Ani O'Brien: Answers to Stuff You Wanted to Know.

A couple of days ago I asked you what you wanted me to write about between now and the election. This was, in retrospect, dangerous. You could have jumped the shark and I would have had to politely ignore all suggestions. But my faith in the intelligence of my readership was justified!

You had a lot of questions. Some of them are enormous and deserve proper essays of their own. Quite a few of you want me to go back down the He Puapua and co-governance rabbit hole, others want a forensic examination of TOP, and several want me to work out what a Labour-Green-Te Pāti Māori-TOP government might actually look like. There was also interest in strategic voting, electorate races, and what the minor parties could extract from National or Labour in coalition negotiations.

I will endeavour to write essays covering as many of those topics as possible. But there were also lots of questions that have reasonably straightforward answers. So I thought I would begin with a kind of Q+A format.

Consider this the first instalment of Stuff You Wanted to Know.

David Farrar: Meet the Greens – ACC

Labour appear to have decided on a strategy of releasing as little policy as possible, making it difficult to assess the impact on us of a Labour-led Government.

Fortunately the Greens are not shy in releasing policy, so in the absence of Labour policy I am going to look at Greens policy to get some idea of what the costs will be of a change in government.

Ani O'Brien: Rot - ACC has problems

Rot in the Accident Compensation Corporation

This saga begins with a cringeworthy cliche scandal which morphs into a bigger classic case of rotten nepotism and self-interest. Then a second scandal pops up, and then, in the process of mopping these scandals up, the whole thing becomes an almost comedic additional problem.

Peter Dunne: ACC coverage for emergency service volunteers

Yes Minister’s Sir Humphrey Appleby once advised his Minister that “nothing must be done for the first time” because “doing the ‘right thing’ once could create a dangerous precedent, obligating one to do it again.” Therefore, he argued it was best to do nothing at all, thereby avoiding setting any precedent.

Mike's Minute: ACC and their race-based policy

It is being reported as a scrap, which I'm not sure is accurate.

But if it is, it is a shame and probably a lesson for the combatants, who are both supposed to be on the same side.

But under MMP, is anyone on the same side?

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: National needs to stop this ACC business before it loses votes

Now, listen, I hope that this ACC business is a Scott Simpson problem and not a National problem, but I'm starting to get a little worried about it - because this is at least the 3rd case of race-based stuff still happening under National when we thought National was going to put a stop to it.

David Lillis: Non-Conventional Medicines: Choices for All?

Disclaimer

I have written this article as a person not trained in medicine, though I have had extensive interaction with people who are suffering from cancer and have provided a very small amount of statistical advice to cancer researchers. I am concerned that we create a problem when we offer the choice between conventional medicine and other treatments. This is because people who choose the latter tend to have worse outcomes than those who choose conventional medicine. Because this article is intended for a lay audience, I refer to secondary sources of information rather than primary, research-based, sources. So - I leave it to the reader to consider what I have said, conduct further investigation and either accept or reject my arguments. 

Peter Dunne: ACC and firefighters

New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme has long been hailed as world leading. Introduced just over 50 years ago, ACC (as it is widely known) provides comprehensive coverage for personal injuries for all New Zealanders and visitors. In return for ACC’s no-fault coverage, New Zealanders have given up the right to sue in cases of personal injury.

Damien Grant: ACC is the uniquely Kiwi success story we need to ask questions about

“Ministers should not be raising taxes or reducing public spending to compensate for ACC deficits in pursuit of a short-term surplus target” declared the Honourable Nicola Willis. Which made me curious. ACC deficit?


ACC is a uniquely Kiwi success story that would be considered a catastrophic miscalculation in most jurisdictions. Workers killed or injured in the workplace cannot sue those responsible. Instead we pay them a remittance from the exchequer. 80% of your income, up to a fairly low maximum, and a few quid if you lose your arm.

Chris Lynch: ACC to undergo independent review, with levy hikes on the way

ACC Minister Matt Doocey has announced an independent review of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in response to concerns about declining rehabilitation rates and increasing costs to businesses and households.

The review will focus on ACC’s claims management processes, ensuring the right interventions are in place to support claimants in regaining independence quickly.

Centrist: Broad funding guidelines for Rongoā Māori, while other alternative therapies remain uncovered by ACC

What is Rongoā Māori?

Rongoā (also known formally as Rongoā Māori), a traditional healing practice, is officially recognised by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in rehabilitation programmes, but loose guidelines regarding its definition raise concerns. Anyone can access this service equally under ACC.

John MacDonald: ACC is in desperate need of treatment

Here’s my perception of ACC: some people get ACC pay-outs at the drop of a hat and others have to fight, for what can be years.

And it’s the fighting bit that seems to be biting ACC on the backside, with the news that it’s gone from having a $900 million surplus last year to a $7.2 billion deficit this year.

It’s saying one of the reasons for that is that the courts are coming out with rulings telling it to pay people more money than it wanted to in the first place. Which, if that is the case, tells me that the ACC model is broken. It needs a re-think.

John MacDonald: Is it time to end the ACC freeride for tourists?

This is not the first time I’ve said this, but we are the people’s republic of pushovers, aren’t we? The way we give overseas visitors free ACC cover.

Even more so when you consider the news that ACC wants to increase its levies by two or three times the rate of inflation over the next three years because it's taking longer and costing more for people to recover from their injuries.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 6/7/23

Govt dishes up $4.6m to help put the kibosh (or should that be ‘kaibosh’?) on food waste

Sums of government spending feature in three of four new ministerial statements posted on the government’s official website since Point of Order’s previous Buzz report.

One of the new spending announcements deals with waste.

Point of Order: Code of conduct for school board members is announced.....

.....by a minister whose grasp of Parliament’s rules is in question

Education Minister Jan Tinetti brings news of a book of rules for school board members at the same time as her own grasp of Parliament’s rule book has been brought into question.

Tinetti has announced a compulsory code of conduct to “ensure school board members are crystal clear on their responsibilities and expected standard of behaviour”.

How crystal clear she might be on her responsibilities as a minister and the standard of behaviour expected of her is questionable.

Point of Order: Too much fun is coming out of Otago....

.....so the govt has put $2.25m into a trough for other regions to have a lick

It’s a toss-up to decide which is more unnecessary – the investment of $2.25 million of public money in an industry which has almost doubled its revenue over the past year or the drafting and legislating of a bill to have things done that could be done without a statute.

The investment is in the rapidly growing game development sector. The latest data from the New Zealand Game Developers Association shows the total revenue for the industry is $407 million, compared to $276 million a year ago.

Point of Order: Brace for more change and for the Treaty to be further sanctified in public policy prescriptions

It’s a great day for change or the prospect of change – of the Earthquake Commission, the teaching of history in our schools, the work of the ACC and gambling regulations. It’s a great day, too, for the Ardern government’s programme of sanctifying the Treaty of Waitangi.

Earthquake Commission Minister David Clark announced that making a claim following a natural disaster will be easier soon thanks to a Bill introduced today.

Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti announced a review of pokie machine regulations to “reduce harm to vulnerable communities” (or people who gamble money when they can’t afford to lose).

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced every young person in school will soon start learning about how New Zealand’s histories have shaped our lives.

Mike Butler: Work risk grossly exaggerated

A current work safely television advertisement campaign claims that last year there were 23,000 deaths and serious injuries in New Zealand when the actual figure is 450.

Wellington risk specialist Ian Harrison smelt a rat when he saw the adverts so reviewed the evidence to find that the claims were grossly exaggerated. He filed a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority.