Dunne to Greens: let the people decide

United Future leader Peter Dunne today wrote to the co-leaders of the Green party urging the 9 Green MP’s to vote in favour of an amendment to the Civil Union Bill that would see the Bill, if passed, made subject to a national referendum at the next election.

Mr Dunne said “This is an issue of great moral weight which has clearly divided Parliament and the nation.

“As a party that has consistently campaigned for a more direct form of participatory democracy, the Greens are now in a position to act on that principle, and see this issue decided by a popular referendum.

“The Greens have an extra responsibility in this matter as they are the MP’s who have agreed with the Labour-led Government to push this Bill through Parliament under urgency.

“I urge the Greens caucus today to consider my request carefully and sensibly to let all New Zealanders have a say on this crucial moral question,” said Mr Dunne.

© 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>>