Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Elder abuse
Elder abuse is a universal problem. It is not limited to any one gender, religious, cultural,
ethnic or income group. Elder abuse may occur in many different settings, including private
homes, residential care and hospitals.
Aged Concern estimates that 20,000 New Zealanders will experience elder abuse and
neglect at some point in their lifetime, therefore it is important to educate those who work
with older people.
Labour is concerned that there are still eight areas in New Zealand where there is no
contract for Elder Abuse services.
Labour will work with the Ministry of Social Development to standardise a nation-wide
contracting model for Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services to ensure
consistency of access of service provision across the country.
Grandparents raising grandchildren
Increasingly, grandparents are taking over the full-time care of their grandchildren. Labour
recognises this. Under Labour, grandparents will be treated in the same way as people who
undertake foster care.
Labour will undertake a review of the differences in government assistance provided
to foster carers and to kin carers (including grandparents) with a view to ensuring that
both groups are treated equitably.
A comprehensive, universal and public ACC
Labour is committed to an ACC that is owned by New Zealanders and that has the best
interests of Kiwis at heart, not profits for multinationals. Labour is strongly opposed to
privatisation of ACC. It has been publicly owned and operated for three decades, it is
financially sound, and independent studies show its levies are already substantially lower
than in Australia and other countries.
In Government, the National Party has deliberately talked up a crisis in ACC and done its
very best to erode public confidence in what should be a world-leading scheme. Its agenda
all along has been to soften Kiwis up to privatising ACC. The only winners out of this will be
the big Australian insurance companies and law firms who will make hundreds of millions of
dollars at the expense of hardworking New Zealanders.
Labour supports maintaining ACC as a publicly administered and delivered social insurance
scheme which provides comprehensive and universal coverage for all New Zealanders.
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