The Salvation Army Calls On Mp's To Re-Examine Their Conscience

As MP's meet in Parliament today to ratify the Sale of Liquor Amendment Bill, The Salvation Army is calling for them to consider carefully the social impact of their vote.

MP's have their last chance today to confirm their earlier vote - a vote that was surrounded by confusion, and needed several recounts to establish the final poll of 59 - 55 in favour of lowering the age. This could hardly be called an overwhelming majority when some six MP's did not vote.

The public responded in opinion polls conducted by the media in the days after the vote with an overwhelming disagreement with lowering the age.

"There is no clear majority, the public strongly disapproves, the tragedy of youth binge drinking, motor vehicle trauma continues."

The Salvation Army called on the Prime Minister to urgently re- evaluate her statement of achieving a "cafe-culture" and look deeper at the immense social harm that this legislation would cause. At a time when the government campaign is to "strengthen families" this would appear to be a strategy directly aimed at "undermining family life and values."

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>>