Locke Keith: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
Locke Keith: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:670;Page:17161] 
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party fully supports the Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill. I would like to comment on Trevor Mallard’s view that perhaps this bill was not necessary and perhaps the provision of a public holiday could have been implemented under the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act which gives very significant powers to the Government to override most bits of existing legislation. I think it is good that we are passing this bill rather than using those executive powers because those powers have been under some criticism in the community and in the legal fraternity. 
There is a fear that the Government if it chooses could use those powers in a way that is not appropriate. That little fear popped up in some of the community debate about Gerry Brownlee’s comments on heritage buildings whether or not those comments were rightly interpreted. I think there is a fear despite the crisis of giving too much power to the Government as opposed to Parliament. So it is good that we are debating this bill and will pass it today. 
The cooperative spirit involved in developing legislation having a debate and working together across parties is the sort of cooperative spirit that is superior to the Government just going its own way. It reflects the cooperative spirit that has been generated so well amongst the people of Christchurch and more broadly across the whole of New Zealand. Other speakers have mentioned the international response. The response from Australia and from many other countries has been fantastic. It will be a challenge for this Parliament and for the people of New Zealand to try to keep hold of the best of that cooperative spirit of helping each other of neighbours helping neighbours and all the sorts of things that have been generated around this tragedy. We want to hold on to that as much as possible. 
It is also important to recognise—and sometimes if we are outside Christchurch we do not quite recognise it fully—that there are three other areas where the solutions are much further off. We are seeing more zones open up in the central business district and the four avenues area and we are seeing the power going back on for most people. I pay tribute to Orion for what its staff have done. At least from the outside it looks like a fantastic effort. They have gone on day after day working for long hours and they have used very creative solutions to get the power on to just about all areas. A few areas still do not have power and those people are still suffering. 
But as I said there are three other three other areas where solutions are much further off. One is the area of water and sewerage. The Bromley sewage treatment plant is stuffed. Christchurch relies on that to a significant extent so processing sewage is a big problem. There are water-quality problems throughout the city not only in the affected east. Those problems will not be resolved very quickly so we have to be very supportive and put in alternative facilities there—Portaloos and everything else—and also make sure that they are cleaned out. A huge area is affected and even with the Portaloos the situation is not very nice for the people concerned. So that will be a big area of concern. 
The other area where there is a bit of testiness is in relation to the speed at which the fix-up will take place—that is people fixing up their houses. Of course there is the whole question of replacing houses and which houses cannot be replaced. That is a very difficult problem for many people but for people across the eastern part of Christchurch most buildings have some fix-up required. Getting the insurance getting the tradespeople—all of that stuff—will take a long time and we have to be very supportive wherever we can. Parliament and the Government have to support creative solutions. 
Sometimes tradespeople do not get on the job unless they are guaranteed payment. There is debate at the moment between the Earthquake Commission tradespeople and homeowners about who is paying how quickly and all the rest of it. We want to do what we can to make sure all of that is resolved as smoothly as possible. 
The third problem that requires a lot of support—counselling as well as financial support—is the whole question of people who do not know how they will survive financially. I have struck that question all over the place with friends and relations. They have perhaps rented out a flat and their tenants have disappeared their flat is damaged their home is damaged their business is damaged or they are well behind as a result of their business being closed for a few weeks. There are piles and piles of people who have financial problems and who do not quite see their way out of them. 
The Government is of course providing interim grants and things like that which are benefiting a lot of people and the Red Cross is too but there is a lot of work to be done for quite a long period to assist people in that area. I think we have a considerable role to play in making sure the mechanisms are there and in supporting the volunteer efforts. Often those efforts have happened because of the initiative of the organisations and the people concerned but I think the Government has a responsibility to foster and support those volunteer initiatives. They are a part of the cooperation ethic that has arisen in this crisis. They are usually cost-effective solutions as well. Although volunteer efforts require a certain resource they achieve a lot as well. 
With those few comments the Green Party supports this bill.