Author: John Minto

This case has not so much to do with New Zealand in one sense. In reality you are facing the wealth, power and wrath of corporate America who argue they have lost unearned income through filesharing services you helped provide for internet users.

Under Winston Peters (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Ron Mark (Minister of Defence) government policy on the Middle East has taken a great stride to the right. It was always pro-Israeli and never pro-Palestinian but Peters and Mark have taken New Zealand further to the right and closer to the US position.

The only transformation in the budget is a transformation in the meaning of transformation.

Last week full-page advertisements appeared across New Zealand celebrating 71 years since Israel declared independence. They were placed by a Pastor Nigel Woodley from Hastings – a Christian Zionist – and paid for from the deep pockets of his backers.

Whatever Ngaro may offer the country as a conservative Christian leader it won’t be compassion, tolerance, justice or truth. Instead it will be a conservative straitjacket of bigotry, arrogance and injustice.

The most worrying aspect of the commission of inquiry into the Christchurch shootings is that the terms of reference give too much room for our security agencies – the SIS and GCSB – to hide.

We are appalled the government appears to be considering an even closer relationship with Israel despite the ongoing theft of Palestinian land, the ongoing brutal Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza while Israel continues to thumb its nose at international law and United Nations resolutions.