National Party MP 13 July 2004

Roger Sowry retiring from politics

Roger Sowry, National Member of Parliament, announced today he would be retiring from politics at the next General Election.

Mr Sowry said that after 15 years in Parliament, six as MP for Kapiti, and nine as a National List MP, he felt it was time to move on to new challenges.

He said he was particularly proud of the Family Start and Social Workers in Schools programmes he started as Minister of Social Welfare.

He was elected in 1990 and served as:

Junior Whip 1993-95 Senior Whip 1995-96 Minister of Social Welfare 1996-98 Minister in Charge of War Pensions 1997-98 Associate Minister of Health 1997-98 Minister of Social Services, Work and Income 1998-99 Leader of the House 1997-99 Minister Responsible for Housing Corporation of New Zealand 1998-99 Minister Responsible for Minority Government Management 1998-99 Deputy Leader of the National Party 2001-03

He is currently National's Industrial Relations and Energy spokesman.

Mr Sowry will continue to work hard to ensure a change to a National-led Government in 2005.

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>>