The War on P

Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, July 22nd, 2008 - 9 comments
Categories: ACC, national, privatisation, spin - Tags: ,

National Party strategist and Dominion Post columnist Richard Long declared war on “P” today.

The “P'” word that is.

Privatisation.

Labour and the unions have attacked the proposed ACC changes by using the scare word “privatisation”, whereas the policy is actually aimed at providing choice in an area which is at present a monopoly.’

Actually Richard, it was Merrill Lynch who first used the P word. It’s there in the title header of the leaked report that blew open National’s plans and forced its hand into an early policy announcement:

Potential privatisation of the NZ casualty insurance market

And there’s the “P” word again in the first sentence:

If the National Government in NZ wins the election scheduled for later this year, there is a strong chance that it would move quickly to privatise the ACC’

 And then another five times on the first page alone and many, many more times throughout the report: 

Publicly, as best we can identify and contrary to statements made by several insurers we have met with in NZ, the National party has made no formal statement on its plans for ACC. Informally, however, we understand the NP has been very clear in saying it will privatise the ACC and we are told there is a well buried comment on the NP website suggesting they plan to privatise the market.’

So here we have again, John Key and National saying one thing to voters and another thing to big business in this case the insurance industry.

If only the media would declare a war on “D” for deceit.

9 comments on “The War on P ”

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  1. Daveski 1
    22 July 2008 at 1:51 pm

    Don’t worry mate – Helen and your lot have said it’s ok for Winston to say one thing and do the opposite so it’s not an issue.

    Perhaps to make it true comparison, JK only needs to say he didn’t know about the plans and that will make it OK.

    As for the heading, shouldn’t it be the War on Key??

  2. Policy Parrot 2
    22 July 2008 at 2:03 pm

    On a different note, NewZblog attacks the same article on the other string to its feeble banjo.

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/why-richard-long-politically-is-an-idiot/

  3. Matthew Pilott 3
    22 July 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Sure daveski. Not like it was their 2005 policy or anything, nor that they tried it in 1999…

    look, an eagle!

  4. Tane 4
    22 July 2008 at 2:33 pm

    Nice spotting Ed. Kind of makes a mockery of all the Nats’ hard work trying to brand their plan for ACC as ‘competition’ rather than ‘privatisation’.

  5. Robinsod 5
    22 July 2008 at 2:37 pm

    Didn’t Richard Long advise the National Party on framing issues during the last campaign and then use his columns to promote said framing?

  6. BeShakey 6
    22 July 2008 at 2:44 pm

    “Helen and your lot have said it’s ok for Winston to say one thing and do the opposite so it’s not an issue.”

    Really Daveski, where would that be? Same place as principled John was calling for Peters resignation and promising to never give him a seat around the Cabinet table?

    And when did WP say one thing and do the other? Please don’t offer up the thing about the Bill he tried to pass, or are you really stupid enough to believe that people should all pretend that Bills are Acts and obey them anyway?

  7. Matthew Pilott 7
    22 July 2008 at 4:01 pm

    Not sure if anyone else saw it, but in The Herald an article talked about Nats opening ACC for competition, and in the same article said Labour ‘renationalised’ it in 1999.

    One or the other, wouldn’t you think?

  8. tracey 8
    5 August 2008 at 1:47 pm

    Let’s not forget Diane Foreman as a Health owner and lobbyist… She will be smiling all the way to the bank with the privatisation/competition for ACC

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