ACC Select Committee reasoning absurd; Health & Safety Act next?

As predicted, the Parliamentary Select Committee on ACC has ignored the overwhelming evidence presented to it in hundreds of employers' submissions pointing out that the accident insurance system 'ain't broke, so don't fix it'.

"It is nonsense for Dr Cullen to dismiss the evidence presented as being ideologically driven," said the chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Alasdair Thompson.

"The reverse is true. The Government is hell bent on re-nationalising the industry solely for ideological reasons, with no evidence to justify it.

"After reading the Select Committee's report I am left wondering what to make of its statement: 'What became clear to the majority of the committee in the committee's proceedings from the evidence received was the steady drop in workplace accidents since 1994 as a direct result of the introduction of health and safety legislation. This has been the greatest and most significant factor in reducing workplace accidents.'

"The Select Committee attributes the reduction in accidents to the 1993 legislation, and Government is using that as the basis for rejecting private workplace accident insurance. But the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1993 is itself in line for an ideologically driven review by the new Government.

"This is plainly absurd. Will the HS&E review become another case of fixing something that isn't broken?"

For further comment contact:

Alasdair Thompson Ph. Bus. (09) 367 0911 Hme (09 303 3951 Mob. 025 982 024

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