Brash slams 'inadequate' Goverment tsunami aid

Don Brash

National party leader Don Brash has slammed Government aid to tsunami-hit Asia as "inadequate" but has drawn a quick rebuff that he's trying to score cheap political points.

Just back from a 10-day holiday in Hawaii, Dr Brash also asked why no national day of mourning had been arranged like Australia and the US.

His first remarks on the disaster came as the Government foreshadowed an increase in its aid, being announced next week after this year's first Cabinet meeting.

To date New Zealand has promised $10 million, compared with Australia's A$1 billion ($1.09 billion).

Dr Brash said the relief so far announced equated to just $2.45 per person compared with the Australian Government's $57.25 per person.

"I would be the last person to argue for frivolous government spending but this is one of those cases where the Government response has been inadequate.

"New Zealanders are a generous people and would expect their Government to be more forthcoming."

Dr Brash told the Herald he had personally donated to the appeals but said the amount was private.

He left to holiday in Hawaii after the Boxing Day tsunami struck and returned home on Sunday.

He also attacked the lack of action in arranging a national day of mourning for tsunami victims.

"In the United States all flags are to be flown at half-mast for a week. No such measures have been taken here," he said.

Dr Brash criticised the breakdown of the two C130 Hercules transport planes sent to help Indonesia, blaming the faults on the Government's downgrading of the Air Force.

Government duty minister and Defence Minister Mark Burton said Dr Brash was just trying to score cheap political points.

"When virtually everyone else in New Zealand is rallying around an international crisis he's taking cheap political potshots."

He said Dr Brash was trying to turn the aid amounts into a competition. "It's a bean-counter response which I frankly find distasteful."

Mr Burton said the Hercules planes had been pushed very hard during the relief operations because "time was of the essence".

"When you do that, equipment will have maintenance issues - as not only the New Zealand Hercules have had but also the Americans, the Australians and the Indonesians.

"We seem to be the only country in which a handful of politicians can focus trying to score cheap points. That undermines morale."

One Hercules has now returned to New Zealand, leaving the remaining transport still operating in Indonesia and a Boeing 757 transport flying between Australia and Indonesia.

A Defence Force medical team has started working from Banda Aceh hospital after arriving on Saturday.

The Government said a mortuary technician, psychologist and two forensic dentists had arrived in Thailand to reinforce the disaster victim identification team.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff said the Government was providing the Thais with New Zealand-developed software to identify victims.