Wednesday 7th Jul 1999
Muriel Newman Media Release -- Social Welfare

ACT Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said it was ridiculous that a Bill before the Social Services Select Committee today to enable the Auckland based Waiparera Trust to contract out social services had not been discussed with the Trust before it was drafted.

"The Committee only became aware of the glaring error when Trust representative John Tamihere appeared before the Committee this morning to oppose the Bill.

"John Tamihere told the Committee that the Trust had never been consulted about the drafting of the Bill and only became aware of it when the Select Committee called for submissions.

"Even worse, this Bill was being fast tracked so it could be passed into law before the election. A single discussion with the Trust would have exposed the fundamental flaw in the Bill. That this did not happen is just unbelievable.

"If legislation relating to high profile organisations like the Waiparera Trust is being formulated and drafted without any consultation, today's debacle raises concerns about how many other Bills are being written up without any consultation with those they will affect.

"The danger is that legislation like this that is drafted in the rarefied air of bureaucrats' offices will just add to the to the burden of red tape and bureaucracy that New Zealanders are labouring under," said Muriel Newman.

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>>