Another Hodgson half truth
August 11th, 2010 at 3:00 pm by David FarrarPete Hodgson takes a break from his normal dirt gathering on John Key operation, to try a half truth. He blogs:
Declare ACC to be in big financial trouble, even though it collects about $1 billion a year more in revenue than it pays out in claims. Rachet up the levies for everyone. Single out motorcyclists for an especially harsh increase. Then cut the cover for lots of things such as hearing loss. Make it really hard for the victims of sexual abuse.
Monty comments on the post:
You just don’t do this very well do you? This post is one of the worst I have seen from labour MPs – but it is short on facts. The increase in levies is to future fund the committed claims and is actually an extension of what Labour were already doing – in fact Labour’s target was more ambitious than National’s Target which was extended.
Hodgson is just doing his normal smear with his claim that there is no need for levies to go up, and that ACC is collecting far more money than it needs.
If, and this is a big if, Labour were against ACC being “fully” funded to cover the future treatment costs of today’s accidents, then he would not be a total hypocrite with his post.
But Labour is in favour of full funding. They fucking introduced it. They in fact had, as Monty said, a more ambitious target.
One can have a legitimate debate about the merits of full funding ACC. But it is a desperate smear to attack National for running a cash surplus in ACC, when Labour’s policy is to do exactly the same thing.
UPDATE: I’m informed that the policy to fully fund ACC actually was initiated by National in 1998, so Labour did not introduce it, but they did maintain it for nine years
Related posts:
- NZPA on Hodgson
- Hodgson to retire
- Dim Post on Hodgson
- Hodgson admits pledge cards were electioneering
August 11th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
ACC costs just keep going up. Certainly people like the self-employed should be given the choice of opting out and self-insuring. Alternatively there should be a basic plan and then a plan that can cover you for all the expensive things like stress, back pain, sexual abuse etc, all of which are hard to monitor. All the things that Labour added in which have made the whole things such a milestone.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Pot, kettle, black.
ACC is the ultimate political football. Labour and National both use it to make whatever point they want to make. Facts rarely enter into it. Hodgson is just giving it another kick. Fair enough after all the shroud waving the current Government engaged in after the election.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
A half-truth from Hodgson? That’s half a truth more than his usual smears or innuendo.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Hodgson was always much better at neutering tomcats than he was at politics. If he’d stayed doing the former, we the public wouldn’t be burdened with the cost of his parliamentary superannutation and travel benefits once he’s disposed of by Labour. A fleeting time in the body politic and taxpayers are left forking out for this worthless loon until he kicks the bucket.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Once again goes to show that politicians in opposition can say pretty well what they like – especially when election chances are down the dunny with Hekia soon to become an electorate MP giving the Nats one more seat.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Pete Hodgson makes Spud look like a frikking genius.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Jesus Rightnow – you made me snort coffee all over my laptop reading that.
Funniest thing I have read in days!
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
On a serious note, a no-claims rebate and a small excess fee on each claim would likely sort out ACC. The two could be calculated to cancel each other out, and would provide a good incentive for not using the scheme (such as 20% of your levies back each year you don’t make a claim).
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Funniest thing I have read in days!
this did it for me – a comment at Red Alert in response to Monty’s comment DPF mentioned:
dorothy says:
August 10, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Monty you infest this site but what makes you think any of the genuine posters here are remotely interested in your views on anything??
Translation: “lalalalalala I can’t hear what you’re saying because I’ve got my fingers so far in my ears they’re touching each other in the space my brain should occupy”
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
“Genuine posters”… whats that mean, Sycophantic lickspittles?
Just like this government keeps getting “rogue polls” from that “rogue election”, the left in denial. Its a sad case really.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Creepy Pete strikes again.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Compared with the days that Nick Smith was nutting off over ACC, he’s hardly noticeable now. Was he told he went over the top?
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
RightNow (1,143) Says:
August 11th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Absolutely on the money there!!
Self canceling if weighted correctly, and will reduce the volume of frivilous claims.
Better still I reckon it will cut overall claim incidence by say 15%, and then that percentage of staff at ACC can disappear through natural wastage.
18 months later repeat like above.
It was only ever meant to cover accidents. Since when was such as Sexual Abuse or Rape Issues constitute an accident. Theu should be covered out of a Criminal Compensation Scheme funded by bigger fines and fees on the naughty people.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Typical Labour, full of critisism, but offer no alternative…
I wonders if Labour’s policy has changed from “tax and spend”, to “borrow and spend”.
EDIT: Oh wait – what would have changed…
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
I used to respect Hodgons’s views, demeanour and attitude in the earlier days when he held ministerial positions, but over the years he has increasingly become a bitter man, now delving round in the detritus for something that might give meaning to his currently meaningless life.
For Pete’s sake, Pete, give it up and let the better memories stand.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
“For Pete’s sake, Pete, give it up and let the better memories stand.” personally I’m still haunted by the video of Trev and Pete dancing.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Agree with RightNow. Put a $50 or $100 excess on any claim. A lot of ACC is middle class capture, so that would weed that out. Community Serice Card holders could have a $10 excess or whatever. The important thing is not to make it totally free.
A simple measure like that would knock a lot of costs out.
I once heard that 80% of claims are for less than $100. Imagine the adminstrative savings.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
freedom 101
Self employed have been able to partially insure privately for three years now. Talk to your broker about the ACC CoverPlusExtra combo with private cover. If you are aged less than 45 youill save a fortune in levy reductions and still be fully covered for accident AND ILLNESS
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Thanks Adolf. Ageism …. I’m 51. Shall I pop along to the Human Rights Commission? There must be some right I can claim which will make me a burden on everyone else, or am one of only a few members of the endangered tribe “Ngati Taxpayer”?
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
@Rightnow:-
“For Pete’s sake, Pete, give it up and let the better memories stand.” personally I’m still haunted by the video of Trev and Pete dancing.
For me it’s the only thing of value that “Chicken Dance Pete” has done in his total Parliamentary career.
I’ll try hard to put aside the thought that the New Zealand Taxpayers will continue to pay for this prat after he leaves. That hurts!
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Hodgson has been quite well regarded in his home patch.
I tend to agree with that, there are bits of his tenure I could quibble over but he seems to have done reasonably well. It’s a pity he’s taken the role of Labour muckraker, presumably because he is on his way out. As projectman says, it’s an inglorious final impression.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
As Labour’s minister for ACC, Maryan Street dithered over a growing debacle. There was no oversight either of ACC’s administration or of what it really required in the way of determinants for payout. Seemingly, just about anything went.
In 2007 the shortfall was $2.4 billion and – completely unchecked in any form – doubled to $4.8 billion in 2008.
Labour, with its attitudes permanently anchored in emotive claptrap, has never possessed the remotest concept of “deservability” or of the necessity of sustainable funding.
Incredibly, it maintains equally weird belief in some God-given right to the treasury benches.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Hey – a first for me – being quoted on the pre-eminent political blog of NZ. I was going to say Hodgson is an angry little prick who has achieved nothing in his time in Parliament and will not be missed. Gollum is an appropriate name for him and I hope he pisses off in the Chicken run exodus of Labour MPs between and the 2011 election
except speaking the truth will have me banned from Red Alert for years – in fact I am surprised I was not banned for speaking the truth on that Red Alert post.
Vote:August 11th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I was censored by comrade Clare Curran for commenting on this post. All I suggested was that Labour should have been more honest about ACC in the PREFU and she banned the comment. Remember, Clares mission is to rewrite Labours history so that nothing like this is remembered when Labour try and take the reigns again.
I have met Pete as well, and he is an angry man and as tribalist as you can get. I am surprised the students put up with him for so long in North Dunedin.
Vote: