Labour's energy spokesperson Pete Hodgson has described the Ministry of Commerce's report into the Central Otago power cuts as facile and fictional.

"The idea that the power reforms have probably made things better is as credible as saying that the price of electricity is plummeting. The communication difficulties that were experienced were a direct result of the reforms. They would have been made worse if the Government's favourite retailer, First Electric, had entered the Central Otago market because its call centre is in Australia.

"By contrast the amalgamation of lines companies made no difference, because staff were brought in from Invercargill and Oamaru, outside Delta's ownership area.

"I think the report should have just thanked the staff who worked so long and hard, as well as the residents for their stoic forbearance. Trying to turn a serious event like this into a sales pitch for the reforms is a thoroughly desperate action from a thoroughly dismal minister."

© 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>>