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Andrew Dickens: Don't underestimate effect of Sky City fire

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Oct 2019, 12:49PM
The huge fire on the roof of the new SkyCity Convention Centre was still burning throughout the night. (Photo / Dean Purcell)

Andrew Dickens: Don't underestimate effect of Sky City fire

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Oct 2019, 12:49PM

It was a very strange commute to work today.

Coming in from the west on my motorcycle I stopped across the valley from the burning Sky City Convention Centre. It was a scene from an apocalypse. Four jets of water from snorkels from four corners of the building. Orange Flames to the south and the city shrouded in smoke

So I stopped and took a photo that I’ve now posted on my Facebook page and then I marvelled at the fact that I was driving voluntarily towards that.

Because our studios are about 150 metres from this fire. But because of the vicious sou’wester the city is being battered with we are clear of smoke and danger.

It’s bizarre because this morning a lawyer friend messaged me. Even though his office is half a kilometre away to the East. Far away really but  the strong wind has blown smoke right at his building which has been closed as a health hazard.

When I arrived at work I went to the corner and looked up Nelson Street.  There I was at nearly the base of the fire fighting efforts. I took a video which I’ve also posted on Facebook.  And due to the wind I was soaked by water from the snorkel blown back to the North.

A few moments ago when I took a last look I saw water jets being aimed away from the building but such was the wind the water was being blown back on the roof fire.

It is extreme conditions for firefighting. Storms and rain and gales and hail and high temperatures and difficult access and it’s been going on for 24 hours now.

And it’s impact will be felt for years. Such a disaster. It’s no Notre Dame. But don’t underestimate it. Just the cost of rehousing all the Sky City Hotel guests will be massive. It’s a piece of infrastructure Auckland has waited for forever and now it’s delayed again.

Today we have the next stage of Act Leader David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. Politicians will have to decide whether the final decision should be put to the public in a referendum if it passes a third reading. This is a New Zealand First clause.  If a referendum is not granted then the bill itself may wither on the vine as NZ First does not support the decision being in the hand of politicians alone.

But this morning an interesting point was made. These sorts of votes are conscience votes.  This morning we heard that politicians like Stuart Nash and Mark Mitchell have canvassed or polled their electorate to find out how their people feel.

But half our politicians are list MPs. Voted in by party committees. Who do they consult? Whose conscience do they represent other than their own.  They can’t vote on party lines because that’s the entire point of a conscience vote.

It raises a question as to whether list MPs have a right to a conscience vote or whether conscience votes are unworkable in a MMP environment.   

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