There should be a law change to protect policemen involved in fatal shootings and the Government can do something about it by supporting a private members bill in Parliament tomorrow, National's Justice spokesperson Wayne Mapp said today.

"Police officers are trained to use firearms to protect the public. They, and their families, deserve to have their identity protected when they are involved in a fatal shooting.

"It is a year since the Waitara shooting. The Government has had plenty of time to consider what action should be taken to protect the identity of a police officer involved in a fatal shooting but they have done nothing.

"National MP Paul Hutchison has drafted a private members bill that would grant name suppression to police officers involved in a fatal shooting until the appropriate authorities had completed their investigations. The Bill has been in the ballot for six months but has yet to be drawn. We will be seeking leave in Parliament tomorrow to have Dr Hutchison's Bill heard.

"Mr Goff and Mr Hawkins can chose to put their vote where their mouth is if they are serious about protecting the identity of police who are doing their job," Dr Mapp 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>>