The Government has announced its 2001/02 Budget today. It includes some significant new investments in research, science and technology.

The new $100 million Venture Investment Fund is likely to interest everyone in New Zealand's research and innovation community. Designed to work with private sector co-funders, this seed capital initiative has the potential to grow strong New Zealand ideas into international businesses over the next few years.

Attached is a link to an information pack. Here you will also find details of $11.64 million of new money the Government has provided for existing RS&T programmes.

www.morst.govt.nz/budget.html We welcome your interest in these important changes and any questions you may have.

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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>>