Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. In the closing moments of her address Melissa Lee the member introducing this bill complimented the Minister for ACC on his very dapper appearance and I heard him charitably call out Flattery will get you everywhere." Well I would like to suggest to the Minister that the lovely way that he could show that he really meant it would be by changing his position and supporting this bill.Dr Duncan Webb: That's the best reason you'll come up with tonight.Hon TIM MACINDOE: Ha ha! I too will pay him a compliment if I think it might have that effect. But I would like to just say to the Minister thank you for an intelligent engagement in the issues being presented. There are clearly valid points of view to be considered and it's for that reason that I'd like to urge all members of this House to support this bill at least through to select committee by passing it tonight in its first reading so that those valid considerations can be given a thorough examination with expert advice and people being able to submit and we can get to grips with just how significant a problem it is and whether there is a way to fix it because I believe that there is. I want to congratulate Melissa Lee on her success in having this bill drawn. I'm beginning to think that Nicky Wagner Michael Woodhouse and I are the only MPs who have been here for more than 20 minutes who haven't yet had that opportunity.I am very proud to support this bill in what is my first speech in the House as the Opposition's spokesperson for ACC and that's because there hasn't been any legislation introduced by the new Government on this particular topic since they took office. It's another reason why I'm really disappointed to hear that the Labour Party at this stage is intending to oppose the bill. I can only hope that New Zealand First and the Greens will see the merit of giving it a fair hearing and will help it through to select committee.I also hope that we'll have another chance to consider an ACC measure this year when I finally do get lucky and have my own success in the Parliamentary Lotto syndicate that is the members' bill system and the Accident Compensation (Notice of Decision) Amendment Bill is drawn to widespread rapture and thunderous applause. My bill is also designed to correct an anomaly in our system as does Melissa Lee's which fixes in unfair provision as she's outlined prohibiting migrants and returning New Zealanders from receiving ACC support once they reach superannuation age even if they are still unable to work as a result of an injury.The weekly compensation that ACC provides to approved claims currently ceases once a person turns 65—it's that qualification age for commencing receipt of New Zealand superannuation. Now most make the transition at that point from ACC to national super so that's why it's inequitable and anomalous that a number of New Zealand citizens who return from overseas at or beyond that age as well as some migrants are not eligible for weekly compensation despite the fact that they have lived and worked in New Zealand paying taxes and have unfortunately suffered an injury as a result of an accident which prevents them from being in paid employment.Those are the circumstances that ACC was set up to support us through. It's a scheme which we can all be very proud of and which has been a vital source of protection and security for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders sometimes for relatively short periods but in some instances for very lengthy spells. All of us who represent electorates in this House know many constituents in those circumstances and many of us of course have close family and friends who've also been in that category. Now you can think of somebody who may as Melissa Lee has said have spent 49 years continuously in this country almost entirely in work apart from during their schooldays and yet because they've taken the opportunity to go overseas—and you can perhaps think of Chris Liddell in this category although I have people of more modest means in mind—and because they've spent that time out of the country between the age of 50 and 65 suddenly on coming back here as they're perfectly entitled to do as returning New Zealanders to have their final days in this country they find themselves left out because of this anomaly in our legislation. To keep them waiting until 70 in those circumstances is manifestly unjust.ACC is all about fairness security and New Zealanders avoiding costly judicial proceedings which frankly only benefit the lawyers. So this Parliament should be eager to protect that fairness and support for our own and it's for that reason that I again strongly urge members from all parties to support the bill at its first reading through to select committee. Let's have the chance to consider its merits if necessary to make some changes to it but to ensure that we don't do a chronic injustice to our own."