Ashburton Plays Host To National's First Policy Forum

The first in a series of National Party weekend policy forums kicks off in the Opposition Leader's home electorate of Rakaia this weekend.

Dubbed 'Our Land - Growing New Zealand', 15 National MPs and leading agricultural, environmental, biotechnology and water resource experts will attend the forum.

"National is committed to maximising farming returns, sustainable management, balance of production, high environmental standards and progress. Without a doubt the rural sector will remain key to achieving higher living standards for all New Zealanders," Mrs Shipley said. The forum, held at Hotel Ashburton from lunch time Saturday the 8th till Sunday afternoon, is part of 90 days of policy activity promised by new Party President Michelle Boag.

"This think-tank is important as National moves closer to formulating its policy for the 2002 election, and as we build our 10-year plan," Mrs Shipley said. MPs in attendance: Jenny Shipley, Bill English, Gavan Herlihy, Nick Smith, Lockwood Smith, John Luxton, Shane Ardern, David Carter, Eric Roy, Alec Neill, Phil Heatley, Lindsay Tisch, Pansy Wong, Marie Hasler and Richard Worth.

Ends

© Scoop Media

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>>