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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 2042 ..

MR SMYTH

members, some of these lines were used by the Chief Minister in his tabling speech yesterday-the government's response states:

The victim must first have made an attempt at rehabilitation by accessing services from the victims services scheme (VSS) unless he or she is physically incapable of benefiting from the scheme (for example, where rehabilitation is clearly impossible).

Golly, gee, what does my scheme say? It says, "The victim must first have attempted rehabilitation before going on to seek compensation."Sounds pretty similar to the government's victims of crime legislation that they are supporting. The response goes on:

The Victims of Crime Coordinator has also suggested that people who sustain an "extremely serious injury"as a result of any crime ... be eligible for special assistance.

Let's get them assistance. The response then goes on in paragraph 5.14:

The government does not propose to change this provision.

Goodness me, the government won't provide more assistance for those who are victims in this case. It goes on:

Research shows that there is little evidence that financial lump sums actually assist in victim recovery.

What is the Chief Minister proposing through tort law tinkering? He is proposing that you still go through common law in the courts to get a lump sum at the end. Wait the seven years and you will be better off. Didn't he read his response before he tabled it? The response goes on:

The provision was intended to provide assistance to those victims in the community most in need. Consistent with the legislations focus on promoting rehabilitation-

goodness me, the ACT has legislation that promotes rehabilitation; and that is what I am proposing-

where possible, the special systems provision is targeted at those victims who are left with permanent injuries that greatly reduce the quality of their lives and whose prospects for significant rehabilitation are very poor. For victims with better rehabilitative prospects, the legislation provides a very high level of support in the form of payments for medical and other expenses associated with the injury, free counselling and access to a range of other therapeutic and rehabilitative services from the VSS to assist in their recovery.

What is my legislation proposing; what is the legislation from the opposition proposing? It is proposing that we get early acceptance of claims so that victims can access medical attention when they need it and when they will get the most effect from it, early in the course of the event.

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