Pillay Lynne: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Pillay Lynne: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:660;Page:9133] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 I want to start by congratulating the Minister for ACC because every time he jumps to his feet on the Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill we see the National Government’s true agenda. I want to take him up on what he said not in this round but in the round before it. He said the bill is to be renamed with the words “accident insurance” because that was what the legislation was called in 1990. It used to be called that. That epitomises the back to the future approach of this Government. We did not used to have a lump-sum payment so maybe we should go back to that situation too. We used to have only 3 weeks’ holiday pay so we should go back to that too. We did not use to have Working for Families so let us get rid of that too. Let us go back to all those things. We did not use to have cheaper doctors’ visits so let us go back to that too. We did not use to have workers’ rights in this country under a National Government so let us go back to that too. There is no excuse whatsoever for the Minister in the chair to get to his feet and say to members in this Chamber that it is OK to do certain things because that is what used to happen. That is the argument that that Minister is running in this Chamber. 
I will talk a little more about dog-whistle politics which is just typical of that Minister. Again as has been discussed by my colleagues before me the issue relates to prisoners’ compensation. Nick Smith said a couple of speeches ago that the Government knows that is not right. I say to this Minister that if he had gone out to the steps of this Parliament last week he would have heard a lot of Kiwis talking about things that just are not right. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Ha ha ha. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: That is right; the Minister can laugh. He sits in the chair and laughs. He laughs at people who use their democratic right to come to this Parliament to tell this Minister that the Government’s lousy bill is an insult and that the Government’s application of the accident compensation scheme is an insult to workers and New Zealanders—to claimants and New Zealanders. That Minister sits there and laughs with a big smirk on his face. I tell the Minister that that is an insult to all New Zealanders. 
But what about the people who rallied outside Parliament? What about the biking community who said the big hikes in the cost the lack of support and the “pay more get less” campaign were not right? Why is the Minister not listening to them when he talks about what is not right? What about the survivors of sexual abuse who have been denied their rights by this Government? What about them? They came and said that was not right. Did the Government listen to them? Does the Minister stand in this Chamber and say that is not right so we should not do it? No that Minister does not do that. What about the many many people who have suffered so much stress and anxiety over waiting for their claims to be heard to be looked at under this Government and who in many instances then find when the claims are heard that their claim has been denied and they have to go to review? Does the Minister listen to them saying that is not right? No the Minister does not do that. What about the submitters who came to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and opposed the bill in droves—those who came to the select committee and said this bill is not right? Did the Minister listen to them? No the Minister did not listen to them. 
The other thing that I want to call this Minister to task for is his attitude towards suicide. I find that personally to be absolutely offensive—absolutely offensive. When the Minister was speaking I was saying that things move on and improve. All New Zealanders are incredibly proud of New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme. It is a social contract and it is something that we all hold dear. But surely as politicians as activists and as people in our communities we want to improve the situation for all New Zealanders. That is what this Parliament is about. Well that is what those of us who are now in Opposition understand and certainly what the Green Party understands Parliament to be about. When caring New Zealanders are very concerned about suicide in this country when the previous Labour Government invested so much into suicide prevention initiatives—so much into promoting support for people and into promoting an understanding of mental health issues—what does this Government do? This Government does exactly the opposite of what Labour did. 
When a family suffers the loss of a loved one through suicide it is an absolutely devastating occurrence. Let us be really clear that if a family suffers that this new bill sets it out that in that instance the surviving spouse or partner of the deceased claimant any child of the deceased claimant and any other dependant of a deceased claimant are not entitled to any compensation. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: That’ll teach them! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: The Government is saying “That will teach them; that will teach them. This is punitive. How dare they commit suicide?”. What I find even more offensive is that I was looking at an article entitled “Suicide danger in ACC delay: expert.” Here is the irony: we have a Government whose accident compensation policy is making experts become very concerned that claimants will consider committing suicide and the Government is saying “Oh yes but if people do that there will be nothing to assist their families.” I will tell members something: we hear some pretty reprehensible stuff from the Government side of the Chamber but I think that this one absolutely caps it all. I think that this one caps it all. I would urge the Minister to stand up and try to explain again to the Committee why he thinks that measure is acceptable. 
I also want to talk very briefly about independent accident compensation reports referring to “draining the swamp” in cutting back services. Under the National Government reports are saying accident compensation has gone too far towards having a customer focus and the Government needs to begin tightening the gateway by reducing the levels and the costs of treatment provided. I think that using the term “effectively draining the swamp” says it all of this Government’s attitude towards accident compensation claimants and what is supposed to be a comprehensive rehabilitation and compensation scheme. It certainly is not. 
We are seeing Labour’s accident compensation scheme which was the pride of the world and that put New Zealand up there along with women getting the vote and our nuclear-free policy—which oops would have been gone by lunchtime and which could well go under a National Government—be reduced now to a shoddy insurance scheme one that if its terms and conditions were laid out no one would sign up to. 
I also want to talk about people who have hearing loss. [ 
Interruption 
] I think the Minister’s position is more one of having a closed mind than a lack of hearing. To acknowledge the submitters in this Chamber and the people who gave very comprehensive submissions to the select committee but for them to see the only acknowledgment of what they said to the select committee in the Green Party’s and Labour Party’s minority view report is an insult to them. I want to talk about the hearing loss provisions because under the new proposal in the bill hearing loss does not count if it is just a bit of hearing loss. If it is just a bit of hearing loss irrespective of whether people need hearing aids—irrespective of whether they need that assistance—if it is less than 6 percent hearing loss then they are not entitled to any assistance. That is just absolutely ridiculous. 
There are many many other things like that. Under Labour casual and seasonal workers were covered but under this Government’s bill they will become another group of workers who will miss out on having assistance and coverage. That is an insult to workers.