4 Apr 2012

Auditor-general to investigate ACC

5:29 pm on 4 April 2012

The auditor-general is to investigate aspects of how the ACC board deals with risks such as conflicts of interest.

The country's top auditor will investigate among other things, ACC's policies and practices for when claimants personally contact board members.

Other inquiries into the privacy breaches around Ms Pullar's ACC claims are already underway by the Privacy Commissioner, the corporation's board and police.

National MP Nick Smith quit as a cabinet minister in March this year over his own conflicts of interest with Ms Pullar and ACC.

The auditor-general's office said she would be making no comment beyond announcing the inquiry and its terms.

The ACC Minister Judith Collins is threatening defamation action against two Labour MPs and Radio New Zealand over claims about ACC leaks.

The chair of ACC John Judge says the inquiry is an excellent idea and they will be co-operating fully.

He says he is confident ACC is handling all potential risks properly.

Labour says the Government should step in now to set up a single high ranking investigation in place of all the others.