28 March 2001 Media Statement

Cullen welcomes continuing high confidence

Finance Minister Michael Cullen today welcomed the March National Bank business outlook showing continuing high confidence both in the general economic environment and in own company prospects.

"It reinforces the positive message of yesterday's consumer confidence survey which also showed high levels of optimism," he said.

"Obviously the slowdowns in Australia and the United States pose some risk to the size and strength of the New Zealand recovery. But, I am confident both economies will rebound quickly and that we have sufficient economic momentum in New Zealand to carry us through any temporary external downturn.

"Our dollar remains competitive. And our external account position continues to improve with a predicted merchandise trade surplus of $413 million for February - up from $43 million for the same month last year," Dr Cullen 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>>