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The Government will make a second attempt to get controversial changes to the ACC scheme through its first reading in Parliament.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that the Government would move the House into urgency from today to push through changes to the “boy-racer” legislation and the victim levy bill.

National is negotiating with ACT and the Maori Party for the votes to pass its ACC changes after being forced to shelve the first reading of the proposed legislation last week through lack of support. Progress is being made, but it’s a little too early to tell whether it will be this week,” Key said.

“We’re in negotiations with our partners.

Motorcyclists bear the brunt of the levy increases, but all motorists, and most workers, will pay more from next year.

ACC Minister Nick Smith has unveiled a range of levy increases and changes to entitlements, and a move to shift the full funding of the scheme out to 2019.

The Government will need to get the legislation sent to a parliamentary select committee soon if it is to have any hope of making the changes law by February.

The Maori Party is pushing for tougher criteria proposed for disability payments to be dropped in return for its support, while ACT wants the Government to investigate part-privatisation. If it does not, the ACC’s even steeper levy increases will take effect.

ACT had said it would look at supporting the bill and had put its policy to introduce competition into work place accident insurance on the table.

Mr Key met with Act leader Rodney Hide last night seeking support for the ACC bill.

PROTEST AGAINST CHANGES

Anger over the Government’s plans continued yesterday, with protests in the main centres over proposed cuts to entitlements.It is National Party policy to investigate opening up the part of the scheme that covers work-related personal injuries to private competition, and ACT was likely to push for that.

Victims of sexual abuse are angry that they would need to prove they had suffered mental trauma as a result of sexual abuse before getting ACC-funded treatment.

Victims of sexual abuse are angry that they would need to prove they had suffered mental trauma as a result of sexual abuse before getting ACC-funded treatment.

The ACC proposals include a threshold of a 6 per cent hearing loss before a person is entitled for assistance for hearing aids.

The New Zealand logical Society yesterday accused the Government of turning its back on thousands of people whose hearing has been damaged at work. .

Society president Lesley Hindmarsh said thousands of people with occupational hearing loss, who were previously entitled to ACC help for their hearing aids, may no longer be eligible

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National’s senior whip Nathan Guy has been appointed as Internal Affairs Minister to replace Richard Worth, Prime Minister John Key said today.

Mr Guy will be a minister outside Cabinet and take up Dr Worth’s portfolios of Archives NZ, National Library and associate justice minister.

Maurice Williamson, who temporarily looked after Dr Worth’s portfolios after he lost his ministerial positions, will retain Land Information.

He will also hold the new position of associate transport minister. .

Mr Guy is the MP for Otaki and first entered Parliament in 2005.

“He has proven himself to be an able senior whip and member of the National Party caucus,” Mr Key said.

Mr Key said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Guy to the executive.

“I was rapt to receive a phone call from the prime minister offering me the opportunity to become a minister outside Cabinet, which of course I accepted.

Mr Guy said the appointment was a huge honour.

The transport role is a new position and as a local MP he has come out strongly in favour of the Transmission Gully motorway route between Wellington and the Kapiti Coast.”

Mr Guy said he was looking forward to the internal affairs role and other associate jobs, though he did know his delegations yet.

The Wellington to Otaki road is one of the designated routes, but the Transmission Gully motorway is not dfairs role and other associate jobs, though he did know his delegations yet.

The Wellington to Otaki road is one of the designated routes, but the Transmission Gully motorway is not defined as a solution to the region’s traffic congestion.

Mr Guy said he believed the transport appointment was a sign that the portfolio was a large one and Mr Key wanted to make progress on the designated routes of national significance. .

“There is a lot at stake for the Otaki electorate. but it is just one area around the country. .

A second allegation was also made against Dr Worth by a member of the Labour Party.”

Mr Guy gained the jobs after Dr Worth resigned as an MP late on Friday after earlier being asked to resign as a minister when it emerged that he was under police investigation over allegations of a sexual nature involving a Korean business woman.

In a public statement she also said Dr Worth offered her jobs in his ministerial capacity.

The woman involved, Neelam Choudary, alleged that between November and February, Dr Worth sent dozens of text messages, some sexually explicit, and called her numerous times.

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Sharing his joy with mum

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Regional councils, including Environment Canterbury (ECan), could be axed if a drastic move foreshadowed by a specialist government panel gains momentum.

The possible abolition of regional councils and a recommended review of their effectiveness and efficiency comes from Environment Minister Nick Smith’s technical advisory group. It is part of the Resource Management Act (RMA) streamlining process.

The advisory group believes that, after the regional councils’ 20 years of existence, it is the “appropriate time for a reappraisal” of their performance.

A local government source said Smith was “surprised” at his advisers’ idea.

In their report, Smith’s advisers suggested a move from a three-tier resource management system national, regional and district-city to two tiers.

The Government wants to establish an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to strengthen support for environmental governance at national level.

The “functions and activities” carried out by regional councils would then be split between the new authority, working from regional offices, and city and district councils.

Smith’s press secretary said the minister had noted what was in the group’s report, but no work had been done on it.

Doctoral research from Massey University had suggested regional councils were “adding little public value” to environmental management, the advisers said.

Environmentalists say regional councils have been hamstrung as a result of a lack of policy guidance and support from central government.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide is distancing himself from the idea, saying it was National Party policy “to explore an EPA instead of regional councils”.

It said that while ECan had worked hard to address agriculture and water conflicts, that had led to “great difficulty” in progressing water issues of its regional plan and public concern over inadequate environmental protection. .

“It is not clear that elected regional governance and the associated cumbersome processes of public participation have been particularly useful in protecting the people of Canterbury,” the advisers said.

“It is not clear that elected regional governance and the associated cumbersome processes of public participation have been particularly useful in protecting the people of Canterbury,” the advisers said.

ECan chairman Sir Kerry Burke said the group’s “gratuitous suggestion” had stunned many in the sector.

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“It is important to remember that elected councillors have an important role in local decision-making and that this is an underlying theme of the Resource Management Act,” it said. They give it perspective and democratic accountability.

“Regional councils give a scale you don’t get with territorial authorities.

Environmental Defence Society chairman Gary Taylor said the EPA taking over regional council functions was a possible scenario in phase two of the reforms. We’re just starting to hit our straps,” he said. “There needs to be a lot more work done before you could justify something as drastic as that.

“It’s the big sleeper,” he said.

“I think there are questions about the performance of some of the rural regional councils. You can’t make that kind of major change without a proper evidence basis.

“In the relatively long life of the RMA, which contemplated a number of national policy statements, there’s only ever been one issued coastal.

“In the relatively long life of the RMA, which contemplated a number of national policy statements, there’s only ever been one issued coastal.”

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said little coherent direction for regional councils through the 1990s and early 2000s meant the RMA’s rollout was not as effective as it should have been.

“We need to be extremely wary of what is being proposed and examine it closely to see if it will improve environmental performance. [The group's] first round of advice was very anti-environmental and they will be providing advice on phase two.”