Monday October 19th
Dunedin:
Picket at 3pm outside the ACC offices (Corner Maclaggan & Clark Streets, near the Warehouse)
March to the Octagon via the National party offices
Rally in the Octagon from 4.30pm
ACC has been instructed by the government to cut costs, and chose "sensitive claims" as an area that could use less funding. Sensitive Claims deals with cases of sexual abuse, and provides counselling and other services for the victims of abuse.
This is a blatant attempt to make it more difficult to recieve assistance after an incredibly traumatic event.
Up to 700 sexual abuse claims are lodged each month, and that will only be a tiny fraction of those who require it. Any attempt to curtail services are violently opposed by not only victim support networks, but also by councellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and the Sensitive Claims advisory group itself.
The National Government is perfectly happy to side with victims when it means building more prisons and longers or harsher sentences, but when it comes to *actually* helping victims that dedication is suddenly lacking.
National is also perfectly willing to pump millions of dollars into arms and warfare (e.g. sending SAS troops to Afghanistan) but not willing to dedicate funds to education or social programs. This attack on ACC subsidised couselling services is only the first shot in a larger scheme to undermine ACC entirely.
Come voice your outrage at this attempt to deny assisstance to those who need it most!
National Day of Action
Monday October 19th
Dunedin:
Picket at 3pm outside the ACC offices (Corner Maclaggan & Clark Streets, near the Warehouse)
March to the Octagon via the National party offices
Rally in the Octagon from 4.30pm
Similar events will be held in Auckland, Wellington and other centres
Further reading:
http://notoacc.blogspot.com/ Essential reading with a large amount of information
http://www.petitiononline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/home.
News articles:
Indymedia.org.nz "ACC cuts funding for sexual abuse counseling"
Scoop.co.nz "ACC targets sexual abuse counseling"
NZHerald.co.nz "Tracey Barnett: Mental illness label will send sex abuse victims back to silent agony"
NZHerald.co.nz "ACC sticks with abuse proposal" (bottom)
NZHerald.co.nz "Sex abuse counsellors battling ACC proposal"
NZHerald.co.nz "Victim: Sex-abuse rule will cost lives"
Labour.org.nz "Government cost-cutting responsible for ACC sexual abuse counselling delays"
Tewahanui.info "Sexual abuse counselling process on the rocks"
Stuff.co.nz "ACC changes upset counsellors "
Scoop.co.nz "ACC must go back to drawing board on sexual abuse"
NZHerald.co.nz "Suicide linked to new ACC rule" The (very recent) story of a woman who committed suicide after being told she required another psychiatric assessment to continue receiving counselling.
