Governor-General's statement on balloon tragedy

Saturday, 7 January 2012, 4:19 pm
Press Release: Government House

It was with a profound sense of both shock and disbelief that I learnt of the ballooning tragedy in the Wairarapa that claimed the lives of 11 people earlier today. A tragedy on this scale means many people, both in Carterton and elsewhere in New Zealand, will be grieving for those who died.

At this sad time, and on behalf of all New Zealanders, my wife Janine and I offer our sincerest condolences to the victim’s families and friends. Our thoughts are with you at this distressing time.

Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae

Governor-General of New Zealand

ends

Top Scoops Headlines

COMMENT > >

Finian Cunningham: Syria: NATO’s Growing List Of Excuses For Intervention

NATO’s alleged “concerns” over Syria and its anticipated military intervention in that country seem to multiply and interchange like an alchemist’s brew. From human rights and democratic reforms, to the latest alleged concern of a takeover ... More>>

Suzan Mazur: Who Owns Origin Of Life?: The Lonsdale Prize

As a long-time protector of the Pacific Northwest's old growth forests and the political darling of environmentalists there, philanthropist Harry Lonsdale now thinks there is no greater wilderness to get his feet wet in than the origin of life. More>>

Annie McDougall: Refreshing the Revolution: How social media have updated the way we mobilise for change

Is the idea that social media can enable and empower us in the real world a pretense generated by media owners and technological idealism, or is it a reality? While human factors such as anger at regimes are the petrol fuelling protest, new media could ... More>>

Uri Avnery: Operetta In 5 Acts

The master magician has drawn another rabbit from his top hat. A real and very lively rabbit. He has confounded everybody, including the leaders of all parties, the top political pundits and his own cabinet ministers. More>>

Jens Christian Lund: Why Should We Care About Fate Of Iranian Dissidents In Iraq?

The fate of a group of Iranian dissidents in Iraq may seem trivial compared to the big issues on stage in the Middle East and other areas of the world. Since I became member of the Danish Parliament, I have tried to follow the situation in Iran and ... More>>

Chris Hedges: The Implosion Of Capitalism

When civilizations start to die they go insane. Let the ice sheets in the Arctic melt. Let the temperatures rise. Let the air, soil and water be poisoned. Let the forests die. Let the seas be emptied of life. Let one useless war after another be ... More>>

Franklin Lamb: Egypt Just Annulled Mubarak's Natural Gas Giveaway

The Egyptian people are demanding the return of their sovereignty. According to recent opinion surveys they believe it was partially ceded to Israel by the two post-Nasser dictators, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, at the behest of American administrations, ... More>>

David Swanson: The Global War on Terror, in the original German

Have we killed as many people as Hitler did? No, not in the same manner. But by sins of both commission (Iraqis bombed and shot, for example) and omission (children starving and suffering from preventable illness, for example) of course we have. And we have the potential to quite easily kill many more. More>>