Gerry Brownlee has been lampooned in the new menu of a Christchurch cafe. Photo / Supplied
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has been lampooned in the new menu of a Christchurch cafe he helped officially reopen after the earthquakes.
C1 Espresso in the recovering central city released its new menu this morning.
A pull-out in the middle of the booklet menu features a drawing of a near-naked Mr Brownlee.
Customers are urged to cut him out and paste various outfits on the politician in charge of the city's $40 billion rebuild.
The outfits include Darth Vader, referencing comments Mr Brownlee directed to TC3 residents in September 2012 when he said, "I'm sick of these people carping and moaning".
It also features a pilot's uniform after his airport security breach last year, a dress, which alludes to comments he made on anti-Cera campaigners who he said were people who had time to "buggerise around on Facebook all day", an astronaut suit with the attached July 2011 quote of "I am pretty happy with the way things are going", and a dressing gown and slippers representing comments in 2013 where Mr Brownlee said there was "simply no evidence" of a housing crisis in Christchurch.
C1 Espresso owner Sam Crofskey said the menu magazine was produced by "amazingly talented" artists, writers, and tattooists who work at the cafe.
"It's a bit of fun," he said today.
"As a community we've all been through the earthquakes together and Gerry is the divisive figure in charge of the rebuild. It's not a job that I would want to have, but this is our satirical take on him."
Prime Minister John Key doesn't escape the artists' attention either, with a drawing depicting "Ponytail-gate".
It shows a glum Mr Key with a caption above his head reading, "John's attempt at 'horsing' around was not well received", and the waitress whose hair he apologised for pulling, saying, "Stop it John!"
Customers are "loving" the free booklet menu called Postal, he said.
One customer, student Matthew Wells, 21, welcomed the "poke" at Mr Brownlee.
"Christchurch folk all have an opinion on Gerry," he said.
"He's someone who has always spoken his mind, and rightly or wrongly, you have to admire that. But, he has to expect the occasional ridicule that comes with it."
Mr Brownlee, who officially reopened the cafe on the corner of Tuam and High streets in November 2012 after it was closed for two years after the quakes, was also satirised in the cafe's former menu.
It featured his face on the menu cover, but when it was opened, revealed a five-eyed monster.
Mr Crofskey hoped that Mr Brownlee would take an ambivalent approach to their satire.
"I hope he's doing important thing like building roads, stadiums, and hospitals, and is not worried about a coffee shop in the central city."
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.