It's a funny world

[peasea]

Bless ya mate......just have to avoid the system sucking you under cause one day it will change...I have lots to say at this forum tomorrow.....

I have a physically disabled family member and know how things are. I also work at a school part time and see the money spent on making life easier for the disabled. Those born with disabilities sure do get the short end of the stick and when you see the Govt spending up large on b/s projects (pick any or several) it makes you want to puke. While I admit there are many worthwhile things that need attention surely human life should rate right up there. On the North Shore there were the dotterels (feathered things that needed hundreds of thousands spent on them coz their bed got moved) and on the West Coast some snails looked like dinner (which cost a similar truckload of cash to relocate) and still those who had nothing to do with anything have to struggle to retain their dignity, their mobility and often their rights.

It sucks alright. Give Helen a ring, she's got plenty to spend on art.
Maybe we should burn a Macahn in protest?

[Dadpole]

While reading this, it pisses me off that in Masterton is a mobility van that was supplied to someone but is never used. Instead, our company mobility van is called out any time he wishes to go somewhere. All courtesy of ACC.

[oldrider]

Fucken sucks Graham, I know what you're going through.

From age 11 months, my foster brother lived with us. He had svere Cerbral Palsy and required 24 hour attention. My mum did most (read all) of the work, in return they were paid a small board allowance.

After five years (he was expected to survive two), mum and dad were made legal guardians. For years and years, Mum battled for funding and support to get items which would make Andys (and ours) lives easier. Lotteries funded a shitty Nissan Caravan van that would allow is wheelchair to be accomodated while some fuckhead who lost his legs in a car crash while drunk, got a new Comodore and hand controls fitted.

This fucken system sucks.

I can vouch for what he says, I knew the family then and the work that they put in for Andy was bloody fantastic and the support they got from welfare etc was absolutely minimal.

That was one time you really could "feel the love" and it flowed both ways too!

The progress Andy made with their family was miraculous the whole family are Saints in my mind. John.

[slowpoke]

Having been in Oz for 15 years I'm outta touch with the ACC system but there seems to be some obvious glaring inconsistencies. The system itself sounds fantastic in theory but the application is obviously flawed.

The obvious question is: how do we change it?

The point has been raised, the issue acknowledged as genuine, so what/who/how can we make it better? Who do we approach? Who is responsible?

The glaring inconsistencies are sensationalist enough to grab the attention of the media so it shouldn't be that hard to get some impetus in the debate. If half the words written here had been spoken in the right ear then we could be part way to some positive changes.

This is a motorcycling forum after all and there is a fair chance that many of us will be requiring it's services at some point or other.

[White trash]

I can vouch for what he says, I knew the family then and the work that they put in for Andy was bloody fantastic and the support they got from welfare etc was absolutely minimal.

That was one time you really could "feel the love" and it flowed both ways too!

The progress Andy made with their family was miraculous the whole family are Saints in my mind. John.

Thanks John. You'll be pleased to hear the old man arrives back in NZ tomorrow morning, I'll make sure he gets in touch when he's down your way.

Jimmy

[oldrider]

Having been in Oz for 15 years I'm outta touch with the ACC system but there seems to be some obvious glaring inconsistencies. The system itself sounds fantastic in theory but the application is obviously flawed.

The obvious question is: how do we change it?

Deregulate it again and reintroduce competition, it worked better then! John.

[Winston001]

IMHO we are far better off having ACC than the legal damages/compensation system which exists in the rest of the world. Just ask any Kiwi living in Australia - you need insurance for everything.

ACC is no-fault. You don't have to prove someone caused your accident and try to get damages from them.

However my heart goes out to you Graham and other people dealing with disabilities. The original 1967 Woodhouse Report, which was the foundation for the revolutionary 1972 Accident Compensation Act, recommended that it cover sickness and disability.

Norman Kirk's government which inheirited the new scheme said they'd add sickness etc once it was up and running. But that never happened because in the early days ACC was a real learning curve for everyone. Eventually the government came to the conclusion that full coverage was simply unaffordable in New Zealand.

This was in the wake of the 1973 oil shock and NZ was in dire financial straits. Britain joined the EEC in 1972 and we lost half our overseas markets overnight.

I still think full cover should be introduced even if it meant GST rising to 15%.