Accident-prone ACC might face a red card too

An article from the Dominion Post by Dave Armstrong

When Nick Smith announced his local government reforms, it sparked robust debate. Newtown basil growers like me were horrified that funding for our local fire-eating festivals might be cut, yet many Kiwis looked forward to lower rates and a reduction in the bloated salaries of council chief executives.
But then we were distracted by two letters written by him on ministerial letterhead. We were far too busy watching Dr Smith going to Coventry to discuss anything else.
The Opposition flexed its muscles in a way I haven't seen for some time. Union heavy Andrew Little kicked off by calling for Mr Smith's resignation. Then Labour's Grant Robertson and Green MP Kevin Hague tag-teamed as they tackled National on the open and blindside flanks. Mr Robertson called Dr Smith "hopelessly conflicted", and Mr Hague asked some excellent questions about the present culture inside ACC.
Labour leader David Shearer stood at the back of the scrum  with Graham Mourie-like aloofness  overlooking proceedings. He did not immediately call for Dr Smith's resignation but wiffled that an inquiry might be needed. It was only late in the game that he waffled that perhaps Mr Smith should go.
But it was Winston Peters who was the real impact player. Using the protection of parliamentary privilege, he repeatedly eye-gouged the Government with a number of Loe blows, describing the saga of Dr Smith and his friend without ACC benefits as a "shabby case involving blackmail, sex, a minister with a conflict of interest". Now that's a sound bite.
Like any good captain, Prime Minister John Key refused to drop his player over a yellow card, but when a second letter was found, yellow turned to red. Then, and only then, Mr Key decided Dr Smith's behaviour was "sumply not a septible". In a brilliant display of obfuscation, he patiently explained to the waiting hack pack how the damning first letter did not constitute grounds for Smith to resign but the innocuous second letter did.
Nick Smith's blubbing resignation was not pretty. He's been in the place more than 20 years and, though accident-prone, was capable. During the Rena crisis, while surrounded by a swirling sea of incompetence, he stayed positively buoyant.
So will his resignation do any good? Though he had to go, I worry that the Right will use the debacle as an argument to privatise ACC. The organisation is not perfect, but as any Christchurch resident still waiting for the payout on their munted home will tell you, private insurance systems have more than their fair share of faults.
This sad case also smacked of old-fashioned, Tory privilege. There's little fuss when a poor person gets no help from ACC, but when a National Party apparatchik is treated shabbily, the heavy artillery is rolled out. Bronwyn Pullar turning up to a meeting with Michelle Boag as support reminds me of Frank Sinatra getting Ronald Reagan to sign his casino licence. Those ACC officials must have been terrified, knowing that hell hath no fury like the Boagy-woman scorned.
And how on Earth do you send an entire spreadsheet of names by mistake? I admit, a mate of mine occasionally texts me at midnight with requests like "hey babe, you feel like a hot visit" but that's because his girlfriend is right below me on the alphabetical address book of his cellphone. But sending 6000 confidential names containing highly sensitive information to someone with a known grievance with ACC is sumply not a septible.
ACC should be an organisation that helps all New Zealanders, regardless of their political connections. At present, it reminds me of Winz in the dim dark Christine Rankin days when the "clients" seemed to be treated like the enemy rather than people in genuine need.
ACC is a wonderful concept in theory, but those MPs calling for an inquiry are right. Questions need to be asked, and a robust inquiry might make the Accident Compensation Commission a little less accident prone.

© 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd

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