Hon Dr Michael Cullen Minister of Finance

20 September 2004

Response to Air NZ-Qantas decision

Finance Minister Michael Cullen today expressed disappointment with the High Court’s decision on an Air New Zealand application to form an anti-competitive alliance with Qantas.

“As shareholding minister I had hoped for a different outcome, but this is the court’s decision,” Dr Cullen said.

“The Government has always indicated that it will abide by the court’s decision and it has no intention of attempting to overturn it.”

Dr Cullen observed that the company’s financial position had significantly improved since the arrangement was first discussed in 2002. The minister will not be commenting further.

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>>