ACC Farmers Levy Overkill

Thursday 12 Aug 2004 Gerry Eckhoff Press Releases -- Rural -- ACT Rural Website

ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today said farmers, with perfect safety records, could expect no relief from ACC's proposal to increase farmers' levies by a whopping nine percent.

"ACC Minister Ruth Dyson today admitted to Parliament that farmers' premiums would only come down when the whole farming industry's safety record improves.

"There is absolutely no justification for those with excellent safety records to continue to be penalised by this Labour Government-imposed monopoly.

"ACC has clearly never heard of a no-claims bonus, where premiums are lower to those with no claims.

"It is a nonsense for the ACC to continue to penalise those farmers who attend safety courses and have sound safety practices, to subsidise those who don't.

"ACC is the biggest compliance cost on the farming industry and obviously will continue to be so under this socialist, anti-farmer government," Mr Eckhoff said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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