He will discuss the issue with police today.
Police are collating various missing person lists and checking them for accuracy.
Mr Key said once next of kin were notified names should start being released. Some families had already been told and Mr Key would talk to police about getting those names out.
"We will raise that issue with them this morning," he told reporters.
"Where it's gone through the logical process and next of kin have been advised then its important that other people are informed because ... it's also friends and I myself have got one or two people that might be missing and I would personally would like to know the status of them."
Mr Key accepted there was an accuracy issue if people did not know someone was dead and reported them missing.
"That's the challenge of the issue."
While the official release of names has yet to begin, the names of some of those missing and presumed dead have been published by news organisations, among them CTV presenter Donna Manning and Crusaders board member Philip McDonald.
