18 February 2001

Media Advisory

Anderton's security claims ill-founded, alarmist

In response to a misleading press release from Jim Anderton this afternoon Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley has released the portion of the Peoples Bank business plan referred to in the Sunday Star Times and in Mr Anderton's release.

The only significant information which was released was, as you will see from the attached, that second-hand equipment was to be used and that secure areas would be put into Post Shops, rather than securing the entire store.

It should be noted that approximately three quarters of a page of additional detailed security information was contained in the business plan, but Mrs Shipley elected not to release that in the interests of safety.

Mr Anderton's contention that the release of the attached page constituted a threat to security is alarmist and without foundation. It is hoped that Mr Anderton will cease his attempts at distracting from the real issues of the viability of the bank, and its attitude towards low-income New Zealanders as 'risks'.

Ends

© 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>>