ACC turned into a crisis by the Government
The Government has invented a ‘crisis’ in ACC to give them the excuse to sell it to private insurance companies.
Privatising ACC will see injured Kiwis locked in disputes with their insurance firm over coverage, rather than getting back on the road to recovery and back to work.
You will pay higher levies and it will also be harder and take longer to get compensation when you have an accident.
ACC works for all Kiwis – at home, on the sports field, on the road and at work. Join us in stopping the government’s rip off.
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16 Dec: Workshop resources now available
Resources: Co-hosted by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the ACC Futures Coalition, this December 2013 workshop looked at the government’s proposal for a star rating system for businesses and existing incentives that operate through ACC such as experience rating and the Accredited Employers Programme...read more over at the events page.
24 Oct: ACC levy consultation
Submission: The ACC Futures Coalition has released its submission on the ACC levy consultiation for 2014/15...read more over at our articles page under submissions.
Oct 1: New manifesto on the Future of ACC released
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition has released its manifesto on the future of ACC. It will serve as the basis of conversations that the Coalition intends to have with politicians in the lead up to next year’s general election...read more.
May 15: Budget gets it wrong on ACC levies
Media Release: The ACC Futures Coalition has described as “farcical” that the government is relying on likely cuts to ACC levies as one of the main contributions to “building a productive and competitive economy” in its 2013 budget...read more.
Apr 30: Coalition welcomes report but concerned about financial incentives
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition is welcoming the report of the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety but is expressing concern about the recommendations on the use of financial incentives to improve employer performance...read more here.
Oct 31: ACC Conference resources available now
Resources: You can find all of the presentations and conference notes on our Articles page or head on over to the Events page where they will be temporarily featured too.
Sept 24: Registrations for ACC Conference open
Event: The ACC Futures Coalition has organised this conference to assist the development of a new and positive agenda for ACC, to help restore integrity and trust in the scheme and put it on a sustainable footing where it is not subject to constant political fiddling by successive governments...find out more and register here.
August 23: Coalition welcomes opportunity provided by reports
Media release: The two reports on ACC commissioned by the Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Auditor-General may highlight failures but they also provide an opportunity to rethink the direction of the scheme, according to the ACC Futures Coalition...read now.
July 27: New Zealand’s no-fault compensation system – are we better off than the Brits?
Powerpoint: A comparative analysis of New Zealand personal injury law...read now.
July 13: Our manifesto - your say
Comment: We need a positive change and this is our manifesto for what that change should look like...read now and leave your comments.
June 28: New ACC Service and Purchase Agreement a Reasonable Start
Media releases:The ACC Futures Coalition has welcomed the new ACC Service and Purchase Agreement, saying that it represents a reasonable start to the rebuilding process for ACC but pointing out that there is much to be done and also areas that the new agreement does not address...read more.
June 19: Time to abandon full funding
Media releases: The ACC Futures Coalition today welcomed the news that the two major political parties are thinking about the future of the full funding regime at ACC...read more.
June 17: Call for balance in ACC leadership
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition today called upon the Minister of ACC to seize the opportunity presented by the recent clear out of members of the ACC Board to restore some balance to the leadership of the corporation...read more.
June 13: Coalition calls for Forum on ACC
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition today called on Minister Judith Collins to set up a forum on the future of ACC involving all the stakeholders, including claimant groups, health provider groups and unions, as well as business interests...read more.
June 12: ACC - time to build trust
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition today welcomed the announcement that ACC Chair John Judge was stepping down and the call by Minister Collins that ACC must refocus on rebuilding public trust and confidence...read more.
April 4:Inquiry by Auditor-General Welcomed
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition today welcomed the announcement by the Auditor-General Lyn Provost that her office will conduct an inquiry into aspects of ACC’s governance that will not be examined by other investigations by the Privacy Commissioner and possibly the Police...read more.
March 15:Minister’s comments on ACC given a cautious welcome
Media release: Minister’s comments on ACC given a cautious welcome
The ACC Futures Coalition today gave a cautious welcome to the statements attributed to the Minister of ACC that she was "not interested" in a repeat of 1998 when National opened work injury cover to private insurers, only for them to be excluded a year later when Labour took power...read more.
Jan 18: Letter to The Dominion Post
Media Coverage: Amid all the concern about the privatisation of the work, ACC's declining commitment to injury prevention has gone relatively unnoticed. ACC Futures Coalition spokesperson Hazel Armstrong raised this issue in a letter to the editor in this morning's Dompost....read more.
Dec 7: National-Act deal on ACC changes criticised
Media Coverage: The lobby group ACC Futures Coalition says the confidence and supply agreement between the National and Act parties spells bad news for accident compensation...hear the full story at Radio New Zealand.
Dec 6: National ACT deal adds unnecessary costs to ACC
Media Release: Yesterday’s confidence and supply agreement announced by the ACT and National parties will just add an unnecessary layer of costs and increase levies in the work account of ACC...read more.
Nov 15: New privatisation proposals continue dismemberment of ACC
Media release: The announcement by the government yesterday that it will “Explore choice in ACC Motor Vehicles and Earners Accounts” has been condemned by the ACC Futures Coalition...read more.
Nov 9: Watch video footage from the ACC Futures breakfast
Event/Video: We tasked all the major political parties to talk for 7 miuntes on the future of ACC. Watch the resulting footage...click here.
Nov 4: Public has clear choice over future of ACC
Media release: The public has a clear choice about the future of ACC this election says ACC Futures Coalition spokesperson Hazel Armstrong....read more.
Nov 3: Letter to the editor of the Nelson Mail
Media: Our members in Nelson have been active in organising in Minister Nick Smith’s electorate to promote ACC as an issue. Here is a letter to the editor that was recently published...read on our media page here.
Sept 30: election breakfast event announced
Event: The ACC Futures Coalition is organising an election breakfast on Friday 4 November, from 7.15 through to 9am and we want you there. The focus will be on the political parties policies on ACC for the 2011 election...read more.
Sept 21: Pension Briefing 2011-1: ‘The future of Accident Compensation’
Event:The one-day ACC Forum: The future of ACC, was held on 26 August 2011. The event was co-hosted by the University’s RPRC and ACC Group, the ACC Futures Coalition, and AUT’s Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research. The PensionBriefing provides a short summary of each presentation, with links to the slides, papers, and reading resources on the RPRC and ACC Group websites and is available here.
July 22: CTU economist points out flaws in ACC
Articles: Read Bill Rosenberg's article on the government's flawed logic on ACC and privatisation...read more.
July 15: Increasing Choice in Workplace Accident Compensation
Submission: Read our latest submission to the Department of Labour on our artclies page or click here for a direct link.
July 15: No evidence says report on ACC reforms
Media release: A report by economist Peter Harris released today by the ACC Futures Coalition, challenges the practicality of the government’s proposals for reforming ACC, and raises serious questions about whether there is even a problem that needs to be fixed in this way...read more.
EMAIL YOUR SUBMISSION BEFORE JULY 15!
Take action: Send a submission to the Department of Labour on the government’s proposals to privatise ACC, get in quick as it closes on July 15. We have a template but you will need to add your name, address and e-mail details at the bottom. Click here for the email template for outlook. Click here for a word version.
July 12: ACC Futures in the Media
In the news: Hazel, Nick Smith and Chris Hipkins talked ACC on morning report.
Hazel was also on TVNZ7 news. Go here to see. The item is in chapter 1.
July 11: Levy cuts show Government Up
Media release: The announcement today that ACC levies will be drastically cut shows the government cried wolf when it told New Zealanders the ACC scheme was in a funding crisis...read more.
June 29: ACC Symposium announced
Event: The ACC Futures Coalition is organising a symposium on the Future of ACC in conjunction with the Retirement Policy and Research Centre, Auckland University, The Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research, AUT, and the ACC Group (a group of academics across the country with an interest in ACC)...read more.
June 23: ACC figures undermine the case for privatisation
Media release: The figures on ACC’s financial performance released today by the Minister of ACC undermine the case for the privatisation of the ACC work account...read more.
June 7: Insurance companies admit ACC costs less
Media release: Claims by the insurance industry that ACC will have an unfair advantage in the market over private insurers demonstrates that ACC is a more cost effective means of delivering accident compensation than private insurance says the ACC Futures Coalition...read more.
June 3: Media coverage of rally
Media: The latest coverage of the Rally has been posted in the media section...read now
June 3: download the protest flyer
Resource: Download you cery own copy of the protest flyer by clicking on the image:
June 1: Privatisation proposals a step backwards
Media release: The announcement by the government this morning that it will be consulting on various options for the privatisation of ACC represents a major step backwards according to the ACC Futures Coalition...read more.
May 30, Coalition to Picket ACC Announcement
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition accounced that, together with the NZ Council of Trade Unions it would be organising a picket on Wednesday 1 June at 7am, outside a breakfast at Sky City in Auckland where ACC Minister Nick Smith will be announcing significant new changes to ACC....read more.
April, 28, Workers Memorial Day a time to reflect on the rights of the living and role of ACC
Media release: Hazel Armstrong, spokesperson for the ACC Futures Coalition, today stressed the need to fight for the rights of the living, while commemorating those workers who have lost their lives at work...read more.
April 13, ACC Chief Executive’s departure raises further concerns for the future
Media release: The announcement that ACC Chief Executive Jan White will not be seeking to renew her appoint raises yet more concerns for the future of ACC,” said Hazel Armstrong, spokesperson for the ACC Futures Coalition...read more
April 7, AMI troubles show folly of ACC privatisation
Media release: News that AMI is struggling in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake demonstrates the folly of the government’s decision to privatise the work account of ACC, the ACC Futures Coalition says. Read more.
Mar 10, ACC support for traumatised earthquake victims
Media release: The ACC Futures Coalition, an organisation set up to oppose the privatisation of the ACC accounts and to maintain the standard of ACC services, has congratulated ACC for its response to the Christchurch earthquake and is drawing attention to a little known provision from the Accident Compensation Act that could help many of those who have been traumatised by the events there and are unable to return to work because of that mental trauma...read more.
Mar 9, Christchurch weekly compensation changes show strengths of ACC
Blog: The ACC Futures Coalition has welcomed the Government’s decision to introduce the Accident Compensation Act 2001 Order 2011. This order allows ACC to pay the first week of weekly compensation to any eligible person injured in the 22 February earthquake, who will be on weekly compensation for more than a week, irrespective of whether they were at work when they were injured...read more.
Mar 8, Christchurch earthquake victims: Payments for mental trauma
The Christchurch earthquake was seriously traumatic for many workers. It occurred during the working day: the sight, sound and experience of the earthquake have led to trauma. In October 2008, the ACC law was changed to allow workers, who are traumatised at work because he or she directly experiences an event to apply to ACC for compensation...read more.
Feb 18, Send John Key and Nick Smith a message
Your chance to oppose changes to the ACC work account being considered by Cabinet on 23 February...click here.
Feb 17, 23 February critical day for future of ACC
Next week cabinet will decide just how they will undermine ACC by choosing which model for privatisation they will adopt,” says Glenn Barclay Convenor of the ACC Futures Coalition...read more.
Feb 01, Implications of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement
Professor Jane Kelsey has produced a briefing on the implications of the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (a free trade agreement involving a number of Pacific and Asian countries, including the United States) for our public health system). In it she points out that there are real risks for ACC...read more.
Dec 22, Government ignoring evidence on ACC
The Department of Labour’s own regulatory impact statement on the ACC Stocktake report agrees with many of the major criticisms that have been levelled at it in the last 24 hours...read more.
Dec 21, 2010: ACC set to be handed over to private insurers
The Government’s ‘in principle’ decision to privatise the work account of ACC comes at a time when the Minister for Earthquake Recovery has acknowledged the shortcomings of private insurers in Canterbury...read more
Nov 29, 2010: ACC 'stocktake' out next week
A prominent newspaper columnist has confirmed that the ACC stocktake report, which may recommend privatising parts of ACC, is finally about to come out. Click here for more.
More private sector involvement in ACC
The National government is introducing more private sector involvement into ACC, writes ACC Futures Coalition spokesperson Hazel Armstrong. Have a read in her blog here. - August 31, 2010.
Hearing loss
ACC Futures Coalition member the National Foundation for the Deaf have been very actively recently - find out what's been going on by taking a look at recent blog posts.
Stocktake report due within days - expected to support privatisation
A stocktake report due to be released any day now is expected to support privatising parts of ACC.
Click here to find out why we think that's a pretty bad idea.
Stay in touch with this site, we'll let you know when the report comes out, and what you can do about it. Sign up as a supporter today to stay in touch.
ACC Futures Coalition Member at the Rugby 7s
If you were at the Rugby 7's earlier this year you may well have seen the adventures of Borat on the big screen in three, 15 second clips, brought to you by ACC Futures Coalition member the Council of Trade Unions: