Opportunity for ACC to return to its principles

The Green Party welcomes the appointment of a new ACC chair and looks forward to them steering ACC back to its original role as the provider of full and fair compensation and rehabilitation to injured New Zealanders.

The Government today appointed Paula Rebstock as interim chair and announced John Judge had resigned as of June 30.

"Ms Rebstock and any other chair who is appointed, is faced with a fantastic opportunity to return ACC to the five "Woodhouse" principles it was founded on in 1967," Green Party ACC spokesman Kevin Hague said today.

These were:

• Community responsibility

• Comprehensive entitlement

• Complete rehabilitation

• Real compensation

• Administrative efficiency.

"Under its current board, ACC has turned away from those principles to ones more commonly seen in private sector insurance companies where the focus is on getting rid of long term, expensive clients," Mr Hague said,

"When ACC was established in 1974 New Zealanders agreed to trade their right to sue over injuries and accidents, for the guarantee they'd be compensated and rehabilitated through a model that provided cover for all, regardless of fault or cause of injury.

"New Zealanders only agreed to give away that right because of the promise they would be properly compensated and cared for.

"Today, ACC Minister Judith Collins told Parliament she was expecting a culture change at ACC and for it to help injured kiwis back to work.

"The Green Party will hold the Minister to those assurances. We look forward to ACC returning to the Woodhouse principals and offering the level of care injured and vulnerable New Zealanders need and should expect from now on," Mr Hague said.

Related internet links
Transcript of discussion involving Denise Cosgrove, ACC GM Claims Management
ACC issues paper discussing management of long term clients