1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: The Chief Ombudsman say as the Ministry of Social Development's 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: payment scheme for survivors of abuse and care is unreasonable. 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Peter Boche says the rates of compensation are arbitrary and 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: the criteria for accepting claims are too narrow. And the 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: finding comes after a complaint by a law firm representing 6 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: one thousand claimants saying that the payments are just not enough. 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Peter Boscher. Now, Bosha joins me. 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: Now, hell, Peter, good afternoon to you. Andrew. 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: So you're saying that MSD is paying victims of state 10 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: abuse too little. 11 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 2: There are a number of things about the scheme, Andrew, 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: which are unsatisfactory. Can I quickly put a context for 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: your listeners. Everyone's heard of the Royal Commission of Abuse 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 2: and Care and redress that will occur to survivors of abuse. 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 2: This relates to the period before two Thy seventeen and 16 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: MASB set up a scheme whereby it would offer redress 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 2: to those who claimed. We've found that aspects of this 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 2: are unreasonable. The basis upon which decisions were being approached 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: not clear. What was being taken into account not clear. 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 2: But perhaps worst of all, Andrew, and something I'm really 21 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: keen on in this role, people not getting clear reasons 22 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 2: for decisions and not understanding why what they received was 23 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 2: the amount in question. So a number of things we 24 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: were unhappy. 25 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: Well, well, have you also investigated why the ministry might 26 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: be actually, you know, being arbitrary and being I don't 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: want to say the word tight, that's a terrible word 28 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: to say. But you know why the purse strings are closed? 29 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: Have you looked into why they're doing it? Can you? 30 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: Can you even answer that? 31 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: Yes? I can look look. Some schemes for address, such 32 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: as the accident compensation scheme, are quite prescriptive and quite known, 33 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: and I think a number of people when they have 34 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: an acc situational claim, have a pretty fair idea of 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: what's likely to happen to their claim in terms of outcomes. 36 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: The real problem here what was a lack of structure 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: in terms of what was being considered and what might 38 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: be felt to be appropriate. So I think the best 39 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 2: way for me to answer your very good question is 40 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 2: the results were two arbitrary. I think what people want 41 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: is to know the territory into which they're heading. Here 42 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 2: they didn't know, and sometimes when the result came couldn't 43 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: understand why it was what it was, so just to arbitrary, really, Andrew. 44 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: Okay, sure, but of course the reaction from people who 45 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: haven't been involved in the decision is New Zealand currently 46 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: is in a bad economic state. We just don't have 47 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: more money. 48 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: The fact is that for anyone who is injured or damaged, 49 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 2: whether it's a road accident or whether it's through state 50 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 2: care which has been careless and negligent, that person has 51 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: the right have their dignity restored. A can, for instance, 52 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 2: go to court and see, which is a very expensive exercise, 53 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: and if they succeed, there will be meaningful redress. Look, 54 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: I'm afraid we are a society. We care for everyone. 55 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: That's what we do as a caring, civilized society. Where 56 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 2: the state has cared for someone carelessly and injured them, 57 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 2: the state has the responsibility to say so into front up. 58 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: Peter, I thank you for your time this afternoon. Peter 59 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: Boscher is the chief on Woodsman. 60 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 61 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 62 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.