[Brownleeball]

Prime Minister John Key drives a crane labelled with the National Party's logo, to which is attached a crane and a huge demolition ball in the shape of MP Gerry Brownlee's head; the ball smashes against a historic building bringing stone pediments down. Gerry Brownlee, the Earthquake Recovery Minister, caused a stir by suggesting that if he had his way some of Christchurch's older buildings would be "down tomorrow". He also said the price of saving some historic buildings badly damaged in the February 22 earthquake was too high. People had died in the quake because of attempts to save historic buildings badly damaged in the September 4 quake. Brownlee said he had no regrets despite the stir his comments caused - but he was annoyed by suggestions the Cathedral and Riccarton House were among buildings he thought should be bowled. He believed those buildings should be saved, and they would be. "I'm not a philistine; I was chairman of the trust that actually saved Riccarton House from the bulldozers in 1990. "I understand conservation architecture very well and I do have an appreciation of heritage buildings."

Digital version held at DCDL-0017307.

Inscriptions: Recto - top right - SLANE.co.nz [in graphite]

Quantity: 1 original cartoon(s).

Physical Description: Watercolour and graphite on card, 227 x 300 mm