When is a repeal not a repeal?

Stuff reports:

Labour says it will repeal the controversial GCSB law if it wins the next election.

Sounds like a clear policy. If you read that, you would think that means they will return the law to its current state.

A Labour spokesman confirmed this afternoon the party would commission a review of the legislation and implement any changes that came out of that although the new law would remain in place until that process was completed.

So they’ll keep it for a bit, and then are they going to repeal it?

Well read this Herald story:

“We would have an independent review and legislation would come out of the review. The current legislation would need to be repealed, modified or whatever.”

So in fact Labour are not promising any sort of repeal. They are saying we will review the law after the election and maybe make some amendments to it then. They can’t details what actual changes they want.