1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: J accas and crisis. I'm not sure if that's news 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: to you. Are not. They're sinking in a sea of debt. 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: They're forecast in four short years to begin the whole 4 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: to the tune of twenty six billion dollars. Now, there 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: are a side issues like court cases, who make decisions 6 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: that envelop the organization into a fiscal level of responsibility 7 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: they can't calculate, and in that I feel sorry for them. 8 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: But their turnaround plan, which has just been launched, involves 9 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: them getting back to black in said four years that, 10 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: if done, will be well worth applauding. Now I've got 11 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: no doubt it can be done, mainly because the problem 12 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: is one of will and determination. But it does involve 13 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: tough decisions, a bit of backbone, and a whole new attitude. 14 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: Couple of key figures give the story away in my view. 15 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 1: Figure one, the number of people in the past decade 16 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: who are on long term payments has gone from twelve 17 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: thousand to twenty four thousand. In other words, is doubled. 18 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: Has the population doubled in that time? No, it has not. 19 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: Have we fallen over a lot more? Not necessarily? Have 20 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: we milked a system able to be milked. Yes, we 21 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: have figure two cost of rehab. Same period, it's gone 22 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: from two billion a year to four billion, doubled as 23 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: inflation doubled. No, it hasn't. Have people seen ACC coming 24 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: and adjusted their costs accordingly, Yes they have. The whole 25 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: thing is not a lot short of a scam. It's 26 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: an industry in which if you take your eye off 27 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: the ball, make the rules convoluted, and look to scrimp 28 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: and save in the wrong areas, it's ripe for the 29 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: sort of calamatous outcome that's clearly eventuated. Literally half the 30 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: country claims ACC each year. It's astonishing, it's not normal. Recently, 31 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: family member was a recipient of ACC. Without boring you 32 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: at the details, at times, ACC seemed determined this person 33 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: should not return to work. There was a rigid inflexibility 34 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: in their approach. Rules were rules. Ironically, this family member 35 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: was desperate to get back to work, but said any 36 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: number of doctors and specialists, not before just a bit 37 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: more treatment, do that two million times over, and your 38 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: twenty six billion in the whole. The good news is 39 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: there is no reason it can't be fixed. The question 40 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: mark is do they have the gonads and the wherewithal 41 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 42 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: news talks that be from six am weekdays, or follow 43 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio