The earthquake that convulsed Canterbury on Saturday morning might have saved the Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker. The former television host has typified mayoral unflappability and reassuring leadership to his fellow citizens in the city and Kiwis beyond. Mr Parker is being challenged for his job by Progressive MP and former Cabinet minister Jim Anderton in local body elections that begin across the country soon. Before 4.35am on Saturday Mr Parker was trailing in polls. “Rather than a month of mayoral favourite and former Cabinet minister Jim Anderton hounding the ex-game show host over the council’s controversial spending and policies, the frayed nerves of ratepayers will be soothed by the calm, sonorous tones of the man carefully engineering the city’s clean-up and resurrection, the man cajoling central government for assistance, the man rallying the troops in times of adversity,” the Taranaki Daily News said. Mr Parker’s leadership had been flawless, The Timaru Herald said. Mr Anderton “must feel like Cinderella stuck at home while the disaster ball is in full swing”, it said. “Certainly it would be hard to imagine Mr Anderton’s case for being a part-time mayor while he continued his MP duties now stacking up as a viable proposition. It was questionable before the earthquake, and the disaster makes Mr Anderton’s position now look nonsensical,” it said. Mr Parker had wasted no time on Saturday before he declared a state of emergency in Christchurch and was also instrumental in gaining Government approval for the army being brought in to help, The Press said in an editorial. “Parker has signalled that his focus is squarely on earthquake relief, rather than campaigning, by pulling out of a mayoral debate which The Press had planned. He had also been to the fore in fronting up to the news media, while local council and civil defence web sites, including the combined ‘Canterbury Earthquake’ site, had released a steady stream of progress updates. “This flow of information is necessary to allow residents, many still stunned by the quake and its aftershocks, to plan their lives.”