Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM (Green): The Green Party sends its condolences and aroha to the people of Canterbury. My colleague Russel Norman and I are leaving this Chamber within the next hour to fly south to inspect our parliamentary office for the first time, and to lend a hand to our fellow citizens there in whatever way that we can.
A catastrophic event such as the earthquake that rocked Christchurch in the depths of darkness on Saturday morning brings home with a sudden ferocity our human vulnerability before the powers of nature. It revealed in an instant the fragility of our buildings and of human life itself. It is deeply unsettling when a natural disaster of this magnitude strikes one's own neighbourhood.
The damage to my own home and its contents was miraculously light, but others whom I know have fared less well, including colleagues in this House.
It is a surreal experience to go through certain areas of the city that appear to be normal and operating normally, and to suddenly encounter damage to an unbelievable extent. One can almost feel the associated trauma that some people are experiencing so deeply, not least because of the serious aftershocks that are still occurring. Our hearts go out to all of those most badly affected in their time of need, in Selwyn, *Kaiapoi, the city centre, the eastern suburbs, and elsewhere—indeed, everywhere really.
Yet the aftermath of this event has displayed the strength of the human spirit and the resilience of our local communities. We congratulate the Government and the city authorities on the manner in which they have all responded to the disaster to date.
I have personally witnessed the kindness and support that Cantabrians have shared, one with another, yet we cannot underestimate the emotional disquiet that will follow this event. We must ensure that it brings this country, as well as our own province, together. I am confident that this nation will rise to the occasion and extend full support to Christchurch in the rebuilding of our city.
This may be an opportunity for us as a nation to ensure that our rebuilding programme reflects *state-of-the-art knowledge. Our modern earthquake-proof standards have been proven to be sound, with the extraordinary result that no fatalities occurred, compared with some other disaster areas elsewhere in the world.
But we should also make sure that the rebuilding reflects updated methods of sustainable energy techniques and systems; we should make this setback a moment of opportunity. We in the Green Party look forward to working with both the Government and local communities to assist in every possible way. We have been confronted with disaster. Now we move to pick up the pieces, regroup and rebuild, and carry on, even stronger than we were before.
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