"The level of disgust that I feel at the actions of the ACC Minister and the Insurance Industry cannot be adequately described," Labour ACC spokesperson Ruth Dyson said today.

"Three weeks ago, I raised in Parliament the issue of a Palmerston North employer and her private insurance quotes in relation to her blind staff member. Today in Parliament, the Minister accused me of misleading Parliament in relation to this issue.

"In the intervening three weeks, the Minister and Christopher Ryan of the Insurance Council, have turned on both the employer and the employee in a totally unacceptable manner. They have harassed them both and caused immense stress. At no time has Mr McCully or Mr Ryan attempted to contact me about this issue. In my view their response has been brutish and vindictive to what is a genuine criticism of the private insurance companies and their activities.

"The employer maintains that she was told she would pay a higher private insurance levy because of her blind staff member. I raised that matter in good faith and still believe it to be the case," Ruth Dyson said.

"The low insurance quote that Mr McCully referred to in the House today was only obtained by the Palmerston North employer AFTER Sharon had left her staff.

"Instead of harassing the employer and the young blind woman into the ground, I suggest that the Minister lay off them both and address the fundamental issue that caused this concern in the first place."

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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>>