Wednesday, June 13, 2012



A bloodbath

That's the only way to describe the "resignations" at ACC in the wake of the Bronwyn Pullar saga. Chairman John Judge, board members John McCliskie and Rob Campbell, and now the CEO. It looks like the entire sewer is having a thorough cleanout.

But will it be enough? ACC's core problem is a toxic institutional culture which sees clients as cheats and fraudsters and claims as something to be reflexively denied. While some of that comes from the top and its relentless focus on cost-saving, it has seeped in throughout the organisation over decades. And as we saw with WINZ, it takes more than just a change of leadership to correct that sort of cultural dysfunction and change the mindset from seeing clients as the enemy back to ensuring people receive their full entitlements. Assuming of course the new leadership is even interested in making such a change - and given that its Paula Rebstock, I think that is very much in doubt.