I can’t understand what all the fuss is about! Today’s Dominion Post informs us that, due to a massive budget blowout, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) will be cutting back on claimant entitlements. The Opposition say that this is a Government plot to privatise ACC, which will result in increased levies with some people no longer being covered for injuries due to accidents.
Firstly, I have never had a successful ACC claim in my working life. Despite paying ever-increasing levies, it always seems that I am never covered whenever I have an injury that makes it difficult, if not impossible to work. So what am I paying levies for?
Secondly, I still haven't forgotten the last time the ACC ran out of money and the then-Government had to quickly draft a law enabling them to have a quick whip-round New Zealand businesses to top up ACC coffers. As a business owner, I was suddenly wondering ‘where did this extra invoice come from’?
Interestingly enough around 15 years ago the National Government opened the Accident Compensation field to insurance companies which were then able to compete with ACC by offering similar insurance products. And guess what? It wasn't the end of the world! Those that elected to change nothing remained with ACC, and everybody still had the same type of accident cover. And suddenly ACC levies on Employers and Earners dropped to a more reasonable level. When a subsequent Labour Government repealed this legislation ACC levies went through the roof and they haven't looked back.
And this burgeoning bureaucratic monopoly is what we need to preserve? Yeah, right!
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