Thursday, 15 November 2001 Media Statement

Ms Bathgate to take leave

Ms Susan Bathgate has advised me that she will take leave from her role as a member of the Employment Relations Authority from 22 November for 2 weeks. This will give her time to arrange for the reassignment of her case commitments.

The Solicitor-General has informed me that Mr John Upton QC has been retained to provide advice on this matter and it is expected that the advice will be available by the end of the month. I expect to make a decision on it before the end of the 2 week period of Ms Bathgate’s leave.

Unless entirely new and significant matters arise I will be making no further comment before advice from the independent counsel is received.

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>>