Statement from Hon John Banks QSO

18 August 2004

Half hearted response from ginger groups

"I am disappointed that the anti-Eastern Transport Corridor ginger groups don't seem to have the courage of their convictions," Auckland City Mayor Hon John Banks said today.

Mr Banks said the announcement that STEM and the Hobson Bay Residents Network will amalgamate and put up a few council and community board candidates for the upcoming local body elections is good news for open discussion and robust debate. He is highly critical, however, that they not standing a mayoral candidate.

"Not putting up a mayoral candidate is nothing less than a cop-out. I was looking forward to debating anywhere, anytime all the issues around the Eastern Corridor with their mayoral candidate.

"Their reluctance to enter the mayoral race demonstrates they are only half-hearted with their objectives," said Mr Banks.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>