Financial assistance for those out of work in Chch

Prime Minister John Key is expected to outline this afternoon financial support for those out of work as a result of the Canterbury earthquake.

He will travel to Christchurch this afternoon with senior ministers and Labour leader Phil Goff.

Mr Key said the Government was working on a financial assistance package for those who could not work because of the quake and he hoped to make an announcement this afternoon.

"We're just in the final process of buttoning it down, but quite a lot of good work has been completed this morning and we're getting quite close," he told reporters.

The assistance was likely to be for people paid wages or those on casual work rather than those on salaries.

Earlier today Mr Key said the Government was conscious of people who were not being paid and had talked with officials in the Australian state of Victoria who faced a similar situation after the bushfires there.

The assistance was likely to be in the form of a temporary grant provided through emergency welfare.

"The waitress that's working at one of the bars in Christchurch that's closed as a result of the earthquake, for no fault of her own, can't go to work and has to meet her obligations. That's a little unfair if she can't be paid."

Mr Key said he was not worried about travelling to Christchurch despite ongoing aftershocks there.

He had not received information about the scope of further aftershocks, he said.

"There's a settling process that the region's going to go through, that geologists will understand better than me."

It was possible further damage would be caused by aftershocks, he said.

"People can certainly take comfort in the fact that it doesn't really matter when their house is damaged. If it is damaged they will be covered as long as they have insurance by EQC or private insurers."

Mr Goff told reporters it was not a time for party politics.

"It's about the people of Canterbury and the need to help them," he said.

"I think it's time for the whole country to pull together."

Mr Goff said Labour was committed to working with the Government.

"I think the authorities on the ground and the Government are taking the situation really seriously," he said.

"There's a whole lot being done. If there are gaps I hope that those gaps will be addressed."

Mr Goff said Labour's Christchurch MPs were in daily contact with their constituents.

"They're not worried whether their constituents are Labour or National or anything else. They're worried about giving them the help they desperately need."

Mr Goff agreed that people who were going to lose pay needed assistance and said he was ready to work with the Government to find the best way of doing that.

"I think New Zealanders want us to err on the side of generosity," he said.

Mr Goff said he wasn't going to criticise the Government's response to the crisis.

"What I have seen on the ground has been really good. Civil Defence, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, MPs, all working hard for their communities and all working together and that's what we really need to do."