Media Release

4 May 2005

ACC Minister Allows “Gestapo” Tactics

New Zealand First deputy leader Peter Brown accused the ACC Minister of allowing the corporation to bully a significant number of physiotherapists. Mr Brown recently met a group of very senior physiotherapists, some of whom have been engaged by the All Blacks and all of whom have unblemished records.

“These physiotherapists, for no valid reason, are being ‘done over’ by the ACC. Some of them have recently passed a random audit but are now being subjected to a fraud investigation, all without being told.

“These investigations are more of an ‘in your face’ interrogation than an audit.

“To a recent written question I posed to the Minister about these so-called random audits, the answer was not worth the paper it was written on. So much so that to an oral question Dr Cullen, deputising for the Minister, had to admit the answer was partly wrong. What he still didn’t know, it was all wrong!

“The truth is these physiotherapists will not sign up to the Endorsed Provider Network scheme because it is flawed and unfair so the Minister is ensuring they get persecuted.

“Talk about Big Brother – this is a case of Big Sister – which is far far worse – in New Zealand today,” concluded Mr Brown.

ENDS

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