Nick Smith Archive

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  Will Cathy Taewa get answers from Paula and Nick?

  
  
  
  Four years ago, Bay of Plenty meatworker Johnny Taewa tragically died of the occupational disease leptospirosis. His widow Cathy has been told she was not only ineligible for a benefit, but won’t be eligible for five years, because the lump sum payment she received from ACC in respect of his death is treated as income. read more
  February 2, 2010 2:06 pm - 35 Comments
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  Levy hikes prelude to privatisation

  
  
  
  If ACC is made to work like an insurance company, then it’s a lot easier to flog bits of it off to insurance companies some time in the future. Levy hikes and entitlement cuts will undermine public confidence in ACC and soften up public opinion for the privatisation agenda. read more
  December 11, 2009 10:35 am - 2 Comments
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  Global concern at Nats’ plan to mine national parks

  
  
  
  Scrutiny of Government plans to mine our conservation lands is deepening internationally. And it’s got people hot on Facebook too. The Sunday Star Times ran a powerful feature on the weekend called “Picture imperfect”. It looks at international concern at New Zealand’s environmental performance, including National’s plan to mine conservation land: IT’S JUST a stock-take of mineral [...] read more
  December 7, 2009 8:30 pm - 10 Comments
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  ACC: Mirrors smashed and smoke dispersed

  
  
  
  Crisis! What crisis? ACC’s reserves are now above forecast by $739 million (5.4 percent), a further improvement over last month, said CTU Economist and Policy Director Bill Rosenberg. The main problem is the full funding of future claim payments which means ACC accounts will always be susceptible to large apparent variations which in reality may have little practical consequences for the ACC scheme. read more
  December 4, 2009 6:43 pm - 6 Comments
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  Faux savings from gutting ACC

  
  
  
  Shunting injured people off ACC onto welfare benefits where they may languish for years rather than rehabilitating them into employment is a false saving – as bad for the economy as it is for the injured person. read more
  December 3, 2009 1:52 pm - 7 Comments
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  Nick Smith: I don’t know and I don’t care

  
  
  
  Nick Smith doesn’t know the most basic statistical information necessary to determine the likely extent of cost containment or the impact on claimants of going back to the 1999 work capacity policy. What’s more, he’s not even prepared to have ACC do the analysis to find out. What a shambles! read more
  December 3, 2009 9:59 am - 2 Comments
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  Can you trust Nick Smith?

  
  
  
  In February this year the Green Party heard a rumour that the review of ACC was being conducted solely by Treasury and Business New Zealand, so on 5 March we decided to put this to Nick Smith in the House. read more
  November 26, 2009 3:34 pm - 19 Comments
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  Submit now or lawyer up later

  
  
  
  The Government estimates its cut to ACC cover for hearing loss will save up to $4 million a year. But it is not just that cost that will be borne by employers – there will be the associated costs of investigating and litigating damages claims by employees for low level hearing loss. Employers have a choice – submit in opposition to this now, or lawyer up later. read more
  November 25, 2009 9:31 am - No Comments
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  A government at war with its own Treasury

  
  
  
  In all the time I’ve been hopping around Parliament I’ve never heard a statement more extraordinary than this one: The numbers from Treasury are nonsense. Treasury can’t tell us what the deficit is going to be in December let alone what’s happening in 2030 or 2040. Now, I’ll admit to having a go at Treasury forecasting myself [...] read more
  November 18, 2009 1:50 pm - 128 Comments
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  Think our native forests were safe? Think again.

  
  
  
  “Agricultural intensification over the past 10 years has led to the highest rate of native vegetation loss since European colonisation.” Landcare Research Annual Report read more
  November 2, 2009 11:29 am - 18 Comments