Media Release
16 June 2004

Speak Up Minister

New Zealand First urges the Minister of Transport to give appropriate advice to the Minister of Local Government about the present and future role of the Auckland Regional Land Transport Committee.

“The Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill has removed the strategic intent of the Regional Land Transport Committee in being able to specify activity classes, activities and determine relevant priorities in their regional land transport strategy,” said Local Government spokesperson Jim Peters.

“The Committee is comprised of all territorial councils, the Regional Council and other bodies as determined by the Government in the Land Transport Management Act 2003. It should be able to operate as every other regional land transport committee in New Zealand.

“New Zealand First will lodge a Supplementary Order Paper which amends clause 28 of the Bill.

“Auckland ratepayers, who will year-by-year contribute the bulk of the funding for the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, should have the ability to set regional priorities without ministerial direction and political party interference,” said Mr Peters.

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>>