Prime Minister John Key stands grinning on a cracked pedestal bearing the words 'Most popular P.M.' In the background is the Beehive flying a skull and crossbones flag. The landscape is a desert with cactus and dried bones and a vulture in a bare tree. A man and a woman comment that it looks as though the quake may have done damage in Wellington after all, that and the crash of the SCF fund. Refers to two major events in the Canterbury area in recent times that have incurred huge government costs; these are the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company and the earthquake that struck early Saturday morning 4th September. The South Canterbury Finance Company has been taken into receivership by the government which has guaranteed that all 30,000 fortunate high-risk investors will be paid out $1.6b thanks to the taxpayer. Treasury is assuming that the cost of the earthquake will reach $4 billion, including $2 billion worth of estimated damage to private dwellings and their contents, $1 billion of damage to commercial property, and $1 billion worth of damage to public infrastructure. There is a colour and a black and white version of this cartoon Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
A close up of Christ Church Cathedral. Cracks are visible in a window sill and surrounding stonework.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam (9) and Emmaleigh (4) Bowen explore cracks in Raven Quay in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam (9) and Emmaleigh (4) Bowen explore cracks in Raven Quay in Kaiapoi".
People examine large cracks running through the surface of Bridge Street on the approach to the bridge.
20100904_3313_1D3-24 Anzac Drive, Christchurch earthquake Kenta with crack in ANZAC Drive #372
The farmer swore that his fence and hedge were in a straingt line, but mother nature had other ideas! Aftermath of the Saturday 4 September 2010 magnitude 7.1 earthquake at the previously unknown faultline along which the quake originated.
The ground slipped laterally at this previously unknown faultline across Highfield Road in mid-Canterbury, resulting in a relative displacement of at least 2 metres and the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Saturday 4 September 2010. Note the now misaligned fence posts, hedge and road.
Cracks have ripped through external columns of this 7 storey building (corner of Hereford Street / Manchester Street), and efforts are being made to shore up and strengthen it to save it from demolition after it suffered structural damage in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Cracks have ripped through external columns of this 7 storey building (corner of Hereford Street / Manchester Street), and efforts are being made to shore up and strengthen it to save it from demolition after it suffered structural damage in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Cracks have ripped through external columns of this 7 storey building (corner of Hereford Street / Manchester Street), and efforts are being made to shore up and strengthen it to save it from demolition after it suffered structural damage in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday 4 September 2010.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Nick Wright walks through a large crack on next to Charles Street in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Major earthquake hits Christchurch. Owen Trowbridge (16) walks through a deep crack in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Nick Wright (9) explores a huge crack in the earth in Charles Street, Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Major earthquake hits Christchurch. Owen Trowbridge (16) walks through a deep crack in Kaiapoi".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Cracking up. Roads throughout Halswell were fractured making driving a hazardous and slow process".
Damage to the Valley Inn. Sections of the walls have collapsed, and large cracks run across the building.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, " Nick Wright (9) explores a huge crack in the earth in Charles Street, Kaiapoi".
Workers grinding off the peaks left by the gel injected into the cracks in the James Hight Library walls.
A resident on Moore Street demonstrates how her hand can fit inside a large crack caused by the earthquake.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Sam Bowen (9) explores the huge cracks in the road surface in Raven Quay, Kaiapoi".
Workers grinding off the peaks left by the gel injected into the cracks in the James Hight Library walls.
Workers grinding off the peaks left by the gel injected into the cracks in the James Hight Library walls.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. A child jumps in a crack in the road by Avonside Drive".
A man photographs a crack on the Bridge Street bridge where the bridge has moved relative to the road.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. A girl sits in a crack in the road near Avonside Drive".
Some Christchurch residents will find out the fate of their properties and Wellington cracks down on earthquake prone buildings.
Photo taken Jan 2011 - the cracks in the front of the building get a little bigger with each aftershock.
A worker grinding off the peaks left by the gel injected into the cracks in the James Hight Library walls.
A worker grinding off the peaks left by the gel injected into the cracks in the James Hight Library walls.