Government jumping the gun on CTP reform

ACT Greens Parliamentary Convenor and Treasury spokesperson, Meredith Hunter MLA, has announced that the ACT Greens will not support the Government’s proposed reforms to Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme until the statutory review is undertaken.
“This issue has been the subject of much community interest and concern and it deserves a much more considered review before we debate the proposed changes,” Ms Hunter said.
The CTP Act requires that the Minister review the operation of the current scheme after 3 years.
“This is a review that is required under the act, and is scheduled for October this year.  It makes sense to do the review, and assess the impact of the 2008 reforms before changing the laws.
“The Greens agree that the scheme could be improved, however, without a clearer understanding of how the scheme is currently operating we are essentially flying blind in our attempts at reform.
“We are open to changes, but in the absence of clear evidence it is inappropriate to make these types of changes that do have the potential to significantly impact upon injured people’s lives.
“It makes sense to wait until the review has been completed and then consider the whole scheme, together with changes that have occurred in other states, and come up with the best possible scheme for the ACT,” Ms Hunter said.

Faircomp on the airwaves

Traffic reports on Canberra 104.7 are now telling people about faircomp.org.au.
Make sure you do, too.

Television campaign continues

Television advertisements are being run as part of warning citizens about the dangers of the  ACT Government’s proposed changes to CTP laws.

Watch the advertisements here and pass the links onto your family, friends and colleagues.

Remember: It is your rights the ACT Government wants to take away. Make sure the Government knows that, when it comes to compensation, you want the them to make it fair and keep it fair!

State your view

If you do not agree with the proposed changes to compensation laws, let elected politicians know you want to keep your common law rights.
Phone or email key politicians at the contacts below and tell them to make compensation fair and keep it fair!

Law Council: CTP reform a disaster for ACT citizens

Law Council of Australia President, Alexander Ward, has hit-out at proposed reforms to third party insurance laws in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The ACT Government’s proposed changes to the Road Transport (Third Party Insurance) Bill 2011 (the Bill) will directly impact on people’s ability to access compensation as a result of road accidents.

TV campaign launched

FairComp is letting people know their rights are at risk through a television advertising campaign demonstrating the Government’s  proposed changes to compensation laws are unfair to all ACT citizens.

Watch it now and send a link to your friends, colleagues and your local member.

FairComp releases brochure

Send a copy: Make sure people know what is happening to their rights.

FairComp has created a handy brochure outlining the facts and explaining why the ACT Government’s proposed changes to compensation laws are unfair to every citizen.

Share it with friends and colleagues. Better still send it to your local member to let them know that you think compensation should be fair.

Download here or by clicking on the image to the left.

 

ACT Government breaks promises

The ACT Government has tabled changes to Third Party Motor Accident (CTP) insurance laws, which flies in the face of the Labor Party’s own promises.
According to the Australian Labor Party Australian Capital Territory Branch Platform 2010-2011, in relation to the retention of Common Law in CTP, page 32 clearly states, it would “examine a no fault vehicle personal injury insurance scheme with the proviso that appropriate common law rights be retained.”

Yet, the Government doing exactly the opposite with tabling its CTP changes, which deny common law rights.

The proposed changes could be debated as early as March 29.

Law reform hurts consumers, says leading economist

Professor King says tort reforms creates "uninsurable risk".

Tort law reforms may well lower the cost of insurance, according to a leading economist, but they also make consumers worse off.
The problem is, says Professor Stephen King, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University, Victoria, reforms, such a setting legal limits on insurance damage claims in Australia, the United States and other jurisdictions, creates an “uninsurable risk”.
In an article, “Does Tort Law Reform Help or Hurt Consumers?”, published in the Economic Society of Australia’s journal, The Economic Record (December 2010),  King constructs a competitive model to analyse the effect of tort law reforms on consumers.

Legal profession calls for review

Canberra’s legal profession has called for a Parliamentary Committee review of the ACT Government’s proposed changes to compulsory third party insurance [CTP] before the changes are debated in the Legislative Assembly.

In a joint statement released today, Mr Athol Opas and Mr Philip Walker said: “The ACT legal profession is united in its opposition to the ACT Government’s proposed removal of compensation for wrongfully injured motor accident victims which the legal profession believes are unfair, unjust and unnecessary.”