NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Politics

Fran O'Sullivan: Dalziel must rise above party politics

Fran O'Sullivan
By Fran O'Sullivan
Head of Business·NZ Herald·
21 Jun, 2013 05:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Lianne Dalziel believes she can do a better job as ChCh mayor than Bob Parker. Photo / Geogg Sloan

Lianne Dalziel believes she can do a better job as ChCh mayor than Bob Parker. Photo / Geogg Sloan

Fran O'Sullivan
Opinion by Fran O'Sullivan
Head of Business, NZME
Learn more
Christchurch needs a mayor with leadership and an action plan

Ten days after the devastating February 22 earthquake in 2011, friends who had - like me - been in Christchurch for the US-NZ Partnership Forum when the earthquake occurred held a survivors' lunch in Auckland.

I couldn't make it as I had my son over from Australia. And frankly, I did not want to leave him alone in Wellington, which had itself had a couple of short sharp shakes since the Christchurch quake.

But, when my friends called from Cibo restaurant to check on me, I finally burst into tears and wrote off the rest of that day as all the emotion that had been dammed up since that horrific event finally burst.

I compared notes with Christchurch mayoral aspirant Lianne Dalziel when we caught up for dinner in Auckland a few months later.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dalziel and her lawyer husband, Robbie, were still sleeping on a mattress in the hallway of what would become their red-zoned Bexley house close to their front door in case they had to get out swiftly if another huge shake completed the destruction of their home. Dalziel used to like coming up to Auckland as she could get in a good night's sleep - something I sympathised with.

She wasn't too keen either on beating a swift return to full-time parliamentary duties. As she admitted in a speech about that time, she traced her own fear of earthquakes to frequent visits to Wellington as a student, then as a union representative and later an MP.

"The trucks rolling up and down my damaged street affect my concentration; sleep is interrupted by the rumble that precedes the shake; I hear stories every day that make me weep; and what makes it so hard is that we don't know what the future holds for our badly damaged suburbs," she said then.

At that time, she still had outstanding duties as chair of the commerce committee (particularly the completion of the finance companies inquiry) but in truth her major focus since that time has been Christchurch and the earthquake recovery.

This week, Dalziel finally declared for the Christchurch mayoralty. She believes she can do a better job than incumbent Bob Parker. And she probably can. Parker has been a great cheerleader in uncertain times.

But concerted leadership and action are now required from a Christchurch City Council which has become too much mired in acrimony and needs to become strongly focused on being effectual.

Discover more

Opinion

Fran O'Sullivan: Time for Key to spread the success story

17 May 05:30 PM
Opinion

Fran O'Sullivan: More professionalism needed with China

28 May 05:30 PM
Opinion

Fran O'Sullivan: Right plan for nation's only global city

31 May 05:30 PM
Opinion

Synlait's secrets of success in China

04 Jun 05:30 PM

The mayoralty race will challenge Dalziel to demonstrate she does have that capacity to move Christchurch forward and that she can rise above deeply tribal Labour politics and forge a working relationship with a National-led Government.

It's been an open secret for a year now that she wants the mayoralty.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Friends advised her months ago to make peace with Gerry Brownlee, the Government's Minister for Earthquake Recovery.

Dalziel's disaffection with Brownlee dates back to their fundamental disagreement on what should be the right governance mechanism for driving the Christchurch recovery.

She studied the international evidence and believed it would have been better for the recovery to be driven by an authority with a strong board and independent chair rather than what is in many respects more like a Government department reporting to a minister.

Dalziel does have a point.

But the Government made its decision and there was no going back.

She passionately brought issues to the fore and frequently scourged the Government over the time it took to come to grips with the "tale of two cities" Christchurch had become in the post-earthquake era. But she was at times churlishly nit-picking. Brownlee being Brownlee, that got under his skin and he sniped back.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The "truce meeting" was held earlier this year, with both sides agreeing to disagree over the level of their respective past orneriness.

But Dalziel does need to erase her blindspot when it comes to dealing with Brownlee.

She is capable of bridging the party divide. She had a good working relationship with Simon Power when he was National's Commerce Minister.

But she will need to learn to bite her tongue and rise above party politics on the many issues that would test her as mayor - particularly the necessary trade-off between Government involvement in the recovery (the taxpayers are, after all, paying many of the bills) and the necessity for the council itself to play a competent role in that recovery without being totally under the Government's thumb.

Reports suggest she is turning to the Labour fraternity in Christchurch to assist her campaign.

She no longer sleeps on that mattress in her Bexley hallway and has moved to Burwood.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What Christchurch now needs to hear from Dalziel is a compelling statement of just what her leadership will do for the city; whether she can unite what has at times been a dysfunctional council; how she can work in with central government to achieve those ends by using persuasion and not simply political shin-kicking (although that might too be required at times) and a quick demonstration that she can forge commonality across party lines in her own post-national politics era.

Fundamentally, New Zealand needs to hear this too.

Christchurch has taken considerable national resources - which the rest of the country gives with a generous heart.

But it needs a mayor who is focused on making this work, and fast.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Politics

Premium
OpinionAudrey Young

Audrey Young: Bishop puts boot into councils as rates table reveals biggest hikes

Politics

'It’s inevitable': David Letele teases move into politics

Politics

Bill banning pay gag orders for workers likely to pass into law


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Politics

Premium
Premium
Audrey Young: Bishop puts boot into councils as rates table reveals biggest hikes
Audrey Young
OpinionAudrey Young

Audrey Young: Bishop puts boot into councils as rates table reveals biggest hikes

OPINION: It's been the week for bashing local government – although not without cause.

17 Jul 12:42 AM
'It’s inevitable': David Letele teases move into politics
Politics

'It’s inevitable': David Letele teases move into politics

16 Jul 10:30 PM
Bill banning pay gag orders for workers likely to pass into law
Politics

Bill banning pay gag orders for workers likely to pass into law

16 Jul 08:04 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP