Anderton Says Peters’ Credit Is Zilch - He may have said it, but does he mean it? Alliance leader Jim Anderton does not trust New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters’ pledge of likely support for a Labour lead government. Mr Peters says New Zealand First will most likely side with Labour in a coalition rather than go with National. But Mr Anderton says he’s heard it all before prior to the last election: “He said on a televised leader’s debate where I was present that if you wanted to get rid of National you should vote for New Zealand First. Some people did. And they didn’t get rid of National did they. So basically I’m afraid Mr Peters’ credit in these matters is zilch,” Mr Anderton says.

Shuffling Political Support - Meanwhile there are other twists and turns as the election draws closer. National is considering whether to stand a candidate against ACT leader Richard Prebble in Wellington Central. It has already announced it will not oppose United MP Peter Dunne in Ohario-Belmont. Political analyst Colin James says Labour is in a cleft-stick too. He says if it cannot win Whangarei and Tauranga seats itself, it would like to see National get them, purely to keep New Zealand First out. However, he told Paul Holmes he doesn’t think Labour would go so far as pulling candidates out of those two seats. Mr James says if it is a close run race in Tauranga between National’s Christine O’Reagan and New Zealand First’s Winston Peters, then Labour may just do a bit of nudging and winking to get National over the line.

Powhiri And Protocol - The argument over who should be greeting the 21 APEC leaders when they arrive at Auckland International Airport rages on this morning. Mauri Pacific MP Tukoroirangi Morgan says Maori protocol demands that the visitors be greeted at the airport with a formal powhiri, and not to have it delayed for a day as planned. He says Tainui should also perform the welcome, not the Auckland iwi Ngati Whatua. Mr Morgan says a solution to the problem has been created with the Maori Queen also meeting the leaders.

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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>>