Election 2008: ACC

ACC is worth voting for 

This election ACC is set to be a hot issue. Find more on this page, and keep up to date on the election campaign by regularly visiting the election home page.

Whats New?

No one wants ACC to be privatised - except insurance companies - October 24 2008.
It would seem no one - except perhaps insurance companies - wants a return to competition in the provision of accident compensation services, writes Maria Slade in the New Zealand Herald.  Not even business groups are keen for a repeat of the brief period in 1998 and 1999 when the last National Government privatised the sector.  Click here for more.

National’s ACC privatisation plans in question following AIG collapse; parallels to HIH - September 18 2008
The Council of Trade Unions is challenging National leader John Key to state whether he is still in favour of privatising accident compensation, following the US government bailout of insurance giant AIG.

ACC Seminar warns of risks of privatising accident compensation - September 1 2008
The New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists, Podiatry NZ and the Osteopathic Society of New Zealand were among the organisations who voiced their concerns about privatising accident compensation at a seminar in Wellington today.  Click here for more (opens a PDF document).

Pondering a shift in ACC
Gary Sheeran - Sunday Star Times - August 17 2008
National's John Key may have misjudged the mood of the business community on privatising accident compensation, writes Garry Sheeran.  Click here for more.

Where is the evidence for an Australian Compensation Corporation? - August 11 2008
Lets hope that the “more consultation and work”  on National Party  ACC policy which Leader John Key has promised results in a radical re-think  to bring the policy into line with objective evidence and the publicly expressed wishes  of all stakeholders in our ACC scheme.

CTU Critique: National’s 2008 ACC Policy - July 17 2008
Yesterday the National Party released their ACC policy. The following is a critique of some of the assertions in the policy and background document.

Letter to the editor from a retired litigation lawyer - July 18 2008
"I am satisfied that National will make a tragic mistake if it opens up the employers’ section to private insurers. They are not structured to provide the long-term, sometimes lifetime service, particularly rehabilitation, ACC provides." Click here to read the full letter (second letter down on this page).

THE UNIONIST: ACC Privatisation, flexible work, work rights wage drive - July 4 2008
Unions, business and legal experts have this week all raised questions about National's plans for the future of accident compensation.

Multimedia

• HAZEL ARMSTRONG: Interview with health and safety lawyer Hazel Armstrong - click here (takes you to a page on RadioLIVE website)
• DON RENNIE: The convenor of the NZ Law Society on ACC, Don Rennie, said in July that the insurance industry was not set up to handle long-term claims or to handle rehabilitation. Click here to see his interview on TVNZ's breakfast programme.

More Info

• LATEST NEWS: For the latest from the CTU's health and safety news wire - click on one of the links on the right hand side of the page
• SCOOP.CO.NZ: Scoop Media feature page on ACC - click here.
• BACKGROUNDER: For a short backgrounder on ACC from the Public Service Association - click here (PDF file, 148 kb).
• PWC REPORT: PricewaterhouseCoopers (Sydney) conducted a detailed review of ACC, and released their report earlier this year. The report is available from this page.
• BLOOD ON THE COAL: The CTU recently hosted the launch of a new book on the ACC scheme by health and safety lawyer Hazel Armstrong, setting out why the scheme was set up, the benefits it brings to the country and the case against privatisation. Click here to download a copy (warning: large file size, 2mb). Or, order them through Hazel Armstrong Law (contact details here).

Stay up to date

For the latest news from the campaign throughout 2008, check in with the CTU's weekly newsletter The Unionist. Click on 'The Unionist' logo, where you can also subscribe to get the newsletter every Friday over email.  While you're there, you can also subscribe for 'Plays of the Week', tips, tools and news bites coming to you on a Monday.

And there is more on the campaign at the CTU's election page.