With the ACC Bill due to be reported back to parliament this Friday from Select Committee, watch out for a stepping up of opposition to ACC cutbacks and privatisation.
The ACC Futures Coalition and the leadership of last year’s “bikeoi”, have teamed up to organise a march and rally on 16 February opposing the Government’s attacks on ACC.
Brent Hutchison, organiser of the bikeoi says :
“When we came here last year we were concerned about unfair levies. We said we would be back, and now we will be – together with other groups who are feeling the impact of what the Government is doing to ACC. In November we were chanting ‘who’s next’ and now we know. It is the worker in the dangerous job, the seriously injured person who is to be forced off ACC weekly compensation on to a benefit, the victim of sexual abuse, the worker who is forced to use up all their holiday pay before being entitled to full weekly compensation and the worker who is deemed to be suffering less than 6% hearing loss. It is all New Zealanders who are next because we all rely on ACC as our backstop, and we will be there on 16 February to tell the Government to leave our scheme alone.”
And the CTU has developed three videos, which played on giant screens at the Westpac Stadium Queen’s Wharf and Courtenay Place during the Wellington Sevens game in the weekend.
Make sure you look out for the report back on Friday from the Select Committee considering the ACC bill. You will see then if the government has taken any notice of those opposed to the slashing of entitlements in the bill – which was, by the way, almost every submitter.
As well as the CTU videos this YouTube clip was put up a while back – I think it’s based on some ACCTV ads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0t_WLeqbBg
Thanks Clarke – hadn’t seen that one.
Knew this was coming. Guess he had to fund tax cut somehow. Look for next term to sell ACC as a monopoly insurer and use this money to prop up the budget just long enough until Labor take back the benches.
Has anyone done a holistic analysis of who is better off, Less tax vs higher business cost, higher ACC, GST, Land tax, higher rents?
Clarke- Good videos.
Jeremy- sad that it was this predictable ah? despite trying for a while, i havn’t found any research or documents to that affect.
Let’s hope the Labour MPs really get behind those of us who are fighting the proposed changes to ACC this time. I’d like to see a lot more questions being asked in the House (difficult ones that get answers, not just requests for numbers), hard-hitting comments being made in the media and on the internet and some real passion behind what is essentially an attack on this country’s social democracy. Whether it be about motorcycle riders, people who are injured at work, those who are hard of hearing or victims of sexual abuse, our Labour MPs should be shouting from the rooftops about the effects on NZers of National’s cuts to ACC entitlements. That’s why we put you there, after all.
Well I thought I would offer my story in regards to ACC tactical exits for Compensation.
Approx 3 weeks ago, I got a call from ACC office Trish saying they have reviewed my fileand requested I got the case number changed to the one she gave me (relating to an injury of the same wrist but back in 1998 not 2008) so I had to do what was asked and submitted my new mendical, a week later another call from ACC office by a Michele and was told after reviewing my file they had made a decision that I was no longer entitled to my weekly compensation or entitlements and these would cease on 4/04/2011. I was deceived and tricked into there exiting tactics, now faced with no re training or ANY further treatment, literally im buggered. I have had numerous surgeries on my right wrist and am unable to use it for anything. I have also injured my left wrist and had surgery as well. Have filed for a review, but dont hold my breath that I will get anything out of it. Wont be voting for National again ever.
My partner had an accident in 1989 and needs some more work relating to that accident. ACC within 2 days of being asked came back with a reference number from way back then (Frankly we expected it to be long gone) and now the claim for additional work will go through smoothely.
Those who keep comparing this with insurance companies are swallowing a party line. ACC is NOT an insurance company and does not have the same model as insurance companies. And, you watch the “proftable” “insurance” work will go to private providers and the tax payer will still be funding the harder/complex/risky cases.
This is not, and never will be an even playing field. The nonsense spouted by English and Smith about ACC’s impecuniosity to get support for this move is right up there with David Carter claiming the forced takeover Of Canterbury EEC led to a reduction of effluent run off from dairy farms. Both spouted a lie for convenience ad to justify or further an agenda which presumably they couldnt justify without such distortions.
PriceWaterHouseCoopers were VERY clear in 2008. ACC as it is works, on all the levels it was meant to. It is a world leading organisation and of course insurance companies dont want it in the market place.
Is there somewhere the public can view who meets, and how often, with MPs (including over dinner at functions etc).