Comments on: ACC - who does it really benefit anyhow?

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:02:41 +0000

And I do enjoy John Key’s mindblowing linguistic precision sometimes - see quote by Michael Cullen below:

This statement, made by Mr Key on radio, [said that] privatising accident compensation, if a National Government were elected, was—and this is a real beauty, when we get to the substance of it—“almost certainly likely”.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:56:42 +0000

A few more comments on the prospect of ACCprivatisation from around the place:

•“This will be bad for the country, but good for me as a lawyer.” John Miller, ACC lawyer (Morning Report, 3 July 2008)

• “The insurance industry is not set up to handle long-term claims or to handle rehabilitation.” Don Rennie, New Zealand Law Society convenor on ACC (TVNZ Breakfast, 3 July 2008)

• “ACC adds considerable value to New Zealand society and economy, and performs very well in comparison to alternative schemes. . .”
ACC review http://www.acc.co.nz/PRD_EXT_CSMP/groups/external_communications/documents/news_article/prd_ctrb076534.pdf by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, March 2008.

By: Ant

Ant — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:27:30 +0000

And here’s some balance to Roger’s advocacy for private provision of national services.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0807/S00317.htm

By: Roger Kerr

Roger Kerr — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:26:34 +0000

Anthony, regarding Chris’ data you can reach him at chris@icnz.org.nz
On SOEs, see Phil Barry’s The Changing Balance Between the Public and Private Sectors at http://www.nzbr.org.nz/documents/publications/publications-2002/changing_balance.pdf

Roger

By: Anthony Dancer

Anthony Dancer — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:03:10 +0000

Roger, do you have any idea where Chris gets his data from I wonder?

And I think your question about state monopoly and services is odd - it seems to suggest they never do. Historically, that’s clearly not the case. It’s true that they don’t often do the best for business though.

And what do you make, I wonder, of SOEs?

By: Roger Kerr

Roger Kerr — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:50:47 +0000

According to Chris Ryan of the Insurance Council, as reported in today’s Dominion Post, “In the time competition existed, employers saved a total of $200 million a year in premiums, the number of claims fell by 40 per cent, deaths halved, the return to work rate improved by 50 per cent and disputes fell by 85 per cent”.
Whenever did a state monopoly do the best job for those using its services?

For a full discussion of the case against ACC, see ‘Accident Compensation: Options for Reform’ at http://www.nzbr.org.nz/documents/publications/publications-1998/acc_options_for_reform.pdf

Roger Kerr
New Zealand Business Roundtable