14 July 2004

Guilt money should have been spent on lahar prevention

A $64,000 cheque to Ruapehu District Council is guilt money from a Government that has put political correctness ahead of public safety, says National's Local Government spokesman, Dr Nick Smith.

Taupo MP Mark Burton today gave a $64,000 cheque to the council to help meet costs associated with preparing for the risk of a lahar from Mt Ruapehu.

"It is madness that the Government can give $64,000 to this council, and spend $446,000 on civil defence plans and $1 million on raising the Tangiwai Bridge, when it would have cost just $68,000 to do the necessary earthworks at the crater lake to remove the lahar risk.

"Only a fool would spend money on planning for an emergency when the emergency could be avoided by spending less.

"The Government is intent on playing Russian Roulette with people's lives because it is not prepared to offend a few environmental puritans and Maori spiritualists who do not want earthworks done on the mountain," says Dr Smith.

ENDS

© 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>>