- Christchurch earthquake dominates thinking - A local disaster, a national headache - GDP impact, ironically, net positive - Financial markets little affected - Key GDP partials due this week

The Christchurch earthquake was a nightmare for many folk whose lives have been thrown into chaos. But it is wrong to assume that the misery of some portends disaster for the economy as a whole. Ironically, the event is probably GDP positive and should have little impact on financial markets. Meanwhile, the world carries on and this week delivers a slew of data that should help clarify the state of play for the New Zealand economy.