Saturday, June 07, 2008

Street preventing choice and efficiency

The view of the author is that the privatisation process delivered benefits to:

• ACC by creating a more efficient and focused organisation,
• the overall scheme by properly defining the entitlements,
• insurers who made profits from the experience,
• employers by reducing premium rates,
• employees overall through improved rehabilitation and reduction in injury rates.

That is an excerpt from a review of the Privatisation of New Zealand
Accident Insurance Workplace Cover 1999/2000.

ACC Minister Maryan Street, who loathes the idea of competition and profit, is harassing National over any policy to re-privatise employers accounts. What caught my eye was her snide and petulant claim that National was simply "lining the pockets of their insurance company mates.”

Now that really is a fine example of the 'politics of envy' and what turns thinking people off Labour.

2 comments:

PM of NZ said...

"lining the pockets of their insurance company mates.”

And her mate Duynhoven is not doing the same with his 3rd party insurance?

Anonymous said...

The right move here is obviously - and simply - to abolish ACC, repeal the 2001 ACC act except
sections 317 & 318
--- I'd also reword section 319 so that it is accord with 317& 318.

This would greatly strengthen "personal responsibility" by making employees personally responsible for the health and welfare - they would not be able to sue employers or others for their own problems.

ACC is yet another "New Zealand experiment" that has failed, totally and utterly.