The Government's selective use of social indicators shows how completely out of touch they are with real New Zealanders, says National MP Murray McCully.

Mr McCully's comments follow today's release of the 2001 Social Report.

"Despite the report's claims, the choice of indicators reflect what's important to the Labour-Alliance Government, not everyday New Zealanders.

"This is no better shown than in the fact that there is a cultural and identity indicator measuring 'participation in the cultural and arts activities', but no mechanism measuring participation in sport or fitness activities.

"Interestingly incorporating the Treaty of Waitangi into Government decision making also cuts the grade as a indicator of society's health, but an economy growing fast enough to meet the employment aspirations of our young people does not.

"All this report tells us is that we are governed by a bunch of pointy-headed, politically correct, cardigan wearing sensitive new-age woofters," Mr McCully 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>>