After a rousing introduction to delegates at the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors conference by MC Matt McLean, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson - who in April was offered a spot on the Ellen Degeneres show after making his ''big gay rainbow'' speech in Parliament - told delegates: ''I can't wait to hear myself speak now''.
Mr Williamson, the keynote speaker for the conference which concluded on Friday, delivered a wide-ranging speech, touching on the ''big picture issues'' for the Government - and cracked a few jokes along the way.
He said issues associated with Canterbury included the rebuild and the battle ahead for the Christchurch City Council to correct its consenting systems by June 28 - which translated to a ''big kerfuffle ahead'' and had ''put the fly right back in the middle of the ointment''; the ''fruit loops'' who contended the 33% of New Building Strength (NBS) recommended by the Royal Commission was not enough; and that one ''ghastly event'' - the collapse of the CTV building - should not drive government policy.
Mr Williamson said the CTV building was built illegally and should not have been designed as it was, consented, constructed or gained its Code of Compliance.
''That building killed 115 of 185 in total. Take it out of the equation. Do not let it drive policy for the future.''
He said the Earthquake-prone Building Policy would ''require the wisdom of Solomon to solve''.
An estimated 25,000 buildings needed to be evaluated within five years - equating to 100 buildings a week, every week for that period, which was ''hellishly tough'' - and those that couldn't be strengthened were to be demolished within 10 years.
While the Government was questioning if those time frames were realistic, it might look to remove the masonry elements form the outside of buildings.
''One of the things we might have to do is get some of those externalities cleaned off. If a 1.6-tonne lion falls on you, it really hurts.''
On the commission's recommended 33% of NBS, Mr Williamson said the Royal Commission got it right.
''From my point of view, everything you do in life comes as a risk. Whitney Houston died in the bath - don't ever have a bath again.''
Earlier, delegates had heard from Peter Degerholm, of Calderglen Associates, on the Construction Contracts Act and on retentions, saying it was time to debate merits and alternatives.
Mr Williamson said the CCA Amendment Bill had its first reading recently but it was likely a supplementary order paper would be required ''once we get our heads around retentions''.
''It seems wrong to me someone holds on to the money you're eligible for ... they go belly up and you don't get paid ... but how the hell do we prevent it?
''I'll have to find a way of making sure like, in the case of Mainzeal ... that you don't lose everything just because that company goes belly up.''
