Thursday, 16 December 2004

Alexander: Govt weak as water with TVNZ

The Government's refusal to accept the resignation offers of three TVNZ directors over the Judy Bailey pay rise affair makes a mockery of its calls for accountability, United Future broadcasting spokesman Marc Alexander, who had earlier called for a "short, sharp shock", said today.

"The Government is now in 'wet bus ticket' land and has shown that it's all talk," Mr Alexander said.

"This is an incredibly weak response - and it only matches the weakness the TVNZ board showed in approving the pay rise in the first place.

"The Government now has zero credibility on this issue. Absolutely zero - especially given all the tough talk this week," he said.

"Labour has effectively rubber-stamped playing fast and loose with taxpayer money."

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>>