Have Labour not heard of how hated EQC is?

Vernon Small writes:

David Cunliffe will today announce Labour’s plans to launch a new state-owned insurance company to compete with the predominantly foreign-owned insurers.

This belief that being state owned means a company will be “nicer” is farcical. Ask anyone living in Canterbury how they have found the service from EQC, which is a state owned insurance company.

Meanwhile, Labour delegates have moved to dilute the party’s 2011 policy to gradually increase the state pension age to 67.

The new wording, recommended by affiliated unions, commits the party only to consider a rise in the eligibility age as part of ensuring the universal superannuation scheme remains sustainable.

So Labour may abandon one of the few economically rational policies they had.