Marcroft JennyACCIDENT COMPENSATION AMENDMENT BILLThird ReadingDebate resumed from 4 April.JENNY MARCROFT (NZ First): Tēnā koe Madam Assistant Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to take a call on behalf of New Zealand First on the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill. It's a pleasure to do so in this third and penultimate reading here in the House this evening. This is a very good piece of housekeeping legislation. It's a tidy-up and it has generally two broad objectives which are to meet society's expectations and improve the Accident Compensation Act 2001.New Zealand we're a pretty fair nation. We pride ourselves in our fairness and restoring the historic fairness to ACC is what this bill is all about. These are sensible and timely amendments and pretty much just technical adjustments to the legislation. So we like this particular piece of legislation. We're pleased to continue our support of it.I just note that in the Minister the Hon Iain Lees-Galloway's first reading speech he asked the officials to take a careful look at ways to improve the accident compensation scheme and he did note also too that at some point in the future we may look forward to a more substantive bill which could in fact follow; noting also too that in the Minister's third reading speech last week he described that this bill is more about the boundaries rather than the core and therefore has significant meaning for just a relatively small number of people but significant meaning for that group of people that this bill will ultimately affect.Just looking at some of those who will be affected through these changes through this amendment bill it clearly will be beneficial for some older people. They'll be provided a fairer more consistent relationship between weekly compensation and their superannuation by allowing an injured person's financial situation to more closely reflect their income had they not actually been injured. So this bill will remove the requirement for claimants to actually choose between ACC and superannuation. There is going to be a just transition and it'll be extended out to two years where they'll be able to receive their ACC as well as their superannuation if they're injured around the time of their retirement—the time when they get their SuperGold card. So we think that the Education and Workforce Committee landed in a really just place—a pretty fair place—and that's what New Zealand First particularly likes about this piece of legislation. It will be fair particularly for those 24 percent of people over the age of 65 who continue to work and those who actually would be retiring anyway at the age of 65.Some other changes to the bill: there'll be a further amendment relating to the entitlement of weekly compensation for a surviving spouse or partner. They will no longer be affected by whether or not they're receiving weekly compensation. This is now being pushed out to five years of weekly compensation based on the deceased spouse's or partner's earnings at the time of the fatal injury. So that's really fair and we're pleased to support that. Another amendment: there was a bit of a gap in the ACC coverage for families of employees who happen to be posted overseas. So that particular group of people—there was a bit of a gap for them. So we're pleased to ensure that there will be ACC coverage for them when they're working overseas in other jurisdictions—that they will still be able to be covered.So in conclusion—just a short call this evening—I'd like to make note of the Minister the Hon Iain Lees-Galloway for bringing this to the House; the Education and Workforce Committee for all of their work; and also too the previous Minister for ACC the Hon Michael Woodhouse for his work initially. Many submitters shared their stories and it's always really hard for people to do that—to tell their stories at select committee particularly if they're emotional stories—so I'd just like to acknowledge them as well. Finally New Zealand First is pleased to support this bill and I commend it to the House.