Clive Bibby: Shane Jones walks the talk

For those of us farmers here in the East Coast provinces- many of whom have just been through the most dreadful experience of our lives - listening to a Cabinet Minister who has our back is a refreshing change from all the broken promises we heard from the last mob of false prophets.

It isn’t so much that Shane Jones actually understands the problems we face here at the coalface - but more about his ability to state the obvious when helping us get back on our feet. There are things that we can and must do irrespective of whether they contravene established popular thinking about environmental primacy.

Clive Bibby: The debilitating effect of no hope

Most kiwis will have relatives who have been personally affected by the cyclones that ravaged the East Coast regions of Tairawhiti and Northern Hawkes Bay.

This Country’s diverse population is (with the exception of those who live in the Auckland region) spread rather evenly throughout the provinces of both islands and so when catastrophic weather events like the recent cyclones wreak havoc in rural New Zealand, the whole nation is watching to see if their extended family members are in danger. We react as one during times of crisis and that is comforting to know if you are being subjected to unrelenting pressure such as that which is ongoing here at Ground Zero.

Clive Bibby: We are in danger of being left behind

Living here on the East Coast after the floods, trying to stay sane in an environment that could easily drive you mad, it is hard to focus our attention on a credible recovery plan, costing as it will billions of dollars, when those who control the purse strings appear to have already written us off.

I suppose that isn’t surprising given the sparsely populated region we inhabit and a cynical view of political responses that would suggest we just don’t represent enough votes.

However, there are very good reasons why money spent on our local recovery would be as good an investment as in any other place in the country.

John Porter: Where Do Stuart Nash’s Loyalties Lie?

Post cyclone Gabrielle Hawkes Bay is facing a massive and unprecedented clean-up mission.

A crucial component of this clean-up mission is the role government ministers and local MPs are required to play to ensure the region’s immediate and long-term needs are met.

That and recent events lead me to question if Napier is being adequately represented in parliament by its MP Stuart Nash? Where do his true loyalties actually lie?