Shipley And English Confirmed As Candidates For 2002 Election

The Leader of the Opposition, Jenny Shipley, has been confirmed as the National Party candidate for the Rakaia electorate for the 2002 General Election, National Party President John Slater announced today.

He also announced that National's Deputy Leader, Bill English, has been confirmed as the National Party candidate for the Clutha-Southland electorate.

Jenny Shipley and Bill English have also been confirmed as candidates on the National Party list, and under the rules will automatically take positions 1 and 2 respectively.

Mr Slater says the National Party is delighted to commence its selection process for the 2002 General Election with these two important selections.

Mrs Shipley says National has started the candidate selection process early so it is ready to fight a strong campaign in 2002.

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>>