Waikato Times on ACC

Afters outraged e-mails from Hamiltonians that I did not include the Waikato Times as a major newspaper, I have relented and now include it in my daily read of editorials for anything interesting.

And if last week’s editorial is an example, that may be a good thing:

The ACC blowout is a terrible look for the former Labour Government. It will lead to either greatly increased cost for New Zealanders, a trimming of the service or, more likely, a bit of both.

I don’t think Labour get it. They were actually trying to attack the Government in teh House on ACC. They do not realise their moral authority on ACC is now zero. nada. zilch. They are wasting their questions on areas where National wants them to talk about so National can repeat how the average household under Labour would have been paying $47 a week more in ACC levies. I can already see the TV ads next campaign reminding people of that.

What is worse is that Labour knew before the election more funding would be needed but said nothing.

Technically they have been cleared by a ministerial report that came out this week. The report found Treasury wrongly thought it did not have to include the forecast shortfall in a pre-election financial update because it was not under consideration by ministers. Treasury Secretary John Whitehead said his department took responsibility.

But that shouldn’t let Labour’s ACC Minister Maryan Street and Finance Minister Michael Cullen off the hook.

Indeed. They deliberately avoided making a decision, so that it would not appear.

State-funded ACC has been an effective and successful way of ensuring Kiwis are compensated for loss of earnings through injury. National must now ensure that continues while fixing a mess primarily of Labour’s making.

Labour almost killed ACC off by bloating it. Annual costs doubled from under $1.5 billion to over $3 billion. National’s job is to save ACC so it is affordable.