Canterbury people attending the races at Riccarton yesterday were in a subdued mood. Numbers appeared down and perhaps it was because the weather which was wet and cool.
However, staff talked to by the Otago Daily Times indicated many people in the city were still worried about earthquakes. Family members had lost houses, jobs and, in one case, a family member. Being stoic was an option, but many people were staying closer to home.
The big crowd at the New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting on Tuesday could have been a factor in a smaller, quieter crowd. However, it was more likely the fear of travelling too far away from home base.
Taking the Pulse got some friends in the public facilities into a fairly heated debate about the rebuilding. While some understood about the delays, others just wanted it to be done. They did not know exactly how it would be paid for and who would pay. They just wanted it done.
The opinion among the six punters at the table was that Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee should go and pick up a saw and a hammer and get on with the job. The other opinion was that he and National were doing a "fair job" and that the sooner the rebuild started the better.
Most of the people talked to during the five hours at the races, particularly around the public facilities, were likely to vote Labour for the electorate but the uncertainty about the rebuild was forcing many to reconsider their options for the party vote. Once one of the table of friends started saying he would vote National, the rest indicated they would follow.
Barry Chiles (73) had his family from near Sumner living with him in Bishopdale. He was happy enough, but worried his 18-year-old grandson might not be lucky enough to get a job. The grandson had been in training, but wanted to work in construction.
A shortage of skilled workers had become obvious but labourers were finding it hard to get a job, Mr Chiles said.
Patting his stomach, Mr Chiles said he liked Mr Brownlee because they were both the same size and the minister was a "straight talker, no BS". The others nodded in agreement.
Mr Brownlee said yesterday official data showed the Canterbury region's economy continued to improve strongly, with trade through the region's ports and airport hitting a two-year high of $950 million in September.
"The recovery is well under way. This is the sixth monthly release of this data set, and consolidates a number of positive trends over the period."
The latest Ministry of Economic Development economic indicators showed steady growth being driven by trade and manufacturing, he said.
"Trade value is at a two-year high of almost $1 billion for September, which shows economic growth will come from more than rebuilding the city."
Mr Brownlee said there was more good news on the employment front, with job advertising remaining strong and benefit numbers down from their peak in June.
Workers were in demand in Canterbury, and the lower number of people on benefits reinforced that the region's economic health was improving, he said.
The official figures are there for all to read, but the punters at Riccarton were not feeling so flash about their own situations.
They had started to worry about ever getting their insurance payments, although some money had started to flow, through the Red Zone purchases.
National has an advantage in the electoral stakes because voters are worried that Labour will bring in more bureaucracy to deal with the rebuild. If the election changed the government, the question was how long would it take to get things started under Labour and the Greens, Mr Chiles asked as his mates nodded beside him.
Given the general impatience with a seeming lack of action, National should not take its support in the primarily Labour city for granted. More decisive statements from Labour MPs could help stem the tide.
