John Key has cancelled his upcoming European trip, saying it is "not prudent" in the wake of Saturday's earthquake. Given that his presence makes no difference to the likelihood of there being another earthquake, or to the response (that's all handled by civil defence staff - y'know, trained professionals), one can only conclude that he has decided that it is not prudent for his polling.
Meanwhile, Parliament has cancelled Question Time today, on the grounds that holding the government to account might be upsetting to the people of Christchurch. So, the earthquake hasn't just damaged several Canterbury landmarks, but our democracy as well. If the politicians believe it is unseemly to query and crow about the earthquake response (which has been good - an example of what government can do for us), then they could not do so. But to deem it unseemly to question the government in any way in the wake of a crisis comes disturbingly close to fascism.
