5 May 2004

Hon Matt Robson MP, Progressive Deputy Leader

More Labour MPs wanted to vote against Easter Sunday trading

Today Parliament has a chance to provide a work-life balance for Kiwi families by rejecting Rodney Hide’s Shop Trading Hours bill. The current situation where shops do not open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning provides a small amount of time for families to be together.

“I have presented the petition of Ros Hiini of the National Distribution Union and 3,108 other people. They are urging Parliament to vote against Rodney Hide’s Shop Trading Hours Bill. Their voices are added to the over two thousand signatures presented immediately before the three week Easter recess,” said Progressive deputy leader Matt Robson.

“What is need now is for more Labour MPs to vote against Easter Sunday opening.

“All Progressive MPs and all Green MPs are voting ‘No,’ as are six United Future MPs. About five National MPs will join us, but it seems a significant number of Labour MPs are not yet committed to this protection for working New Zealanders and their families.

ENDS

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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>>