"The Prime Minister has added insult to injury over the disgusting way she is avoiding Dover Samuels on her trip to the Far North tomorrow, Northland MP John Carter said today.

"I'm not surprised Dover's annoyed. There was no 'slip-up' in her itinerary as Clark's Office puts it. Nor can she shift the blame onto Tariana Turia for not keeping the Te Tai Tokerau MP informed.

"This is typical of Helen Clark. She is only too happy to blame others for her own shortcomings.

"Dover Samuels remains is a pivotal and popular leader in Northland, and for the sake of the region it's time Clark put her resentment aside. Many months have passed since she unfairly sacked Dover from Cabinet. It's now time the Prime Minister consulted and included him on Northland issues.

"Sadly, every time the Prime Minister avoids Dover she is conveniently avoiding the issues and concerns of Te Tai Tokerau Maori. Her avoidance does nothing to close any gaps of disparity and only further aggravates relations with Northland Maori ahead of Waitangi Day.

I challenge the Prime Minister to make sure Dover Samuels has at least the opportunity to be part of her Far North trip tomorrow. It's not a big ask. After all he is supposed to be Labour's local man on the ground," John Carter said.

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>>