Editorial: Quake a test of our character

Lachlan Botting (front) and his classmates shelter under tables during an earthquake drill. Photo / Alan Gibson

In the eight days since the first of a chain of earthquakes struck our second-largest city, one of the more attractive aspects of the New Zealand temperament - the readiness to rally around those in trouble - has been plainly and encouragingly evident.

By a happy coincidence this was the week in which the British-based Charities Aid Foundation released the results of a survey ranking 153 countries by the willingness of their citizens to donate time and money to charity. We shared first place with the Australians - the best people to have in a lifeboat if no New Zealanders are available.

There have been unfortunate exceptions, such as the lowlifes who broke into a special needs school and stole equipment used by disabled students. But for the most part, Cantabrians have done themselves proud and the rest of us - corporates and individuals - have done Canterbury proud.

The approach of the two television networks has been at times slightly unseemly. Presenters' public fretting about ratings showed that even an earthquake cannot shake the self-importance of some in television-land.

By and large, the politicians have acquitted themselves well. Opposition leader Phil Goff's assertion that the quake "leaves no room for playing party politics" was, of course, a transparent attempt at playing party politics. He should, perhaps, have taken a leaf from the book of Christchurch mayoral aspirant Jim Anderton who, knowing that his incumbent opponent was gaining huge mana from repeated appearances in earthquake coverage, simply saluted him. His grace will not have gone unnoticed.

That said, John Key's decision to cancel his trip to the UK and France was more populist than pragmatic. His spin doctors determined that there was a lot of PR downside in keeping his much-publicised appointment to sip tea with the Queen at Balmoral. But he had also intended to have his first meeting with the new British Prime Minister David Cameron and see the French President and Prime Minister.

Faced with a small flutter of media criticism, Key buckled and pulled the plug on the trip. But there was no need. The recovery operation was in place, and his duties as a leader were to delegate and carry on.

Not for the first time, Key has appeared as man who bends in the wind of the latest public mood, rather than a man with a clear conception of himself. For someone hoping to be more than a one-term PM, it's a bad look.