Hi and welcome to the 44th edition of Werewolf. Our cover story this month has been timed to co-incide with the looming Citizens Initiated Referendum on the government's asset sales programme. From the outset, opinion polls have shown the partial asset sales programme to be wildly unpopular with the general public. As our cover story amply indicates, the selldown is also socially and economically irresponsible - and will benefit only a tiny minority of the population. Voting in the referendum will be by postal ballot, anytime between November 22 and December 12. Despite what Russell Brand says, voting is a significant act - and while the government has already made it clear that the outcome won't stop the selldown from proceeding, a large "No" verdict would be highly relevant to next's year's election campaign.

Elsewhere in this issue, Werewolf continues with its series analysing the (lack of) progress being made on the TPP trade pact, and explains why the Labour Party has been wise to take a 'wait and see' approach to a deal that may never eventuate. In other stories, Emma Beals and Murdoch Stephens ask why New Zealand is not offering to take in refugees from Syria's civil war, and we also examine why and how - despite the Arab Spring - Algeria's old and discredited elite is still clinging to power. In a double package of film stories, Philip Matthews casts a critical eye over Woody Allen's 'comeback' effort Blue Jasmine. In addition, this Werewolf issue also contains a feature about the making of Gravity, the ingenious thriller starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney - and the perils of being in Earth orbit after you seem to have lost your only way of getting back home.

Talking of Earth and the black vastness of space, this issue also contains a story suggesting that the size of the universe can be a useful reminder of the cosmic insignificance of our personal problems. In our regular satire column, Lyndon Hood merges the spirit of Hallowe'en with the recent operational failures of the men in blue, while our music column The Complicatist joins in the critical admiration for the black metal/shoegaze band Deafheaven and their album Sunbather.

Thanks once again to Lyndon Hood and Alastair Thompson for helping me post this online this month. And to everyone who’s shown an interest in reading Werewolf and keeping it going…thanks a bunch. If you want to be involved and talk over some story ideas, contact me gordon@scoop.co.nz

Cheers,
Gordon Campbell
Werewolf/Scoop
gordon@werewolf.co.nz