King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:659;Page:8445] 
1. Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by his comment “this Government is not prepared to turn its back on our most vulnerable citizens”? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the  
Prime Minister 
: Yes. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does he believe that women who have been sexually abused are vulnerable citizens; if so is he aware that women have had their accident compensation - funded treatment stopped part-way through because of recent changes made by his Government to accident compensation guidelines an action that has been described by clinicians as unethical and immoral? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The changes that the member refers to were initiated by the previous Government long before the accident compensation scheme’s financial problems were revealed. This Government agrees though that clinicians not politicians should make decisions about sensitive claims. However we have already signalled that there will be a review of the changes and we will act if the review finds that the changes are not working. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Even those of us who are sitting quite close to the Minister could not hear any of that answer because of the constant barracking from at least a dozen Labour MPs. I think it is tough for this Parliament and for the acting Leader of the Opposition to ask a question and then have her colleagues scream down the answer so that no one can hear it. I ask how that helps Parliament. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Speaking to— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not need further assistance on this. I accept that the members of the Opposition did not like the answer they were hearing but they must be reasonable in their interjections so that members can hear the Minister’s answer. 
Hon Annette King 
: Is he aware that both Massey University and now the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) have disowned the statement made by the Minister for ACC Nick Smith that the new accident compensation guidelines that affect victims of sexual abuse were developed by Massey University when in fact they were developed by the ACC under this Government not a Labour Government and that yesterday the guidelines were labelled by clinicians as a “rapist’s charter”; and will he now listen to the clinicians even if his Minister will not? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: It is a very very sensitive issue that we are dealing with quite obviously and it is not at all helped by the inflammatory language used by the member in asking that question. The Prime Minister is well advised on these matters and has stated that the Government has already signalled there will be a review of the changes. We will act if the review finds that the changes are not working. 
Hon Annette King 
: Has he seen the list released by clinicians yesterday which highlighted 54 individual cases of people who have been sexually abused some as young as 12 years of age who have had their treatment denied or stopped because of changes made to the scheme by his Government; and will he intervene to stop this roll call of shame growing? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I am unable to answer as to whether the Prime Minister has seen that list but I repeat again that the Government has signalled there will be a review of the changes. We will act to make further changes if we find that the system is not working. It all takes time. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does he believe that Bill a former railway engineer who lost his hearing from a workplace injury and who is now not eligible for a hearing aid under the changes that his Government has made to the accident compensation scheme is a vulnerable citizen; and will he have the Minister for ACC intervene in Bill’s case as he did on television recently for war veteran Eric Brady who had his dentures smashed in an assault? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I would make it very clear that this Government inherited the accident compensation scheme in a dreadful state. The Prime Minister has every confidence that the Minister for ACC the Hon Dr Nick Smith is doing a great job in ensuring that New Zealanders continue to be well treated and served by the organisation that administers the scheme. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Does he believe that our elderly are vulnerable; if so why has his Government cancelled the falls prevention programme which keeps older people out of hospital and which research indicated saved $2 for every $1 spent on it? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I do not have the details that the member wants to put in front of us— 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: I tabled it. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The Prime Minister does not read every scrap of paper tabled by the Opposition because that is what most of them are—scraps of rubbishy paper. The Prime Minister though has every confidence that the Hon Dr Nick Smith is doing everything that he can to ensure that ACC continues to deliver excellent service to New Zealanders. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Why does his Government believe that a 12-year-old girl who was coerced into a violent sexual relationship and who was declined counselling is not vulnerable enough to qualify under the National Government’s accident compensation guidelines? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I have already stated that those provisions were initiated by the previous Government. But we have said that as a result of the review should the changes that have come about be found to be in any way wanting then we will act upon that. 
Lynne Pillay 
: Why is it OK for the Minister of Finance to have claimed $900 a week to keep his family together when the National Government says that rape victims from dysfunctional families should get nothing? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That is simply an untrue statement. 
Hon Annette King 
: I seek leave to table the list of 54 individuals who have had accident compensation claims denied or stopped under this Government’s changes to accident compensation policy. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the member mind telling the House the source of the list. 
Hon Annette King 
: It was put together by clinicians and was released to the media yesterday but obviously not seen— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is sufficient. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.