Ruth DYSON
MP for Port Hills
15 June 2011

Port Hills MP Ruth Dyson says she feels physically sick to discover that three of the 55 emergency incidents responded to by St John after Monday’s quakes were older Cantabrians suffering severe hypothermia.

“Whenever there’s an aftershock, we live with the possibility of the power going off, but the sad reality is that many Christchurch homes are still without satisfactory heating regardless of whether the power’s on or off,” Ruth Dyson said.

“Christchurch Labour MPs have been warning for months that home heating is going to be a real problem this winter, but the Government’s response has been far too slow.

“While the home heating contract is now going full steam ahead, nothing happened between the September and the February quakes when the extent of the problem was already quite apparent,” Ruth Dyson said.

“Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee finally got things moving after February, but by then the heating industry’s usual spring/summer slack period was well and truly past. Why Gerry Brownlee didn’t heed our warnings earlier is anyone’s guess. There was no excuse for his inaction.

“Many Canterbury people now face two grim realities. The first is that winter could well be over before some of them have appropriate heating installed; the second is that struggling Cantabrians simply won’t be able to afford to pay their power bills if they are forced to use expensive alternatives like electric heaters.

“I am really worried that Monday’s three cases may simply be a tragic forerunner of what’s to come when winter really sets in,” Ruth Dyson said.

“It is even more important that people look out for each other in these circumstance.”

ENDS

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