John Robertson: ACC and Maori healing

Let’s not kid ourselves. ACC is supposed to be a taxpayer-funded injury insurer. You pay your levies. You get hurt. They fix you with stuff that actually works — medicine, science, evidence. That’s the deal. That’s the social contract.

But somewhere along the line, metaphysical mumbo-jumbo has snuck in and taken over. ACC is now paying for Rongoā Māori, a so-called “healing program” built on Māori spiritual beliefs. And at the heart of it? Tikanga.