Labour Leader Helen Clark said today that the Prime Minister should explain the basis on which she claimed that John Hawkesby had received a $1 million payout from Television NZ when no such payment has been made.

Mrs Shipley made the claim last night. Today, in response to a parliamentary question from Helen Clark, Mr Creech, answering on Mrs Shipley's behalf, admitted Mr Hawkesby and TVNZ had yet to finalise a settlement on Mr Hawkesby's terminated contract.

"This incident is, in a word, bizarre. Mrs Shipley seems to have simply made up her claim under pressure when challenged over her government's propensity to hand over large payouts to departing directors of Crown entities. She was in a muddle.

"Mrs Shipley owes an explanation to Mr Hawkesby, TVNZ and the public. She should also apologise to New Zealanders who expect a lot more from their Prime Minister than she delivered in this sorry little episode," Helen Clark said.

© 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>>