Taxpayers' Union welcomes ACC's evidence-based funding reset

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACC’s decision to halt funding to Water Safety New Zealand, saying taxpayers deserve spending based on results, not emotion, lobbying, or good intentions alone.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman, Jordan Williams, said:

“ACC isn’t a charity. It’s funded by taxes and every dollar spent has to be shown to actually reduce injuries and claims. Good intentions are not enough."

“If a programme can’t prove it works, taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund it.”

“Feel-good funding is not good-enough funding.”

The Union says ACC’s job is to prevent injuries cost-effectively, not hand out grants to advocacy groups without clear evidence.
 

Back in 2014 the Taxpayers' Union uncovered an ACC rort (as described by the then-Minister of ACC) involving the Council of Trade Unions and Business NZ who were being paid to conduct "health and safety training" that was found to have zero impact. It was, in the case of the CTU, being used to sell the benefits of union membership. In that case, it took exposing the cost-benefit analysis of ACC to force them to cut the programme.

"It's good to see ACC are not waiting to be publicly shamed into the decision."

“Drowning prevention is very important, but importance is not evidence. If the data doesn’t stack up for Water Safety NZ's programmes, the funding shouldn’t either.”