Wednesday 12 Dec 2001

ACT Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks is urging insurers to disassociate themselves from the Insurance Council's support for the Government's Clean Slate Bill.

"When a body representing businesses that demand "utmost good faith" from their customers, and is continually running campaigns to reduce insurance fraud, supports a Government move to conceal criminal records, it is no wonder New Zealand is experiencing a law and order break down.

"There is no question that people ought to be allowed to live down their misdemeanours after years of going straight. I would expect every reasonable insurer to regard 10-year-old minor convictions as immaterial. But that is no reason why they should support a nanny state law that says it is ok to lie and say they never happened.

"I worked with decent and concerned people from the insurance industry during my time as a lawyer. They understand how important it is to have a climate of honesty. They know that policing and punishment can never get on top of a culture that tolerates crime.

"I believe they would be appalled to think their organisation wants to connive with the Government in depriving them of the opportunity to decide whether to disregard earlier offences. I call on them to disassociate themselves from the Insurance Council's position," Stephen Franks said.

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>>