Media Release

6 November 2001

Government Response To Mmp Review
– Sheer Arrogance

“The Government’s response to the MMP Review Report demonstrates appalling arrogance and contempt for the referendum process, says Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First, MP for Tauranga.

“The Associate Minister of Justice, Margaret Wilson, today hid behind a “lack of consensus” and said as a consequence “no changes to the MMP system would be initiated as a result of the MMP Review Committee Report.

“Mr Peters said that response was ‘absolute hum bug’ given the massive public support in 1999 for the Margaret Robertson Referendum calling for Parliament to be reduced to under 100 members. That’s one recommendation from the public the parliamentarians should have listened to but have instead decided to carry on, with Government support, in their high handed way.

“The public have in some ways themselves to blame. Helen Clark said before the election that if the public should vote to reduce MP numbers Labour had no intention of listening to them”, concluded Winston Peters.

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>>