Bill English Leader of the Opposition

16 October 2001

New Junior Whip elected for National

National's caucus elected Hamilton East MP Tony Steel as its new Junior Whip today, Opposition Leader Bill English said.

"I welcome Tony Steel to the job, he is very experienced and has been a National MP for a long time.

Mr Steel won the position at this morning's caucus meeting. The position became vacant when former Junior Whip Alec Neill was promoted to a policy role in last week's reshuffle. Mr Neill now has the Local Government and Conservation portfolios and is Associate Environment spokesperson.

"I am pleased today's election brings to a close the final phase of our caucus re-organisation. We look forward to the challenge ahead," Mr English 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>>