Page 3763 - Week 12 - Thursday, 13 October 1994
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CHIEF MINISTER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE TAKEN ON NOTICE
13 SEPTEMBER 1994
MR DE DOMENICO:
My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, during estimates you stated that Comcare had suggested that part of the reason for higher workers compensation premiums was the higher incidence of stress claims by ACT public servants. Can you, Chief Minister, advise the Assembly what information you have at hand that would explain why ACT public servants are more stressed out than their federal or interstate counterparts.
If you have got no such information could it be because Comcare can not justify their reason for increasing the ACT workers Compensation Premium and they should be dumped as a workers compensation insurance.
Chief Minister, what are you actually doing or what have you done in relation to the fact that it seems that ACT public servants are more stressed out than their federal and interstate colleagues. What areas are we getting more claims from? Have we done any studies? Do we hold any statistics on that?
MY ANSWER IS:
As I have indicated previously to the Estimates Committee, the incidence of claims for workers compensation in the ACT Government Service arises from accidents and injuries in three main categories:
• back injuries
• strains and sprains (excluding back injuries); and
• stress.
With respect to the first two categories, the ACT claims experience is high compared with the Commonwealth, reflecting the more diverse work (with its consequential risks of physical injury) undertaken in the ACT Government Service.
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