Labour's social policy resounding endorsement of Government direction

The Minister of Social Services, Roger Sowry today welcomed Labour's belated approval of Government social policy.

"It's a resounding endorsement of all the changes this Government has brought in….Family Start, Strengthening Families, the new Ministry of Social Policy, WINZ and case-management and the Youth Services Strategy."

"Labour has spent the past 3 years fighting our moves to re-structure the welfare sector.

"They've spent 3 years being negative about early intervention.

"I'm just glad they've finally changed their minds and listened to communities around New Zealand who've been telling them that this is the way forward."

He said Labour had backed down from its earlier positions in many areas; they said they'd raise benefits, they said they'd set up a social exclusion unit in PM's office, plus they planned to scrap WINZ.

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>>