Doocey MattMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): As a New Zealander my thoughts are with all New Zealanders this week who are feeling the impact of these devastating earthquakes. As a very proud born and bred Cantabrian my thoughts are with other Cantabrians who are dealing not only with the impact of this earthquake in the early hours of Monday morning but also with the issues of previous earthquakes over the last 5 or 6 years. As a North Canterbury resident my thoughts are with other North Canterbury residents who are very much at the hard end of the impact of this devastating earthquake. My sympathies go out to the families friends and loved ones of the two people who lost their lives. But what I do know is that it is at times like these that the country will come together. We are one nation—it is the way we come together keeping connected to support each other through the atrocity of such a fatal earthquake.Can I acknowledge my parliamentary colleague Richard Prosser also from North Canterbury who came into my office on Monday as well to look at how we can work together for the benefit of North Canterbury. Can I also acknowledge my colleague Stuart Smith who has shown great leadership and most of all what North Canterbury communities are known for which is pragmatism getting out there and getting things done. Stuart has been out on the ground assessing the impact on his constituents as well. I know he has a very big electorate to get round so I have offered my help in supporting him with how we can work better for some of the districts although not in my electorate that are quite hard hit—for example Hurunui.When we look at some of the impact on the Waimak" district—in fact I feel through a lot of focus and upgrades on our infrastructure and our buildings since the last earthquakes that we have in fact increased our ability to cope and there was very little damage in the "Waimak". Because of that I have been working with Jim Palmer the chief executive officer of the Waimakariri District Council and David Ayers our mayor. We have been able to look at how we deploy resources further north to our neighbouring districts like the Hurunui and like Kaikōura to support them in getting vital infrastructure in place—roading electricity water telephones and connectivity.What is really important about the "Waimak" is the coastal towns. Of course we all know with the experience of an earthquake the risk that it may result in a tsunami. We know a lot of people were evacuated and a lot of people self-evacuated out of the towns in my electorate like Kaiapoi Pegasus Woodend Waikuku Pines Beach and Kairaki. We set up welfare centres. I talked to many of the volunteers and I would like to acknowledge our civil defence volunteers who staffed those welfare centres in Kaiapoi Woodend further inland in Oxford and in Rangiora and the great work they did in supporting people who were very anxious and stressed at the time.It was not only the welfare centres that were at full capacity. There were a lot of the high streets like in Rangiora Cust and Oxford where many people had parked up and were sleeping overnight in their cars. There were great stories coming out about the night-shift workers in supermarkets checking on people parked in their cars in supermarket carparks to see whether they were OK.There is one great story—I am working with a lady called Lilly in the "Waimak" at the moment who put a call out through her networks through her social media and through media to collect perishable donations and non-perishable items for the people in Kaikōura. To date Lilly has collected five shipping containers worth of goods to be taken up to Kaikōura. I will be working with her to understand the logistics of how we actually get up there. Of course in Woodend we are receiving the NH90 helicopters and we have a welfare centre set up in Woodend as well to support those people coming off the helicopters as well. So there are great stories coming through about how communities are supporting each other and how the Government is supporting these communities as well. Having a background in mental health I just want to finish by saying that I am acutely aware of the impacts of the earthquakes. We have seen that from previous earthquakes—stress and anxiety. I would tell people to look after each other and to contact their GP the Canterbury District Health Board or their local member of Parliament's office. Thank you."