By Annabelle Tukia
Two of the key figures in the Christchurch rebuild look as though they are trying hard to patch up their differences.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has apologised to Mayor Bob Parker for calling him a “clown”.
And Mr Parker has accepted the apology.
Mr Brownlee is used to deflecting tough questions about Christchurch’s rebuild.
But he took it on the chin when he was asked about his recent description of the city's Mayor.
“I think it was inappropriate, I shouldn't have done that.”
Mr Brownlee says the injudicious comment came after days of discussions between his officials from CERA, the council's senior executives and the Mayor.
He says the Government's chipping in $5.5 billion for the rebuild and the council needs to take more responsibility.
“We expect the recipients of that to have some plan for how they will participate in what will be a very, very expensive recovery, and that plan has to be a lot better than ‘we're just going to put up the rates and we're going to borrow a lot more money’.”
Mr Parker is currently in China, but released a statement saying Mr Brownlee had apologised and he accepted that.
Back in Christchurch, the Deputy Mayor Ngaire Button says she does not believe Mr Brownlee's comment will jeopardise relations between the council and Government.
“Both of these men are under pressure, great pressure in terms of from the Government, from the public and from the community, and so it’s inevitable that there’s going to be tensions that arise,” says Ms Button.
Other councillors were less than impressed.
“It’s very appropriate for people to raise concerns but I don't think name calling is really achieving much at all,” says Christchurch City Councilor Yani Johanson.
Just another symptom of the pressures that are building in this mammoth reconstruction.
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