Tuesday, 14 September, 2004

Baldock: McKenzie Basin concerns have high profile

United Future environment spokesman Larry Baldock today assured the residents of the McKenzie Basin that no secret backroom deal had been struck with the Government over the Resource Management Waitaki Catchment Amendment Bill.

"The only deal I did was the one openly revealed when Marian Hobbs assured Parliament and the people of McKenzie Basin that all the relevant information surrounding the 1969 Order in Council promise of allocation of 15 cumecs of water would be put before the newly established Waitaki Water Allocation Board," Mr Baldock said in response to ACT's Gerry Eckhoff

"I didn't support National's amendment because it did not add further certainty for the people of McKenzie Basin. As I said in my speech in the House, as well as the 1969 OIC issues, it will ultimately be environmental, social and economic circumstances that will determine the allocation and I am confident that the need for water in the McKenzie Basin speaks for itself.

"One has to ask what good it was for ACT and the Greens to make a big show about supporting National's SOP when they had indicated they were going to oppose the Bill at its third reading anyway. If you are looking for flip-flops you don't have to look any further than that."

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>>