Page 2635 - Week 12 - Thursday, 16 November 1989
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in some way and provide productive support to the community, there should be some provision for that to occur.
Another area where there is a lack of statutory provision is that there is no prohibition against an employer terminating the services of a workers compensation recipient. However, the common law relating to employment would generally apply to this situation. Another deficiency is the obligation imposed on an employer under the ordinance to keep wage records relating to his workers, although the prescribed form of insurance policy specifies that the name and earnings of every worker employed by an employer shall be entered regularly in a proper wages book.
These are the sorts of areas that need upgrading and consideration. Information to be given to a workman is another important matter. By virtue of the ordinance, a workman may require his employer to inform him of the name and address of the insurer who has issued the policy of indemnity under the ordinance. The employer is liable to a penalty if he refuses or fails to furnish this information. These are just a few of the major issues and concerns in relation to the need to upgrade and reform the workers compensation legislation in the ACT.
In closing, I would just like to comment on our support for the recommendations of the working party report that I referred to before. We support strongly the adequate database for workers compensation. We also support the need for the ACT to develop its own premiums, benefits and structure. The Rally would like to see this legislation, to which the Government is committed, adjusted, amended and brought into force as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible.
MR WHALAN (Minister for Industry, Employment and Education) (12.10), in reply: Mr Speaker, I would like to express my gratitude for the general level of support for the review of this legislation which has been expressed by other speakers contributing to this discussion.
I noticed that, while Mr Stefaniak did qualify some of the views that have been expressed by the Government, there was a general level of support for the review. Indeed, I will refer to the terms of reference and seek to have them incorporated in the debate so that it does provide a concise summary. I think that members will find that the terms of reference deal with most of the reservations that Mr Stefaniak has about the review.
The review is important and it is certainly overdue. I think it is good that the Government has moved quickly to implement the review and that the Assembly supports that implementation. We are as concerned as anybody else about the costs of hospitalisation. Hospital costs and medical costs generally are expensive - that is not unique to the ACT - and concerns about this have been expressed across
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