Prime Minister John Key created intense distress for Christchurch residents by speculating about the damage caused by last month's earthquake, Labour leader Phil Goff says.
Mr Key said this week that up to 10,000 Christchurch homes could be demolished and some parts of the city were likely to be abandoned because of severe land damage.
The accuracy of the figures were questioned after official Civil Defence figures showed 2198 homes in Christchurch had been deemed unliveable.
Mr Goff said today that Mr Key's comments had caused further stress for people hit by the quake.
"It's not helpful to speculate without naming the properties and without giving people certainty including plans that would help them move and reestablish themselves," Mr Goff said.
"I think that sort of speculative statement at this stage according to the people in Bexley and Burford that I've talked to this morning, created intense distress and anxiety."
However, answering questions from Mr Goff in Parliament, Mr Key said the 10,000 figure was a preliminary one from the Earthquake Commission's geotechnical engineers that he had no reason to doubt.
Mr Key said he had never said whole suburbs would be abandoned, and had not entered into speculation.
"If I had gone out there and named streets, areas, or houses without geotechnical advice, then I think the Leader of the Opposition would have a point. That is not what I have done," he said.
"The reality is that the issue is not ultimately whether 9000, 10,000, or 11,000 homes are demolished -- the issue is which homes will be demolished.
"For the Government not to give an indication of the likely extent of damage to both business and consumers is, quite frankly, treating the people of Canterbury with contempt."
