Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3567] 
12.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister for ACC 
: In light of the 1997 pledges on behalf of ACC made by the current Chief Executive Mr Garry Wilson that: only people who have completed a vocational rehabilitation programme and have a clear capacity to work will be referred for assessment; claimants who have been severely disadvantaged by injury will not be referred for assessment; and highly skilled claimants will not be assessed as having a capacity to work in low skill positions; can she explain any changes to ACC policy since that time? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister for ACC) 
: 
 I am very pleased to be able to respond to this question. Although the pledges made by Mr Wilson were I am sure well intentioned they could not have been delivered under the National Government policy of the time. However changes since we were elected as the Government in 1999 that are relevant to the vocational rehabilitation requirements and to Mr Garry Wilson’s pledges are sections 81 to 96 of the Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2001. Changes include that incapacity must be determined separately for each job where a person had more than one job prior to the injury; that vocational rehabilitation must be completed before a person has an assessment for work and if that work assessment determines the person is fit to do his or her pre-injury job then 3 months’ weekly compensation entitlement is payable; and not least that claimants are now assessed on their total health status rather than just the effects of their injury. 
Peter Brown 
: Does the Minister accept that what she has just read out is actually honouring the pledges made by Mr Garry Wilson and is she telling this House that Mr Wilson did not know what he was talking about when he put those pledges in writing? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No unfortunately I am not able to confirm that. I did answer the member’s question which was: “can she explain any changes to ACC policy since that time?”. My reply answered that question. I am not able to answer in response to any pledges that Mr Wilson made prior to our being elected as Government. 
Janet Mackey 
: Is the Accident Compensation Corporation taking any measures to ensure its claimants are treated fairly and receive service of the highest standard? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Yes. Last month I launched the Accident Compensation Corporation code of claimants’ rights which spells out the Accident Compensation Corporation’s legal obligations to provide the highest standard of service and fairness when dealing with claimants. The Accident Compensation Corporation is also bringing together claimants advocates and representatives to develop a programme looking at legislation policy and operational improvements. Working together will enable the Accident Compensation Corporation from the corporate office right through the entire branch network structure to implement this programme of change. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Will the Minister give members in this House a commitment that should we come to her with the cases of Accident Compensation Corporation claimants who are now being forced to exit the scheme and take lesser-skilled lower-paying jobs than the jobs in which the accident occurred she will allow them to go back on to the compensation that they should rightly be receiving? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No. 
Sue Bradford 
: Given that many long-term accident compensation claimants are still having huge difficulties with vocational rehabilitation assessments and termination of entitlements will the Minister be doing more to encourage the corporation to at least part-fund the infrastructure of accident compensation claimant advocacy groups as allowed for in the most recent legislation? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: That is one of two points I would like to make in response to the member’s question. I am sure it will be raised at the first claimant advocacy meeting with the Accident Compensation Corporation. I have a commitment to ensure that the funding and the operation of that group are provided by the Accident Compensation Corporation. Ongoing advocacy has yet to be determined. On the second point in relation to the rehabilitation and work-readiness of longer-term accident compensation claimants I can advise the House that prior to Christmas I convened a meeting between Work and Income New Zealand the Accident Compensation Corporation the Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand to make sure that the services made available by those four organisations and agencies are better-coordinated to ensure that accident compensation claimants are not removed from accident compensation and put on to a benefit. That seems to me to be a fairly lose-lose situation. 
Peter Brown 
: Does the Minister accept that these pledges were made and that they are not currently being honoured and if she does accept that what is she going to do about it? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I deeply regret that I was not the Minister for ACC in 1997 but because of that fact I am not able to take any responsibility for any pledges the chief executive of the Accident Compensation Corporation made at that time. That was the responsibility of the then chair of the board and that remains the case. 
Peter Brown 
: I seek leave to table a letter from the chief executive of the Accident Compensation Corporation written in 1997 outlining the claims and a second document where— 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.