Laura McClure: ACT MP on the party's criticisms of ACC measures focused on race

ACT is criticising ACC measures that aim to reduce disproportionate workplace injuries among Māori and Pasifika.

It's written to the ACC Minister, asking if targets with an ethnic focus match a Cabinet requirement for need-based public service.

Act MP Laura McClure says she hasn't seen evidence to back the targets.

"It's completely lazy - and I actually think it is a bit racist to say one particular group of people needs specific targeted training."

ACC says it's confident its services are based on need, not race.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
God together due to Celis, there's some tension in the
coalition over ongoing race based policies. It turns out that
ACC is still using ethnic targeting. This is despite the
government minister's telling the public servants to stop it. ACC
wants to reduce about five five hundred injury claims in
the manufacturing sector, but they're specifying that eighteen percent of
those must be from Maori workers and eleven percent of

(00:22):
those must be from pacifica workers. Laura McClure is acts
ACC spokesperson. Hey Laura, are you there, Laura, I am here. Hello, Yes,
I can thank.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
You an grace.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Why wasn't the stopped?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Look, we are not too sure and in the Minister's defense,
there is a separation between obviously the ministry and the minister,
so it has come from ACC itself. However, now we've
been alluded to it, we would expect the minister in
the Minister's office to actually have a little review of
this and check that it does actually align with the

(00:56):
cabinets clear and clear directive around services to be provided
on need not race.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, you've written to Scottsson, the relevant minister here. Has
there been any indication that Scott Simpson actually wants to
kill this off.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Look, not so far. I mean I probably wouldn't be
on air with you this afternoon if we had heard back.
But so far, not at all. But yet, Look, we're hopeful.
I think that there is. The coalition's good. We've got
a good work in relationship with Scott, so hopeful that he'll.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Have you read the newsroom article on this.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I don't know if I have.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Has it just popped up, No, it's been up all
day basically, Laura. But it seems to me that Scott
Simpson's pretty stoked with this and is going to carry
on with it.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Oh look, I mean if that is what Scott has quoted,
then that is on him. But look, I think the
Cabinet Director was very clear around making sure that we
have services that are based on need and not race,
and this policy here, as far as we're concerned, we've
not received any good evidence to show that actually this

(02:00):
is targeted and it's well targeted. So I think that
it does go. You know, it's completely against the Cabinet
directive and I think that we need to be really
serious about this government's intentions.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Scott Simpson says the initiative is in fact need based.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, that might be something that Scott does say, and
I'm yet to see an evidence, and look, I'm up
to be convinced otherwise, but so far we've not been provided,
or my offices have not been provided any evidence that
this is in fact actually evidence based. I mean, as
far as I'm concerned, I think it's great that we're
going to be targeting a seat are like manufacturing. I

(02:39):
think that is a good thing to do. But everybody
decerves to go to work and come home safe, And
it's completely lazy, and I actually think it is a
bit racist saying one group of people or a particular
group of people need some specific targeted training and what's
going to happen to the rest of everybody else? Yeah,
I think that's actually really uncare.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Laura, Thanks, mate, really appreciate it. Laura McClure, act party
spokesperson for ACC. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to News Talks it B from four pm weekdays,
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