15 March 2004
One Law For All Says Mark

New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark is outraged at the Government for even considering a system where affluent people pay more for traffic offences than poor people.

Courts Minister Rick Barker is considering an overhaul of the fine system which would look at whether rich people should pay more fines for offences such as speeding.

“The Government should be upholding the law which should apply for all. No one should pay any more than anyone else for the some offence, irrespective of their income or assets, “ Mr Mark said.

“This is another example of the Government’s liberal stance towards those who break the law. Mr Barker should be trying to collect the outstanding fines, not penalising those who earn more. He has completely missed the point of getting tough on fine defaulters.

“We should not be pandering to any one group when administering the law. Justice is to be dispensed fairly and without favour. To do otherwise would set a dangerous precedent,” Mr Mark said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>