What a great posting from Winnie. I am so glad she agreed to go with me to Samoa. She was not only a wonderful travelling companion, but her understanding of the appropriate cultural approach and her Samoan language skills meant we could engage with those affected by this terrible natural disaster in the most sensitive ways. I see the usual suspects in the media have been making snide comments about Winnie and me going immediately to Samoa on the day the tsunami happened. I can only endorse Winnie’s words that every single person we met, Samoan or Kiwi, seemed genuinely delighted we came.
My own links with the Samoan community run deep. I was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Te Atatu in 1993. Almost 17% of the Te Atatu population are Pasifika. During my time as the local MP I have attended countless Pacific community events, and I have shared in church services at the local Pacific churches. After last year’s election my partner and I took Helen Clark and her husband to Samoa for a short break. We stayed at the Sinalei Resort, which is owned by Winnie’s cousins. One of the saddest parts of the visit was attending the funeral for Sinalei owner Tui Annandale. Tui and her husband Joe looked after Helen and I so kindly when we were feeling a bit down over the election result.
Last Wednesday morning I had only just heard about the earthquake and tsunami that had hit Samoa when Winnie called me. Winnie’s offices were being flooded with calls from concerned New Zealand Pacific Islanders who were having real difficulties getting information about their families and loved ones. The phone lines were already very patchy to Samoa. Also, as I made enquiries through my international affairs networks it became quite clear that New Zealand officials didn’t know much more. There was one flight available, Winnie had decided she had to travel to Samoa, she asked me to accompany her, and we both literally rushed to the airport.
One of the things I wanted to do when we arrived in Apia was to visit all of the injured Kiwis in Moto’otua Hospital in Apia. We did that. We took no journalists with us because we just wanted to offer comfort to the victims. Meeting and sitting with the couple from Nelson who had lost their 2 year old was very emotional and hard. People seemed appreciative that we went.
We met many Samoans who had lost loved ones, their homes, all their possessions. It was so tragic.
We also met many holidaying Kiwis who had lost everything – their clothes, money, passports, and who were feeling dazed, exhausted and unsure of how to survive before they were able to head home to New Zealand. Many were camped out at the New Zealand High Commissioner’s residence.
I met a Kiwi teacher from South Auckland, Malcolm Lawrence, a tsunami victim, wandering in the street in Apia with literally nothing except his togs. Malcolm had lost everything including his clothes. He had no credit cards, ID or even cash for food. I gave him my spare clothes and $100 to survive till he was able to get on a flight home. At the High Commission I gave money to another victim, Wendy, from Matamata, who was in a similar situation. Thank goodness they were alive!
It was clear to us that Winnie as Labour’s spokesperson for Pacific Island Affairs, and me as our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, needed to be there, on the ground, supporting the victims and listening to their plight.
It was important that people felt the humanity and support during a very traumatic time.
It was important for Samoans and holidaying Kiwis to know that the Labour Party cared about the disaster and was quick off the mark to demonstrate its concern.
It is an important role of the Opposition in a Parliamentary democracy to challenge, push and where appropriate support the actions of the government of the day. It is a legitimate role for Opposition MPs to provide a different voice and often alternatives to government policy or action, whether it be in domestic affairs such as Education, Health, Housing or Welfare, or dealing with issues concerning Employers, Workers, Unions, in International Relations/Foreign Affairs, and even in disaster relief.
That’s our job!
It was immediately obvious to us that what Samoa urgently needed was doctors, nurses, immediate food, fresh water supplies and medical equipment.
One thing Winnie and I did discover was that what people in the affected areas really need from now on, is practical household goods, things like sheets, towels, mats, pots, utensils and clothes. With Foreign Aid Samoa will rebuild damaged infrastructure.
Please be generous in donating items for families affected by the tsunami, and please be generous in making donations of money to the disaster relief fund. There are several appeals happening right now. You can donate through the Red Cross, Oxfam, or you can visit ANZ or Westpac bank branches. Many local Pacific churches are also running appeals.
We will send our views to Labour Leader Phil Goff and to Prime Minister John Key, and we will do our best, along with the Labour caucus, to make sure the New Zealand government provides longer term support beyond the immediate relief, for the Samoan victims of the disaster to rebuild their communities and lives.
The challenge for you, is what can you do to help our families and friends in Samoa. Give generously.
I’m pleased you went, it can’t have been easy looking at all that destruction.
Thanks for your support Spud.
Nice post Chris. I believe the nastiness was because many on the right realised that Labour was quick off the mark while many MPs in the government literally sat on their hands over what to do…this isn’t a time for pettiness, it’s a time for support. I know that Labour will continue to fight for assistance to Samoa over the next few months – when the headlines die down and media interest moves on these people will still need our help.
Many reports that I have seen suggest that the local population have shifted into remarkable support of each other using whatever meagre resources they have. This cooperation and spirit in such awful circumstances is a shining example of communities the way they should be. Humbling.
Chris, given that you were clearly there out of the goodness of your heart but feel the need to respond to those who unfairly questioned your motives, can you clarify for me whether you were there “challenging, pushing, or supporting the actions of the government of the day”?
Or in this case is it none of the above?
I’m absolutely prepared to accept you were there as a humanitarian rather than as an opposition politician.
But to do that I think you’d have to tell me you weren’t criticising the efforts of “the government of the day.”
I don’t think you can have it both ways. And, while things could always be done better, I’d hope you agree that National and its coalition partners acted humanely and effectively in meeting the challenges of the disaster.
I’d welcome your comment.
MB – what is this bizarre obsession with why Winnie and Chris were in Samoa? It seems to me that you are the one trying to score political points here – not Labour.
Great post Chris. It’s good to see MPs who actually want to hit the ground running and want to help out our Pacific cousins.
“I gave him my spare clothes and $100 to survive till he was able to get on a flight home. At the High Commission I gave money to another victim, Wendy, from Matamata, who was in a similar situation. Thank goodness they were alive!”.
And if John Key went over handing out $100 notes and reporting it the reaction at Red Alert would be????
I know you probably don’t mean it to come out like this Chris but this post reeks of insincerity. Charity is done behind closed doors not blogged about.
I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible it must be going through something like this, especially for the Samoan’s who no longer have a home to go back to, and everyone who lost a loved one. I’m really glad you both went to Samoa as soon as possible, and the fact you did so without bringing any media with you speaks volumes that you actually were there because you cared for the people, and not about creating a psuedo event for the sake of opinion polls.
Surely you mean ‘Taito’ John Key CC?
Kate – “And if John Key went over handing out $100 notes and reporting it the reaction at Red Alert would be????”
But he didn’t. He got there days after the event, wandered around looking clueless, was driven too fast across the island so he could shower and received a chief title for…well I’m still trying to figure out why they gave him that…
“Charity is done behind closed doors not blogged about.” Try again honey, Mother Teresa you’re not!
Deleted. Offensive and personal. You are on a warning. Clare
My name is Malcolm Laurence, the teacher who received the wonderful assistance from Chris and Winnie. I was in a pretty distressed state at the time, and their help and generosity made such a difference to me and will never be forgotten. The Samoan people have lost so much, I really feel for them – and yet even after a disatser like that, when their own famililes had been torn apart – they were still giving us food and offering shelter. I will go back some day – a little wiser of course!
Thanks Chris – you were not only fantastic to me, but also your visit to the hospital where I saw you again with my friend Helen who remains in hospital – now in Waikato, and then your visit to the High Commisioners were gretaly appreciated by us. In contrast though, the Airforce plane I travelled back on Friday night (which was absolutely fantastic) had 4 VIP’s on board – one being Murray McCully. I guess he had been doing ‘good stuff’ there for that day, but it has to be noted that he sat down in his VIP seat, ate his meal, and then tapped away on his laptop. Not once that I or others noticed, did he greet or acknowledge the wounded, their companions or those who had lost loved ones – including the couple who had lost 2 1/2 year old Alfie. It would have been so easy if he had shown some compassion.
[...] himself shoots down their defence f him that he was there solely as Winnie’s support person. Chris blogged: What a great posting from Winnie. I am so glad she agreed to go with me to Samoa. She was not only [...]
Just as an aside, probably not the best look to have a cheesy smile photo in front of someone’s destroyed house/workplace…. I’m sure it wasn’t your intent but looks a little like a holiday snap!
I for one am relieved that you and Winnie were able to go over there and offer support on behalf of all of us. It was appropriate that it was you two that went and you went there with all the love, sincerity and compassion that Labour has always expressed towards our Pacific countries and communities. Thanks Chris and Winnie.
Many thanks Chris for the kindness you showed my brother, Malcolm Laurence, after the tsnuami. I know it was a chance meeting that led to your generosity; and I am please to be able to say thanks in a public forum. After hearing about the devastation and the personal loss of so many people from my brother, I hope others writing on this site will also donate to the relief in Samoa. Your donations at the time went to NZ’ers in need; now we all look after the lovely people of Samoa.