Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford has welcomed New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' stance over the final stage of the power reforms.

During NZ First's annual conference in Auckland yesterday, Mr Peters said his party had "not closed the door" on supporting the power reforms.

Mr Bradford said that when NZ First and National had agreed to the power reforms while in coalition, both were firmly committed to getting consumers a better deal.

"I look forward to discussing the lines company price control legislation with NZ First this week.

"It is clear that the ultra-right and the ultra-left, ACT and Alliance, as well as the nostalgic-left, Labour, and a number of electricity companies, have no interest in getting consumers a better deal," Mr Bradford said.

"The Labour Party, in suddenly opposing the legislation, has decided to play politics rather than help consumers get the lower power prices they deserve.

"It is well known that Labour energy spokesman Pete Hodgson was rolled by his own caucus, which was more interested in political point-scoring.

"Helen Clark, his leader, has displayed the abject disregard she has for ordinary New Zealanders, many of whom are struggling to pay their power bills.

"It simply confirms that Labour is on the side of the monopoly lines companies, while the Government - and hopefully NZ First - is on the side of consumers," Mr Bradford said.

© 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>>