The National Party has released the third and final in a series of reports from Taskforces established shortly after the last election.

Reports on 'Seniors and Superannuation' and 'Constitutional Issues' have already been made public, provoking lively debate, and today's release of a Taskforce report on 'Youth and Tertiary Education' looks sure to attract further widespread debate.

"The three Taskforces were invited to explore, research and offer recommendations on issues which are of interest to National and of importance to New Zealand," Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley and National Party President John Slater said today.

"They assist in National's ability to have informed debates about some of the most vital issues facing New Zealand - and from that debate to form policies which will help this country achieve the best results for all.

"The Taskforce reports are not policy, however they form the basis for the discussion from which policy may emerge.

"National has always been willing to take the lead in exploring complex issues, and these Taskforce reports continue that tradition," Mrs Shipley and Mr Slater said.

The report will be posted on the National Party website at http://www.national.org.nz at 1.00pm today.

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>>