Changes being proposed to New Zealand’s publicly owned Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) could block access to counselling for victims of sexual abuse. The changes will require sexual abuse victims to be diagnosed with a mental illness under the US Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 4 before they can receive counselling. On Monday hundreds of people around the country marched against the changes. The New Zealand Herald reported that 170 people attended a rally at Auckland’s Albert Park, followed by a march to the city’s ACC branch. The Dominion Post reported 200 people in attendance at the Wellington protest and Christchurch had similar numbers.

Dr Kim McGregor who did a study of sexual abuse counselling for her PhD and wrote the existing ACC guidelines, addressed the Auckland rally in her capacity as a therapist. According to The Standard she has promised to resign as an ACC registered therapist if these new guidelines are implemented. North Shore psychotherapist Christine Hatcher who was on the Auckland march said she would not take any more ACC-funded clients because it was against her code of ethics “to put survivors of sexual abuse through more trauma than they have already been through”

The government initially had difficulties finding enough votes in parliament required to make the changes, the libertarian ACT party wants legislation to open up ACC to competition from the private sector, and have been negotiating with the National party to get this policy enacted in law. While this was going on however, the Maori Party, which at first opposed the changes, decided to support the required legislation in its first reading. Since then, co leader Tariana Turia has said they will “not rule out” supporting the ACT policy of opening ACC to competition.