1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: So the ACC, it's got a twenty six billion dollar 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: deficit by twenty thirty, that's now now released a plan 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: about how they got to cope with all of this. 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: The plan focuses on quicker rehabilitation for claimants and getting 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: the agency back to basics. And under the new plan, 6 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: the agency projects it will bring in a two billion 7 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: dollar surplus by twenty thirty instead of a twenty six 8 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: billion dollar deficit. That will be a remarkable turnaround. So 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: Warren Forster is an ACC lawyer and researcher, enjoys you 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: now how the Warren. 11 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: Good morning. 12 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: The fact that the plan came out yesterday came as 13 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a bit of a surprise. You did it not? 14 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, We've been waiting for this to be released for 15 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: probably five months and it just got thrown yesterday afternoon, 16 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 2: So it's quite a surprise. And the other thing that's 17 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: missing is that ACC was given the draft plan about 18 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 2: eight months ago and the opportunity to respond to it, 19 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: and they did, and the draft plan and ACC's response 20 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: hasn't been released. For what we generally see with these 21 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: things is that they get watered down in the final process. 22 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 2: So it'll be interesting to see if they actually are 23 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: going to release that. 24 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: Why are they doing this? So they just try to 25 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: hide everything they don't want scrutiny. 26 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: That's effectively what the problem is is that you had 27 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 2: this external review done, the only people they talk to 28 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 2: is ACC and then halfway through their realized, well we 29 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 2: better talk to Treasury as well. But they didn't actually 30 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: talk to anyone on the ground. They didn't pork to 31 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: people from are external to a SEC who actually understand 32 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: the situation in detail. So yeah, that's really what they're 33 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: trying to do. They're trying to avoid scrutiny and they're 34 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: trying to control the narrative, which they've effectively done by 35 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 2: releasing the report along with their plan. 36 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: What did you think of the plan? 37 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: Look, to be honest, the whole reportant plan just completely 38 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: misses what the Act is actually about. And what the 39 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: Act says is that anyone who's going to be off 40 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: word for more than three months need to have an 41 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 2: individual rehabilitation plan that gets the employer, the treatment provided 42 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 2: the person, and a SEC together to make a plan 43 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: for that person. And what's been happening is because ACC 44 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: has got this big book to do visiting digital system, 45 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 2: they've completely ignored that. So people been exited from ACC 46 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: in many parts of New Zealand. About four percent of 47 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: them have a plan that through the south you go, 48 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: the higher the rates and more people have a plan. 49 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 2: But the idea that they're not doing what the Act requires, 50 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: and then they're reinventing the wheel, which is effectively what 51 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: they're doing. They're building a square wheel where they've got 52 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: one in the legislation. They just forgot it exists. And no, 53 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: we're in the plan that ACC is released, No we're 54 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 2: in the report. Do they actually say what's happened here 55 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 2: is ACC has actually failed to fulfill its statutory obligations. 56 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: That's created this big blowout that stopped people getting back 57 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 2: to work. And the responsibility is of the ACC. And 58 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 2: what we're actually going to do now is make them 59 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: do what it says on the box of ACC, which 60 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: is to provide individualized rehabilitation. What they've done is effectively said, oh, 61 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: there's a whole lot of problems here. Don't really know 62 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 2: what they are. We think that the heirs are symptoms. 63 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 2: They described the symptoms of the problem and then said 64 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: it's going to cost us lots of money. We're going 65 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: to have to sort of crack down on ACC. So 66 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 2: that's the narrative of that creating that. To be honest, 67 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 2: it's pretty surprising that we're at a critical junction now 68 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 2: for ACC. We don't need to swing backwards and forwards again. 69 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: We need to make a sustainable plan. 70 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: Whyn I, thank you so much for your time. That's 71 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: Warren Forster. For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. 72 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 2: Listen live to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, 73 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.