The reaction of parents to Trevor Mallard's zoning regime proves it is more of a problem than a solution to enrolment pressure on popular schools, National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said today.

"School zoning has been an abject failure. Before the changes were implemented, principals warned the Government that 'zoning laws would result in a mess'* but Mr Mallard refused to listen.

"It is unacceptable that top schools are having to divert money from school operations to fund detective activities.

"Rather than further tightening zoning laws, Mr Mallard must go back to a more flexible arrangement where choice is returned to parents. To do otherwise would make criminals of parents who are only acting in the best interests of their children," Mr Brownlee said.

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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>>