Monday, 27 September 2004

Alexander: Government on right track on inmate claims

“The Labour Government is right to consider my proposal to force criminals to take complaints through internal prison procedures rather than to court for cash,” says United Future law & order spokesman Marc Alexander.

“While Corrections staff should be held accountable for their treatment of inmates, there can never be an argument in favour of allowing criminals to profit from their choice to commit crime by receiving cash payouts, aided and abetted by eager lawyers using taxpayer-funded legal aid to win more of taxpayer monies.

“While I am obviously pleased that Labour has recognised the need to move quickly, why have they not taken my further suggestion of freezing all compensation until legislation can be drawn up to deal with it?

“Such a freeze can and should be retrospective so that the $300,000 already awarded and the possibility of a further $3 million won’t get into the hands of any offenders,” he says.

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>>