Alexander: Worst parole fears confirmed

Justice Minister Phil Goff should be less concerned by the Parole Board chief's doubts about probation services and hugely more concerned about the expressed "live in hope" sentiment on the release of prisoners, United Future's Marc Alexander said today.

"A defensive Justice Minister and a Parole Board chairman with a gambling streak - just what the country needs," Mr Alexander, United Future's law and order spokesman, said.

"In fact, those two realities tell us a lot about why we are in the position we are today with paroled criminals wreaking havoc in the lives of innocent New Zealanders."

Justice Tony Ellis, chairman of the Parole Board, yesterday described its members as risk-takers who "live in hope" that the probation service will properly monitor inmates when it releases them.

"That is disturbing, but accurate. It is also indefensible that criminals are released under such circumstances," Mr Alexander said.

"And Mr Goff would do well to focus on that reality rather than get uptight about it being revealed and discussed openly.

"Fix the problem, Minister. Don't pretend that it doesn't exist. The safety of New Zealanders is in your hands," he said.

© 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>>