Murray McCully National ACC Spokesperson

24 August 2001

Proposed ACC levy rises will be painful for self-employed

"ACC has some serious explaining to do in relation to its proposed increases in the fees levied on self-employed people," National's ACC spokesman Murray McCully said today.

ACC is proposing a 25 per cent increase in the premiums charged to self-employed people, and also a $20 dollar a year rise in the ACC component of vehicle registration for those who are self-employed.

"Those sort of increases would be painful for the 350,000 New Zealanders who are self-employed, most of whom show initiative and dedication in creating employment for themselves and others.

"National is going to be closely examining whether ACC can justify these proposed increases on the basis of a formal risk assessment," Murray McCully said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>