30 June 2004

“Bully Boy" Tactics Not The Way To Go

The whole mediation process set up by the Government to address the leaky homes issue will be undermined by the “bully boy” tactics of the Building Industry Authority, says New Zealand First housing spokesperson Brent Catchpole.

Mr Catchpole was responding to reports that the parties involved in the landmark leaky buildings case in Auckland have settled out of court because of the prospect of a $2 million legal bill to see their case through.

“It is unacceptable that the BIA would use the threat of ongoing appeals to the courts as a means of intimidating those who are taking legitimate cases against it.

“These people have suffered enough at the hands of shoddy builders and the BIA’s slack standards, and the BIA is now acting completely against the spirit of mediation in this case.

“The Minister of Economic Development must act quickly to reign in the BIA and give these people and the other victims of leaky homes a fair go,” says Mr Catchpole.

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>>