Woman denies threat against ACC

Michelle Boag. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The woman who was accidentally sent thousands of records about ACC claimants has denied she tried to use the mistake as leverage to get a two-year guaranteed benefit.

Former National Party insider and ACC client Bronwyn Pullar last week went to the media following an incident last August when she was accidentally emailed a spreadsheet containing information about other claimants.

The document included about 9000 records relating to about 6700 individuals, including a number of clients with sensitive claims - injuries resulting from sexual abuse or sexual assault.

In a statement this morning, Ms Pullar denied ACC accusations that at a meeting in December she attempted to use the data to get a two-year guaranteed benefit from the corporation, saying she never used the words "payment'', "guaranteed'' or "benefit''.

"I made no threats and no demands of ACC. I made no threats and no demands for return of the information. I did not threaten ACC that I would inform the media of the alleged privacy issue. I did not threaten ACC to get my own way in any way,'' she said.

"ACC were advised the file had been sent by one of their staff. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how ACC could most effectively support my rehabilitation and return to work.''

Ms Pullar said that at the end of the meeting a document was tabled identifying 45 privacy and protocol breaches, which the two managers present were asked to address with the chief executive, the board, and the minister.

With regard to the leaked emails, Ms Pullar said it could not be construed as a threat to go public, "as it was openly copied to five people in the media at the same time''.

Ms Pullar suffered a head injury in a 2002 bicycle accident that she said left her unable to work fulltime, and has been battling with ACC over its assessments of her ability to work.