Opinion: Political differences put aside for Havelock North

We [Craig Foss, Stuart Nash and Meka Whaitiri] agree that in 2016, residents should be able to turn on the tap and drink the reticulated water supply without any concerns or fear. Photo / Getty Images

Thank you so much to everyone, every volunteer, every agency and organisation who helped Havelock North get through, and recover from the gastro outbreak.

We are your Hawke's Bay's elected MPs, and we all have family, whanau, friends and supporters who were impacted by the outbreak.

We care deeply about the wellbeing and reputation of Havelock North and Hawke's Bay.

We are taking this unprecedented step of publishing a joint talking point to demonstrate our willingness to put aside our political differences as Havelock North works to resume its rightful place as the best Village in New Zealand.

We realise that there are plenty of theories as to what caused the outbreak. But at this stage, as families are only just recovering from horrible sickness, we are happy that the outbreak is over and that families and Havelock North businesses are getting back to normal.

Obviously no one wanted for any of this to happen in the first place.

We are quite sure that everyone in their various Hastings District Council, District Health Board and Hawke's Bay Regional Council roles did their best to deal with and manage this unprecedented outbreak.

Thank you again, from the three of us, for your efforts while under huge pressure.

We agree that in 2016, residents should be able to turn on the tap and drink the reticulated water supply without any concerns or fear.

There are two inquiries underway, so we will await the outcome of those.

The inquiries may well point to lessons to be learnt, systems to be changed and communications to be improved etc. But at the moment, there is no point dwelling on any of that until the results of those inquiries are released.

Hopefully, this joint piece will demonstrate to all of Hawke's Bay that the gastro outbreak event is simply above politics, and we three, are putting aside our political differences, to assist everyone and everything getting back to normal in the best Village and the Best Bay in New Zealand.

- Craig Foss is the National MP for Tukituki. Stuart Nash is the Labour MP for Napier. Meka Whaitiri is the Labour MP for Ikaroa Rawhiti.

- Views expressed here are the writers' opinions and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz