WIRES:

BOP Result Points To Underlying Strength

Thursday, 20 December 2001, 12:17 am
Press Release: New Zealand Government

Finance Minister Michael Cullen said the September balance of payments figure was in line with market expectations and provided further confirmation of the underlying resilience of the New Zealand economy.

“The deficit has been reducing each quarter since the beginning of 2000 and is now half what it was when the government took office.

“New Zealand is well positioned to weather the global downturn and to capture early the benefits of a recovery in world demand,” Dr Cullen 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>>

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Shelley Palmer - Sony Hackers : "The World Will Be Full of Fear"
INSS Insight - Cyberspace Extortion: North Korea versus the United States
Cartoon - Martin Doyle : Kim on what you may eat

Internet NZ - Top 10 predictions for the Internet in 2015

Parliament Adjourns:

Weekly Audio - Final Shots Traded as Parliament Rises - 2014 Adjournment Debate Highlights - PODCAST: The Week in Review

Greens: CAA Airport Door Report Conflicts With Brownlee’s Claims

The heavily redacted report into the incident shows conflicting versions of events as told by Gerry Brownlee and the Christchurch airport security staff. The report disputes Brownlee’s claim that he was allowed through, and states that he instead pushed his way through. More>>

ALSO:

Labour - Gerry Brownlee’s revolving airport door story

Earlier:

Civil Aviation Authority - CAA fines Minister for security breach
NZ Govt - Gerry Brownlee: Statement on CAA findings

TAIC: Final Report On Grounding Of MV Rena

Factors that directly contributed to the grounding included the crew:
- not following standard good practice for planning and executing the voyage
- not following standard good practice for navigation watchkeeping
- not following standard good practice when taking over control of the ship. More>>

ALSO:

Image 2012 Maritime NZ - Newsflash: The MV Rena has sunk
2011 Scoop Coverage - Rena Oil Spill Worsens
TV3 Video - Final Rena report released

Gordon Campbell:
On The Pakistan Schoolchildren Killings

The slaughter of the children in Pakistan is incomprehensibly awful. On the side, it has thrown a spotlight onto something that’s become a pop cultural meme. Fans of the Homeland TV series will be well aware of the collusion between sections of the Pakistan military/security establishment on one hand and sections of the Taliban of the other… More>>

ALSO:

NZ Govt - NZ welcomes US, Cuba announcement
Amnesty International - Pakistan: Taliban school attack shows civilian vulnerability
Tanveer Jafri - Pakistan on the verge of collapse
TV3 Video - Pakistan to bring back death penalty after school massacre - Black Caps, Pakistan ODI to go ahead - Pakistan mourns after Taliban attack - Children shot in Taliban school massacre

Werewolf Satire:
The Politician’s Song

am a perfect picture of the modern politic-i-an:
I don’t precisely have a plan so much as an ambition;
‘Say what will sound most pleasant to the public’ is my main dictum:
And when in doubt attack someone who already is a victim More>>

ALSO:

Werewolf - Tough, But Tinder
Werewolf Issue 52

Flight: Review Into Phillip Smith’s Escape Submitted To Government

The review follows an earlier operational review by the Department of Corrections and interim measures put in place by the Department shortly after prisoner Smith’s escape, and will inform the Government Inquiry currently underway. More>>

ALSO:

NZ Police - Smith investigation warrants executed - Smith investigation charge - Phillip John Smith allegations
Labour - Minister has work to do over Xmas
NZ First - Nothing New in Phillip John Smith Report - Phillip Smith’s Victims Forgotten

Intelligence: Inspector-General Accepts Apology For Leak Of Report

The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, has accepted an unreserved apology from Hon Phil Goff MP for disclosing some of the contents of her recent Report into the Release of Information by the NZSIS in July and August 2011 to media prior to its publication. The Inspector-General will not take the matter any further. More>>

ALSO:

TV3 Video - Goff apologises for SIS report leak
Background Scoop Full Coverage - Key, Whale Oil, Hager And Dirty Politics

Drink: Alcohol Advertising Report Released

The report of the Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship has been released today, with Ministers noting that further work will be required on the feasibility and impact of the proposals. More>>

ALSO:

Association of NZ Advertisers - Alcohol advertising and sponsorship bans an extreme position
University of Canterbury - Canterbury Police disappointed at drink driving levels

Other Report:

NZ Govt - P- Report shows more people getting treatment - Minister praises Police for drugs operations
NZ Police - Drugs, guns and cash seized in multiple raids

Leaked Cabinet Papers: Treasury Calls For Health Cuts

Leaked Cabinet papers that show that Government has been advised to cut the health budget by around $200 million is ringing alarm bells throughout the nursing and midwifery community. More>>