21 October 2004

United Future splits on docking of dogs’ tails

Last night’s vote in Parliament on a Bill introducing restrictions on the docking of dogs’ tails shows yet again that United Future is the ultimate centrist party, according to party whip Gordon Copeland.

Three United Future MP’s voted for the bill and five against.

The bill comfortably passed its first reading on a 79-37 vote with all the other parties in the House bloc voting.

National and Act voted against the bill; Labour, NZ First, the Greens and the Progressive parties voted in favour, with United Future being the only party to split its votes.

Mr Copeland said “It is great to be in a party which is prepared to allow its MPs flexibility in relation to votes of this kind.”

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>>