Little AndrewANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition): I rise to support the Government in its resolution and the motion it has put before the House. We gather here of course in a spirit of post - civic disaster calm and agreeability but I want to say that it is the preference certainly of the Labour Party to see the Prime Minister Acting Minister of Civil Defence and others involved in the recovery and repair responsibilities to get on and be able to do that without undue impediment from the responsibilities of this House.This was not just a Hanmer Springs or Culverden or Kaikōura earthquake; this was a New Zealand earthquake. It was felt from the bottom of the South Island up to the Waikato and apart from perhaps those living in Auckland and the North there would not be many New Zealanders who did not feel the tremors and the shakes early on Monday morning.Everyone has a story to tell and I know here in Wellington in my household we were woken by it. Our house is just inside the Island Bay tsunami zone so when the warning about tsunamis went up my household made the decision to vacate and go to higher ground although I have to confess that my vote on doing so was the last to be recorded. I had to be dragged out of bed because like many men who suffered the experience of the earthquake I tended to weigh up the warmth and comfort of my bed being a better prospect than getting through the tsunami which I guessed might not eventuate. As we always tell ourselves we were right anyway. But anyway we got through that experience.My son who had his NCEA science exam later that morning was not only fully participating in the evacuation but then when we had got back and got back to bed he woke up with energy and determination to do his exam yesterday morning too. We will come back to questions about perhaps the way that issue was managed at the time and it is no reflection on the Ministers but I think for many families with teenagers involved in NCEA we would like to see some consistency of decision making so that every child is treated the same and fairly.For an earthquake of lengthy duration and growing intensity as we all felt it was amazing that we have not heard of more stories of significant structural and building damage. I am sure there is more to come out as buildings are inspected and as those with apartments and flats are yet to give due consideration to what has happened to their dwellings. But let us not forget as the Prime Minister has acknowledged that there were two deaths as a result of the earthquake and casualties as well.I know of course there will be time to review what has happened—that is the right and proper thing to do. From my observation—and I got the chance to go around the Wellington Emergency Management Office yesterday—the response from the authorities and those handling the emergency response and the follow-up to it was very very good. What I saw in the Wellington Emergency Management Office yesterday were dedicated professionals who were able to respond quickly and in a very timely fashion to people's concerns and to provide the assurances that were sorely needed by many members of the public.I was grateful to be able to accompany the Prime Minister and the Acting Minister of Civil Defence yesterday as they took a flight to survey the damage in the worst-affected area on the east coast of the South Island. As the Prime Minister has also said that damage is huge and it will take many weeks and months at least to clear the roads and get the rail links back open again. The forces that collapsed entire cliff faces ripped apart roads and destroyed pastoral land were truly awesome forces. The township of Kaikōura where we ended up yesterday is the hardest hit. It is presently cut off from road and rail links and the lifting of its harbour as a consequence of the earthquake may limit connection by sea at least for some time. But talking to Kaikōura locals yesterday what was encouraging is how their immediate response was to take the situation in their stride. Many I spoke to talked about reaching out to their neighbours checking on elderly and checking on those around them to see that they were all right. As I asked many of them So how are you bearing up?" they had no thought for themselves; it was about the others in the community. One of their biggest concerns is of course the large number of stranded tourists and travellers who are now wondering how they are going to get out of that beautiful part of New Zealand.It was a classic situation where Kiwis rise to an occasion and express the best of Kiwi values: reaching out and helping each other and sticking together. They were doing that in Kaikōura as they were doing that in many other parts of New Zealand affected by the earthquake yesterday.There will be long-term issues for Kaikōura. This is a town that is dependent on traveller and tourist traffic and that looks like it is going to be disrupted for months to come. I know the Government is thinking about how to respond to that and it will have our support for practical meaningful measures that will help those businesses get through what could be a very lean time not the least of which will be during its peak season coming up. We look forward to working with the Government to support and sustain the communities most affected by this civic disaster and to see New Zealanders once again rise to this occasion in their typical way."