Annabel Young

National Revenue Spokesperson

Monday 18 December 2000

Decision due today on Willis payout

Today is the deadline set by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee for the compensation payout to Murray and Jan Willis to be finalised but unless a Cabinet decision is announced today it will not be met, National's Revenue spokesperson Annabel Young said today.

"The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee set a deadline of 30 days for the IRD and ACC to reach agreement with the Willises about the appropriate payout to them for the nightmare of problems they experienced in dealing with the IRD.

"I think there is a general expectation that the payout will be large enough to need Cabinet approval.

"Cabinet will have to make a decision today on this if they are going to meet the 30-day deadline set by the select committee. If no decision is made today the Willises will have to wait until next year for Cabinet sign off.

"On 16 November, Michael Cullen instructed the IRD and ACC to work out the level of appropriate compensation to be paid to the Auckland couple. He asked IRD commissioner John Perham and ACC Chief Executive Garry Wilson to appoint an independent assessor to decide the level of compensation which should be paid to Jan and Murray Willis.

"Mr and Mrs Willis have been through a long ordeal. The least the Government could do is finalise the compensation payment by today's deadline so the couple can put this behind them and get on with their lives," Ms Young said.

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