Dr Paul Hutchison National ACC Spokesman

25 August 2004

Accident numbers skyrocket under Labour's ACC

The number of workplace accidents have skyrocketed since Labour re-nationalised ACC.

Figures released today by ACC show moderate to severe injuries have increased from 82,253 in 1999 to 103,002 this year, and deaths have increased from 1,020 in 1999 to 1,070 this year.

National's ACC spokesman Paul Hutchison says the figures show that despite millions being spent on prevention, Labour's accident insurance monopoly is doing nothing to decrease workplace accidents.

"By contrast, the previous competitive ACC model demonstrably improved workplace safety, case management, and rehabilitation.

"Competition and individual risk rating in accident insurance provides better incentives to cut the number of accidents. "Re-nationalising ACC has failed to deliver on Labour's accident prevention promises, and the faster they realise this, the faster we can reduce workplace accidents."

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>>