6. Earthquake Kaikōura—Updates and Government ResponseRON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Minister of Civil DefenceEarthquake Kaikōura—Updates and Government Response6. RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Minister of Civil Defence: Can he update the House on the situation in quake-affected areas?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Acting Minister of Civil Defence): It would take a very long time for me to update the House on all matters. As the member would have seen when he was in Kaikōura today there is a lot of activity on the ground and that is true from one end of the Marlborough electorate to the other as well as in fact here in Wellington. So what I would suggest—not being disrespectful to the member—is that he keep an eye on those regular civil defence updates that are posted on the website.Ron Mark: Has he had a report back from the Minister for Primary Industries who is now touring small towns in rural Kaikōura—on the outskirts of Kaikōura—that have been affected by the earthquake; if he has can he tell us and update the House as to how those families in those isolated areas are faring?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As the member knows the Hon Nathan Guy was on the same flight as him this morning and at the conclusion of his investigations into the circumstances that the fishing industry up and down the Canterbury coast now finds itself in he took to the skies to get into some of those more remote areas. I would expect to be updated by him as would a number of other Ministers later in the evening. When that comes through we will of course want to take action for any immediate needs that may have been discovered but our assessment is that given the status of the communications in the whole of the province we would have known by now if there were any particularly dire circumstances that needed addressing. So it will be I suspect the ongoing needs of the farming community—tipped-over fences power lines; we have seen some of the slips that have isolated stock etc. and there will also be of course because there are so many slips any number of shingle roads that also have some difficulties. So there will emerge quite a picture of what needs to be done to assist people in that regard. Today the Minister for Economic Development and the Minister for Social Development have announced their business support package and that of course is a start under what will be a watching brief from the Government.Ron Mark: Further to that answer will he after seeing the widespread damage to small businesses and farms raise in Cabinet the need to amend the Income Tax Act 2007 to classify earthquake remediation and strengthening as repairs and maintenance?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I would not be specific about what the Government might do in that regard. He will of course remember that in Christchurch some of the obligations that people had by the particular date were amended—it was suspended. All of that has been looked into. The one thing that is essential in all of these circumstances is to encourage people to continue with their activity as much as they possibly can recognising the difficulty of the circumstances that they find themselves in and being there to support them through those difficulties.Ron Mark: What can he and the Minister of Police do to assist front-line police officers in Kaikōura right now who are frustrated by people in Kaikōura who are not locals and not emergency workers but who have decided to stay on taking advantage of the generosity of the locals and the marae and spending their nights drinking and partying?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Firstly can I acknowledge the superb work of the New Zealand Police and the Defence Force personnel who are there alongside the civil defence people who are putting in many many hours to try to make things better and of course those good people at the marae who have opened up to create the welfare centre. Without them the whole response would have looked pretty shallow. You always unfortunately get opportunists in these circumstances. We had some of that in Christchurch. My advice to people who are visiting and who have had an opportunity to get on with their travels would be to get on with their travels but on the other hand if they want to deposit the minimal funds that they have in Kaikōura we are also grateful for that. At the end of this week I think some of the need for the very generous hospitality that has been extended will have diminished and that may see them pack up sticks and go.Ron Mark: Would he look into with the Minister of Police reports that police officers caught people looting the stranded train and ensure that the officers and the people of Kaikōura responsible for those apprehensions are congratulated?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I should say that at this point I have not had a report to that effect but if that is the case and the police have apprehended those people we would expect the full force of the law to come down on them. That is simply burglary and in the circumstances it is at the upper end of the scale and we would expect the courts to reflect that in any proved case when it comes to sentencing.