The agony and the ecstasy – one MP is whooping with delight, another is in deep despair
One female MP was ecstatic at the weekend. Green MP Chloe Swarbrick was cheered after the government announced a conditional contribution of $15 million towards the conservation of the St James Theatre in Auckland.
Another female MP was deeply dispirited. Kiri Allan had been involved in a car crash – and a career crash – on Evans Bay Parade in Wellington last night.
This resulted in the PM issuing a statement early today to say the Minister of Justice has relinquished this and other ministerial posts after being taken into custody and held in the Wellington Central Police station.
The PM said:
She was released around 1.00am this morning.
She has been charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest.
She also returned a breath test over the legal limit but at a level considered an infringement offence. Police have not pressed charges in relation to that.
Hipkins said it was “untenable” for a Justice Minister to be charged with criminal offending.
Kiri agrees, and she’s advised me she wishes to resign all her portfolios immediately, is heading home, and taking time to consider her future in politics. I’ve accepted that resignation.
The only other new press statement posted on the government’s official website today tells of a $15 million commitment to the restoration of the St James Theatre in Auckland (subject to the Auckland Council coughing up a similar amount).
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni was at the dilapidated building on Saturday to announce the government had committed
… to doing its part to support the restoration and revival of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s much loved, nationally significant, and historic St James Theatre.
The theatre has been closed for 15 years.
The government’s contribution towards the preservation of the theatre will sit alongside funding from the Auckland Council and the owner to support the building’s restoration
“… so that it can reopen for the wider public to enjoy again – concert experiences, stately décor and all.”
Sepuloni said the theatre is a place of outstanding historical and cultural heritage significance.
“Our Government’s contribution to support the restoration of the Theatre underlines not only the importance of protecting our heritage buildings, but the significance of the theatre’s place in our history.
“Our Government’s contribution will match and is contingent on a pledge of $15 million from Auckland Council, as well as other funding conditions that will be developed following community engagement. Mayor Wayne Brown has provided me with his assurance that the Council’s commitment still stands.”
The St James Theatre is considered nationally significant as one of the best-preserved vaudeville theatres in NZ and is a Category 1 listed building by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
The response of Chloe Swarbrick – as reported on The Spinoff – suggests this announcement will fortify her re-election prospects:
“What a great daaay,” trilled Chlöe Swarbrick.
The Central Auckland MP sang it again, louder this time, her chirpy voice echoing around the cold, dusty and decimated theatre.
“We did it!” she half-yelled, half-giggled, pumping her fist.”
The Spinoff painted this picture of the occasion:
On a sunny Saturday when a Fifa Women’s World Cup fixture at Eden Park had left the central city sleepy, the welcome mat was rolled out at Auckland’s mothballed St James Theatre for the first time in seven years. Politicians, city representatives, interested parties, tangata whenua, a dozen journalists and anyone who wanted to duck in for a peek gathered on the venue’s second-storey for what was billed as a “significant announcement”. (Notably, mayor Wayne Brown was not there, but the weekend is known to be his tennis time.)
Against all the odds, everyone had arrived to hear some good news.
They got it from Carmel Sepuloni.
According to The Spinoff, the $15 million she pledged had been
… squirrelled away by former prime minster Jacinda Ardern in a special fund, to match $15 million already pledged by Auckland Council.
The Spinoff explained:
A fire forced the St James to close in 2007, and it remained that way until [Steve] Bielby bought the building in 2014 and set about patching it up for a brief re-opening to show what it’s capable of. Across an 18-month period from 2016-2017, dozens of successful shows were held there before it was again closed for restoration work.
That work stopped in 2018 when funding fell through for an adjacent apartment building offering crucial amenities to the St James, including toilets and elevators.
Ever since, the building has languished, targeted by thieves, vandals and graffiti artists.
It’s not all plain sailing from here – but as Swarbrick’s singing and shimmying showed, the mood on Saturday was buoyant.
“I’m elated,” she told a TVNZ reporter. “This is huge. This is immense. And it’s so necessary … This is recycling at a mass scale.”
She was released around 1.00am this morning.
She has been charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest.
She also returned a breath test over the legal limit but at a level considered an infringement offence. Police have not pressed charges in relation to that.
Hipkins said it was “untenable” for a Justice Minister to be charged with criminal offending.
Kiri agrees, and she’s advised me she wishes to resign all her portfolios immediately, is heading home, and taking time to consider her future in politics. I’ve accepted that resignation.
The only other new press statement posted on the government’s official website today tells of a $15 million commitment to the restoration of the St James Theatre in Auckland (subject to the Auckland Council coughing up a similar amount).
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni was at the dilapidated building on Saturday to announce the government had committed
… to doing its part to support the restoration and revival of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s much loved, nationally significant, and historic St James Theatre.
The theatre has been closed for 15 years.
The government’s contribution towards the preservation of the theatre will sit alongside funding from the Auckland Council and the owner to support the building’s restoration
“… so that it can reopen for the wider public to enjoy again – concert experiences, stately décor and all.”
Sepuloni said the theatre is a place of outstanding historical and cultural heritage significance.
“Our Government’s contribution to support the restoration of the Theatre underlines not only the importance of protecting our heritage buildings, but the significance of the theatre’s place in our history.
“Our Government’s contribution will match and is contingent on a pledge of $15 million from Auckland Council, as well as other funding conditions that will be developed following community engagement. Mayor Wayne Brown has provided me with his assurance that the Council’s commitment still stands.”
The St James Theatre is considered nationally significant as one of the best-preserved vaudeville theatres in NZ and is a Category 1 listed building by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
The response of Chloe Swarbrick – as reported on The Spinoff – suggests this announcement will fortify her re-election prospects:
“What a great daaay,” trilled Chlöe Swarbrick.
The Central Auckland MP sang it again, louder this time, her chirpy voice echoing around the cold, dusty and decimated theatre.
“We did it!” she half-yelled, half-giggled, pumping her fist.”
The Spinoff painted this picture of the occasion:
On a sunny Saturday when a Fifa Women’s World Cup fixture at Eden Park had left the central city sleepy, the welcome mat was rolled out at Auckland’s mothballed St James Theatre for the first time in seven years. Politicians, city representatives, interested parties, tangata whenua, a dozen journalists and anyone who wanted to duck in for a peek gathered on the venue’s second-storey for what was billed as a “significant announcement”. (Notably, mayor Wayne Brown was not there, but the weekend is known to be his tennis time.)
Against all the odds, everyone had arrived to hear some good news.
They got it from Carmel Sepuloni.
According to The Spinoff, the $15 million she pledged had been
… squirrelled away by former prime minster Jacinda Ardern in a special fund, to match $15 million already pledged by Auckland Council.
The Spinoff explained:
A fire forced the St James to close in 2007, and it remained that way until [Steve] Bielby bought the building in 2014 and set about patching it up for a brief re-opening to show what it’s capable of. Across an 18-month period from 2016-2017, dozens of successful shows were held there before it was again closed for restoration work.
That work stopped in 2018 when funding fell through for an adjacent apartment building offering crucial amenities to the St James, including toilets and elevators.
Ever since, the building has languished, targeted by thieves, vandals and graffiti artists.
It’s not all plain sailing from here – but as Swarbrick’s singing and shimmying showed, the mood on Saturday was buoyant.
“I’m elated,” she told a TVNZ reporter. “This is huge. This is immense. And it’s so necessary … This is recycling at a mass scale.”
Shortly after 9.00pm last night Kiri Allan was involved in a car crash on Evans Bay Parade in Wellington.
She was taken into custody and held in the Wellington Central Police station. She was released around 1.00am this morning.
The Government has committed to doing its part to support the restoration and revival of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s much loved, nationally significant, and historic St James Theatre, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni announced today.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
2 comments:
I thought Mayor Brown was going all out to save money thus keeping rate rises to an acceptable level.
(Even better, no rise at all)
In respect to the St James - all very good to restore such a grand old lady, but a word of caution, the Wellington Town Hall refurb and strengthening has all-but doubled (if not more) at now something north of $182M, and I'm unsure if it's all done at that?
As for Ms Swarbrick's glee, I can only hope it will be like the "celebration" that she claimed was evident when Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (aka Posie Parker) last visited. Fortunately, I see Kelly-Jay is planning to visit again in September, when her attacker has its/theys/hers/hims day in court. I'm fairly sure there will be another 'celebration' evidenced and Ms Swarbrick will, no doubt, again have the opportunity to impart her view on the events as she sees them. Do take some note.
And, as for Kiri Allan - ehmmm. Not so sure why the latitude over the drink driving matter - would the same stance be taken for you or me? I suspect not. But as for the resisting arrest, that seems to suggest an inclination to be confrontational, which given other recent claims, seems something of a less than becoming personal trait? I'm sure she'll have plenty of time to reflect on that, but meanwhile we taxpayers will be funding her at least through to October.
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