Harawira: Cows before Maori

Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira has fired a broadside at the government over its immediate response the storms that wrought havoc from one end of the North to the other earlier this month.

"It's bitterly disappointing to see that the first response from this National government was to bail out a few farmers," he said.

"Poor Mori communities, devastated by the floods, have been completely ignored in the first round of assistance while National bails out its own voters, and that's a disgrace, particularly when you know that some of those same farmers have deliberately broken the law and flooded other lands.

"Flood relief should focus firstly on people, not profits, and most of the people affected by the floods live in heavily populated communities like Moerewa. Farmers deserve support too, no question, but the government's first relief should be for communities, not cows."

That didn't cut much ice with Northland MP Mike Sabin.

"It's hard to take Mr Harawira seriously," he said.

"While he was on his Internet Mana roadshow with his billionaire mate Dotcom, the National government was responding to the needs of the very people he professes to support."

Mr Sabin and Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye had visited flooded residents in Moerewa, and alongside the region's councils, had ensured that every need for that community, and all others affected by the storms, was met.

The response included door-to-door visits by multiple government agencies and council staff, while Mr Sabin and Ms Kaye had visited residents in Kaitaia, Awanui, Pukenui and Ngataki to ensure that the support required by some of the region's most vulnerable communities was reaching the people most in need.

"We have ensured that teams from the Ministry of Social Development, Housing New Zealand and the councils are visiting the most isolated communities, such as the Wekaweka Valley, the Aupouri Peninsular and across the Hokianga. Hundreds of homes in those areas have been door-knocked and assistance provided wherever needed. To date around 200 people have received assistance for food, clothing and fuel from Work and Income," he added.

"The government has announced millions of dollars of support as part of this response, most of which will go directly to the most vulnerable in Northland.

"It is also vital that farmers get the support they need to get through this as we head into calving. The declaration of a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking support for the Rural Support Trust and the announcement of Enhanced Task Force Green to assist in the clean-up, was another pragmatic response to the needs of Northlanders.

"Mr Harawira has lost all credibility. He needs to start walking his own talk."