Chris HIPKINS
ACC Spokesperson
11 July 2011

The National Party’s decision to reduce ACC levies just months out from the general election clearly proves that it manufactured a crisis in ACC in order to justify its privatisation plans, says Labour’s ACC spokesperson Chris Hipkins.

“ACC was never in crisis. Nick Smith created a huge beat-up to justify massive levy hikes that weren’t needed in the first place. The fact that they’re now decreasing levies just months before polling day shows just how cynical their manipulation has been,” Chris Hipkins said.

“Under National, New Zealanders have been paying more for their ACC and have been receiving less entitlement.

“Since National took office ACC has been declining more claims, reducing entitlements, and cutting the compensation paid to accident victims sooner.

“Nick Smith’s boast that rehabilitation rates have improved is a bit rich given the National government has changed the work-ready criteria so that accident victims are having their compensation stopped sooner, even if they’re not fully rehabilitated.

“ACC is a world-leading scheme. National has been steadily undermining public confidence in it so that they can hand it over to their mates in the private insurance industry. New Zealanders deserve better than that,” Chris Hipkins said.

ENDS

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