ACC takeover by Australian insurance companies will hurt NZ

The Government's plan to privatise work coverage of ACC would undermine our world leading system and lead to more suffering for accident victims, said the Green Party today.

The Government released consultation papers on its plans to privatise parts of ACC by opening up the ACC work account to international insurance companies.
"The only people that will benefit from this move are Australian insurance companies. It will undermine support for accident victims and lead to uneven coverage," said Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague.

"Every accident victim deserves a fair go and this will not happen under a private insurance system.

"I can assure the New Zealand public, and any companies looking to take over accident coverage from ACC - that this privatisation will be overturned by a Green or Labour Government.

"This is essentially another proposed state-assets sale by John Key's Government, as it allows for Australian insurance companies to take over parts of a public provider.

Green Party MP David Clendon attended today's picket at Sky City Casino in Auckland to support the ACC Futures Coalition protest about the privatisation of ACC.

Mr Clendon added: "It is great to see the public turn out to protest the handing over of parts of ACC to Australian insurance companies. It is the people and economy of New Zealand who will suffer if this goes ahead. This move will take money out of the economy while undermining our scheme.

Mr Hague said: "Part-private models will not work - we have seen this in Australia, and last time New Zealand did this in the late 90s. It is clear that the National Government, despite its protestations, is committed to privatisation.

"There was no financial crisis in ACC. It is now abundantly clear that a 'crisis' was manufactured by the Government to undermine and privatise ACC. In 2009, when the 'crisis' was supposedly happening, ACC took in a billion dollars more than it spent on claims."

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