Sue Bradford Archive

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  The smacking lobby ignores 8 positive reviews of S59

  
  
  
  After the latest report on Section 59 from the Prime Minister’s taskforce you would think that the media would stop calling the circus performers whose only interest is in keeping the circus going. The review included Dr Nigel Latta – someone who had voted against the law in the recent referendum. However, to his credit Dr [...] read more
  December 8, 2009 7:13 pm - 22 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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  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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  Sue Bradford says goodbye

  
  
  
  There is so much I could say and and want to say, but Wednesday was Sue Bradford’s day for a last word. Here is her valedictory speech. Kia kaha Sue! read more
  October 30, 2009 10:32 am - 93 Comments
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  Gutting ACC – compensation cuts for casual and seasonal employees

  
  
  
  Reducing compensation for casual and seasonal workers is to penalise those most in need of state support through a period of injury and rehabilitation – especially since they are the least likely to have reserves of savings to make up the shortfall. It’s just not fair! read more
  October 21, 2009 9:32 am - 1 Comment
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  Gutting ACC – it’s just not fair: Vocational independence

  
  
  
  This is the first in a series of blog posts I’m doing to explain National’s plans to gut ACC and highlight how unfair they are. One of the proposed changes is to vocational independence assessments.  These assessments are used by ACC to decide if an ACC claimant receiving weekly compensation for loss of earnings is fit [...] read more
  October 16, 2009 9:41 am - 9 Comments
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  The tsunami of child poverty

  
  
  
  New Zealand’s “tsunami of child poverty” came under the microscope at the recent Child Poverty Action Group hui at Manurewa marae. The hui was designed to build activism to end child poverty in Aotearoa. Activism is clearly what is needed to bring about change, was the consensus of speakers and participants. One of the overriding themes of [...] read more
  October 13, 2009 5:30 pm - 147 Comments
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  Sue’s Truth: Jumping Sundays to be celebrated – all welcome

  
  
  
  My regular column in the Truth Weekender this week recalls the liberation of Albert Park and the Jumping Sundays that followed its liberation, and looks forward to the 40th Anniversary event on September 19: Anyone remember Jumping Sundays in Albert Park? Forty years ago, several thousand young people – including Truth contributors Tim Shadbolt and myself [...] read more
  September 10, 2009 10:38 am - 22 Comments
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  Sue’s Truth: The referendum – the aftermath

  
  
  
  The New Zealand Truth has become the Truth Weekender, so the publication both there and here of my regular article there will be a bit later in the week from now on. This week I focus on the aftermath of the child discipline referendum. Last week the result of the child discipline referendum came out. There [...] read more
  August 28, 2009 11:55 am - 158 Comments
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  Stumbling and bumbling over ACC

  
  
  
  What a shambles the Government’s proposed changes to ACC’s clinical pathway for sexual abuse survivors is becoming. Without any consultation with the professional bodies representing psychotherapists or counsellors, ACC announced changes last week that would have required sex abuse survivors to relate their trauma to up to three different health professionals before they would receive any [...] read more
  August 26, 2009 1:31 pm - 2 Comments