The first round of ACC premium hikes has exposed the government's failure to honour its claim that it could match private sector accident insurance, says ACT's ACC spokesman Ken Shirley.

"The 40 percent increase in ACC annual levies for the self-employed is unjustified and will threaten many struggling businesses. The question remains, when will the monopoly once again increase charges and by how much?" Mr Shirley said.

"Motorcyclists have been presented with a massive 57 percent increase in annual levies and yet there are no statistics showing an increase in motorcycle accidents.

"An across-the-board 40 percent increase for car owners is equally unjustified.

"The worst aspect of the state abusing its monopoly powers is illustrated by government's refusal to adopt a recommendation - based on actuarial advice - to reduce the annual employer's levy to 85 cents per $100 of payroll. Instead, the government is insisting on continued overcharging, to build a slush fund that can only result in further distortions and inefficiencies," Mr Shirley 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>>