Collins JudithHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura): Thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity to speak to the Domestic Violence—Victims' Protection Bill. I think we would all in the House have a great deal of sympathy for victims of domestic violence and I don't think anyone would not. I think that many people would feel a great deal of sympathy for what Jan Logie is attempting to achieve here but I also have a great deal of sympathy for the business owners who are not actually the perpetrators of domestic violence and who would have to therefore along with the workmates of the victim pay for essentially someone to be able to take extra time off because they need it outside of the sick days and annual leave provisions.I actually think there is another way of dealing with it and the other way is through the Government through its Budget process. If the Government wants to fund the victims of domestic violence to be able to take more time from work because they need to deal with some of the issues around dealing with that domestic violence then I think the Government should do that. I also think there's another opportunity here for the Government another way and that is through the Accident Compensation Corporation of which I'm a former Minister and I see that the Minister is here and is listening to this debate.I say that not because I wish to use up all ACC money because of course it wouldn't but actually because ACC is not there for accidents; it is there for injuries: injury prevention injury rehabilitation and dealing with issues around injury. So for instance if a victim of domestic violence in fact attends at an emergency clinic or whatever medical clinic they will actually end up—their bill will be paid for by accident compensation. In addition to that if there are broken bones or other injuries or actually counselling then that can well be paid for by ACC because it is a natural part of dealing with the rehabilitation and treatment of an injury. So the misnamed in many ways—the Accident Compensation Corporation is really the Injury Prevention and Compensation Organisation". I think that that is a better place to be.So if the Government wants to reassess this issue and to take up Ms Logie's bill and to turn it into another provision of ACC I would personally not have any issue with that at all because I think that that is a better place for the costs of the rehabilitation and prevention to be placed. Certainly I know that ACC has over the years put a lot of effort into these sorts of areas anyway. So it is not much of a stretch frankly for that to happen and I would have thought that Ms Logie with her position in the Government would be able to help bring that about. I don't think that's a silly idea even though it didn't come from the Government—actually probably because it didn't come from the Government. But I think it is actually—Hon Iain Lees-Galloway: Oh you were doing so well right up until then.Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I was just checking that they were awake Madam Chair because they were so quiet—Hon Tracey Martin: We were listening so carefully.Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I thought there was something wrong. But I'm pleased that the Hon Tracey Martin is listening. But I think it is an idea and I think that it's a far better imposition to do that because the ACC is an entirely different organisation than your average small business and I think your average small business is not going to be able to cope well with this. They already feel somewhat put upon when it comes to taxes. They already collect the taxes that the Government seeks rightly. They also collect and pay student loans. They collect the liable parent contributions. They collect the PAYE. They do all these things for nothing for absolutely nothing and we just need to be very aware that small business is small. It is not capable of paying any further for the wrongs of others. The perpetrators of family violence should be dealt with in the criminal justice system and they should also I think when we look at dealing with the effects of their wrong and their harm that they cause to their victims we should be going down the much easier route when it comes to the victims as well and for business and go down the ACC route. I think it's the only sensible way of addressing this issue."