Remind me – what is everyone protesting against?

[MSTRS:Me]

IIRC this case was caused by the entry of private insurers into the workplace market. This was a dispute between ACC and AFFCO's insurer, each attempting to offload the claim onto the other. The employee was left stranded in the middle with NOTHING. This would never have happend if both employee and workplace cover were provided by ACC as they'd simply choose which account to assign it to.

To my mind this example perfectly illustrates why private insurers should not be allowed to compete with ACC in this way!

Actually I never heard what (if any) eventual outcome of this case was.


Edit: Sorry, AFFCO may not have used a private insurer, they may have chosen to self insure. Either way the net effect on the claimant was the same.

This happened in Wairoa. The worker was stabbed (or shot, and he may have been on a break or going home - can't remember) in the carpark by a rival gang member who did not work there. I believe he was permanently paralysed. Affco had a private ins agreement, and argued that it was a workplace 'accident' - but the insurer argued that it was not. The argument went on for about a year, eventually it went to court, ACC got involved (how?) and the outcome was that the insurer paid half, and ACC paid the other half. A win for the insurer, and a big loss to the taxpayer who got gouged.
Privatising might sound reasonable in the first instance, but the above is the logical outcome. WE DON'T WANT IT!!!

Edit: Affco may have been their own underwriter, and the crippled worker was claiming the workplace injury. Either way, ACC did get involved and the bill was shared.

[Clockwork]

This happened in Wairoa. The worker was stabbed (or shot, and he may have been on a break or going home - can't remember) in the carpark by a rival gang member who did not work there. I believe he was permanently paralysed. Affco had a private ins agreement, and argued that it was a workplace 'accident' - but the insurer argued that it was not. The argument went on for about a year, eventually it went to court, ACC got involved (how?) and the outcome was that the insurer paid half, and ACC paid the other half. A win for the insurer, and a big loss to the taxpayer who got gouged.
Privatising might sound reasonable in the first instance, but the above is the logical outcome. WE DON'T WANT IT!!!

Edit: Affco may have been their own underwriter, and the crippled worker was claiming the workplace injury. Either way, ACC did get involved and the bill was shared.

Thanks. More like a big win for the Lawyers!

[Badjelly]

...

There's some very good points in there, mate.

On, and just to piss some people off, bling sent!

[James Deuce]

Hey, lookitthat!

We get to pay for the Manawatu River clean up.

Thanks National.

Businesses (including you farmers, I'm looking at you too) screw up a major waterway, a previous government tries to place responsibility with the people creating the problem, and the National/Maori Party Government pops in for a one term fling and sets up a law that makes people struggling with the power bill pay to fix it up instead.

What.

The.

Fuck?

I'm going to start pouring my waste oil in the Hutt river so I can get some of my money back.