May 29, 2023

Seymour says hard to fault Govt response to Cyclone Gabrielle – but has one key question

Watch the full interview here.

ACT Party leader David Seymour questions why the state of national emergency was declared on Tuesday morning, rather than the previous day before the full wrath of Cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand.

He asked Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty on Tuesday: “What was different today that wasn’t true the previous day on Monday”.

McAnulty said on Tuesday the declaration was made as soon as local civil defence groups told the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that it was necessary. McAnulty said it was a high bar to reach.

Other than that, Seymour told AM it is hard to fault a Government “trying to react as quickly as possible like everybody else as the waters rose and their homes were in danger”.

The ACT leader also told AM why his party opposed Parliament being suspended on Wednesday and Tuesday.

Watch the full interview above.

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