New Zealand First Defence spokesperson Ron Mark has welcomed the increase in allowances for soldiers fighting in East Timor, but says the new rates are still not enough.

He notes that our Kiwis, fighting alongside the Australians, will only be receiving half the allowances for the same fire-fight.

“Unfortunately, this government has not acted of its own initiative, or out of a sense of duty for our service personnel, but has only increased allowances because of the pressure applied by the public feeling on this issue.

“There still remains the issue as to whether or not our standard rates of pay are enough. Pay for junior ranks is so low that many of our Defence force personnel are having to rely on welfare benefits to survive”.

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>>