Dunne Peter: Ministerial Statements — Earthquake—Canterbury 
Dunne Peter: Ministerial Statements — Earthquake—Canterbury 
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Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 On behalf of United Future I join others who have spoken in this debate to place on record our support for the people of Canterbury and Christchurch as they recover from the largest natural disaster in this country since the great Napier earthquake of 1931. As a born and bred Cantabrian who is doing an admittedly rather extensive OE in Wellington but who still has very close family links in Christchurch I went through the full gamut of emotions as did most people on Saturday. I immediately checked how family were affected and I heard the stories of what they did at 4.36 and 4.37 in the morning. More latterly I heard the stories of the longer-term impact that many members have referred to already today. 
This is not just an issue of recovering from the immediate shock of the earthquake and the aftershocks; it is about picking up the strands of normal life again. That includes little things such as going to the shops and making sure they are accessible going to work having somewhere to go and making sure people can get about the city. 
We have all learnt a huge amount in the few short hours since Saturday morning. Our assumptions about our so-called shaky isles being shaky in only one or two places were shattered when a fault not known to be active for 16000 years suddenly ruptured in Christchurch. Our assumptions about the capacity of our communities to respond to great natural disaster have been heartened I believe by the response in Christchurch by the way that the community has pulled together by the leadership provided by Bob Parker and the local council and by the support of the Prime Minister the Government and others to make sure that Christchurch’s concerns become the nation’s concerns and that this country effectively goes on a war footing to help the city of Christchurch and the people of Canterbury recover from this tragedy. 
As has been said the impacts cut deep. Many people will be worrying about their business obligations and how they can meet those obligations. As the Minister of Revenue I advise that the Inland Revenue Department has set up a special disaster response line. The number to ring is 0800 473566. It is for people and businesses who think they may be facing difficulties. 
Having said that the Inland Revenue Department faces its own difficulties. Its own building is not habitable in Christchurch at the moment. It may well be habitable by tomorrow when we may be able to resume normal operations. That is a good little metaphor for what is happening right across the city. Things that people expect to be there and to function as normal will be hampered one way or another for a considerable period of time to come and a great deal of flexibility and adaptation will be required to address those problems. 
In this situation New Zealanders have shown that we can pull together in time of crisis for the greater good. But I must observe that there has been one discordant note. I acknowledge the superb coverage provided by Television New Zealand Radio New Zealand and other radio stations on the day of the disaster but frankly the incessant march of media vultures from outside the city since Saturday evening and the situation we now have with the two major television channels who are arguing over ratings of their coverage of the tragedy is simply disgusting. I ask all of those media outlets to pull back and let us have the facts from people on the ground. We do not need the stars tramping over the rubble of Christchurch to advance their outlets’ ratings. This is a time of tragedy; it is not a time of entertainment or comedy. I urge the media outlets to act with greater responsibility and to show some respect and dignity to the people of Christchurch in their hour of need as we in this House have done.