ACC confirms minor grant to conference

17 June 2005

ACC confirms minor grant to “Many Faces of Abuse” conference

The Accident Compensation Corporation today confirmed it had provided a minor grant of $5,000 to the “Many Faces of Abuse” conference to be held on 10-12 August 2005 in Auckland.

This grant was provided under criteria allowing the Corporation to support anti-sex abuse community initiatives (such as assistance to the Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation) after ACC rejected an application for a principal sponsorship grant of $70,000 from the conference organisers.

ACC said today that while it had approved a minor grant in support of the conference, this did not mean that ACC was endorsing any of the speakers or their views.

ACC provides grants to many similar conferences and never demands any right to dictate the content of the conferences or the personal views of the speakers. At best, ACC may ask for staff members to attend without cost, or that ACC staff also be given the right to address delegates.

ACC has also noted that the organisers of the “Many Faces of Abuse” conference have criticised a party political statement about the conference for using quotes out of context and thereby misrepresenting the views of participants.

ENDS

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