Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Brussels bombing shocks Rotorua MP

Rotorua Daily Post
22 Mar, 2016 07:23 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Shock. concern and sadness are among the emotions Rotorua MP Todd McClay felt after hearing of the terror attacks in Belgium - his home for 15 years.

Mr McClay and his wife, Nadene, lived in Belgium for 15 years and all four of their children were born there.

Just a month ago he was at the airport where the attacks took place and visited the metro station frequently.

Mr McClay said the links definitely brought the reality of the situation home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've been back [in New Zealand] for about nine years but during that time we've been backwards and forwards quite a bit."

Mr McClay said the family still had a lot of friends over there.

"So far thankfully all of them are okay.

"Belgium was an incredibly welcoming and open country, and it was upsetting that the very people they had welcomed were those carrying out such atrocities.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"For those who have been most welcome to turn around and commit these atrocities..."

Mr McClay said those back in Belgium were very concerned, and had been worried about attacks following the Paris attacks when they were put into lockdown.

"They have a heightened sense of anxiety."

"It's a very, very challenging time but the Belgium people are very, very strong. They have come through adversity before."

He said Brussels was known as a meeting place of the minds of the world, where leaders worked to make people's lives better and more prosperous and the city epitomises the free movement of people.

"The people that have committed these terrible crimes actually want to oppress and stop this openness."

Mr McClay said the attacks wouldn't stop him from carrying out his job as Minister of Trade, which involved a lot of overseas travel.

"There is always a lot of thought put into safety."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

08 Jul 12:05 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

BoP shooting happened at 'private dwelling', suspect still wanted

08 Jul 01:36 AM

Information sought about man in a green coat and gumboots.

21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

21yo defends wounding charge after alleged hit-and-run at night market

08 Jul 12:05 AM
'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
End of an era: Kinleith workers mark closure

End of an era: Kinleith workers mark closure

07 Jul 11:46 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP