The political charade of whether a cup of tea with Prime Minister John Key meant Act New Zealand candidate John Banks had been given "the nod" hardly seemed relevant on the streets of Sumner.
Looking up, wrecked houses still teetered on the brink of final destruction and it seemed a strong wind or even a gentle shake would end their tenuous hold on the hills above the seaside suburb.
It was Canterbury Anniversary Day yesterday. Usually, the place is buzzing. The show was expecting a good crowd, the Westfield Mall parking was packed, as usual.
But Sumner seemed deserted. The people who were to be seen went hurrying past when they saw a pen, pad and camera.
Behind a cordon of containers, the results of the devastating earthquakes remain.
Boulders the size of cars still litter the roadsides. Houses, a bar, sports clubs and infrastructure remain lying wrecked - nearly hidden from view if you are driving, but easily identified if you are walking.
The city's MPs, Gerry Brownlee (National) Lianne Dalziel, Brendan Burns and Ruth Dyson (all Labour), have faced months of helping their constituents with problems. Mr Brownlee faced extra duties as Earthquake Recovery Minister. His family home was damaged but he kept that quiet as he performed his public duties.
Election campaigning continues, but the agenda has changed this time. Labour and National organisers are not getting a clear view of how voter patterns are emerging. National is expected to do well in the party vote while the four MPs are expected to hold their seats.
Ms Dalziel is putting her future on the line by standing only as an electorate candidate. Her view is that if the voters do not want her then she will not get re-elected. She has put in a huge effort helping constituents, and the strain is starting to show on her face.
Mr Burns is a first-term MP after trying to win Kaikoura several times and could not possibly have thought that for about half of that term, he would be dealing with such enormous problems.
Ms Dyson, the Port Hills MP and a longtime friend, said it was a very unusual election campaign.
"We are making different decisions, decisions not to do something we would normally do. We all are taking a different approach to the campaign."
Street meetings were continuing, as were joint candidate meetings. Pamphlets were being distributed but the election topics were different because people had been slow to engage in the campaign, she said.
She had been heartened by the interest shown in the John Key-Phil Goff leaders' debate in Christchurch, where many more people had shown interest in attending than the venue accommodated.
"We had the earthquakes, the Rugby World Cup and now stronger interest in the election."
The things that made this election different were dealing with people who had lost family members, lost their jobs, lost their houses and were facing an uncertain future.
Those people were not interested in the pre-election fiscal update or the effects of the Budget, Ms Dyson said. They wanted answers.
Asked if the campaign was taking its toll on her own health and energy, Ms Dyson said she was standing up "pretty well".
"It is good to help people. No, it's great to help people on big issues. They come to me with problems and I have my 'hotline to heaven' speed-dialled on my phone. If people come to me on a street-corner meeting, I make a call and try and get some answers. That is what keeps me going."
Across the Port Hills to Lyttelton, the situation seemed even worse than in Sumner. A favourite café lay in ruins. The main street with its eclectic mix of hotels and fast-food joints was unrecognisable.
And there was nowhere to have a cup of tea with anyone, let alone the Prime Minister.