Labour deputy leader Michael Cullen said today he was sorry that Simon Upton had slipped to the childish level of his bratpack colleagues.

Dr Cullen was responding to a personal attack by Mr Upton based on an incorrect report in the National Business Review of a speech he made last week.

"Today's NBR article is even by their anti-Labour standards an extraordinary beat up. Anyone actually at the speech will know no mention was made of the State Services Commissioner, the Education Secretary or the Commerce Ministry Chief Executive.

"The only individual public servant mentioned was the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mark Prebble, and that was in response to a question.

"I simply repeated Helen Clark's earlier comment about us anticipating Dr Prebble having some difficulty working with us.

"As far as I know, the only politician who is threatening a State sector chief executive is Act's Rodney Hide with respect to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

"Perhaps Mr Upton would care to attack his potential coalition partner rather than invent reasons for attacking me," Dr Cullen said.

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