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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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Continued delays in paying out
compensation to Paul Zentfeld, a claimant in the Lake Alice compensation case,
are completely unsatisfactory, says National's Associate Health spokesman
(Mental Health), Dr Jonathan Coleman. "After experiencing
outrageous treatment in Lake Alice Hospital, the claimants agreed to settle
with the Ministry of Health in two separate compensation rounds," says
Dr Coleman. "Mr Zentfeld had $35,000
secretly lopped off his compensation payment by the Ministry of Health, and
found out about it quite by chance. He took the Ministry to court and won. "Rather than paying up with
good grace, the Government is appealing against the decision in the High
Court. This is obviously because Mr Hodgson knows that the implication of
this decision is that up to $3 million will need to be paid to the other
second-round claimants who had part of their compensation secretly withheld. "The Labour Party keeps
droning on about social justice, but when they get the chance to actually
apply some they duck for cover. "Minister Hodgson needs to
stop dodging the issue, write the cheque to Mr Zentfeld, and pay back any
money that his Ministry rightfully owes the 87 other second-round
claimants." |
