10 Mar 2014

EQC called in over vulnerable cases

12:13 pm on 10 March 2014

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has summoned the Earthquake Commission's bosses to Parliament to explain what they are doing to help vulnerable people still in damaged homes.

Gerry Brownlee.

Gerry Brownlee. Photo: RNZ

The Labour Party has raised the plight of Dot Boyd, an 85-year-old woman in Christchurch who has been waiting more than three years for her house to be repaired.

Labour says there are at least 85 other people in the same situation.

On Thursday Mr Brownlee apologised for wrongly claiming that Labour MPs had made only five complaints to EQC and accepted that they had made more.

On Friday morning, the minister called in EQC's management team to explain the vulnerable cases.

Mr Brownlee says they are working on firming up the number of claims and will report back on their plans for dealing with them.

The minister and EQC declined Radio New Zealand requests for an interview on Friday.