Disaster management

At Stuff I blog:

Politicians and voters often disagree on whether the government should be involved in certain activities, but there is a near universal consensus that when disaster strikes, it is the government that has to step up to the plate and ensure things are put back together.

In political terms, a disaster can be both an opportunity and a threat. I don’t mean to demean the suffering of those affected by using these terms. But it is a reality that a government which botches the response to a disaster can feel the public wrath. President George W Bush and Hurricane Katrina is a recent example.

On the other hand, if a government does manage the response well, it can benefit from having done the right thing.

On Monday, 3 News released details of polling on how New Zealanders viewed this Government’s response to the earthquakes.

The results of that poll, and what I think it means is detailed at Stuff.