Dr Wayne Mapp National Justice Spokesperson

27 November 2001

National calls for halt on libel law

National has today agreed to support leave in Parliament for the Government to withdraw a tough new criminal defamation clause, which was slipped into the Electoral Amendment Bill (No. 2) at the last minute.

"This clause turns it into a 'muzzle the media' bill," said National's Justice spokesperson, Wayne Mapp, today.

"The clause is not necessary. Criminal defamation was abolished in 1992. Subsequently, there have been no instances of lies being deliberately published in the General Elections of 1993, 1996 and 1999. There is simply no mischief to be cured.

"In any event, such important changes to electoral law should not have been done at the last minute. It is an indictment on the Attorney General's lack of respect for our constitution. The proper course would be for the provision to be referred to the select committee for public consultation.

The Government has claimed that it will introduce a further Electoral Amendment Bill next year. This issue should be left until then, rather than rammed through now in a shonky parliamentary procedure," said Dr Mapp.

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>>