Mon, 12 July 2004

Salvation Army Says Reducing Tariff For Low Users Of Electricity Will Help

The Salvation Army has welcomed government action to force a reduction in the line charge for low use users of electricity.

Major Campbell Roberts, The Salvation Army Director of Social Policy said ?at this time of the year we constantly find that the elderly, and vulnerable households struggle to afford sufficient electricity to ensure their home is at a healthy temperature.

Although some electricity companies have responded voluntarily to the needs of their low use clients others have been more reluctant and the action of the government to force action is welcome.

Major Roberts said that in the latest report of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services that monitors families seeking food assistance across the country, over a quarter of the households were in debt to their electricity company.

A reduction in the daily line charge although small may enable the heater to be left on for a little longer thereby protecting the health and well-being of families and the elderly.

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>>