The Nat’s continue to defend ACC… badly.
The Nat’s ACC policy has already been dubbed the “Australian Cash Cow” Policy, but yet the Nats are still trying to defend the policy as one that will benefit small and middle New Zealand. To date, they’ve been unable to explain why that is the case, and how its going to happen.
Merrill Lynch have already strongly indicated that they are waiting in the wings for a privatization opportunity, and look set to take 200 million from the health coverage of ordinary New Zealander’s, and instead funnel it off into corporate Australia. My bugbear is not really with the fact that the Nats are offering this as a policy, as a center right party with a noticeable neo-liberal twinge this election, its not surprising that something like this is on the table. What does irk me however is when they try to pass it off as a policy that will empower the everyday man, and everyday employer. It will not, and National are yet to provide any substantive analysis of why it would.
Up till now the everyday man has been protected by the safe warm blanket of comprehensive ACC coverage for accidents and injuries. While the legal community and DHBs may have their gripes, its generally been regarded as a system that is working for, and in the best interests of citizens. So much in fact that it has become a model emulated and studied around the world. Theres a reason why in 2005 National kept their ACC policy (which they formulated with the insurance industry) under wraps for as long as a possible – Its a deal breaking issue. And I’ve already come across disenfranchised centrists, who were going to vote Blue, and who are now back-pedaling as fast as possible due to this policy. The ideological merits or foibles of choice and freedom aside, National needs to back up its rhetoric, and it needs to engage voters on this issue, flipping them off, as the video below illustrates, aint winning anyone over.
