Hon Maryan Street
Minister for ACC

2 April, 2008 Media Statement

Is there another u-turn in the wind?

National’s ongoing silence over its ACC privatisation plans makes a mockery of its claims the government is skirting around serious ACC issues - but perhaps it signals a u-turn is coming, says ACC Minister Maryan Street.

“Mrs Wong was recently reported saying National was “looking at our options” in regard to the scheme. Perhaps National leader John Key is instigating another “me-too” policy u-turn?

“This would of course be the right thing to do, but it’s not hard to imagine how much that would rile some of his more narrow-minded colleagues – a tension which might help explain why Mrs Wong won’t address the issues raised in the review of ACC released this week,” Maryan Street said.

“The independent PriceWaterhouseCoopers 500 page review of the scheme which was commissioned by the ACC board has confirmed what the Labour-led government has been saying for some time.

“And that is that the scheme is world-leading and the current state monopoly is the best way to deliver the comprehensive, 24 hour, no-fault accident compensation scheme which National professes to support,” said Maryan Street.

“The report makes it clear that the ability to deliver these services under a privatised system would be seriously jeopardised and I believe John Key knows this.

“But until he comes clean over National’s position, it’s more than a bit rich for Mrs Wong to accuse the government of skirting around the issues.”

ENDS

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