Media Release

21 November 2001

Skyhawks Court Decision Sad Day For New Zealand’s Defence

New Zealand First Defence Spokesperson, Ron Mark, is expressing disappointment at the decision of the High Court to dismiss the Save Our Squadrons (SOS) case against Defence Minister Mark Burton.

“This decision was to be expected, but it was a valiant effort on the part of SOS,” said Mr Mark.

“This represents a sad day for New Zealand’s defence capabilities. The avenues open to the campaign to stop the disbandment of the air-strike capability are now diminishing. This Government seems hell bent on getting rid of the Skyhawks and in generally undermining New Zealand’s defensive capabilities.

“The decision to disband the Skyhawks was a purely political one and could perhaps never be dealt with in the Courts, but this highlights the depth of feeling that New Zealanders have towards their security, which they feel is being deliberately undermined and undervalued,” concluded Mr Mark.

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>>