Henare PeeniHon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister for ACC): Tēnā koe Madam Assistant Speaker and thank you for this opportunity to speak on this particular bill the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill. Can I point out to the House from the outset the irony of many of the speeches from that side of the House where those members on that side of the House stand there and proudly pat one of their colleagues on the back for this particular bill yet in the same breath often discuss that the submissions weren't met in the scope of this bill and that perhaps more should have been done. So my advice to that side of the House is to look inside the camp before they actually start having a go if you like at this side of the House on what is essentially a good bill. In particular I hear a number of the speakers talk about the retrospective look at those who represent our country in and around the world. It's fantastic to hear this particular step is being made. I speak from a very particular point of view on this matter given I'm a diplobrat" myself. My father was a foreign affairs diplomat and in our time overseas I wonder if in particular this part of the Act would have come into his psyche or into his thinking when—Hon David Parker: He would have been covered.Hon PEENI HENARE: He would have been covered that's right. However—Hon David Parker: It was accidentally repealed.Hon PEENI HENARE: That's right. We were getting there Mr Parker but thank you for highlighting that. But as a diplobrat myself I think these are good moves to ensure that those who do represent our country—and I know they do a great job overseas and we want to make sure that they and their families are well looked after.The other side of the House also talked about the review process—section 402—and I want to touch just briefly on that because what we are actually doing here is making a step in the right direction to ensure that the review process that's available to clients of ACC is actually far more robust so that there isn't confusion in this space.As Associate Minister for ACC one of my delegations is around the correspondence that is received by ACC primarily from those clients who either feel that they haven't received what they're due or are disgruntled with the review process that they've entered into to make sure that their claim is heard fairly. I think this particular part of the bill will make sure as well as other pieces of work that are done outside of this legislation by ACC that that review process is far more robust and will allow for a fairer hearing for those clients who from my experience with the correspondence that comes through to my office often feel that they've been let down by the system. So I think that's an important part.One of the other components of the bill is—and the member Jo Luxton mentioned it—around when the family earner the primary wage earner in the family should pass away and there are discrepancies between superannuation and what they might receive as compensation through the ACC scheme. It's important that we clear that up. I recall that as this bill was going through the House there were some questions about why the Government was prolonging the process of this particular bill when there seemed to be agreement right across the House but it was important to make sure that when matters of eligibility are always in question—and that's what this particular part of the bill sets out to do: to clear up matters of entitlement which are really important because the majority of the issues that come through to my office with regard to ACC are all about entitlement. If we can clear up some of that with those who receive superannuation and are also eligible for ACC payments I think that's a fantastic way forward.Others in the House have already mentioned how some of the other changes are more minor and technical but I do want to touch on a point before I conclude and that is that this Government will be looking towards that side of the House at a future date when we consider some perhaps more substantive changes to the bill. We need a bill that is fit for purpose. We need a bill that shifts and is more fluid with the style of work and the future of work that our country looks forward to to make sure that those workers who do a great job for our economy and in their jobs actually feel covered and feel that they have a piece of legislation and a scheme that serves them well.So I look forward to the support of the other side of the House. They've already mentioned that they have been with us on this particular journey and we look forward to that into the future. This is a good bill. Congratulations to the Minister and I look forward to its royal ascension.Bill read a third time."