Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:654;Page:4145] 
12.  
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
 to the  
Minister for ACC 
: Does he stand by all the comments he made during the debate on the financial review of ACC last Tuesday 26 May 2009? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for ACC) 
: 
 Yes. I particularly stand by my statement that during Labour’s final 3 years in Government Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)’s liabilities increased by $10.5 billion equivalent to an additional debt of $5000 for every household. I stand by it because it is a strong reminder of how financially irresponsible Labour was and why its members would never again be trusted with the Treasury benches. 
Grant Robertson 
: Will the Minister apologise to staff at ACC and the chief executive for pre-empting the announcement of the loss of 70 jobs at ACC’s corporate office in his speech during the financial review debate? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Members opposite demand that Ministers be open and transparent. I was of the understanding that staff were informed on Tuesday prior to the debate. I subsequently found out that only senior staff had been informed. I think the apology should be from Labour that allowed a huge expansion of ACC’s head office that now means that this Government has to deal with the mess it left us. 
Grant Robertson 
: How does the Minister think that by pre-emptively announcing the loss of 70 jobs and now refusing to apologise for doing so he upholds his Government’s promise to “Promote an environment of professionalism and mutual respect.” in the Public Service.? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Nowhere in the statement I made in the House did I mention 70 staff. What I did say was that this Government’s policy is to focus public services on the front line. I make no apologies for that. The apology that is owed is to this Parliament and to the people of New Zealand and it should come from Labour. It left the accident compensation scheme in a huge mess which has required these sorts of difficult decisions. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave to table an email from the chief executive of ACC to all staff at ACC that apologises for Dr Nick Smith’s comments in the financial review debate. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is an objection. 
Michael Woodhouse 
: Did the head office of ACC expand excessively as occurred in most Government head offices during the Labour Government’s tenure? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The head office of ACC expanded by 30 percent including over 100 additional staff during the last 5 years. It seems that the Labour members are far more— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am struggling to see the ministerial responsibility for this Minister in the answer he is giving and for how on the earth the question could have been in order. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Mr Woodhouse’s question was about the number of staff and the degree to which the head office had expanded over the last 3 years. I think that is eminently sensible in a debate around the changes—[ 
Interruption 
] I thought points of order were meant to be heard in silence. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I ask the Minister to please continue the point of order. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The question from the member was about the degree to which the head office of ACC had expanded in recent years. That is eminently relevant to a debate about the changes that the Government is currently having to make. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think it is an interesting point of order that the Hon Darren Hughes has raised but there is an informational responsibility that the Minister has in terms of what he has inherited from the previous administration. The issue around the question was in many ways based on the insertion of an assertion into the question. I ask members to forgive me but so many questions do that; they insert a political statement into the question. If I as Speaker were to rule out all the questions that contained an allegation or a statement I do not think we would get very far. I realise some of these things are a bit marginal but I think the point made by the Hon Dr Nick Smith is also valid so I ask him to answer the question. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The corporate office of ACC expanded from 377 staff to 490 staff over the last 5 years. This is an increase of 30 percent. At the same time the debt or liabilities of the accident compensation scheme increased by over $10.5 billion. That is a legacy that the previous Government should be ashamed of. 
Grant Robertson 
: Could I ask a supplementary question? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the honourable member but in fact his party’s allocation of supplementary questions has been used up.