Heads should roll over Civil Defence website fiasco

The Taxpayers' Union says there must be accountability after New Zealand's Civil Defence website crashed during last night's Fiordland earthquake and tsunami warning, leaving New Zealanders unable to access critical emergency information when they potentially needed it most.

Taxpayers' Union spokesman, Jordan Williams, said:

"Heads should roll. If Civil Defence can't keep its website online during an emergency, what exactly are taxpayers paying for? Any competent IT provider can stress-test a website to ensure it remains operational when demand surges. A sudden surge in public demand during a natural disaster is exactly what the Civil Defence website exists for."

"National Emergency Management Agency Director John Price should be offering his resignation, not excuses. When the key public communication system fails at the very moment it's put under stress, senior leaders needs to be held accountable. The role of governance is to manage risk - this risk was obvious.

"Public service bosses justify high pay because of high responsibility - but when things go wrong, there never is."

"Systems will improve when Ministers start demanding accountability. New Zealanders need confidence that the next time the ground shakes, the website won't fall over before buildings do."