16 December 2004

Baldock welcomes progress on RMA Bill

United Future welcomes the first reading passage of the latest RMA amendment Bill, the party's environment spokesman, Larry Baldock, said today.

"We made it clear right from the beginning of this Parliament that reforming the RMA was a major priority," Mr Baldock said of the Resource Management and Electricity Legislation Amendment Bill.

"The Bill has been sent on its way to the select committee process, and that is another important step in the process.

"It has already received broad support from the business and local government sectors, as it focuses on improving the process rather than altering the foundations of the Act," he said.

Mr Baldock said the Bill was further fruit of United Future's constructive relationship with the Government.

"We can now look forward to receiving submitters' proposals on the legislation and I am sure that will lead to some additional improvements," he said.

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>>