22 Feb 2000
Greens welcome Govt. support for ACC Bill changes
The Green Party has welcomed Government assurances that the ACC bill will be amended to better serve the self employed
and farmers.
"These changes will hopefully provide a guaranteed level of compensation irrespective of annual tax returns," Enterprise
and Employment Spokesperson Sue Bradford said today. "Also farmers will be able to insure for replacement labour."
Ms Bradford said, immediately after a Green Party caucus meeting today which focussed on ACC, that the party had decided
to support the ACC bill. But the party was adamant that some changes would have to be made.
"People need to be reassured that while we support a state-run ACC system we are against going back to the old ACC
bureaucracy and all its problems," she said.
"We are also happy that the Government is promising to drastically reduce the case-load of the state-run compensation
system in the transition period, so that both workers and employers can receive a professional service."
Sue Bradford MP x6720 Paul Bensemann, Press Secretary x6679, 021 214 2665