“Where does Michael Cullen get off threatening private businesses with nationalisation?” asks new Libertarianz Leader Peter Cresswell. “First he threatens to punish newly privatised workplace insurers if they refuse to offer up their own necks.

Then he offers to bribe them with favoured plums in the new legislation if they participate ‘constructively’. All the time however his ideological blinkers blind him to clear evidence that the dictatorial nationalisation he threatens would be a backward step.”

Indeed, figures published this week by his own government’s workplace accident insurer @Work estimates that last year’s privatisation of the industry has already saved businesses $250 million. This is in line with previously published figures from the Insurance Council, figures which Cullen and Clark rubbished when released.

“It is clear that no amount of evidence will convince Cullen of the stupidity of nationalisation,” says Cresswell. “He is so intent on following his heroes in North Korea that, like Kim Il Sung, he is blind to the consequences.”

“Last year’s privatisation was a long overdue – but still incomplete - breath of freedom for an industry first nationalised in 1973. The best thing this Minister can do now is to get out of the way and leave it alone to grow up.”

ends