Denis O’Rourke MP

Associate Spokesperson for Superannuation
6 March 2014

Glib Responses on Quake Issues

The Government is completely out of touch with the suffering of Christchurch residents and the ongoing effect of the earthquakes, says New Zealand First.

“This was clearly demonstrated in Parliament today in responses to questions on the Human Rights Commission’s assessment that many Christchurch people are still suffering,” says Christchurch Earthquake Issues spokesperson Denis O’Rourke.

The Human Rights Commission has concluded in a report on the earthquakes that ‘many people affected by the earthquakes continue to experience deteriorating standards of living and impacts on their quality of life that go beyond the immediate effects of the disaster’.

“We were appalled and utterly disappointed when the Government fobbed off questions,” Mr O’Rourke said.

“The responses were glib. The Government batted every question away with some namby pamby phrase about the quakes being events of huge magnitude.

“We all know that, and it is history, it happened three years ago. We are talking about the Rebuild.

“The Government could not even address specific issues, they had no solutions and reeled off lists of organisations dealing with problems – clearly these organisations are not dealing well with the problems as the Human Rights Commission points out in its report, Monitoring Human Rights in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery.

“With flooding devastating many homes this week, not for the first time, the Government again had little to say except point the finger at the already stretched Christchurch City Council.

“I would remind the Government once again, as I did in Parliament today, that many people are facing a fourth winter living in accommodation that is not warm, secure or dry,” says Mr O’Rourke.

ENDS

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