Media Release

10th October 2001

Government Has Encouraged Teacher Strike Action

"Secondary teachers are hanging the Minister of Education with a petard of his own making," New Zealand First Education Spokesperson, Brian Donnelly said today.

For years Trevor Mallard has been telling secondary teachers how nasty previous governments have been for not giving them what they demanded.

The message was "Vote for us and we will satisfy your demands." Huge expectations have been set up. Now faced with the realities of government, Mr Mallard is not prepared to satisfy those expectations. It is little wonder teachers feel aggrieved.

"It is ironic that the first teachers' strike since 1996 is taking place under a supposedly education friendly Labour / Alliance government," said Mr Donnelly.

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>>