ACT Leader Richard Prebble says the row over the excessive salary paid to the Lotteries Commission head was inevitable and indicates what should be done.

"The government should get out of gambling," Mr Prebble said.

"The New South Wales Labour Government recognised that gambling is not a good role for government - and got out of it.

"Why does the New Zealand Government need to be in lotteries or the TAB? It's inevitable, if government continues in the gambling business, that there will be problems with executives wanting the perks and salaries of the private sector.

"The contribution that gambling makes to charities could still continue in the private sector - there's just no justification for governments to be involved."

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>>