18 AUGUST 1999

PRESS RELEASE

WOOLERTON ACCUSES YOUNG OF DIRTY POLITICS

Mr Doug Woolerton MP, New Zealand First Agricultural Spokesperson, today said that the National Party were playing dirty politics by trying to capitalise on Mr Woolerton being unable to attend part of a Special Committee Meeting on the Kiwifruit Restructuring Bill.

"The fact is that the meeting time was changed (after being agreed to by National and Labour only) and I was unable to attend the first session because the New Zealand First Caucus was meeting at its usual time. Furthermore, I understand that the time of the meeting was changed to suit National Members attending a funeral. I advised the Chairman of my caucus commitment.

"This is just another example of National and Labour acting like they are still working under First Past the Post giving no consideration to parties other than themselves. Worse, they are trying to score political points out of it with Ms Young's statement.

"I have raised my concerns with the Chairman of the Committee who was concerned that this matter had been raised in such a misleading manner by Ms Young," said Mr Woolerton.

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>>