When you believe your own proproganda ...

I've been following the ACC debate with some interest - and the debate boils down to should ACC be pay as you go, or fully funded? There are some questions about whether the liability should have been disclosed in the Pre-election financial update, and whether having competition for employers insurance is acceptable, but it's not a wholesale idelogical debate.

What I find odd is the shrillness of Labour MPs in the debate. Over on Red Alert, the Labour MPs blog, are the following statements:

"I suspect the National government are secretly quite happy that people are getting angry about ACC. They’ll then use that anger to justify their privatisation agenda." - Chris Hipkins.

"The National Party wants to privatise ACC. It is the favour their funders want in return for the huge money poured into their campaigns. Only they haven’t been honest enough to admit it." - Damien O'Connor.

"It suits his purpose of demonising ACC so that New Zealanders are worn down by the propaganda and seek a solution - his [Nick Smith]" - Maryan Street.

I'm someone who dismisses conspiracy theories - and the privitisation of ACC is clearly a conspiracy theory. Instead of arguing that a pay as you go model plus some extra to partially fund future costs should be implemented, Labour seem to be making points that are not relevant to the debate - and not believable by the average member of the public.

And until they start to tune in, they'll continue to slump in opionion polls.