"Voters should be very wary of Labour MP Paul Swain's claim his party would toughen up competition law.

"Based on past experience, Labour would sit on its hands," Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford said today.

"It is all very well for Mr Swain to talk tough, but Labour votes soft in dealing with anti-competitive matters.

"The Labour party's position on the proposal to put a regulatory framework on monopoly electricity lines companies is a perfect example of Labour MPs speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

"Labour says it wants to beef up competition law and a more aggressive culture at the Commerce Commission.

"But Labour has failed to support changes that are needed to stop monopoly lines companies overcharging," Mr Bradford said.

"This Government has gone through the consultation process, without any help from Labour.

"Changes will be made to the Commerce Act before the House rises, to ensure our competition laws are robust," Mr Bradford said.

ENDS

© 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>>