Pacific Islanders Won’t Fall For Shipley’s Opportunism

Taito Phillip Field, Member of Parliament
Labour Spokesperson on Pacific Island Affairs

“Jenny Shipley’s opportunistic attempt to seize the credit for making New Zealand Superannuation portable will fool no-one,” Labour spokesperson on Pacific Island Affairs Taito Phillip Field said.

He was commenting on the shallow photo-opportunity Mrs Shipley has set up with members of the Pacific Island community this afternoon in a bid to identify the National Party with the introduction tomorrow of super’ portability.

“Everyone knows National capitulated only when its arm was twisted behind its back,” Mr Field said. “It had no choice but to concede once it knew I had successfully lobbied the other parties in Parliament behind my Social Welfare [Payment of New Zealand Superannuation Overseas] Bill.

“Had it not moved, it would have faced an embarrassing defeat in the House on a policy area of vital importance to Pacific Islanders.

“I recognise that National is facing electoral oblivion and will use every trick in the book to try to limit the damage. But Pacific Island peoples know that only Labour has a good record on this issue and will reflect that at the ballot box on 27 November,” Taito Phillip said.

© Scoop Media

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>>