What’s the difference between a mediator and a facilitator?

Trevor Mallard’s proposal for a mediator in school closure disputes is a bad idea and should be avoided, says National’s Education spokesman Bill English.

“Invercargill schools have agreed to use a mediator, with no terms of reference, but it is unlikely to make any difference.

“Because the Minister has not made any changes to his intentions, the mediator can only redo the work already done by the facilitator. And the facilitator has just received submissions from everybody on how they respond to Trevor Mallard’s proposed closures. In the end, the Minister makes the decisions anyway.

“No one knows how the mediator will be appointed, or what the mediator will do. There are no changes in the ground rules for the school review and the announced closures have not been withdrawn.

“The only difference seems to be that the local community has to pay for the mediator instead of the Government paying.

“The public in Invercargill was presented with a stitched-up deal to save face for Trevor Mallard, when they wanted an extension to the moratorium on school closures to their city. They voted overwhelmingly for an end to school closures but Trevor Mallard ignored them.

“He should back down properly, and set clear terms of reference for the mediation. If he won’t do that, he should close the schools which want to be closed and let everyone else get on with the job,”said Mr English.

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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>>