Friday, October 5 2001 Owen Jennings Press Releases -- Foreign Affairs & Defence

The American F16 deal that Helen Clark rebuffed in 1999 was a very attractive deal, ACT Defence Spokesman Owen Jennings said today.

"The Sultanate of Oman has just announced plans to purchase twelve F16s from the United States for $1.2 billion - that's $100 million each plane. In comparison, Helen Clark balked at a deal which equated to $44 million for each F16.

"Helen Clark denounced $44 million as 'far too expensive' and on that basis proceeded to strip the Air Force of its air combat facility, leaving the country vulnerable to attack. This is the Prime Minister who still believes we live in a 'benign security environment'.

"As a result of her ideology, we are bludging on our few remaining allies for air cover.

"Oman's deal shows Helen Clark's decision wasn't based on cost. It was based on ideology alone, and as a result, New Zealand is more vulnerable than ever," Mr Jennings said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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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>>