considered a similar passage of time be respected, before dishing out $5 million on a fictional TV drama series, centred on the Christchurch earthquakes.

There is something unseemly about the rush to have this TV show on our screens by next year. And why are fictional characters being created, when so many real stories could be told and shared? Fiction allows for artistic licence to roam free. Fiction encourages melo-drama and hyperbole.

Fiction will enable the ratings- tuned histrionics of Shortland Street to sex up the stone cold reality of Colombo St. It is a little too soon, a little too raw and a little too tacky to be serialising our city's disaster into a made-for- television entertainment event. Two Pinocchios

So democracy at Environment Canterbury has been condemned to a convenient coma until 2016. Not only is this a bald-faced broken promise by the Government, it hasn't even had the decency to apologise.

As a transitional measure, National would have been far wiser to establish a mixed model of appointed and elected representatives. Equally shameless has been the reaction of the fair-weather friend of democracy, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.

He seems to have forgotten that his 2010 re-election pledge was to pressure the Government to hold early regional council elections by 2012. So much for that. But it is sad that Parker and his like-minded councillors have lost the courage to lead and advocate for local democracy.

They seem more concerned about their own personal stature and not upsetting the Government than about going into bat for the very system that elevated them to public office - elected representation.

The Government's longer-term agenda may well be a grand amalgamation of Canterbury councils, but Auckland's super- sizing experience certainly won't embolden the people of Selwyn or Waimakariri with Greater Christchurch confidence. Haggling over Hagley

The Hagley Oval debate has had more twists and turns than a Tony Marryatt remuneration review. And the wheeling and dealing behind closed doors has recommenced between Canterbury Cricket and the city council.

Despite all the squabbles and power plays, surely all sides can at least agree to allow Hagley Oval temporary commercial use, with temporary facilities at a minimum, so we can score a slice of the Cricket World Cup.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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