14 December 2004

Govt to nominate Margaret Wilson for Speaker

Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today that the government’s nomination for the position of Speaker following the retirement of the Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt next year will be the Hon Margaret Wilson.

“Margaret Wilson is a senior politician who has held high office in the government for five years. She has held the prestigious position of Attorney-General during that time and a range of other Cabinet responsibilities,” Helen Clark said.

“Margaret Wilson’s very considerable legal abilities will enable her to make a substantial contribution to the position of Speaker.

“It is expected that Mr Hunt’s retirement will occur between late February and early March. The nomination will be formally voted on after Mr Hunt retires,” Helen Clark said.

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>>