Catchpole Calls For Healthy Houses

New Zealand First MP Brent Catchpole is calling on the Housing Minister to do something about the overcrowding and poor housing contributing to the disturbing explosion of TB outbreaks in the Auckland region.

“There has been a 20 percent increase in TB cases in the region and it is proven that poor housing conditions play a major role in the spread of this highly contagious disease. It is time for action, not empty promises,” said Mr Catchpole.

“In 1999 Labour promised to rebuild the state housing stock to reverse National’s short-sighted asset sales. Now, nearly five years later, it is clear that Labour’s indifference to this critical aspect of social policy simply isn’t good enough as evidenced by this rapid rise in TB cases.

“Not only is this government letting third world diseases into New Zealand, it is failing to provide the basic housing standards needed to prevent the disease spreading.

“Where are the healthy houses Minister?” asked Mr Catchpole.

© 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>>