Beaumont Carol: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Beaumont Carol: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:660;Page:9243] 
CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) 
: 
 I rise to add my concern to the concerns that have been raised about why we are removing very important words from the title of this bill—words like “injury prevention” and “rehabilitation”—but I want to take a slightly different approach. I intend in this contribution to tie this issue back to some of the strategic priorities of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) because I wonder what the implications of this message the Minister is sending are for the corporation and its work. 
In relation to injury prevention I say that that is clearly the way we could make a real difference to cost containment. Cost containment is supposedly one of the major drivers for many of the changes in this bill; there is very little other justification for some of the arbitrary unfair and discriminatory provisions in the bill. When it comes down to it we are told that the reason for the bill is cost containment. The provision around holidays will save $1 million a year so that is a cost containment measure but even Treasury wonders whether such a small saving is worth it for the unfairness of the provision. That was the advice given. 
But I go back to the words “injury prevention”. These are the most fundamental words that should be in the name of this bill and of any bill to do with accident compensation because injury prevention is where it should start. Injury prevention is more than just cost containment. Obviously it is the most effective way of containing cost but more important it is about ensuring that people do not have accidents—that people do not get hurt that they do not die at work and that they do not lose their parents spouse or child through workplace fatalities see them severely incapacitated through workplace accidents or see them lose income from being off work for a period of time. Injury prevention is about people’s lives and protecting people yet submitter after submitter has said that injury prevention is what is missing here. 
I will finalise my comments in relation to injury prevention by noting that a strategic priority of ACC is to work to reduce injuries and occupational diseases. I wonder what this title is saying in relation to that strategic priority. Thank you. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: We have a number of amendments in the name of Darien Fenton which propose to change and amend the title of the bill. I draw members’ attention to a Standing Order on page 27: “preliminary clauses means the title clause and the commencement clause and if applicable a principal Act clause”—so this preliminary clause is the title clause. The second issue here is that the amendments that are going to make changes must not to be an attempt to criticise the contents. They must be a serious or objective description of the bill rather than simply being an attempt to relitigate issues and criticise the contents. Accordingly the following amendments have been ruled out. These are the amendments that insert words as follows: “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Reduced Emphasis on Rehabilitation to Reduce Costs) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Primary of Cost Reduction) Amendment Act 2010”— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I am sorry to interrupt you but just from the point of view of being helpful could you repeat the Standing Order you are quoting; 27 I thought you said is— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: No page 22. I am ahead of myself a little bit on that because this will come up later— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: So you are going to move through the different amendments to the amendment in the names of the different members and say which ones are not consistent in your view as Chairman. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The first ones we are dealing with here are amendments that attempt to criticise the contents of the bill; amendments have to be serious and in order. If they are an attempt to relitigate issues or criticise the bill the Speakers’ rulings are that they are out of order. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: And you are going to do that— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I am going to go through and explain them. In the first amendment I have ruled out just the words in brackets “(Reduced Emphasis on Rehabilitation to Reduce Costs)”— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: In whose name is that one? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Darien Fenton. I am dealing with ones by Darien Fenton at this stage. The amendments that seek to insert the words “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Experience Ratings) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Alignment with Commercial Insurance Practices) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Alignment with Australian Practices) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Non-Work and Work Account Cost Shifting) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Holiday Pay Exhausted Before Compensation Paid) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Removal of Cover For Those Who Attempt Suicide) Amendment Act 2010” “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Reduction of Cover for those With Hearing Impairments) Amendment Act 2010” and “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Removal of Cover For Those Who Attempt Suicide Reduction of Cover For Those With Hearing Impairments Holiday Pay Exhausted Before Compensation Paid and Non-Work and Work Account Cost Shifting) Amendment Act 2010” are ruled out. 
I now move to the amendment that is in order from Darien Fenton—that is the amendment to amend the title of the Act to “Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Rebalancing Between Non-Work and Work Accounts) Amendment Act 2010”. That is in order.