Full Coverage: ACC Levy Rises, Cover Cuts

Thursday, 15 October 2009, 11:12 am
Article: Scoop Full Coverage

ACC: Levies To Increase

“It is clear that these increases will be unpalatable, especially in the current economic climate. But if New Zealand is to retain the ACC Scheme then I believe they are necessary.” More>>

ALSO:

• Greens - Massive levy increases will undermine ACC
• Labour - Scaremongering on ACC exposed again
• Bikers Rights Organisation NZ - ACC figures drop the Minister in it . Again.
• Eric Medcalf - Speech re ACC services to victims of sex crimes
• Bay Audiology - 6% Shout About It Before We Have To
• End Rape Culture Now - Protestors To Picket Nick Smith
• Rural Women - Rural ACC clients face chop in homecare services
• NZ Audiological Society - Arbitrary ACC Cuts Isolate Everyday New Zealanders
• Hearing Industry - False Savings From Cuts To ACC Coverage
• National Foundation for the Deaf - Noise injury – ACC is ignoring the facts
• Age Concern - Bill could unravel ACC cover
• DSAC - DSAC Concerns Over New Clinical Pathway
• Labour - Wrong again on ACC Nick Smith
• National Council of Women - Is there anybody out there?
• TV3 Video - New proposed ACC levies barely any better

Submissions: Finance Unions Says ACC Changes Dangerous For Workers

“The changes present a real threat to the coverage of workers with gradual process injuries or OOS,” said Finsec General Secretary Andrew Casidy. “These injuries are common in the banks and raising the bar for their rehabilitation could be devastating for those affected.” More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Return of right to sue employers for hearing loss
• NZ Council of Trade Unions - CTU says no to ACC full-funding, compensation cuts
• National Council of Women - NCWNZ Appreciates Bikers' Concern, Reciprocates
• National Council of Women - Revving it up for sensitive claims
• Labour - Lack of planning by Tony Ryall fails patients
• CTU - ACC – where has the 'honest conversation' gone
• TV3 Video - CTU oppose ban on ACC compensation for lawbreakers

Brmmm: Thousands Of Motorcyclists Convene At Parliament

An estimated crowd of 10,000 motorcyclists gathered on Parliament grounds today to protest the ACC's proposal to raise of levies on their vehicles. ACC has stated that the rises in fees are a response to "rising claim numbers and healthcare costs" incurred by New Zealand motorcycle owners. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Motorcycle accident record cannot be ignored
• Progressive Party - Jim Anderton Speech: ACC Bikers’ rally (Christchurch)
• NZ Police - Motorcycle Protest Peaceful, Orderly
• NZ Police - NZ Police Prepare for Wellington Motorbike Protest
• National Council of Women - NCWNZ Appreciates Bikers' Concern, Reciprocates
• TV3 Video - Bikers descend on Wellington to protest ACC levy hikes
• YouTube Video - Wellington ACC Motorbike Protest Video 17.11.09
• National Council of Women - As 'Smooth' as the Surface of the Moon
• Labour - Nats duck for cover on health effects of ACC cuts
• Labour - Smith continues to manipulate ACC numbers

ACC: Travel Allowance Cut "Punishing Low Paid Support Workers"

The Public Service Association and Healthcare of New Zealand say home support workers supporting ACC clients in rural areas will be hardest hit by the ACC cutting funding for their travel allowance.

The Public Service Association is the union representing home support workers and Healthcare of New Zealand employs thousands of these frontline health workers. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Govt breaks another promise
• Rural Women NZ - Rural Women NZ says ACC travel cuts short-sighted

Public Funds: Blowout Control Does Not Extend To Ad Budget

Taxpayer money is being scandalously wasted on newspaper ads that don't tell the real story about the reasons behind huge ACC fee rises, Labour’s ACC spokesperson David Parker says. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Crown accounts proof of Govt ACC scaremongering
• Labour - Bill English decisions on Super, ACC short-sighted
• Labour - Nick Smith gets rev up over ACC bike hike
• NZ Govt - Labour hypocrisy over ACC levy increases
• NZ Business Roundtable - ACC Monopoly an Idea Whose Time has Passed

ACC Sensitive Claims: Minister Promises To Hold Review

ACC Minister Nick Smith today announced that he has requested that ACC commission an independent clinical review in six months’ time of its new approach to managing sensitive claims. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Implementation of ACC guidelines should stop
• NZ Govt - N Smith: ACC Amendment Bill
• Labour - Bill continues unprecedented attack on ACC
• Maori Party - Katene: ACC Amendment Bill
• ACT - Douglas: Benefits of Opening ACC to Competition
• Scoop Full Coverage - ACC Levy Rises, Cover Cuts
• Tom Frewen - Today In Parliament 27.10.09

ACT Support: Competition For ACC Work Account

The government today tabled the ACC Reform Bill in Parliament and will introduce it for its first reading next week, ACC Minister Nick Smith says. More>>

ALSO:

• Scoop Business - ACC Work Accounts To Open to Competitors
• ACT - ACC choice to cut costs for all New Zealanders
• Labour - Key breaks ACC election promise
• Labour - Kiwis will pay more and get less under ACC Bill
• Maori Party - Maori Party calls for feedback on ACC changes
• NZ Council of Trade Unions - Nick Smith fails to tick the boxes on ACC
• EMA - Agreement moves ACC along right track
• Women's Refuge - ACC Changes Will Harm Women
• Business NZ - Ability to choose good for ACC
• EPMU - ACC privatisation could cost workers $200m/year
• Public Service Association - Govt recycling failed privatisation of ACC
• CTU - ACC threatened by National’s privatisation agenda
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Claims Mediator Should Be Part of ACC Revamp
• TV3 Video - Labour vows 'tooth and nail' fight over ACC
• Out-Link - No Right Turn: "Financial discipline"
• Scoop Full Coverage - ACC Levy Rises, Cover Cuts

Deals: Maori Party Supports ACC Bill To First Reading

The Maori Party caucus has decided to support the introduction of the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill, to be referred to a Select Committee. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Turia does complete flip flop on ACC privatisation
• Labour - ACC: National continues to tell different stories
• Labour - Maori Party paves way for ACC cuts
• Labour - ACC cuts will hit Pacific families hard
• NZ Alliance Party - Alliance Party challenges Tariana Turia over ACC
• Maori Party - Maori Party on ETS
• Employers And Manufacturers Association - Employers wary about competition for ACC
• National Council of Women - ACC: Creating barriers to recovery
• Labour - Turia does complete flip flop on ACC privatisation
• The Kiwi Party - ACC Should give up its Billions -Copeland
• TV3 Video - BRONZ President Les Mason on hikes in bikers' ACC levies

Gordon Campbell: Managing The Press Gallery (And Afghanistan)

As a free fire exercise in which anything at all can be raised, the Prime Minister’s post Cabinet press conference should be a rewarding experience... Yesterday though was a prime example of the lean pickings in actual content. More>>

ALSO:

• Scoop Audio - PM Press Conference - RWC, ACC and ETS
• National Council of Women - ACC cuts to sexual abuse counselling
• TV3 Video - Full interview with John Key: RWC, ACC

Scoop Images & Report: Protesters March Against ACC Cuts

Wellington citizens from all walks of life convened at the Cenotaph this afternoon to protest the ACC's recently proposed cuts to its counselling programs for sexual abuse victims. More>>

ALSO:

• End Rape Culture Now - National Day of Action against ACC cuts
• ACC - ACC Clarifies Assistance for Mental Injury
• ACC - Enhancing ACC support for sexual abuse survivors
• Labour - ACC cutbacks to counselling spark fight back
• Young Labour - Day Of Action Against Acc Cuts

AND:

• NZ Herald Out-Link - ACC founder blasts 'predatory' changes
• Labour - Kiwis will pay more, get less under privatised ACC
• NZ Society of Physiotherapists - Wrong call from ACC on elderly falls programme
• TVNZ - Q+A’s Guyon Espiner interviews Tariana Turia
• ACC - Enhancing ACC support for sexual abuse survivors
• NZ Society of Physiotherapists - Wrong call from ACC on elderly falls programme
• NZ Audiological Society - ACC: Govt Turns Back on Hearing Impaired, Elderly
• 95bfm - Audio: ACC minister Nick Smith on The Wire
• Scoop Audio - Radio Adelaide: Manning - ACC & Crossing A Nat's T

ACC: Government Yet To Get Numbers

The Government’s failure to secure political support for legislation which will cut ACC entitlements and burden Kiwi families is further evidence of Nick Smith’s shambolic handling of the ACC portfolio, says ACC spokesperson David Parker. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Government moves will prejudice motorcyclists
• Progressive Party - Government stigmatises families of suicide victims
• Motor Industry Association - ACC unfairly blames motorcyclists
• End Rape Culture Now - National Day of Action against ACC cuts
• Hearing Association - Threshold could deny support after a life of work
• Tom Frewen - Today In Parliament (15.10.09)
• TV3 Video - Rodney Hide says privatisation of ACC will give 'a better deal'
• TV3 Video - Chris Trotter on National's ACC woes
• TV3 Video - Smith's suicide comment shocks Victim Support
• TV3 Video - Political rebellion over proposed ACC changes

Gordon Campbell: Ideology Drives ACC Changes

Amongst all the various changes that will be made to ACC entitlements, Green Party MP Sue Bradford is right to highlight the change to entitlements or seasonal or casual workers – who will now receive support based on their annual earnings, and not on their income during the immediate period before they were injured. More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Nick Smith’s shambolic handling of ACC continues
• Progressive Party - Government stigmatises families of suicide victims
• NZ Govt - Debate on motor cycle accident costs needed
• Labour - Sexual abuse victims now victims of ACC cutbacks
• Libertarianz Party - Put ACC Into Liquidation
• National Foundation for the Deaf - ACC’s Hearing Threshold will Result in Delays
• TV3 Video - ACC changes met with criticism
• TV3 Video - Full interview with psycotherapist Kyle MacDonald about ACC cuts

Cover: "Law Changes Needed To Make ACC Affordable"

Changes in ACC are needed to make the scheme affordable, sustainable and fair, ACC Minister Nick Smith says.

“The levy increases proposed by ACC’s Board under the current law are too much for New Zealanders to pay, Dr Smith said. “That is why the Government will be introducing law changes that more than halve the increases while securing ACC’s long-term future.” More>>

ALSO:

• Scoop Business - ACC law changes will halve levy hike, Smith says
• ACC - ACC releases levy increase proposals
• Labour - Nick Smith’s scaremongering exposed again
• Greens - ACC changes take us back to the 90s
• CTU - ACC: incentives for employers - risks for workers
• NZ Assn of Counsellors Canterbury - ACC - Stop the Abuse, National Day of Action
• PSA - ACC workers denied pay rise
• ACC Futures Coalition - ACC cuts undermine the scheme
• EPMU - ACC cuts a needless attack on working Kiwis
• Acclaim Otago - ACC Cuts Target the Most Vulnerable
• Access Support Service - ACC Changes - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• EMA - Rethink of ACC service delivery still required
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Where is the accountability within ACC?
• NZEI - ACC Changes Will Penalise Low Paid School Staff
• Scoop Audio - Smith And Judge Announce Changes, Answer Questions
• TV3 Video - ACC changes to be announced today by Govt
• TV3 Video - ACC: costs up, cover down
• TV3 Video - Motorcyclists to be hit hard by new ACC levy
• TV3 Video - Full interview with Annette King
• TV3 Video - ACC cuts to mental health care come under fire

Scoop Audio: PM's Presser - Cuts To ACC
Audio on Demand of NZ Prime Minister John Key's weekly press conference. Proposed legislative changes detailing 20 areas where ACC may be cut will be announced this Wednesday by ACC Minister Nick Smith. Today the PM singled out physiotherapy co-payments as one area that would be changed. More>>

ALSO:

• Greens - Manufactured ACC Crisis - No Accident
• Scoop Business - “Subtantial” rise in ACC levies ahead
• Labour - ACC scaremongering has got to stop
• EPMU - ACC figures misleading - independent review needed
• Earlier Scoop coverage - "Significant changes" to ACC
• TV3 Video - Govt accused of fudging ACC figures
• TV3 Video - ACC bail out could cost taxpayer - Smith
• TV3 Video - John Key on Lee and ACC

ACC: Govt To Make "Significant Changes"
ACC has become financially unsustainable and reform is required to ensure its future for New Zealanders, ACC Minister Nick Smith says. ACC’s 2008/09 Annual Report was today tabled in Parliament showing a loss of $4.8 billion. More>>

ALSO:

• Scoop Business - “Subtantial” rise in ACC levies ahead
• Labour - ACC scaremongering has got to stop
• ACC - ACC’s liability grows by $4.8 billion in 12 months
• Business NZ - ACC requires refocusing to reduce liabilities
• Southern Cross Healthcare - Healthcare Affordability Issue Highlighted
• NZ Medical Association - NZMA Concern at ACC Funding Situation
• EPMU - ACC figures 'accounting trickery'
• TV3 Video - ACC bail out could cost taxpayer - Smith

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