Christchurch earthquake moves MPs

After the Christchurch earthquake, the new Port Hills Electorate office in Woolston is feeling a bit like a nightshelter (or maybe a day shelter!) at the moment. It's located just opposite the Post Office on Ferry Road. Ruth Dyson, the MP for Port Hills, relocated there from just up the road last May.

Brendon Burns, MP for Christchurch Central, has his office in what is part of the cordoned off zone in the central city. So Ruth offered him and his staff some space in her Woolston office.

That has been working well. Then, another colleague Lianne Dalziel, MP for Christchurch East, got a red notice on her office door in New Brighton! So she too was, together with her staff, offered some space.

Brendon has now got a new office in Armagh Street and Lianne might be able to move back to New Brighton soon.

Ruth's office is quite big fortunately, but she was pleased when Clayton Cosgrove, MP for Waimakariri, found alternative temporary accommodation. He had to move out of his Kaiapoi office, but was able to use his mobile bus office. "Would have been pleased to have you Clayton, but we would have been squashed!" commented Ruth.