9 Novermber 2001 Media Statement

Aerial spraying decision limited to targeted areas

The Government has not agreed to the aerial spraying of all of west Auckland to eradicate painted apple moth, acting Biosecurity Minister Marian Hobbs said today.

Commenting on a story in the New Zealand Herald Marian Hobbs said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry gave ministers four options for the next stage in eradicating the pest. The government agreed to limited target spraying which was MAF’s preferred option.

The Cabinet will receive a report on the programme by the end of June 2002, or by March 31if effective control of the pest is not achieved.

Any decision on further measures would need Cabinet approval and would involve further community consultation.

The Minister also denied the existence of “secret” documents. The Cabinet Committee paper referred to had been released on request.

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>>