Dead ringers? We hope not.

The question being asked round town (with a sense of disbelief by Watchers and sense of wonder by the Lawsmob) is "Whatever possessed Phillipa Baker-Hogan to stand for Council, let alone for Vision?"

We don't pretend to have a secret insight into the mind of Ms Baker-Hogan, but we wonder whether sibling rivallry might have something to do with it? And if so, just how far does Phillipa intend to go in emulating Erin?!

• Erin Baker: Former World triathlete champion, former Canterbury District Health Board member, former Christchurch City Council member.
• Philippa Baker-Hogan: Former world champion rower, present Wanganui DHB member, wannabe Wanganui District Council member.

Spookily, Erin Baker's performance is reminiscent of that of Horizons part-timer Leonie Brookhammer. Back in March 2003 she burst into print calling her fellow councillors "fat and lazy". She even criticised the catering:

Council meetings are accompanied by food, and Baker says cream cakes and gingernuts are all some councillors think about.

"I think some are lazy, yes and there's no doubt that some are overweight, there's no doubting that - you only have to go and have a look."

But no wonder the Diva thinks a Baker sister would make a better diVision councillor than the Mayoress, who clearly doesn't have the bottle to get as personal as Erin Baker:

And of a councillor who "scoffed" at runners she wrote: "She was rather large and had not run a step in the last 50 years."

Pedictably, her fellow councillors were reported to be "seething". But so were the people she claimed to represent:

"Please step down and let someone else who wants to do the job give it a proper go and be able to do it," says Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board member Linda Rutland.

But Baker says she is sticking with the job and will not resign until the next local elections.

And from the Christchurch City Council Annual Survey of Residents, March 2003:

...political bits re Erin Baker, don't need to be bothered with such, no need to fight through the media.

More spooky parallels. Rumour about town is that Phillipa Baker-Hogan has a Brookhammer-like attendance record at the DHB, a record which echoes that of her sister:

MINUTES OF THE CANTERBURY DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD MEETING HELD ON FRIDAY 11 APRIL 2003... Apologies Olive Webb, Paul White and Erin Baker (who has asked that she not be paid for the month of April). The Chair reported that he was having discussions with Ms Baker regarding her position on the Board and her time commitments, which effected her availability to attend meetings

And nor was the Lyttleton Port Co very happy with the performance of Ms Baker, as emerged at their 2002 AGM:

Controversy over Councillor Erin Baker's (known more widely as a former triathlete) election as director:

I agree with the comments made at the meeting that it is bad form for an individual seeking election as a director not to attend the meeting where the candidacy is being decided. Non attendance at such a meeting implies that the candidate is so busy with other commitments that they are unable to give their time to level required of a director or that they are unwilling to submit themselves to the scrutiny of shareholders. These assumptions may be wrong but if Councillor Baker had been present these doubts could have been quickly laid to rest.

Chairman's rulings: The election of Councillor Baker was unpopular with the shareholders present. An amendment that the election or Councillor Baker be postponed was considered and rejected. On both the amendment and the substantive motion to elect Councillor Baker a clear majority of the voices were opposed to the candidate. Dr Layton however declared Councillor Baker elected.

It all ended in tears, with Ms Baker deciding to duck most of the other responsibilities she'd once so eagerly sought. In May, she quit the DHB and the Port company and announced that she wouldn't re-contest for the city council.

Controversial Christchurch city councillor Erin Baker is quitting public office because of growing dissatisfaction and the demands of her full-time job.

Her resignation from the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) takes effect from today but she will remain on the Christchurch City Council until the end of the year to avoid a by-election. "It's been a tough call to make but in the interests of the people who voted for me I know this is the right thing for me to do," she said yesterday...

"This term on the council has been an unhappy one for me, and so it's time to step down," Cr Baker said. "However, with elections due next year I will stay on until the end of the year ... to avoid an expensive by-election."

Cr Baker, who is travelling overseas on business, said her resignation from the council meant it was also appropriate for her to resign from the board of the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC), because she had been appointed to that position by the council. Her resignation from the LPC board would take effect at the annual meeting in October...

Cr Baker, the highest polling candidate in the health board elections, said she was sorry to have disappointed so many of the people who voted for her: "I understand why they feel let down, but until recent months I have done my best to represent my constituents, and I hope that my decision to step down from public life will help ... to make amends."

Watchers can't help thinking of the film Dead Ringers, in which Jeremy Irons plays identical twin gynaecologists who both lose the plot rather spectacularly. That film ends in depression and mututal murder/suicide. With Erin having committed career suicide already, the Diva must be hoping her sister isn't planning on following her less-than-stellar path too closely.

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