Hand-Up For Flood Victims

ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today pledged to donate the cash equivalent of a dairy cow to farmers who suffered significant losses in the recent Manawatu Rangitikei and Southern Wairarapa floods - and urged other rural MPs to follow his example.

"I am also calling on those New Zealand farmers not affected by the floods to do the same, and donate either a dairy cow or cash equivalent," Mr Eckhoff said.

"The community spirit in these areas is wonderful, and it is heartening to see volunteers and farmers pitching in to assist in every way possible - including a team of volunteers busy milking the 5,000 cows rescued from the floodwaters.

"This season has been very kind to farmers in many parts of the country. Those of us in the farming industry know that we could well be the next to suffer the devastating effects of a flash flood or similar natural disaster.

"Rural communities have a reputation for helping each other in times of need. I have contacted the banks, which have told me they will soon announce details of a donation fund for farming communities who have suffered severe losses," Mr Eckhoff said.

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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>>