Government Fails to Move Promptly Over CTV Building

New Zealand First spokesperson for Christchurch Earthquake issues Denis O’Rourke says the Government has failed to move promptly against those responsible for fatal defects in the CTV building in which 185 people died in the February 2011 earthquake.

Mr O’Rourke asked the Prime Minister in Parliament today for his response to an open letter from the Quake Families which says:

“We know what went wrong, we know who is responsible, we know that the CTV building was code non-compliant. It was illegally built by inexperienced, negligent and incompetent individuals and entities. Even a so called engineer (who) had a false name and fake degrees was involved. The government has the responsibility to ensure justice, and that this will not happen again”.

Mr O’Rourke says the response, given on behalf of the Prime Minister by Steven Joyce, that the police would be investigating the matter, will not satisfy the Quake Families.

“They are already dismayed at the apparent inability of the police to take any action at all, two and a half years after the event, and the damning findings of the Royal Commission have been available for some time.”

Given the failure of the government and its agencies to act, Mr O’Rourke also asked the Prime Minister to reply to the Quake Families plea:

“I am asking you Prime Minister on behalf of the families, to give us your support, as you promised, in providing the families with legal help to give us advice, information and the resources to undertake legal proceedings against those responsible”.

Mr O’Rourke says the answer was again “fudged”.

“It referred only to the responsibility of the police to investigate, and did not address whether the Government would help the families to take their own legal action.

“It is disgraceful that these families are now forced to seek help to take their own legal action, when it is clearly the role of the Government to ensure that everyone responsible for the fatal defects in the CTV building is brought promptly to justice.

“Given that two and a half years have now passed since the tragedy, this is looking to be just another case of Government indifference to a case involving terrible loss of life,” says Mr O’Rourke.

ENDS

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