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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (12 November) . . Page.. 3418 ..

The Assembly voted-

Ayes, 8 Noes, 7

Mr Cornwell Mr Pratt Mr Berry Mr Stanhope

Mrs Cross Mr Smyth Mr Corbell Mr Wood

Ms Dundas Ms Tucker Ms Gallagher

Mrs Dunne Mr Hargreaves

Mr Humphries Ms MacDonald

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

MR SPEAKER: The question now is that the resumption of debate be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations) (11.50): Mr Speaker, I am at a loss to understand why we are now having to consider this proposal. The Workers Compensation (Supplementation Fund) Amendment Bill is a relatively straightforward piece of legislation.

As members would be aware, there is currently a safety net provision. If a private insurer goes bust, there is a safety net-through a surcharge being levied on all insurance companies-to meet the costs of workers compensation of the failed insurer.

The legislation currently provides only for the surcharge to be levied in one hit at the beginning of the financial year. This bill allows for the payments to be made progressively, across the year, rather than requiring insurers to pay the full amount at the beginning of the financial year.

I am at a loss to understand why the Assembly is not prepared to debate-and presumably support-the legislation at this stage. This legislation lessens the immediate impost on insurers and on the people in business who pay their premiums, by saying, "You do not have to pay it all in one hit, you can pay it across the year."That is what this legislation is all about.

It is important to note that, at this time, there is no surcharge in place in the ACT. However, there is always the potential for a surcharge to be required, if it is shown that, as a result of the failure of an insurance company, funds need to be raised to meet the costs of workers compensation claims.

Mr Speaker, the government is obviously keen to see this legislation passed, because it provides for an administratively less complex solution if a surcharge ever needs to be put in place.

The government will be bringing this legislation back on, as a matter of urgency, so we can see the legislation passed, and business in the ACT having a more effective, timely and less costly way of paying the surcharge, should one ever have to be imposed.

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