An article in this morning's Dominion quoting Biosecurity Minister John Luxton as stating "there was no use debugging cars abroad" or "that imported used cars are no less likely to carry foreign pests if they are cleaned abroad rather than on New Zealand wharves" are both incorrect, Mr Luxton said

The review referred to, a recent audit, found inspecting and clearing cars offshore did not reduce the risk of contamination any more than inspecting and clearing them onshore on arrival.

"The Dominion's unfortunate mistake incorrectly suggests that there is little use in cleaning imported used cars. This is totally incorrect."

As Minister responsible for Biosecurity John Luxton stated today: "It is absolutely vital that all imported used cars and used equipment and machinery are imported in a clean condition into New Zealand to ensure that they do not carry foreign pests and pose a threat to New Zealand agriculture and the New Zealand environment."

© 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>>