Page 3657 - Week 08 - Friday, 24 August 2012
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debated in 2008. That review process was an important component of the review of the act which was then conducted by the public accounts committee. Looking beyond this point, it again will be important to see how the reforms are playing out. I think we need to take the time to consider claims as they flow through the system, the allocation of damages between various heads of costs and even the potential to slow the increase in premiums.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Leader, ACT Greens) (6.12): I move the amendment to Mr Smyth’s amendment, which is amendment No 1 circulated in my name [see schedule 5 at page 3690].
The Greens have an amendment. This is to make the review every three years rather than every two years. We agree that there should be a continuous review provision. As I have said, we certainly have not come to the end of the road on this issue and there will still be issues that should be further considered.
In terms of whether it should be two years or three, the Greens do not believe that two years is a sufficient period to get enough claims through to understand how the scheme is operating. There should be at least a full cohort of claims through between each review. Given the average time it takes claims to be resolved, there would not be a complete picture in two years of the information required and therefore we are making an amendment here to three years.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation) (6.12): The government will support the Greens amendment. Three years is, we think, a reasonable provision to have in terms of reviews. It is not necessarily actuarially significant but it is no major issue. I cannot let Ms Hunter’s, I hope, intended pun go past about coming to the end of the road on this issue without making an observation.
Ms Hunter’s amendment to Mr Smyth’s proposed amendment agreed to.
Mr Smyth’s amendment, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 27, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 28.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Leader, ACT Greens) (6.13): We will be opposing this clause.
Clause 28 negatived.
Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, if I may inform the chamber, all my amendments will now lapse. They were dependent on previous amendments. Anywhere in the running sheet that I have an amendment, they are no longer relevant.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Smyth, that clarifies things.
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