Vets' Strike Only The Beginning For Primary Industries

The ink has hardly dried on Labour's Employment Relations Act and already one of New Zealand's essential primary industries is facing major disruptions, National's Rural Affairs spokesperson Shane Ardern said today.

"Any strike bringing the meat industry to a standstill will inevitably harm one of this country's major export earners. Long-term, the economic losses could have a devastating effect.

"We all know commodity prices have improved for parts of rural New Zealand, but if the MAF vets want to share in the so-called rural recovery then they should be prepared to share the difficult times as well. Would the MAF vets consider a pay cut when the current commodity price cycle goes down? I doubt it.

"The pending vets' strike is just the start of the inevitable round of strikes poised to hit our primary industries. Labour's Employment Relation Act is solely to blame if New Zealand quickly reverts to the bad old days.

"This Government can not allow a small group of militant 'hangers on' to cause so much damage to our economy. What is Labour Minister Margaret Wilson going to do?" Mr Ardern 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>>