Beach access issue inevitable

National Party Defence spokesman Simon Power says he's disappointed but not surprised by the stand taken by some Maori, who refused to allow the army to train on a beach near Wanganui.

"This is the inevitable consequence of this Government's inability to make a decision about the foreshore and seabed.

"This is a perfect example of how Labour's leadership vacuum is being filled by extremists. Expectations have been allowed to rise," says Mr Power.

"It's unlikely to be the last case either, with foreshore and seabed legislation poised to give Maori more control over large sections of our coast.

"National is the only party that can take one rule for all to the heart of the next Government," Mr Power says.

© 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>>