Below in blue, my Reply, all I have done to irk the Board is try to warn about the very real risk to the public that one man posed (not all the gasfitters in my area, as the Board tried to make out).

At the time of my first complaint....my wife was pregnant and this gave me a whole different perspective on life. Once I was told by the previous contractor that when he told Darnley he couldn't fit a type of heater in a bedroom, Darnley just crossed out bedroom and put study......this could be a child's bedroom, plus all the BS  I saw, made me sick.....so I complained to the authorities.

 I had to leave it for a while after my boy was born because he had two massive operations, I told Colleen Singleton about the ops (when I had to go to Wellington for two weeks, to resit all my plumbing licences, remember Darnley got given his full ticket).....Singleton said she wasn't interested in my private life (thought she was a nurse!)........then my father dumped my mother on my door step after 36 years of marriage and the stress revealed her emphascymia. My mum came right, just as the chipshop blew up.




Thank you Kate,

 

Please can you pass to Nick the link below, it is to a Plumbers Forum where I have posted some, and I mean some of the evidence that shows irrefutably how photos and Allgas invoicing was ignored, misrepresented or withheld at my hearing. Done I believe to facilitate a premeditated assault of my character.

 

Some of the people responsible are still at the Board or Secretariat and have continued to cover this up.

 

This cover up was done while very real faulty and dangerous work “backed” by a manipulation of the gas safety certificate system.

 

This has been ignored with very real risks to the NZ public. With the people of our constituency of Nelson bearing the brunt of this risk, I think it is reprehensible that these people have done this. I hope the Minister can see my point.

 

I understand that most of this was not done under his watch so to speak, but it has happened and requires fixing. I am happy to meet with Nick any time that is convenient to us both.

 

Here’s the link.

 

http://www.plumbers.co.nz/forum/fellow-practitioners-update/41/fellow-practitioner-issue-236-dated-12-december-2014/1810/msg9335#msg9335

 

Kate, someone nearly died at Milton Street Chip Shop in Nelson, with a gas certificate intended to record details for safety….. “lost” by the Board, it is a certificate for the last work done…. that all available copies show a lack of testing for leaks at the site of an explosion (there is even an electronic copy on their website), and no one to this day has been held accountable, I don’t think that is right.

 

I am guessing that you might have friends and family that live here in Nelson, please Kate….. please….. ask each and every one of them if they have had any gas work done by a John Darnley, if so please tell them to get it checked. Please read my attachment for some background.

 

I made good money fixing this idiots mistakes, it was never about Darnley, it was about him being willing to put people’s loved ones in harms way.

 

All I have done to put the Board’s nose out of joint….. is to try to tell the powers that be, there is a problem and our neighbours, friends, family are/might be at risk.

 

Best Regards Paul Gee

Paul
I can't begin to imagine how this has been for you.  Everyone, every single bloody tradesperson working as a plumber, a gasfitter or a drainlayer could find themselves in a similar position.  42 counts that were laid against you - all failed to fly.  How could they come up with 42 counts that wouldn't stick?  By this I mean why did they lay the charges when it appears the evidence just didn't appear to be there.  The shoddy and incompetent investigation is a shameful blight on the PGDB's copy book.  A man's reputation is all he has when everything else is stripped bare.  There hasn't even been an acknowledgement that they got it so wrong on so many levels.

To "accidently" send out letter to your clients implicating you in the fraudulent selling of gas certificates should have cost people their jobs - staff at the PGDB I mean.  And certainly who ever was overseeing it should have lost their job.  I believe it took six months for them to acknowledge the massive cock up this was - but of course then it was too late. 

Who watches the watchers?  Who indeed?  The Minister - he doesn't seem interested - the industry themselves - well maybe they are waking up a bit, but they seem too scared, the Federation - I hope so - but they need the backing of their members - because the one thing that counts is numbers.

Paul - if you could have the Board's attention for five minutes - what would you tell them you wanted from them?  What can put this right?  Can it ever be put right? 

And lastly, how are things going for you now?  Are you still in the trade or have you managed to go in another direction?  I sincerely hope that your wife, your sons and your mum are all faring a little better now. 

Thanks for your tens cents Enn, if no one replies I think I am shouting out into the wind on a dark night, cheers mate for taking the time. Means heaps to me.

Jax,

The thing is it was a premeditated set up job, to frame someone to cover-up a badly run gas cert system, that resulted in an explosion.... a system that was abused to empower a small group of people (mostly untrained incompetents’ with no formal training, but had the “contacts”) while hamstringing and excluding others (basically, the rest of the fully trained industry but with no "contacts")…….this was all done with a massive risk to the public, and still ignored to this day.

This I believe is reprehensible….if it is untrue then I will expect a letter from your lawyer Max (I know you all at the Board read this forum).

Before the 44 charges were laid, 7 sites were “of interest”, I answered these so well that they didn’t even make it to the 44 charges (which they went back out to get), then they amended (changed) over 50% of these 44 charges just weeks from the hearing….I (and all credit to Wal) totally blew 42 of the 44 clean out of the water……

And you have now seen the photos that blows this last BS charge out of the water too….so I did absolutely f**** all wrong, I told the truth with good intentions, with the customers safety first and foremost, even before profit or keeping on side with a bunch of bullies, I was threatened before explosion.

I got a letter from a Board lawyer that says they checked all my work for three years, not the 10% they claimed.

Think about it haven’t these people stolen our careers and our means of making a living; while pontificating about how incompetent we are, while they make “mistakes” and have “oversights” as a regular occurrence, bailed out…….not bloody reprimanded by their minister. Changing the law, rushing it through in urgency….what a crock.

Those letters that ruined my business….these were signed by means of an “electronic signature” signed and sent out by Kern…with out checking that the contents were correct (this is their sanitised version, I believe it was done intentionally)….…..the Board have lost gas certs and accepted certs with very important info missing (missing leak testing FFS), they have lost certs then found them again…… but I was publically humiliated, before my right of appeal….. for not seeing the responsibility in signing off a gas safety cert off………..really! is this reasonable or fair.

I am borne out by the califont photos for this last charge… that what I did was right and what I said at the hearing was true, the inquisitor (not a typo) did no tests and had huge reasons for seeing me ruined. But this one bullshit charge still stands, apparently his reputation is worth more than mine.

It was a search for a scapegoat, to hide how bad the cert system was run that resulted in an explosion, done at my expense whilst terrorising my wife.

I had to listen to other tradesman call me dodgy and knock me for dobbing everyone in (the Board audited two jobs of most if not all the gasfitter’s in my area), that’s if I was lucky enough to actually be on site, because the lying letters that were written……well they killed my business, and all the many other “press releases” thereafter drove home the final nails in its coffin.

Customers knew me as the “guy who blew up the chippy”…..after I had probably got into this mess trying to do right by the same customers/public trying to warn about dodgy work in their homes.

I was financially forced to sell our just finished home and leave my wife and our 4 and 6 year olds in a caravan for a whole winter, while I was working in another island…..before this I wouldn’t even go out of town with out them. I was mortgage free in a modest house with no debt, my van, tools and car all paid for.

But then….I had to listen to my wife cry in to her pillow while all this went on, then leave them all at the airport while I flew all over NZ for 5 to 6 weeks at a time, leaving them all crying, while I went and crawled under houses and worked in shit. If I was lucky I might be able to afford a week home with them, every 6 weeks. I did this for two years, sleeping the rest of the time in a caravan, the same one my family lived in.....anyone want to buy it, we don't like going on holiday anymore in it.

Paul - if you could have the Board's attention for five minutes - what would you tell them you wanted from them?  What can put this right?  Can it ever be put right?

•   An apology to my wife, hand written and with sincerity, hand delivered.
•   For the Board to put as much effort, money, time and publicity in restoring my reputation as they did in ruining it.
•   Leave me where they found me…in a mortgage free home with a business so I can feed my kids and spend time with them.
•   Return to me and my wife my sons missing “family” years, Joe’s years of 4 to 6 and Mike’s years of 6 to 8.
•   Remove from my memory of seeing my wife hysterical sobbing thinking that these goons were threatening us with the contents of the sick and twisted case notes, because I thought about that a lot when I was living in the same caravan that she had to live in the previous year, laying there wondering if they were ok.
•   And a charity boxing match with Kern.

And lastly, how are things going for you now?  Are you still in the trade or have you managed to go in another direction?  I sincerely hope that your wife, your sons and your mum are all faring a little better now.


I am with my family all I can be, my girl is doing very good at the local bank (I am very proud of her), I got to KNOW my wife is one hell of an amazing person, who for some strange reason thinks as much of me as I do her, my boys are amazing. We are all happier than we have been for a very long time. Since April 2009.

But I am a fully qualified certifying plumber and gasfitter, with a trade electrical ticket, 25years experience, able enough to face a directed assault by an industry Board....… who has had to start at the bottom in another industry, where I am reminded everyday that this is not my industry, but I will do it day in day out to be with my family.

This is a recent press release from Max.......now apply these words to how I got screwed over and how they have ignored certain jobs....its like a parallel universe....






Plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying are regulated industries in New Zealand and it is illegal for anyone to do this work unless they are authorised to do so by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.

The Board’s Chief Executive, Max Pedersen said: “The growth in building consent applications is positively impacting the construction sector nationwide, but this is particularly evident in Auckland.”

“As a result consumers should be on the lookout for illegal operators. History tells us that with the increase in jobs, there is always an increase in the number of illegal operators appearing.

“The health and safety risks associated with plumbing carried out by an unauthorised person are serious. Any defective work has the potential to cause disease and serious damage to the property.”

A recent industry working group calculated that 8000 more carpenters and joiners, electricians, plumbers, painters, bricklayers, drainlayers, gasfitters, insulation installers and motor mechanics will be required in Auckland by 2018.

“The Board will continue to keep a watchful eye in relation to unlicensed workers in the Auckland region,” Mr Pedersen added.

All authorised tradespeople are required to carry their current authorisation card. Consumers should ask tradespeople for this card before any work commences. This way they can be assured that the work is being done by an authorised and competent tradesperson.

If a homeowner believes that work has been done by someone who is not authorised, or has concerns about the competency of tradespeople, they can make a complaint to the Board.

Ends



With these figures in red above......how are we going to cope with people leaving in droves.........oh wait there.......there will be a monopoly.......

I've had a look at that photo and I wouldn't be prepared to say that was Mr Jackson - it's not clear enough.  Was he on the list of attendees?   The only person I recognise besides Mr Parker is Dr Palmer who was the Technical Manager for Master Plumbers back in the day and he would have attended these sort of meetings as he is a pretty knowledgeable guy with plenty of technical nous.  Sorry Badger, but this might be a real case of not being able to identify someone.

I just want a fair go, and I don't think that the people who are entrusted with the public's safety should do their job, especially as they are a registered charity for this purpose...is this reasonable?









Mr Pederson,

 

Please can you let me know when I might receive a reply to the email below? These photos prove beyond doubt that my testimony at my hearing was true and the investigators unfounded. Thus leaving me 100% innocent of any wrong doing.

 

Also, and the reason for this email, by means of an OIA request please can I get a copy of John Darnley’s “fairly extensive” file mentioned below in Mr Uren’s testimony from my hearing?

 

I believe it is a reasonable request and assure you I do not do this to be frivolous nor vexatious, but do it in the public’s interest and for the public’s safety. I do not require any names or addresses, just the content so to speak. You must understand that even though the man has retired, the work is very much still out there.

 

Just like the legionnaires risk that the Board are prepared to ignore, this is a massive gamble. Not to mention the hypocrisy of ignoring a very similar case to that of the one that the Board have held on to, i.e. the one mentioned below.

 

Of note Mr Darnley was already retired when the chip-shop exploded. His punishment, for the 100% conviction rate can be summed up to a $10,000 fine and allowed to carry on in his beachside retirement. While my 100% innocence cost me my home, business, reputation and time with my family. I think this is unreasonable.

 

 

 

To all you copied in, this is the person who has been ignored by the Board, where most, if not all of the evidence points to his causing, or at the very least having a massive involvement in the actions leading up to an explosion that nearly killed someone.

 

I am sure there was at least one other incident, that would be in this file I have requested may be more.

 

May I point out that he worked totally unsupervised in Nelson for well over 10 years, empowered by a full certifying licence gifted to him without any formal training by Tony Hammond, who was also gifted his full certifying licence with no formal apprenticeship. Mr Hammond was awarded this during his investigation into me while acting as the investigator for my witch-hunt. 

 

I say to you all it is a cover up done at a very real risk to the public, it is wrong. The Board have ignored real concerns that are a risk to the public and trumped up charges to persecute me.

 

Please see below the testimony of Mr Uren,

 

 

Q. What about Mr Darnley?

A. I can't recall.

Q. When you were checking the files of Mr Darnley did you notice if he'd had previous encounters with the Board?

A. Ah yes, Mr Darnley has a fairly extensive file. 

Q. And do you know if there was anything on there about gas certificates being altered or created by Mr Darnley?

A. It's been a while since I've looked at the file, I can't say categorically so I'd need to have a look at it again.

Q. You are a wee bit hesitant there, do you think there was something in there regarding -

A. I'm just saying I can't recall.

Q. You can't recall?

A. Yeah.

 

What happens if we have another “chipshop” incident?

 

 

 

Best Regards Paul Gee


 

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Paul & Emma Gee [mailto:gasnsolarservices@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, 2 February 2015 5:48 p.m.
To: 'Paul & Emma Gee'; 'Registrar'; 'communications@pgdb.co.nz'; 'complaints@pgdb.co.nz'
Cc: 'Wal Gordon'; 'Allan Day'; 'Colleen Upton'; 'Lyndon Moffitt'; 'campbelllive@tv3.co.nz'; 'Andrew Little'; 'jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz'; 'Janis Adair'; 'Jude Hutton'
Subject: RE: Letter responding to 26 Nov email

 

 

 

Mr Pedersen,

 

Please can you review the Board’s position on my last and final charge. I have done no wrong.

 

In light of these photos attached, which prove my testimony to be correct and the investigators incorrect.

 

Please base your reconsideration on my already entered testimony at the hearing, no addducement required….. all my testimony is true and my diagrams correct, please also see Mr Hammonds statement at my hearing that he had no idea if the fumes were entering the building.

 

The top of the guttering is 535 mm from the top of the flue spigot, and bear in mind that the wall would have been flat and the window restricted to opening 100mm, it is an impossibility for the fumes to enter. Photo attached…also attached is a photo where someone from the Board told the customer to “just shut the window when you use it”. For some scale the garage opposite is over 3 mtrs away.

 

It is an “Emperors New Clothes” scenario to hold on to this one last charge. The photos prove what the owner stated at my hearing and that my testimony was true, that it was never a problem.

 

The Board has based their whole decision on the “opinion” of one conflicted person……I lost my home and business because of this……is this reasonable?

 

Best Regards Paul Gee

 

Just to be clear, all the charges that Darnley faced.... he was done for, but although he faced a charge for the chip-shop (which just  "disappeared") nothing was pursued in the direction of the explosion.....you have seen some of the evidence supplied on this link.


Is this reasonable........




Of note Mr Darnley was already retired when the chip-shop exploded. His punishment, for the 100% conviction rate can be summed up to a $10,000 fine and allowed to carry on in his beachside retirement. While my 100% innocence cost me my home, business, reputation and time with my family. I think this is unreasonable.