“ With the Speaker’s announcement this afternoon that he regrets his reported remarks about MPs drinking in excess, and his apology, Nandor Tanczos is no longer vindicated for his outburst along similar lines a year ago, said New Zealand First Deputy Leader Peter Brown.

“I have been an MP for over four years now and I can honestly state in that time I have never once seen an MP who I would describe as being ‘drunk in charge of the country’.

“If Mr Tanczos stands by his assertion he should name the member (or members), rather than every so often re-assert his statement.

“If he has not the strength of character to do that he should desist from making unsubstantiated assertions rather than cast aspersions on every member. If he will not do either, he deserves to be pilloried, said Peter Brown.

“What must be remembered is that even MPs have family, friends and supporters who know the member personally and such anonymous attacks do untold harm to these people also.

“Finally, I welcome the Speaker’s apology and accept it in full, concluded Peter Brown.

END

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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>>