DoC And Labour Fooling Themselves

DoC's claim, to have done everything possible to reduce the risk to human life and property from a collapse of Mt Ruapehu's crater lake, is demonstrably untrue and reflects an appalling level of self-deception, ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley said today.

"The facts are simple. DoC's own engineering report shows that the cutting of a drainage channel through the tephra rim is the most cost-effective, simplest and surest way to eliminate the risk," Mr Shirley said.

"The Department has steadfastly refused to undertake those works because of `spiritual' sensitivities, and its fear that it could upset the National Park's world heritage status. Conservation Minister Chris Carter and the Department's faith in an alarm system is pathetic, and akin to claiming that the installation of a smoke alarm would remove the risk of fire.

"Labour's claim - that it would not interfere in the crater lake because the options were unworkable, risky or created more dangerous conditions for future lahars - not borne out its their own engineering reports, and is an example of outrageous spin from this Government" says Mr Shirley.

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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>>