Unable to come up with new porkies, it seems the Minister of Housing Tony Ryall is resorting to re-hashing his old ones in an attempt to save his bacon, says Labour housing spokesperson Graham Kelly.

"A media statement pedalled around the country today shows a Minister in panic because of his own party's failure to deliver appropriate housing assistance to those who need it," Mr Kelly said.

"Mr Ryall is using the politics of envy to try and scare tenants in private rental accommodation by saying they won't be treated as well as state house tenants.

"My Ryall has said the same thing several times over the last few months. He has been corrected every time yet he continues to use the same tactic of misinformation.

"Let's be clear. People in private rental accommodation will not be any worse off under a Labour government. Those who currently receive an accommodation supplement will continue to do so.

"Labour's policy of introducing income-related rentals for low-income state house tenants will, in fact, help bring down private rentals, just as those rentals went up under the current government's market rent regime.

"Labour's housing policy is aimed at helping those who can least afford adequate shelter. I am up front about that. I am proud of that and it is shameful that National does not have the same commitment.

"Instead of dealing with important issues such as the increasing levels of poverty and overcrowding Mr Ryall is trying to set up a smokescreen to hide the massive sell-off of state houses that continues under the National government."

Figures released by Mr Kelly today show Housing New Zealand shed nearly 6 per cent (3712 houses) of the nations state housing assets in the year to 30 April 1999.

"That is the shameful legacy of Mr Ryall and his soon-to-be-homeless government," Mr Kelly said.

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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.

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