Page 1164 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 24 March 2009
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The other thing that became obvious as a result of this further email was that there were further titbits of information, and it did turn out that the ACT government did collect information about what other jurisdictions were doing. We were told that three jurisdictions have similar provisions, but they provided no details on how those provisions worked and whether there were sunset clauses and when they would expire. We were also told that three other jurisdictions did not have sunset clauses in the way the ACT does, whatever that means. A final email arrived this morning suggesting that if I wanted further information I might consult the Assembly library.
So, Mr Speaker, the answer to a simple question took two weeks to come. It resulted in a list of emails as long as your arm, and it provided information which was next to useless. When the minister could not answer the question, it was suggested that I might consult the Assembly library. I would like to contrast this with the service that is generally provided to me from other ministers that I deal with, particularly the Attorney-General’s office, where I have never been refused information and have been provided with full and open briefings and every courtesy. When I ask for information, the request is dealt with promptly and professionally. I think the Minister for Industrial Relations could take a lesson from the Attorney-General’s book.
The other lesson that I have learnt is that, when dealing with the Minister for Industrial Relations, I will not try and make life easy for people. I will not just ask a simple question. In future, there will be briefings on everything that comes before this place, no matter how small or inconsequential they may appear to be.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (10.46): The ACT Greens will support this bill. It is necessary because commercial workers compensation insurance is still not available to cover the impacts of the acts of terrorism, but time will run out soon if nothing is done to extend these arrangements. It would seem there is no information yet that the insurance industry is in any state to pick up more responsibility for unforeseen calamitous events.
Obviously the global and visible threats of terrorism and the massive financial and human impacts of terrorist acts have brought forward new imperatives, and this bill implicitly makes the point that victims of terrorist acts deserve the same care and consideration as any other worker in our community.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability and Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Corrections) (10.47), in reply: Mr Speaker, after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, most insurance companies withdrew products offering coverage for an act of terrorism. The government believes that it has a responsibility to protect the workers of the ACT wherever we can, and our workers compensation scheme here in the ACT is underwritten by the private sector. Private sector insurers are either not offering a product to protect employees from injury caused by terrorist attack or they are offering it at a price that employers in the ACT cannot reasonably afford.
Mr Speaker, you might ask whether workers in other jurisdictions benefit from similar protections. Well, I can tell you that a number of other jurisdictions do provide a
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