Minister Delighted With New Department CEO

The appointment of Jackie Brown as the chief executive of the new Children, Youth and Family Services department has been welcomed by Social Services Minister Roger Sowry.

"The move to create a stand-alone department totally focussed on the well-being of children and families is the result of a great deal of work, and it's a first for New Zealand."

"I have total confidence that Ms Brown will lead the new department ably into the new milennium, providing better and more comprehensive services for New Zealand's most at-risk families."

Mr Sowry said the new department had a critical job which could shape the future of society by helping our most troubled children and teenagers.

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>>