4 September 2012

Rebstock’s appointment highlights opportunity for ACC

The appointment of Paula Rebstock as permanent chair of ACC is an opportunity to steer the corporation back towards the role and principles it was founded on, the Green party said today.

Ms Rebstock has been interim chair of ACC since John Judge stood down and today was appointed chairperson.

“Ms Rebstock has a huge responsibility to turn the ACC ship around,” Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said today.

“Recent reports into ACC by the Auditor General and the Privacy Commissioner have called for major top-level change at the corporation.

“New Zealanders will expect a very different performance and attitude from ACC than they saw when Ms Rebstock was a board member under John Judge and the previous ACC minister Nick Smith.

“Her dual roles in both ACC and Work and Income will require her to be particularly conscious that it is not acceptable to exit people from ACC only to have them end up on WINZ benefits.

“Ordinary New Zealanders don’t like the profit-driven, privacy-abandoning organisation that ACC has become and want it to return to the principals it was founded on.

“It’s pretty basic really. Kiwis gave up the right to sue for a no-fault system that guaranteed them proper compensation and rehabilitation when they were hurt and injured. Its about giving injured New Zealanders the chance of a good life and a fair future.

“Ms Rebstock has a huge job to lead the top-level change that’s needed to make that happen,” Mr Hague said.

ENDS

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