Page 1175 - Week 03 - Thursday, 31 March 2011
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Our accidents per 1,000 vehicles are still double the figure in New South Wales, and we know that when accidents happen they happen at speed. I know members will have a view on this. Because of our relatively good road system and the speeds at which people can drive around this city, when people do crash those crashes are significant. Running alongside these changes, if we encourage people to slow down and take more care on the roads, I think that would assist.
But it is very clear to me that we are not going to get competition. Other members have spoken to other insurers. I know that they have walked the corridors. We are not going to get competition to this market while the scheme is performing the way it is performing. And that is what we have got to change. But we are not going to see competition come and we are not going to see claim costs fall while the scheme is operating in the way it is. That will mean that at some point in this Assembly’s future we are going to have to tackle these issues and I have no doubt that at that point those changes will be controversial again.
I accept the Assembly’s desire for further change. I have an amendment, which I have circulated and which I move now. I move:
Omit “March 2012”, substitute “December 2011”.
So this amendment really goes to trying to pull back the reporting date to December. I understand that I might not have the numbers in support of this amendment but it really is about giving these laws the opportunity to be implemented before the next election. If this slips to March, the chances of that happening are very remote. That means competition is further delayed and premiums rise in the order that they have been rising over the last 18 months. I think that it is an extremely unfortunate outcome.
I have asked that Treasury commence the review on 1 October and that they complete it in November and be able to provide that information to the committee to assist with the speedy reporting from the public accounts committee. Certainly from my point of view, I would prefer that we set a reporting date of December, and that is what my amendment seeks to do.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (11.48): I am speaking to the amendments and closing debate. I thank members for their support for the motion. I am, even now, more concerned, having heard the Treasurer’s speech, as to her motive and her intentions in this. It is interesting that the minister says that she does not like moving controversial law in an election year. To me, that comes down to a lack of leadership and a lack of commitment to the law. It would appear that it is not about sorting out and getting a better result for injured parties and lower premiums. It is about clearing the decks before an election run.
The minister, by her own words, seems to be condemning the former Treasurer Mr Stanhope’s reforms as not having worked. And if they have not worked once, why would they work a second time? What it says is that we can have little faith in the government reforms, which I think makes it even more important to send it to the committee.
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